is pleased to grant us through Jesus Christ. And 2 It will fix our Thoughts and Affections upon the Grace and Love of God communicating such an inestimable Mercy unto us as is a Sense of his Love which is the only meanes for the Preservation of a Relish of it in our Hearts He who is in this Frame of Mind will remember call over and ruminate upon all such gracious Pledges of divine Favour as David is often remembring and calling over what he received in such Places as in the Land of the Hermonites and at the Hill Missar Psal. 42. This is the great way whereby this Treasure may be preserved 3 A Person so minded and he alone will have a due Valuation of such Intimations and Pledges of Divine Love Those who are full of other things whose Affections cleave unto them do never esteem Heavenly Mercies and Priviledges as they ought The full Soul loatheth the Honey-Comb And God is well pleased when an high Valuation is put upon his kindness as he is greatly provoked by the contrary Frame which indeed nothing but infinite Patience could bear withal It is an high Provocation of God when men are regardless of and unthankful for Outward temporal Mercies when they receive them and use them as if they were their own that they were Lords of them at least that they are due unto them Much more is he provoked with our regardlesness of the least of those Mercies which are the peculiar purchase of the Blood of his Son and the Effects of his Eternal Love and Grace He alone who is spiritually-Minded valueth prizeth and layes up these ininestimable Jewels in a due manner 4 Such Persons only know how to use and improve all Communications of a sense of Divine Love These things are not granted unto us to lye by us without any use of them They are gratious Provisions wherewith we are furnished to enable us unto all other Duties Conflicts and Tryals On all Occasions are they to be called over for our Spiritual Relief and Encouragement Hereby are they safely retained For in the due improvement of them they grow more bright in our Minds every day and are ready for use in which posture they are safely preserved But these things will yet be farther manifest in the Instances that ensue 2 This Frame of Mind casts out all Principles and Causes of Trouble and Disquietment which are inconsistent with Life and Peace There are in us by nature Principles of Contrariety and Opposition unto Spiritual Life and Peace with sundry things whose Abode and Prevalency in us is inconsistent with them I shall give only one or two Instances hereof 1 It will cast out all Filthiness and Superfluity of naughtiness from our Minds Without this we can receive no Benefit by the meanes of Grace nor perform any Duty in a right manner Jam. 1.27 This is that which stands in direct immediate Opposition and Contrariety unto our being spiritually Minded so as they can have no Consistency in the same Person And they Expel on another like heat and Cold. And where there is this Filthyness and Superfluity of Naughtiness there is neither Life nor Peace Unclean Lusts of the Flesh or of the Spirit working tumultuating acting themselves in the Minds of Men will not suffer either the Life of Holiness to flourish in them or any solid Peace to abide with them The Soul is weakned by them as unto all Spiritual Actings and made like a troubled Sea that cannot rest whose Waters cast up mire and dirt Where they are absolutely predominant there is an Hell within of Darkness Confusion and Enmity against God preparing men for an Hell of Punishment without unto Eternity And according as they remain or have any Prevalency in us so are Spiritual Life and Peace impaired and obstructed by them Now the very nature of this Grace and its universal Exercise is suited to the casting out of all the Relicks of this Filthiness and Supersfluity of Naughtiness It brings in a Principle into the Mind directly contrary unto that from whence they do proceed All the Actings of it which we have described lie in direct tendency unto the Extirpation of these Causes of Filthiness which ruine Life and Peace nor will they by any other way be cast out If the Mind be not Spiritual it will be carnal if it mind not Things above it will not fix it self inordinately on things below 2 That Disorder which is by nature in the Affections and Passions of the Mind which is directly opposite unto spiritual Life and Peace is cast out or cured hereby It is a blessed Promise of the times of the New Testament of the Kingdom and Rule of Christ that through the Efficacy of Gospel Grace The Lion shall lye down with the Lamb and the Leopard with the Kid Isaiah 11.6 Persons of the most intemperate and outragious Passions shall be made meek and lovely Where this is not in some measure effected according unto the Degrees of the Prevalency of such Passions in us we have not been made Partakers of Evangelical Grace It were an easy Task to demonstrate how the Disorder of our Affections and Passions is destructive of Spiritual Life and Peace The Contrariety that is in them and Contradiction unto one another their Violence Impetuousness and Restlesness their readiness to receive and take in Provocations on all Occasions and frequently on none at all but what Imagination presents unto them are sufficient Evidences hereof Can we think that Life and Peace do inhabit that Soul wherein Anger Wrath Envy Excess in Love unto earthly things no dwell and on all Occasions exert themselves there where there is a continual Tumult Fighting and Rebellion as there is where the Passions of the Mind are not under the Conduct of Reason nor of Grace The Nature and principal Effect of this spiritual Mindedness is to bring all the Affections and Passions of our Minds into that holy Order wherein they were created This was that uprightness wherein God made us namely the whole blessed Order of all the Powers Faculties and Affections of our Souls in all their Operations in order unto our living unto God And this is restored unto us by this Grace this Duty of being Spiritually Minded And wherein it falls short of that Perfection which we had originally for the remainders of that Disorder which befell us by Sin will still in part continue it is recompenced by the Actings of that new Principle of Gospel Grace which is exercised in it For every Act of of our Affections towards God in the Power of Grace exceeds and is of another nature above that we could do or attain unto in the State of nature uncorrupted Hereby are Life and Peace brought into our Souls and preserved in them 3 It is that whereby our Hearts and Minds are taken off from the World and all inordinate Love thereunto Where this is in prevalent Degree there is neither Life nor Peace And every
