Early piety, exemplified in the life and death of Mr. Nathanael Mather, who ...…

Know likewise, that thy strength will then be smaller. The Philosopher truly called Old-Age, the Winter of life: We commonly say of Old-Age, It is it self a Disease, and attended with a thousand more. Then it is that, Pallor in Ore sedet, Macies in Corpore toto: A pale, a lean, and a feeble State of Body comes upon us; and then also the Mind grows more heavy and listless: It is as much as the Old Man can well do, to encounter the manifold Infirmities of his Age: And wilt thou never obey the Lord until thou canst not enjoy thy self? When David said unto Old Barzillai, Come thou over with me: The Old Man answering, in 2 Sam. 19. 34.—How long have I to live! can I discern between good and evil? Can I taste what I eat or drink? No; let Chimham go. Thus our David, our Jesus, when he says to an Old Man, Come over to me; the reply ⟨p. 62⟩may be: Alas, I have but a little while to live; the Force of all my senses is abated; let the Young man go over to the Lord.

Thirdly, Old-Age is no safe Time for us to adjourn our Piety unto. The Young Man allots upon Old-Age, as that which he may very seasonably grow sober in: But Young Man, what if thou shouldst never arrive to Old-Age at all? That is the Hap of multitudes, multitudes every day: The Sons of Job were all of them Young Men, but they died suddenly, seven of them at once. We have that Warning often repeated unto us, in Job 21. 23. One dyeth in his full strength. Young Persons of both Sexes are liable to the Stroke of Death: We read in Luke, about the Funeral of a Young Man, the Son of a Widow: We read in the same Evangelist, about a young Woman, which lay a dying when she was but about Twelve years of Age. The Arrest of Death likewise falls upon young Persons of all Estates. The Son of Jeroboam was a Gracious Youth; but he dyes. The Sons of Eli were Vicious Youths, and they dye too: So does the young man, Absalom, after his Brother Amnon. As young as thou art, and as lively and as lusty too; 'tis possible thou mayst like ⟨p. 63⟩