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The English Puritan, Richard Steele wrote on the sins of the aged, in “A Discourse Concerning Old Age.” He wrote this for the instruction, caution, and comfort of those who have found themselves categorized as “old.” He identifies sin patterns that are commonly seen in old age. > First, "Frowardness or Peevishness, whereby they are prone to be morose, wayward and hard to be pleased; easily angry, often angry, and sometimes angry without a cause.  Seldom are they pleased with others, scarce with themselves, no not with God himself: yea, they think, as poor Jonah did, that they do well to be angry. > Or rather go to school to your heavenly Master, Christ Jesus, who was meek and lowly, who being reviled, reviled not again, and when he suffered, threatened not."  > A second "folly incident to old-age, is loquacity or talkativeness; that is, an exceeding proneness to speak much; so that it hath pass’d into a proverb, Senex psittacus, an old person is a parrot. Herein they are twice children, whose faculty you know lies this way. > And old people, whose eyes and ears, whose hands and feet are much decay’d and disabled, are apt to make the greater use of their tongues. > Bridle therefore this unruly member. Nature hath placed two barrs unto it: the teeth and the lips; but except watchfulness and prayer be added to them, they’l be too weak. So that the talkativeness, which is culpable in old persons, is utterly intolerable in young ones.   > Whither is my tongue walking?   > And then consider withal that the more a man speaks, commonly the less he is heeded; and therefore if you would have people to mind what you say, check your loquacity, and take notice how the wise man placeth silence before speech, saying, Eccles. 3.7. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak." > The third sin more peculiar to old-age, is envy, "which is an inward grudging at those who do in any thing excell us. Now because they which are old do see many that surpass them in strength or beauty, riches or esteem, they are too apt to look at them with an envious eye, and to grudge them those blessings which God hath vouchsafed them."   > The fourth "vice too common to old-age, is arrogancy and conceitedness. An

We live in an age of mass confusion regarding marriage. How should husbands and wives treat one another and live together so that they not only have a "successful" marriage, but also a holy one? Puritan Richard Steele examines Ephesians 5:33 to uncover what the duties are that husbands and wives owe each other and how to fulfill them. “Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” — Ephesians 5:33. Marriage is the foundation of all society, and so this topic is very important. Explaining marital duties to you is much easier than persuading you to do them. Conform your will to Scripture, not vice versa. Take Ephesians 5:33 to heart. 1. The Connection. “Nevertheless” is a transition from the spiritual reality of Christ’s relationship to the church. It either means that in spite of the unattainable ideal, strive to attain it, or because of the noble example, imitate it, in your relationship with your spouse. 2. The Direction. A. The universal obligation of it. “Let each one of you,” no matter how good you are or how bad your spouse. All husbands are entitled to their wives’ respect, whether they are wise or foolish, intelligent or slow, skillful or clumsy. All wives are entitled to their husbands’ love, whether beautiful or ugly, rich or poor, submissive or rebellious. B. The particular application of it. “In particular,” each and every husband and wife should apply this to their own particular case. 3. Summary of Duties. A. Every husband’s duty. To love his wife. This is not the only duty but it includes all others. He should love her as himself. This is both how (the Golden Rule) and why he is to love her (because they are both really one, loving her will result in blessings to him). B. Every wife’s duty. To fear (Lit. in the Greek - φοβῆται) or reverence (KJV) or respect (NKJV) her husband, both for his person and his position. This necessarily includes love, because if she loves him, she will try to please him, and avoid offending him. Doctrine: Every Husband Should Love His Wife As Himself, And Every Wife Should Respect Her Husband. Remember this is your Creator’s counsel, clearly articulated in both the Old and New Testaments, and by both Paul the apostle to Gentiles (Eph. 5:23 f