all the actings of our souls in Spiritual Judgment as well as natural Affection and I do not understand how a man can be a sincere Believer unto whom sin is not the greatest Burden and sorrow Wherefore in the first place it belongs unto the true Notion of Heaven that it is a State wherein we shall be eternally freed from sin and all the concernments of it but only the exaltation of the Glory of Gods Grace in Christ by the pardon of it He that truely hates sin and abhorrs it whose principal Desire and Design of Life is to be freed from it so far as it is possible who walks in self Abasement through a sence of his many Disappointments when he hoped it should act in him no more cannot as I judge but frequently betake himself for Refreshment unto Thoughts of that state wherein he shall be freed from it and triumph over it unto eternity This is a Notion of Heaven that is easily apprehended and fixed on the Mind which we may dwell upon unto the great advantage and satisfaction of our Souls Frequent Thoughts and Meditations of Heaven under this notion do argue a man to be Spiritually minded For it is a convincing Evidence that sin is a Burden unto him that he longs to be delivered from it and all its consequents that no Thoughts are more welcome unto him than those of that state wherein sin shall be no more And although men are troubled about their sins and would desirously be freed from them so far as they perplex their Minds and make their Consciences uneasie yet if they are not much in the prospect of this Relief if they find not Refreshment in it I fear their trouble is not such as it ought to be Wherefore when men can so wrangle and wrestle with their Convictions of sin and yet take up the best of their Relief in hopes that it will be better with them at some times or other in this world without longing Desires after that state wherein sin shall be no more they can give no evidence that they are Spiritually minded It is quite otherwise with sincere Believers in the exercise of this Duty The considerations of the Grace and Love of God of the Blood of Christ of the Purity and Holiness of that good Spirit that dwelleth in them of the Light Grace and Mercy which they have attained through the Promises of the Gospel are those which make the Remainders of sin most grievous and burdensom unto them This is that which even breaks their hearts and makes some of them go mourning all the day long namely that any thing of that which alone God hates should be found in them or be remaining with them It is in this condition an Evidence that they are Spiritually minded if together with watchful endeavours for the universal mortification of sin and utter excision of it both root and branch they constantly adde these Thoughts of that blessed State wherein they shall be absolutely and eternally freed from all sin with Refreshment Delight and Complacency These things belong unto our Direction for the fixing of our Thoughts and Meditations on things above This the meanest and weakest person who hath the least spark of Sincerity and Grace is capable of apprehending and able to practise And it is that which the sense they have of the evil of sin will put them on every day if they shut not their eyes against the Light of the Refreshment that is in it Let them who cannot arise in their minds unto fixed and stable Thoughts of any other notion of these Invisible things dwell on this consideration of them wherein they will find no small Spiritual Advantage and Refreshment unto their Souls 2. As unto the Positive Part of this glorious future State the Thoughts and apprehensions of men are very various And that we may know as well what to avoid as what to embrace we shall a little reflect on some of them 1. Many are able to entertain no rational Conceptions about a future state of Blessedness and Glory no notions wherein either Faith or Reason is concerned Imagination they have of something that is great and glorious but what it is they know not No wonder if such Persons have no delight in no use of Thoughts of Heaven When their Imaginations have fluctuated up and down in all uncertainties for a while they are swallowed up in nothing Glorious and therefore desirable they take it for granted that it must be But nothing can be so unto them but what is suitable unto their present Dispositions Inclinations and Principles And hereof there is nothing in the true Spiritual Glory of Heaven or in the eternal enjoyment of God These things are not suited unto the Wills of their minds and of the flesh and therefore they cannot rise up unto any constant desires of them Hence to please themselves they begin to imagine what is not But whereas what is truely Heaven pleaseth them not and what doth please them is not Heaven nor there to be found they seldom or never endeavour in good earnest to exercise their Thoughts about it It were well if Darkness and Ignorance of the true nature of the future State and eternal Glory did not exceedingly prejudice Believers themselves as unto their Delight in them and Meditations about them They have nothing fixed or stated in their Minds which they can betake themselves unto in their Thoughts when they would contemplate about them And by the way whatever doth divert the minds of men from the power and life of Spiritual Worship as do all pompous Solemnities in the performance of it doth greatly hinder them as unto right Conceptions of our future state There was a Promise of Eternal Life given unto the Saints under the Old Testament But whereas they were obliged unto a Worship that was carnal and outwardly pompous they never had clear and distinct Apprehensions of the future state of Glory For Life and Immortality were brought to Light by the Gospel Wherefore although no man living can see or find out the infinite Riches of Eternal Glory yet is it the Duty of all to be acquainted with the Nature of it in general so as that they may have fixed Thoughts of it Love unto it earnest Desires after it all under its own true and proper Notion 2. So great a Part of Mankind as the Mahumetans unto whom God hath given all the principal and most desirable parts of the World to inhabit and possess do conceive the state of future Blessedness to consist in the full satisfaction of their sensual Lusts and Pleasures An Evidence this is that the Religion which they profess hath no power or Efficacy on their Minds to change them from the Love of Sin or placing their Happiness in fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh. It doth not at all enlighten their Minds to discern a Beauty in Spiritual things nor excite their Affections unto the Love of them nor free the Soul
