These examples of the loving kindness of God to his aged servants were recorded for our learning; that believers, if God by his providence should bring them to old age, might be encouraged to trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with such a confidence of their hearts, as not to doubt of the divine truth, or of the divine power. Whatever he was to them, he is the same to uss-Our God as well as theirs-Our covenant God engaged to glorify both body and soul: on whom we are commanded to cast all our cares and concerns in extreme old age. If what is of nature be failIf the life of sense be ing, what is of grace cannot. dying, the life of faith should flourish the more: it is a life that cannot die: for the branches thrive and bring forth fruit in their old age, not of themselves, but because they are ingrafted into the heavenly vine, in which they live for ever. "I am the vine, says Jesus, 66 ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I "in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for "without me ye can do nothing." But through my Spirit strengthening you, he will make you bud and flourish, and fill the face of the world with fruit. He will so fill you with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Christ Jesus, to the glory and praise of God, that your last days shall be your best days. In this view of old age, it may become a favourable time for exercising and improving faith; because the activity of the life of sense is abating, and thereby many things are removed, which before obstructed the growth of the spiritual life. Now is the time to learn to walk by faith, and not by sense. A believer, young in years and young in experience, is often tempted to judge of himself by his feelings more than by the word of God. In a good frame he is a good believer. Then all is well with him. But when he is walking in darkness, he is very apt te question his state-If all be right with me, why am I thus? My present frame is very dull and uncomfortable-I am not so lively as I used to be in prayer or in ordinances-my delight in God, and the things of God, is far short of what it was formerly-perhaps I have been deceiving myself, and crying peace, peace, when there was no peace for me. From this temptation age itself is a sort of deliverance: self-activity is weakened, and thereby through grace self-dependence. The believer, if he be a good scholar, will now learn to walk more by faith, and less by sight. The vigour of his senses is decaying. The high spirits of youth are abating. His present lesson is very plain and simple, and while he attends to what is passing in him, and about him, he has a thousand monitors, calling upon him now to learn and practise a perfect dependence on those things which are always one and the same, without any variableness, or the least shadow of turning. One record of God. One Saviour. One Spirit. One faith, of which the Saviour is the author and the finisher. This faith is made to grow and flourish, as there is less dependence on other things: and as age itself tends to weaken this dependence, it becomes in the hand of the Holy Spirit, a favourable time to live less upon the things which are seen, and more upon the things which are not seen. Less of sense, more of faith. One scale rises as the other falls. The outward man dying, the inward man grows more lively yea, grows up into Christ Jesus, and that in all things. O blessed old man-thou hast lived to a good time, when this is thy experience: when in the prayer of faith thou canst cast all thy burdens on thy Saviour: "Lord, keep me, a poor helpless creature-Now I feel that of myself, I can do nothing, as I ought, or as I wish to do-Glorify thy grace in me, and strengthen me mightily by thy Spirit in the inner man, that I may bless thee for thy salvation, and for things which accompany salvation. Into thy faithful hands for life and death, I commit myself, and all my concerns; for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth." But it must be remembered, that old age does not produce these happy effects of itself. It is not of nature, but entirely of grace, that any one is able to gain such spiritual profit from bodily infirmities. The mere natural man, fortify him with all his boasted aids of reason, and philosophy, yet he cannot help murmuring, when age brings weakness, and sickness brings pains. He becomes peevish and fretful. Having no friendship with God, he cannot look up for divine supports, when all human begin to fail him. Under`a severe fit of the stone, or a long fit of the gout, he is often out of all patience. Uneasy in himself, he is out of humour with every body and every thing. How different is the believer in the same circumstances! His body feels pain as others do: but his mind is comfortable and at ease. Happy in God, he has patience given him to bear his sufferings, and grace to profit from them; yea, the peace of God rules in his heart always, and by all means. An old man with this peace, which surpasseth all understanding, ruling in his heart, will be so far from complaining, that he has every thing to be thankful for, which can render him blessed of the Lord. He is provided with an infallible antidote against all that old age can try him with-It is true, I have an infirm body, but thank God, I have a sound mind: age has brought upon me great weakness, but this makes more room for the power of God, that it may be perfected in my weakness. I have many pains, but not so many as he has comforts to give me; in the worst of them he keeps me patient, Father, thy will be done-I have an afflicted body, but I have an happy heart: although the outward man be perishing, yet I faint not, because the inward man is renewed day by day-My supports are great, the consolations of God not a few-I feel the symptoms of old age warning me daily of my approaching dissolution; through grace I take the warning-they find me living, and I hope they will find me dying, in the faith of the Son of God. The earthly tabernacle is taking down, but he does it with much tenderness and love, and assures me, that he has pre pared for me a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. May he who keeps it for me, and me for it, never leave me nor forsake me, till I be with him, where he is, and be like him, and enjoy him for ever and ever! Yet a very, very little while-hold on faith and patience, and I shall see Jesus in his glory, which is the heaven of heavens. O thou merciful and faithful high priest, Jesus Christ, I bless thee for thy kind promises to the aged. Thou hast suited them in great mercy to all their infirmities, and thou art always with them to help in time of need. I begin to feel the sad effects of sin in my body, weakening it, and tending to bring it down to its appointed end. To thee I look, almighty Jesus, for thy promised grace. O grant me constant supplies of thy Spirit, that I may profit by my infirmities, may exercise and improve my faith in thee, that they may keep me humble, and I may pray more in faith, and keep me thankful, that I may be more in praise. Thine arm is not shortened, nor can thy compassion fail. Stand by me then, and hold me up according to thy word. Make me strong in thy strength, that I may daily put more honour upon thy love and thy power. In the decline of life, let me not doubt of thy faithfulness to support, and when thou seest it best to comfort me. Vouchsafe me the consolations of God, when my heart and my flesh fail me, then be thou the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. When I am weakest in myself, then make me strongest in the Lord; and if it be thy holy will, that I should become quite helpless, an infant again, make me lie quiet in thy hand, without murmuring or repining, but believing that thou art all my salvation, and enjoying in thee all my desire. Grant me this, Lord Jesus; for thy mercies sake, let me die in faith. Amen and Amen. 66 CHAP. IX. The believer's triumph over death. MAN consists of two parts, a body and a soul. The bodily life is dependent on the light and air of this world, and on the circulation, which they maintain and carry on. When this connexion is broken, the body expires, it loses all sense and motion, and is dead. So the life of the soul is dependent on the light and air of the spiritual world. Jehovah in Trinity is the creator, the only fountain of being, and there can be nothing independent of him: Christ is the light, and the Holy Spirit is the breath or air of all spiritual life, and when this connexion is broken, although the soul may exist, yet its happiness in God is broken, and at an end. Sin, that great murderer sin, brought death upon body and soul: "For as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" and we read, The soul that sinneth, it shall die, sin separating it from its union, and thereby cutting it off from its communion with the Father of spirits. In the moment that Adam sinned, the spiritual death took place: for he had lost the spirit of life, and was dead in trespasses and sins: and that same moment his body became mortal, although he lived nine hundred years after. Thus we have sin, and death, and misery, entailed upon all his descendants, from the first Adam, who is of the earth, earthy. O how precious to a sinner in these circumstances should be the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, who stands at the head of thy spiritual world, that he may give his righteousness, and his life, and his happiness, to all that believe in him! He comes Jehovah of hosts in our nature, as our champion to fight our battles, and to conquer all our foes. Immanuel was made sin for us, and he died for our sins |