The DUTIES of Old Age
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Every station and stage of life has its own special duties. Childhood has its duties; such as obedience to parents, modesty, willingness to be taught. A husband and wife have their duties. Adulthood has its duties; a grown-up man or woman are required to be useful in the world, and to live not unto themselves — but unto the Lord. And so too Old Age has its duties. I will mention some of them.
1. You should endeavor to be patient and gentle. Amidst all your pains and infirmities, how blessed if you can feel a cheerful submission to God's will, and if you can accept, not merely with resignation — but with actual thankfulness, all that He lays upon you. Now, God can give you this patient, humble, and submissive spirit, if you will earnestly and daily seek it from Him.
2. You should try to be cheerful and considerate of others. Sometimes old people are a little apt to dwell too much on their own troubles and needs. Guard against this; and seek to make those around you happy. You cannot do much, perhaps — but you can do something. A gentle word or two, or even a kind look, will cheer some and encourage others.
Little drops of water, little grains of sand,
Make the boundless ocean, and the beauteous land.
Little deeds of kindness, little words of love,
Make our earth an Eden, like the heaven above.
Do not begrudge young people those delights which you can no longer enjoy. But put yourself often in their place, and remember that you were once a child yourself. The very feeling that you are trying to make others happy — will make you happy yourself.
3. Be much in prayer and in the reading of God's Word. These are great helps to a Christian pilgrim; they are like so many strong staffs along the way. Use them diligently and they will help you onward. As you read a little further in this book, you will see some directions how to profit by the use of them.
4. You should sit loose to this world — and be in readiness to leave it. This, you will say, is the duty of us all. Yes — but it is especially your duty; for the clock of time seems now to be giving its warning sound in your ears. Every day seems now to be saying to you, 'Prepare to meet your God! The night is far spent; the day is at hand. The judge stands at the door!'
It is a melancholy sight to see an aged person bent down with years, standing at the edge of eternity — and yet unwilling to loose his hold of this world — clinging to it with an eager grasp — as much busied as ever with its trifling concerns — still thirsting for its poor pleasures, and yet unable to enjoy them — having no hope as regards eternity. Such an old age is indeed a sad one.
But you will perhaps say, Surely when any one has grown old, and when he has sown the wild oats of youth, he will, as a matter of course, become thoughtful, and turn his mind towards that eternal world which he is so shortly to enter. But no; this does not at all follow. On the contrary, I have seen many in old age, just as worldly-minded as ever, and putting from them even then the thoughts of a life to come.
Dear friend, it is only saving grace which can make you concerned about your never-dying soul. It is onlygrace which can prepare you for eternity. We all need the powerful working of God's Spirit to draw our minds from earth — to heaven; from sin — to holiness.
Happy for you, if heaven is the home of your heart! Happy for you if your thoughts are centered there! Happy for you, if you can say, 'The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world!' 'So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands!'
5. Your conversation should be heavenly. Your time on earth is nearly ended; and therefore you should not think much about this present world, which you are on the point of leaving. Its pleasures, its riches, its occupations — should not much occupy your mind. You should rather busy yourself about your journey to your everlasting home. You should love to speak about your Father's house.
True it is, that our poor hearts will ever be 'cleaving to the dust.' There is a weight upon our wings ever keeping us downwards. But oh, struggle against this. Pray against it. Ask God continually to be drawing your mind heavenward, and to enable you to 'set your affections on things above.' Speak thankfully of His preserving mercy. Bear testimony to His goodness and faithfulness. And recommend others to trust Him without a doubt, and to give their whole hearts to Him.
6. Try and set a good example to others. We should all wish to be useful in the world. But now that you are grown old, you feel perhaps that your time for usefulness is past. Satan may whisper, 'You are too old to be useful now!' But not so! You may do something still. It is true that you cannot labor for your family as you once did. You cannot go here and there to help those who need your assistance. But you may be very useful; yes, useful even now — useful if you are rich, and useful too if you are poor.
As you sit by your fireside, you may speak Christian words, and you may show by your conduct and temper — the blessed effects that salvation has upon your heart. You may, by your prayers and praises, by your patience and perseverance, by your watching and waiting — glorify God. A Christian aged man or woman may thus be a great blessing to the house and place in which he is living. He may spread a feeling of contentment around him. He may check many a bad word, and soften down many a quarrelsome spirit. He may show forth so clearly the power of grace in his own conduct, that he may thereby lead others to seek it, and pray for it themselves.
Without speaking much, or doing much — you may honor God by your Christian conduct; and thus your light may so shine before men, that they may glorify Him. We know that a lovely picture in a room is a pleasant thing to gaze upon; we constantly turn to it with pleasure. And what picture is there more beautiful than that of an aged Christian — old in years, and ripe in grace? 'Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.'
Yes, remember always you may do much by your example. This will be even more useful even than your words. For your words may be mistaken — but your life cannot be; it must and will speak. Paul reminded the Corinthians of this, when he said, 'You show that you are the epistles of Christ, known and read by everybody!' That is, your lives plainly declare whose and what you are.
These are some of the duties which belong to aged people. Dear reader, neglect them not, try to fulfill them. It will be for your own happiness — and for the good of others. Thus you will be 'bearing fruit in old age.' 'He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers!'
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