service; for their security and glory expose yourselves in the most desperate undertakings, attempt the most bloody sieges and battles; what will you find princes after all your services? Ingrates. Do not expect to meet with a David eager to give you substantial proofs of his gratitude, to say to you, come over with me, and I will feed you with me in Jerusalem, to perpetuate his goodness, to transmit it to your posterity, and to say to his successor, shew kindness unto the the sons of Barzillai, and let them be of those that eat at thy table. How often do partiality and intrigue prevail, in the distribution of royal favours, over reason and equity? How often are the children of those, who with a generous courage sacrificed their lives for the public good, obliged to beg their bread. How often have they urged in vain the meritorious services of their parents; how often have they without success produced blood yet warm shed for the public safety? How often have they in vain demanded that subsistence from charity, which they had a right to expect from equity? David, distinguished among all believers, distinguishes himself also among all kings. Come over Jordan with me, said he, to Barzillai, and I will feed you with me in Jerusalem.

A king thus offering grandeurs from a principle of gratitude, is an uncommon sight. It is perhaps, a sight more unusual than that of a man refusing them from a principle of wise moderation. How long have I to live, replies good Barzillai, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat, or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden to my lord the king? Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. His refusal proceeds from three causes: the insensibility of old age, the misfortune of old age, and the nearness of old age to death. I am fourscore years of age: can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat, or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? This is the insensibility of old age, and the first cause of his refusal.

Why should thy servant be a burden to my Lord the king? This is the misfortune of old age, and the second cause of his refusal..

How long have I to live? I pray thee, let thy servant return; and let me die in mine own city, and be buried by my father and my mother This is the nearness of old age to death, and this is the third cause of his refusal. These are three sources of many reflections.

1. The insensibility of old age is the first cause of the refusal of Barzillai. I am this day fourscore years of age: can I discern between good and evil? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? This insensibility may proceed either from a principle of wisdom, or from constitution. It may proceed, first, from wisdom. A man, who hath experienced the vanity of human grandeur; a man, who hath often asked himself, of what use is this kind of life? what good comes of this pomp and pleasure? a man, who, by frequently reflecting on all he sees, and hears, hath formed a just notion of man, and of his real wants; a man, whose reiterated meditations have purified his taste, and formed in him a habit of employing himself about things of importance; such a man does not entertain a very high idea of the privilege of living with the great, of eating at their tables, and of participating their pleasures. Only such pleasures as have God immediately for their object, and eternity for their end, can always satisfy. Such pleasures are approved by reason, ripened by age, and such pleasures are satisfactory at all times, and in all stages of life. All other pleasures are fatiguing, and in the end extremely disgustful. Can I hear any more the voice of singing men, and singing women? Why should the king recompense me with such a reward?

But there is also a constitutional insensibility, The senses, which transmit pleasures to us, become blunt, and pleasures are blunted with them. Indeed, we sometimes see old people, to the shame of human nature, pretending to rise above the ruins of a decaying body, and trying to support the inconveniencies of old age by the pleasures of youth. We sometimes see men, whose relaxed and trembling hands are too feeble to hold a box of dice, or a hand of cards, supported by others, and gaming with a part of themselves, as they cannot do so with the whole. We have seen some, who, not being able to go themselves to a play, have caused themselves to be carried thither, exposing their extravagance on a theatre, intended for the exhibition of other scenes, and so acting a real tragedy along with a fictitious

one.

one. We have seen some, who, having bodies decaying with diseases contracted by youthful passions, or, to use an emphatical expression of an apostle, having received within themselves that recompence of their error, which was meet, covered with wounds brought upon themselves by their debaucheries; we have seen them trying to divert the pain reflecting on the cause of their decline by the absurd method of gazing still on the very objects, which were first fatal to their innocence, and by glutting their imaginations now their senses can relish no more. We have seen men dedicate the last moments of life to the god of pleasure, just as they sacrificed their youth and manhood to the same deity. We have seen old men, who, too dim-sighted themselves to see the glitter of diamonds and jewels, have taken a pleasure in exposing the brilliancy of them to the eyes of others: who, not having a body to adorn, have ornamented a skeleton, and who lest they should be taken for dead corpses, have decked themselves with trinkets fit only for people in the vigour of life. However, these shameful phænomena do not destroy our reflection. It is always true, that pleasure loses its point at a certain age. If the old men, of whom we have been speaking, yet love pleasure, it is not taste that tempts them. Like the inhabitants of the most abominable city, that ever disgraced the world, they weary themselves, though they were sometime ago struck blind, to find the door, the door of Lot, towards which their brutal passions had given a direction to their bodies, before they lost their sight. They act thus, because, though musical entertainments no more delight their ears, yet they keep them from hearing the cries of conscience, which would rend them assunder. They act thus, because, though they have only a confused sight of the charms of worldly objects, yet these objects serve, like a wall, to keep out of sight a future world, a glimmering of which would confound and distract them. However, the irregularity of the heart of an old man doth not alter the infirmities of his body. It is always true, that at a certain time of life, we acquire a constitutional, organical insensibility. Isaac, that good old man, arrives at a very advanced age: but his eyes are become dim, he cannot distinguish one of his children from another, he mistakes the hand of Jacob for those of Esau, the voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau, Gen. xxvii. 22. He cannot distinguish venison from goat's flesh. He confers that benediction on the youngest, which

