SERMON DLVI. BY REV. JESSE GUERNSEY, PASTOR OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, DERBY, CONN. THE COMPARATIVE BLESSEDNESS OF THE CHRISTIAN'S OLD AGE. "Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not."-PSALM lxxi. 18 AN obvious remark in entering upon the discussion of our subject is, that the aged disciple is happy in the contemplation of his life's history. We are so constituted, that every evil deed, is in a measure, the instrument of its own punishment, and every act performed in obedience to conscience and to God the occasion of its own reward. Commit a deed of wrong, and he has ordained that, as an evil seed, it shall take root in the soil of your being, and unless grace interpose to prevent the result, shall henceforth blight and curse your existence by the bitterness of its fruit. Perform an act which God approves, and, by his decree, it shall be a seed whence shall spring a tree of happiness of immortal growth. This Heaven-ordained connection between evil done and evil ever afterwards suffered by the doer between good performed and good ever afterward enjoyed by him who has performed it— is secured through the medium of memory, in combination with the conscience. Though sin is often anticipated with pleasure, it is never remembered but with self-reproach. Though duty is often looked forward to with trembling, it is never looked back upon as performed but with emotions of gladness. The memory of a life spent in wickedness is a garner of evil, ever pouring out its hoard of bitterness on the soul, and yet ever full; while that of a life devoted to the service of God is a treasure of bliss, as abundant as the wants of the soul, and as enduring as its immortality. The aged Christian, if this be true, cannot but be happy in the contemplation of his past conduct and influence. His happiness is not, indeed, unmixed and perfect. Though his history has been marked and moulded by a deep and uniform desire for conformity to the Saviour's image, he remembers that sin has lurked in his heart, and, through his heart, found its way into the life. He recognizes, as he casts his eye back over the path of his Christian pilgrimage, many a point at which his feet strayed from the straight and narrow way-many a point at which duty neglected, or evil indulged, attested the imperfection of his love. This he laments with sorrow sincere and deep for this he implores the forgiveness of a gracious and covenant-keeping God. But while there is here and there a page of sorrow in his history, it is contemplated, as a whole, with gladness. It contains the record of long years of allegiance and service, rendered in the spirit of obedience and love to his ever-loved and glorious Master. It contains the record of many an earnest conflict with temptation, and of many a victory won, through grace, over its utmost power. It contains the record of many a purpose which had its origin in a love that embraced both God and man; of many a scheme of usefulness, the adaptation of whose every part to its end tells of a heavenly guidance, and proves the bestowal of a heavenly blessing. It contains the record of his activity in scattering the good seed of the kingdom, and of rich fruits of righteousness already gathered as the result, and to be gathered in growing abundance for ever. It contains the record of many a plant of grace nurtured by his hand, and destined, through his instrumentality, to an everlasting bloom in the paradise above. Happy the man who, from amid the feebleness of declining years, may look back over the pathway of such a history, and recognize it as his own! What a volume of blessedness is expressed, when from the lips of such an one is heard the inspired and inspiring language of an early disciple: "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith!" How different this from the words of self-reproach which often force themselves from the lips of one who, having grown old in sin, has become distinctly and painfully conscious that his earthly course is well nigh run! He has lived for the pursuit of selfish and worldly ends, and no matter how successful he may have been in their attainment, now that he stands on the brink of the grave, bearing the marks of age in every feature, and trembling in every limb with its weakness, his soul is haunted by the consciousness that, so far as all the higher and better purposes of his being are concerned, his life has been thrown away. burden of wretchedness is rolled upon his heart, under whose crushing weight he sinks to the tomb. Thus a cloud of woe draws its curtains around his trembling, shrinking spirit, amid whose darkness and gloom the flickering lamp of his life goes out. In view of the emotions of the aged disciple, as compared with those of the aged rejector of Christ, one may well exclaim: "Let me die the death of the righteous' not only, but let me live his life, that I may enjoy his old age!" Thus a 2. He is happy in the contemplation of the blessings which have marked his history. The kindness of his heavenly Father has not only strewn his SERMON DLVI. BY REV. JESSE GUERNSEY, PASTOR OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, DERBY, CONN. THE COMPARATIVE BLESSEDNESS OF THE CHRISTIAN'S OLD AGE. "Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not."-PSALM lxxi. 18 An obvious remark in entering upon the discussion of our subject is, that the aged disciple is happy in the contemplation of his life's history. We are so constituted, that every evil deed, is in a measure, the instrument of its own punishment, and every act performed in obedience to conscience and to God the occasion of its own reward. Commit a deed of wrong, and he has ordained that, as an evil seed, it shall take root in the soil of your being, and unless grace interpose to prevent the result, shall henceforth blight and curse your existence by the bitterness of its fruit. Perform an act which God approves, and, by his decree, it shall be a seed whence shall spring a tree of happiness of immortal growth. This Heaven-ordained connection between evil done and evil ever afterwards suffered by the doer-between good performed and good ever afterward enjoyed by him who has performed it is secured through the medium