St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-08-06
Thoughts for the Aged
BY JEAN BUTLER.

A friend who had just passed her
SEVENTEEN birthday, said sadly to me
one day, at is dreadful thing to be
old-to feel the strength failing, and to
know that one must soon die" 1t was
a protesting Christian who thus spoke.
Afterward, my child, who heard the re-
mark, and who had been taught to
think of heaven as beautiful home to
be looked forward to with joy, express
ed her wonder. "Why," said she, sis
it dreadful to be old, when to be old is
to be nearer heavenq" The question
is one which every Christian will do
well to ask himself. May we not grow
old cheerfully and even jOyfullyP
1t may be said that infirmities and
pain, often the Accomplishments of old
age, are not pleasant to bear. True,
but may we not live so that the decay
and wasting, and infirmities of old age
will be, as dear DR.. Guthrie called
these symptoms of his approaching
death, "only the landbiIds lighting on
the shrouds, telling the weary mariner
that he is nearing the desired haven n
Iu our earthly journeys, the hope of be-
ing soon at happy home with our
loved ones, makes US bear patiently,
and even forget the tolls and discom-
forts of the way; so with our thoughts
fixed on the glorious home of the soul,
weamay almost forget the ihfirmities OF
this earthly pilgrimage. 1t is no won-
der that symptoms of approaching
death are terrible to those who do not
believe in God, and have no hope of
heaven. To those who are so engrOss-
ed in the business or pleasures of this
world that they do not think, or know,
or care about the other world to which
they are fastening, thoughts of death
cannot be welcome. But to the believ-
er, who has within himself the witness
of the Spirit that he is child of God,
and who looks forward to his heavenly
home as the place where he will be for
ever happy with his Savior, the tokens
of old age will cause no sadness.
More than two hundred and fifty
years ago, there lived a Scottish minis
ter and cOvenanter-an eloquent and
earnest preacher, named Samuel Ruth
erford. He said, 81 wonder many times
that ever a child of God should have a
sad heart, considering what the Lord is
preparing for him." "When we shall
come home, and enter into the possess
sion of our Brothers fair kingdom, and
when our heads shall find the weight of
the eternal crown of glory, and when
we shall look back to pains and suffer-
ing, then shall we see life and sorrow
to be less than one step or stride from
a prison to glory, and that our little
inch of timesutfering is not worthy of
our first nights welcome home to heav-
en-
Hobbs, the infidel, before death, ex
claimed, ~ am taking fearful leap in
the dark" Haly burton, when dying,
said, ooh blessed be God that ever
was born l have father and a moth
er and ten brothers and sisters in heaven,
and shall be the eleventh. Oh, bless
ed be the day that ever l was born J"
Let us mark the contrast and ask our
selves the reason of so great differ
ence in the feelings of these two men.
No one will hesitate to answer that one
lived "without God in the world" and
the other lived with God. The infer
ence must come that if one would grow
old cheerfully and meet death calmly
or joyfully, he must walk with God
closely in his path through life"
Hear the promises which cannot fail /:
81 will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee" "Draw nigh to God and he will
draw nigh to you" "Even to your old
age 1 am he; and even to hoar hairs
will 1 carry you; I have made, and 1
will bear; even l will carry, and will
deliver you" eff We abide in me and
my words abide in you, We shall ask
what We will, and it shall be done unto
you" Dear aged ones, ask that pain
and infrmity, sorrow and loneliness
may bring you nearer to God day by
day, and fit you more perfectly for an
abundant entrance" with joy, into
the better land.-Adrdnce.