he

he intended for the eldest. If nature grants to a few of mankind the privilege of a very long life, the privilege is sold, and a part of the pleasure of living must be given for the purchase; objects of pleasure must retire, and senses to be pleased with these objects not unfrequently retire first. Before this earthly house falls by its own frailty, to use an expression of the wise man, the years arrive, in which, we are obliged to say, we have no pleasure, Eccl. xii. 1, &c. Then, according to the description of the same author, the sun, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return not after the rain. The keepers of his house, that is, the hands, tremble; his strong men, that is, his legs and feet, bow themselves; his grinders, that is, his teeth, cease to perform their functions, because they are few; those that look out of the windows, that is, the eyes, are darkened; the doors, that is, the ears, shall be shut in the streets; the daughters of music, that is, the eyes, are darkened; the doors, that is, the ears, shall be shut in the streets; the daughters of music, that is, the organs of speech, shall be brought low; the almond tree shall flourish, that is, the head shall become white with age; the silver cord that is, the spinal marrow, shall be broken; the grashopper, that is, the stomach, shall be a burden: the golden bowl, the brain, shall be broken; the pitcher, that is, the lungs, shall be broken at the fountain, and the wheel, the heart, shall be broken at the cistern. A sad, but natural description, my brethren, of the infirmities of old age. A condition very unfit for the world and pleasure, for business and a court. How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? I am this day fourscore years old, and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat, or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men, and singing women?

2. The disgraces of old age are a second reason of the refusal of Barzillai. Why should thy servant be a burden to my lord the king? Certainly, an old man ought to be treated with the greatest respect and caution. The scripture gives us a precept, which humanity, to say nothing of religion, should induce us to obey; Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, Lev. xix. 32. What can claim our patient attention so much as a man stooping under the weight of age and infirmities? What duty can be more indispensable than that of

rendering

rendering to the infirmities of old age such assistance as these old people once rendered to the helplessness of our infancy? Particularly, what can be more venerable than an old man, who hath spent his youth in procuring those benefits to society, which his old age now hardly suffers him to enjoy? What more just than to respect a soldier, grown grey in arms, whose venerable silver head hath been preserved by miracle? Who more worthy of esteem than an ancient ma-. gistrate, whose life hath been devoted to the felicity of the state? What more respectable than an old minister of the gospel, whose spirits have been exhausted in studying and preaching the truth? To people of this character the words of the wise man belong, the hoary head is a crown of glory, being found in the way of righteousness, Prov. xvi. 31.

Whatever idea Barzillai formed of the equity and benevolence of David, he did justice to himself. He well knew, that a man of eighty would be a burden to this good king. Why should thy servant be a burden to my lord the king A man at this time of life too strikingly exhibits human infirmities to give pleasure in circles of company, where such mortifying ideas are either quite forgotten, or slightly remembered. The tokens of death, which an old man carries about with him, excite reflections too dismal to contribute the pleasure of a company, which endeavours to sweeten life by innocent recreations, or by others, which concupiscence adds to those of religion. Involuntary complaints and sighs but ill accord with musical instruments, and the vocal melody of gay assemblies. Pressing infirmities, continual fears and cares, the anticipated dying of a man of fourscore, ill assort with sumptuous tables. The last years of life, all heavy, dull and frozen, disconcert a festival celebrated by people full of fire, vivacity and vigour. Barzillai felt his frailty, and though he was fully convinced that David had a fund of goodness sufficient to bear with him, yet he would not abuse his politeness. How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king of Jerusalem? Why should the king recompence me with such a reward? Why should thy servant be yet a burden to my lord the king?

Woe be to him, who hath rendered worldly pleasures necessary to him in old age. He will not find a David every where to offer them to him. Here my brethren, I fear sinning against my own principles, I fear being accused of wanting such veneration for the aged as I just now said

was