of memory, in combination with the conscience. Though sin is often anticipated with pleasure, it is never remembered but with self-reproach. Though duty is often looked forward to with trembling, it is never looked back upon as performed but with emotions of gladness. The memory of a life spent in wickedness is a garner of evil, ever pouring out its hoard of bitterness on the soul, and yet ever full; while that of a life devoted to the service of God is a treasure of bliss, as abundant as the wants of the soul, and as enduring as its immortality. The aged Christian, if this be true, cannot but be happy in the contemplation of his past conduct and influence. His happiness is not, indeed, unmixed and perfect. Though his history has been marked and moulded by a deep and uniform desire for conformity to the Saviour's image, he remembers that sin has lurked in his heart, and, through his heart, found its way into the life. He recognizes, as he casts his eye back over the path of his Christian pilgrimage, many a point at which his feet strayed from the straight and narrow way-many a point at which duty neglected, or evil indulged, attested the imperfection of his love. This he laments with sorrow sincere and deep for this he implores the forgiveness of a gracious and covenant-keeping God. But while there is here and there a page of sorrow in his history, it is contemplated, as a whole, with gladness. It contains the record of long years of allegiance and service, rendered in the spirit of obedience and love to his ever-loved and glorious Master. It contains the record of many an earnest conflict with temptation, and of many a victory won, through grace, over its utmost power. It contains the record of many a purpose which had its origin in a love that embraced both God and man; of many a scheme of usefulness, the adaptation of whose every part to its end tells of a heavenly guidance, and proves the bestowal of a heavenly blessing. It contains the record of his activity in scattering the good seed of the kingdom, and of rich fruits of righteousness already gathered as the result, and to be gathered in growing abundance for ever. It contains the record of many a plant of grace nurtured by his hand, and destined, through his instrumentality, to an everlasting bloom in the paradise above. Happy the man who, from amid the feebleness of declining years, may look back over the pathway of such a history, and recognize it as his own! What a volume of blessedness is expressed, when from the lips of such an one is heard the inspired and inspiring language of an early disciple: "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith!" How different this from the words of self-reproach which often force themselves from the lips of one who, having grown old in sin, has become distinctly and painfully conscious that his earthly course is well nigh run! He has lived for the pursuit of selfish and worldly ends, and no matter how successful he may have been in their attainment, now that he stands on the brink of the grave, bearing the marks of age in every feature, and trembling in every limb with its weakness, his soul is haunted by the consciousness that, so far as all the higher and better purposes of his being are concerned, his life has been thrown away. Thus a burden of wretchedness is rolled upon his heart, under whose crushing weight he sinks to the tomb. Thus a cloud of woe draws its curtains around his trembling, shrinking spirit, amid whose darkness and gloom the flickering lamp of his life goes. out. In view of the emotions of the aged disciple, as compared with those of the aged rejector of Christ, one may well exclaim : "Let me die the death of the righteous' not only, but let me live his life, that I may enjoy his old age!" 2. He is happy in the contemplation of the blessings which have marked his history. The kindness of his heavenly Father has not only strewn his SERMON DLVI. BY REV. JESSE GUERNSEY, PASTOR OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, DERBY, CONN. THE COMPARATIVE BLESSEDNESS OF THE CHRISTIAN'S OLD AGE. "Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not."-PSALM lxxi. 18 AN obvious remark in entering upon the discussion of our subject is, that the aged disciple is happy in the contemplation of his life's history. We are so constituted, that every evil deed, is in a measure, the instrument of its own punishment, and every act performed in obedience to conscience and to God the occasion of its own reward. Commit a deed of wrong, and he has ordained that, as an evil seed, it shall take root in the soil of your being, and unless grace interpose to prevent the result, shall henceforth blight and curse your existence by the bitterness of its fruit. Perform an act which God approves, and, by his decree, it shall be a seed whence shall spring a tree of happiness of immortal growth. This Heaven-ordained connection between evil done and evil ever afterwards suffered by the doer-between good performed and good ever afterward enjoyed by him who has performed it is secured through the medium of memory, in combination with the conscience. Though sin is often anticipated with pleasure, it is never remembered but with self-reproach. Though duty is often looked forward to with trembling, it is never looked back upon as performed but with emotions of gladness. The memory of a life spent in wickedness is a garner of evil, ever pouring out its hoard of bitterness on the soul, and yet ever full; while that of a life devoted to the service of God is a treasure of bliss, as abundant as the wants of the soul, and as enduring as its immortality. The aged Christian, if this be true, cannot but be happy in the contemplation of his past conduct and influence. His happiness is not, indeed, unmixed and perfect. Though his history has been marked and moulded by a deep and uniform desire for conformity to the Saviour's image, he remembers that sin has lurked in his heart, and, through his heart, found its way into the life. He recognizes, as he casts his eye back over the path of his Christian pilgrimage, many a point at which his feet strayed from the straight and narrow way-many a point at which duty neglected, or evil indulged, attested the imperfection |