LECTURE I. A GENERAL VIEW OF THE RELATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MIDDLE AGED. JOB xxix. When the ear heard me, then it blessed me: and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me; because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched out. If there is any thing consonant to the dignity of man's rational nature, or worthy of exciting in his bosom a generous ambition, it is the purpose, and the hope, of being useful to his fellow men. If there is any thing that can move a good man to desire the continuance of life, in the midst of its varied infirmities, vicissitudes, and trials, it is the privilege which is offered him, of aiding all the great interests of society-diffusing around him the blessings of social order, moral improvement, and personal comfort and happiness. It is that in a world of violence and injustice, he may be the protector of the defenceless and the friend of the wronged-that in a world of corruption and abounding wickedness, he may be a pattern of integrity, uprightness and true piety; and that in a world of selfishness, and of suffering, unpitied and unrelieved, he may be the almoner of the divine bounty and a minister of mercybecoming both in a temporal and spiritual sense, eyes to the blind and feet to the lame-making the heart of the widow and the orphan to sing for joy, and causing the blessing of many that were ready to perish to come upon him. I have proposed, at this time, to address that class of my hearers, who may be described as the middle aged-particularly middle aged men. I would be understood, however, to use this phraseology in such a sense, as to include in it all those, who, having passed the period of minority, and begun to act a part for themselves in the world-having assumed the relations and responsibilities of men of business, or members of domestic and social life, still continue in the active discharge of their various callings and duties. Under this, construction, the term middle aged, will, in general, be found to embrace persons be tween the ages of twenty-five and sixty; and to describe a large and most important, as well as a sufficiently distinct class of society. As it regards the design of addressing several discourses more particularly to a single class of hearers, I would observe, that the propriety and expediency of doing so, has always been admitted; but the principle has not, perhaps hitherto, been sufficiently acted upon. The pulpit has often uttered the language of counsel and warning to the young-while other classes, equally distinct, have rarely been separately addressed. But why should they not be thus addressed? The middle aged, for example, not less than those in younger life, have peculiar engagements, peculiar duties and responsibilities, and of course peculiar dangers. Why then, should they not need special counsels, directions and cautions? Besides, every one is aware how much the interest of the hearer is increased, by directness of appeal and closeness of application. The nearer the preacher can approach to a personal address, without violating the rules of decorum, the more likely he is to command attention, and make lasting impressions upon the mind. I have placed at the head of this discourse Job's account of an interesting period of his life. It appears to have been the period of middle age; for in the context he speaks of himself as a parent; and in the text he refers to the office which he held as a magistrate or judge among the people, and declares the vigilance and fidelity, with which he searched out and determined the causes which came before him; and in general sets forth the active benevolence which marked the whole course of his conduct. It is not my design to take up this account, and expatiate upon its impressive delineation of character and influence. I merely set it before you as a beautiful portrait of that upright, diligent, useful—and I may add happy life, which every man ought to desire and aim to live. I hold it up as affording a fair illustration in example, of those general principles of conduct which I would enforce upon all who are yet in the midst of their days. I now proceed, as proposed, to offer some remarks upon the general relations and responsibilities of the middle aged. By presenting these, at one view, I shall hope to make a deeper impression on your minds, and prepare you for a more earnest and serious consideration of the suggestions which may, subsequently, be offered. Suffer me then, for a moment, to draw your |