The Usefulness of Spiritual Wisdom, Title page – Dedication
THE USEFULNESSE OF SPIRITƲAL WISDOM WITH A TEMPORAL INHERITANCE.
IN A SERMON Preached March, 11th. 1688/9. At the Entrance of a Young Man upon his Habitation and particular Calling.
And at his Requeſt Publiſhed By T. CRƲSO.
I CORINTH vii. 30.
—And they that buy, as tho' they poſſeſſed not.
LONDON, Printed by J.R. for John Salusbury, at the Riſing Sun, near the Royal Exchange in Cornhil, 1689.
To his Eſteemed Friend. MR. R. G.
SIR,
YOU cannot blame the inſcribing of theſe Papers to your ſelf, as their juſt and proper Patron, becauſe through your own ſolicitation, the matter contain'd in them was firſt delivered, and is now after this more publick manner recorded, principally for your own uſe. If any others receiv'd any benefit by the Hearing, or if any ſhould hereafter by the Reading of it, as they ought to return the chief praiſe to God, (whoſe Spirit, I hope, aſsiſted in the Compoſure, and from whom his ſervants have all their furniture for every good word and work) they do in the next place owe their Thanks to you. For you have (eſpecially) by putting me upon ſuch a ſecond ſervice, manifeſted your unwillingneſs to reap the Fruit of this labour alone, aſwel as your charitable hopes, that it may produce ſome through the bleſsing of heaven; in which I heartily wiſh, that you be not diſappointed. All the I can ſay to encourage you, is only this, that I have not here ſtept out of the road of the common Faith, Tit. 1.4.but written the plaineſt Truths in the plaineſt method, and therefore 'tis ſo far fitted (though defective in many other reſpects) to anſwer the end of common Edification; nor is your Caſe ſo peculiar, but that Others may frequently be in the ſame, and ſtand in need of the like inſtructions.
But I do not flatter you, when I tell you, that I am perſwaded better things of you, than I can expect from this diſcourſe upon every ordinary ſuperficial Reader; men do ſeldom conſider, that the word which ſounds in their Ear, or is preſented to their Eye,John 12.48. ſhall help to Judge them at the laſt day; and ſo, a trifling curſory peruſal of the moſt ſerious and important things, aggravates their account hereafter, though it does not influence their practice here. Multitudes, when they are at that Age, which you have arrived to, lay the foundation of a late and ineffual Repentance, and of remedileſs everlaſting miſery:Pſal. 58.3. They are eſtranged from the Womb, and in that ſtate they continue, till they are falling into the Grave, under the heavy load of the ſins of their Youth; if they do take care to thrive and proſper in this World by heaping up Riches, they will be ſure to make their condition moſt wretched in the next by Treaſuring up Wrath; the neglect of their Souls, is as notorious, as the (perhaps) unneceſſary Proviſion which is made for their Bodies; when they lanch into the buſineſs of their ſeveral Profeſsions, the getting of an Eſtate is their only Aim, and in the purſuit of this, they loſe that which is more worth than the whole World. The Wiſdom recommended in the following Sermon, will be but fooliſhneſs to all ſuch, unleſs God is pleaſed to give them other Spirits.
You on the other hand, have begun ſo well with God, that I therefore chearfully expect your happy progreſs: I doubt not but that you have fixt your eye, and ſet your heart, aright, by propoſing the beſt End, and chuſing the beſt Part; nevertheleſs ſeeing your lot is caſt into ſuch a time of Temptation, and every circumſtance of humane Life is ſo full of Snares, and there is a ſpecial vanity in youth, Eccl. 11.10.there is need of conſtant watchfulneſs and care, and frequent renewing your Holy Reſolutions, as well as Invocation of God for help, that your Bow which yet abides in ſtrength, may never Break or Slacken, through the enticements of evil Company, the Deceitfulneſs of Riches, or power of Indwelling Sin. You may meet with ſome who think it ſtrange, Pet. 4.4.that you run not with them to the ſame Exceſs of Riot, and other debauchery; and the Fleſh is ſtill Luſting againſt the Spirit in the moſt improved and mortified Chriſtians; and there is ſcarcely any lawful Employment, but what by an undue behaviour in it, may become ſin. I muſt therefore, while I take Comfort in your Pious beginnings, give you this Councel and Caution againſt a dangerous Revolt.
I lift up an hearty prayer for you, that the bleſſing of God out of Sion may reſt upon you, and all your concerns; that he may not be to you as the Moth, Hoſ. 5.12.or as Rottenneſs, but as the cheriſhing Sun and fructifying Dew; that neither your Root, nor Leaf may wither; that the Fear of God may be always before your face, and his ſecret upon your Tabernacle; Job 29.4.that your Soul may be like a watered Garden, and an Hedge of Providence Planted about all which you have on every ſide; and that after you are carried through the ſeveral Changes and Periods of time, the God whom you ſerve, may be your Inheritance and Portion to Eternity. So praying, and by all other poſsible means, which my Station or Capacity will afford for your Aſsiſtance, in any Spiritual matters, I ſhall very readily approve my ſelf,
Your Moſt Faithful Friend and Servant, T. C. May 22. 1689.