and he has promised them, and he is faithful: he never failed them who trusted in him. He has suited his promises to all the infirmities of age. He knows our frame perfectly, and has described it with an unerring pen, Ecclesiastes, chap. xii. that when we feel the signs of old age, we may apply to him for grace to profit by them. The symptoms there given are infallibly true and just, and are as so many monitors, warning the man, that the vigour of life is declining, and that the body is returning to the earth from whence it came. Happy is he who takes this warning, and remembers his Creator in the days of his youth, before the wearisome days come, of weakness and pain. He has fled to Jesus for refuge--and finds and experiences what he has engaged to do for his people, when heart and flesh begin to fail them. Blessed be his grace for the abundant provision which he has made for their faith and patience: he says to them, " I will be with you, I will never leave you nor forsake you: so that you may boldly say, The Lord is our helper, and we need K not fear what the infirmities of age can do unto us." One of them, the Christian Hero, thus encouraged himself in the Lord his God -" Thou art my hope, O Lord God, thou art my trust even from my youth: by thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels : my praise shall be continually of thee -I am a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge." This was his trust: and God did not forsake him. He remembered his word unto his servant, wherein he had caused him to depend. There failed not ought of any good thing, which the Lord had spoken unto him. O what great encouragement have believers to follow the steps of his faith! For his God is their God, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, to young and old, who put their trust in him. His promise to the Israel of God cannot be broken. Thus he pledges his word of truth to them, giving them a warrant to pray unto him, "My mouth shall be filled with thy praise, and with thy honour all the day long: for thou wilt not cast me off in the time of old age, thou wilt not forsake me, when my strength faileth." To this prayer the Lord inclined his ear, and vouchsafed this gracious answer: "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb, and even to your old age I am he, and even to hoary hairs I will carry you, I have made and I will bear you, even will carry, and I will deliver you." These are some of his rich cordials for the aged. He provided for them in his love, and he is sensibly touched with the feel-. ing of their infirmities in administering them : for he himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. His compassions bind him to comfort and relieve his old disciples: and when they apply to him in time of need, he is ever present to grant them his promised help: yea, so suited to their case as to make them grow in grace, as they grow in years. They bring forth fruit in their old age, the rich fruit of humility, and the ripe fruit of thankfulness; fruit that endureth unto everlasting life. We have an happy in stance of this in God's goodness to an ancient believer, who lived to be an hundred and seventy-five years old. He was the friend of God, who had blessed Abraham through life, and that in all things, and who even to hoary hairs loaded him with blessings. For God had promised him, "Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace, thou shalt be buried in a good old age;" and the sacred historian relating the fulfilling of the promise, says, "He gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people." His old age was good, in body and soul. Whatever infirmities he had, they were intended for good, and actually did him good. He was a very cheerful, pleasant old man. The peace of his mind had a sweet influence on his temper and behaviour. It kept him from being fretful and peevish in his family. He was loving to his children, and kind to his servants : God himself being witness. He was also happy in his last years; for he spent them in faith, and when they came to an end, he died in peace: with his last breath he committed his spirit into the hands of him who had redeemed it, full of years: it is in the original one word-he was satisfied: so it is rendered, Psalm xvii. 15, As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness." He was satisfied with what he had enjoyed of the favour and friendship of his God; who had been his shield to defend him from all sins and enemies, and also had promised to be his exceeding great reward. This he obtained, when he was gathered to his people, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, and to the most blissful communion of the Three in Jehovah. All the children of faithful Abraham, treading in the steps of his faith, have the same God to deal with, who keepeth promise for ever. It is recorded of Isaac, the heir of the same promise with his father, that he died in the same faith, an old man. He was tried with many infirmities, but we read of no complaints, though he was an hundred and eighty years of age. He expired in praise and thankfulness, satisfied with life, and hap K2 |