I shall mention but one thing more among the precious fruits, which the righteous bear in old age,

VI. Readiness to die; by which I mean both a preparation and willingness to meet death. And surely, if any, the aged should be prepared to die. Comparatively with others, they have had a long time in which to prepare. Many others they have seen early cut down, and many suddenly, having had but a few calls to faith and repentance, to hope and heavenly mindedness. They have had many, and all the variety of means to aid their preparation. They should be prepared, as their opportunity is almost exhausted-and soon" he that is holy, will be holy still, and he that is filthy will be filthy still." The aged, also, should be willing to die, chiefly because it is the will of God; and because, too, the world has become empty to them. For the desires, which an old man sends out into the world are like the dove, sent out on weary wing over the world of watery desolation-they cannot find whereon to light, and of necessity must return again into his own bosom.

Thus having shown some of those spiritual fruits, which the righteous bring forth in old age-that they have a mind firmly established by faith, and reformed by repentance, and enlightened by hope, and a heart with diminished regard esteeming the world and its objects, loving devotion, and in a state of readiness for death, we cannot fail to see that such persons, amidst all the infirmities of declining years, are truly venerable-and that they seem as beings belonging to a ho

Behold such ar one,

lier world, rather than our own. his loins girded, his lamp trimmed and burning, with a smile of peace, expecting his summons.—Such an one was Paul the aged, when he first wrote to his own son in the faith-" The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course; I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." Who would not exchange youthful vigor for the infirmities of such an old age; and the best prospects in this word, for the glorious hopes of its expiring hour? Let me say to the younger part of this assembly, that if we would bear such fruit in old age, we must be diligent to plant the seed early. Nature teaches us, that seed sown late in the season, winter being just at hand, can produce none but a blighted harvest. It is worth a life of religious care and toil, to bring forth fruit in old age. But I shall close with a few hints to the aged.

In our subject, you perceive, my aged friends, what manner of persons you ought to be, "in all holy conversation and godliness." The virtues and habits, which have been mentioned, are all necessary to complete your character. And, in the nature of the thing, they go together, and grow out of each other. Faith leads to repentance, and repentance to hope. Hope of heaven induces a comparative disregard of the world; and again produces a devout spirit, and heavenly mindedness; and these show a preparedness for death. Let

me respectfully and affectionately ask you, Do you find these blessed fruits to be the ornament and comfort of your old age? Examine, I beseech you, and see. Would to God you may not any of you find yourselves defective or weak in any of these connected and essential graces. Like the limbs of the body, they have a vital connexion; if one be absent, the rest languish, and probably die.-You will permit me to remark, that in the aged should be found the highest degrees of christian character; and will not the final Judge expect to find them? For you have had a long life of privileges, and have been long in the finer's fire, and should now appear as silver" seven times purified." What evenness of temper, and benevolence of disposition to all around you, should now appear! No sufferings, to which you may be called for the trial of your faith, should be allowed to provoke complaint or an impatient feeling, or strike from you a spark of anger. Your gentle manners should win the reverence, and be the example of all around you. In the personal virtues you should excel. You have lived too long not to have seen the fatal effects of intemperance, and a neglect of self government. Avarice has been thought the peculiar vice of age. It is strange, if it is. Why should they covet what they cannot hold ; and grow more than ever attached to what they are on the point of leaving? If it be the vice of age, guard against it. Remember that one essential virtue in the crown of the hoary head, is a diminished esteem of the world, and of its objects. But let me earnestly exhort you to improve your time

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to the benefit of others. The exhortation of the Apostle is peculiarly suited to you-"Let your conversation be always with grace." One word of profaneness or of levity grossly misbecomes your age. What! shall those lips be opened with an oath, which shall soon be sealed in death? Rather let your speech be like that of aged Moses—“ My doctrine," says he, “shall drop as the rain, and distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass. In a word, your whole deportment should be more heavenly than earthly. The language, the affections, the devout employments of the blessed in heaven, should be yours. Keep the blessed gospels open before you continually, those precious mirrors, which reflect the image of Jesus, to which you must be conformed. Let him, in all his offices, be precious to you, as he will, if you believe; and desire nothing so much as at last to sleep in Jesus, and obtain a part in the first resurrection. And now, my aged friends, possibly it is the last time I may address you all. God grant that you may bear much and precious fruit in old age; and be gathered in, as a shock of corn, which is ripe unto the harvest. Farewell. I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among them which are sanctified. Amen.

SERMON XII.

TRANSLATION OF ELIJAH.

II. KINGS ii. 11, 12.

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that behold there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, " My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof." And he saw him no more; and he took hold of his own clothes and rent them into pieces.

The event related in these words is one of the most memorable and important in the Old Testament history; and was doubtless to answer highly important purposes. It has pleased God, not only to give intimations of a future state in the early ages of the world, but a sort of demonstration and exemplification of it, once in the patriarchal age by the translation of Enoch, and again in the period of the Levitical church, by the translation of Elijah. So in the brighter day of the gospel, when the doctrine of immortality and the re