How to Grow Old Gracefully
Job 5:26
You shall come to your grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn comes in in his season.


or how to grow old so that age, as it advances, may be an honour and comfort to us, and terminate in peace and happiness.

1. Bear in mind that we must grow old. This is the law of our being, fixed and certain as the law of mortality.

2. If we would grow old gracefully, we must possess true piety; faith in Christ as our Saviour, and hope in God as our everlasting portion.

3. We must cultivate a love of nature.

4. We must continue to take an interest in the young, and in whatever is moving around us, affecting the welfare of society and the cause of Christ.

5. There are some peculiar faults and sins — incident to age — against which we must be guarded, if we would grow old gracefully. Such as peevishness. "There are two things which a man ought not to fret about, — what he can help, and what he cannot." Avarice or covetousness. Jealousy of whatever is new, and a proneness to think that things are growing worse because they are different from what they were in former days. And an unwillingness to let go of the duties, responsibilities, and honours of life, retire from the stage of action and be forgotten. This is indeed a hard lesson to learn.

6. There are certain virtues which demand to be cultivated, if we would grow old gracefully. Such as patience, liberality, cheerfulness, hopefulness, readiness to yield the field of labour and responsibility to them that are younger; and an habitual and cheerful posture of readiness to leave the world and go to be with Christ.

(J. Hawes, D. D.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.

WEB: You shall come to your grave in a full age, like a shock of grain comes in its season.




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