—To make a wise, a seasonable, a sincere, a daily, and a thorough
conversations and carriages of the choicest saints; keep a fixed eye
upon the wise, prudent, humble, holy, and heavenly deportment;
write after the fairest copy you can find; labor to imitate those
Christians who are most eminent in grace. But,
11. The eleventh word of advice and counsel is this—Be much in the
most spiritual exercises of religion. There are external exercises of
religion—such as hearing, praying, singing, receiving, holy
conference, etc., Isaiah 1:11-14, and 1 Tim. 4:8, and Mat. 6. Now
custom, conviction, education, and a hundred other external
considerations, may lead people to these external exercises. But there
are the more spiritual exercises of religion—such as loving of God,
delighting in God, prizing of Christ, compliance with the motions,
counsels, and dictates of the Spirit, living in an exercise of grace,
triumphing in Christ Jesus, setting our affections upon things above,
meditation, self-examination, self-judging, etc. Now the more you
live in the exercise of these, more spiritual duties of religion—the
more you glorify God, the more you evidence the power of grace, and
the in-dwellings of the Spirit—and the more you difference and
distinguish yourselves from hypocrites and all unsound professors,
and the better foundation you lay for a bright, strong, and growing
assurance. But,
12. The twelfth and last word of advice and counsel I shall give you is
—To make a wise, a seasonable, a sincere, a daily, and a thorough
improvement of all the talents that God has entrusted you with.
There is a talent of time, of power, of riches, of honor, of greatness—
which some are more entrusted with than others are. The
improvement of these is your great wisdom, and should be your daily
works, 1 Cor 4:1-2. You know you are but stewards, and that you
must shortly give an account of your stewardship, Luke 16:1-4. And
oh that you may make such a faithful and full improvement of all the
great talents which God has entrusted you with—that you may give
up your account at last with joy, and not with grief!
Some princes have wished upon their beds, that they had never
reigned, because they have not improved their power for God and his
people, but against God and his people. And some rich men have
wished that they had never been rich, because they have not
improved their riches for the glory of God, nor for the support and
relief of his suffering saints. A beggar upon the way asked something
of an honorable lady: she gave him sixpence, saying, "This is more
than ever God gave me." "Oh!" says the beggar, "Madam, you have
abundance, and God has given you all that you have; say not so, good
madam." "Well," says she, "I speak the truth, for God has not given
but lent unto me what I have, that I may bestow it upon such as you
are." And it is very true, indeed, that poor Christians are Christ's
alms-men, and the rich are but his stewards, into whose hands God
has put his moneys—to distribute to them as their necessities
require.
It is credibly reported of Mr. Thomas Sutton, the sole founder of that
eminent hospital commonly known by his name, that he used often
to go into a private garden, where he poured forth his prayers unto
God, and, among other passages, was frequently overheard to use
this expression: "Lord, you have given me a liberal and large estate,
give me also a heart to make good use of it;" which was granted to
him accordingly. Riches are a great blessing, but wisdom, and a heart
to use them aright, is a far greater blessing. Every rich man is not so
much a treasurer as a steward, whose praise is more how to give well,
than to have received much. I know I have transgressed the bounds
of an epistle, but love to your souls, and theirs into whose hands this
treatise may fall, must be my apology.
Sir, if you and your lady were both my own children, and my only
children, I could not give you better nor more faithful counsel than
what I have given you in this epistle. I have given all out of a sincere,
serious, and cordial desire and design, that both of you may be happy
here, and found at Christ's right hand in the great day of account,
Mat. 25:33-34.
Now the God of all grace fill both your hearts with all the fruits of
righteousness and holiness, and greatly bless you both with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places, and make you meet-helps to
each other heaven-ward, and at last crown you both with ineffable
glory in the life to come! 1 Pet. 5:1; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 1:3.
Your assured friend, and soul's servant,
Thomas Brooks, 1675.