of the divine Nature our dependance on him and relation unto him And this is that which in the first place Believers design in all the Duties of divine Worship And the Pattern set us by our Blessed Saviour in the Prayer he taught his Disciples directs us thereunto All the first Requests of it concern immediately the Glory of God and the Advancement thereof For therein also all the Blessedness and Safety of the Church is included Those who fail in this design do err in all that they do they never tend unto the mark proposed unto them But this is that which principally animates the Souls of them that believe in all their Duties this their universal Relation unto him and Love in that Relation makes necessary Wherefore that way and means whereby they may directly and solemnly ascribe and give Glory unto God is pretious and delightful unto them And such are all the duties of divine Worship These are some of the things wherein the respect of Affections Spiritually renewed unto Ordinances and Duties of divine Worship doth differ from the Actings of Affections towards the same Object which are not so santifyed and renewed There are yet other things accompanied with the same Evidence of the difference between Affections Spiritually renewed and those which have only a general Change wrought in them by Convictions and some outward Occasions which must in one or two Instances more be insisted on with the Consideration of such Cases as derive from them For my design herein is not only to declare when our Minds are Spiritually renewed but also what is the nature and operation of our Affections whereby we are constituted and denominated Spiritually-Minded which is the Subject of our whole Enquiry Herein then we shall proceed CHAP. XVI Assimulation unto things Heavenly and Spiritual in Affections Spiritually renewed This Assimulation the Work of Faith How and whereby Reasons of the want of Growth in our Spiritual Affections as unto this Assimulation WHen Affections are Spiritually renewed in their Exercise or fixing of themselves on Spiritual things There is an Assimulation wrought in them and in the whole Soul unto those Spiritual and Heavenly things by Faith But when there is a Change in them only from other Causes and Occasions and not from Renewing Grace there is an Assimulation effected of Spiritual and Heavenly Things unto themselves unto those Affections by Imagination This must somewhat at large be spoken unto as that which gives the most eminent Distinction between the Frames of Mind whose difference we enquire into And to that end we shall cast our consideration of it into the ensuing Observations First Affections Spiritually renewed are in all their Actings in their whole Exercise under the Guidance and Conduct of Faith It is Faith which in its Spiritual Light hath the leading of the Soul in the whole Life of God we live here by Faith as we shall do hereafter by Light If our Affections deviate or decline in the least from the Guidance of the Faith they degenerate from their Spirituality and give up themselves unto the Service of Superstition Next unto corrupt secular Interest in the management of crafty selfish Seducers this hath been the great in-let of all Superstition and false Worship into the World Blind Affection groping in the dark after Spiritual Things having not the Saving Light of Faith to conduct them have seduced the Minds of Men into all manner of Superstitions Imaginations and Practices continuing to do so at this day And wherever they will lead the way when Faith goeth not before them to discover both way and end they that lead and the Mind that is led must fall into one Snare and Pit or another Wherefore Affections that are Spiritually renewed move not act not but as Faith discovers their Object and directs them unto it It is Faith that works by Love we can love nothing sincerely with divine Love but what we believe Savingly with Divine Faith Let our Affections unto any Spiritual Things be never so vehement if they spring not from Faith if they are not guided by it they are neither accepted with God nor will promote the Interest of Spirituality and Holiness in our own Souls Heb. 11.6 Mat. 6.22 23. And this is the reason whence we oft times see great and plausible Appearances of Spiritual Affections which yet endure only for a Season They have been awakened excited acted by one means or another outward or inward but not having the Light of Faith to guide them unto their proper Object they either wither and dye as unto any appearing of Spiritual Motions or else keep the Mind tossed up and down in perpetual disquietment without rest or Peace The foolish Man wearieth himself because he cannot find the way to the City So was it with them who on the account of their Attendance unto the Doctrine of Christ are called his Disciples Joh. 6. Having preached unto them about the Bread which came down from Heaven and giveth Life unto them that feed they were greatly affected with it and cryed out Lord evermore give us of this Bread v. 34. But when he proceeded to declare the Mystery of it they having not Faith to discern and apprehend it their Affections immediately decayed and they forsook both him and his Doctrine vers 66. We may consider one especial Instance of this nature Persons every day fall under great and effectual Convictions of Sin and of their danger or certain Misery thereby This stirs up and acts all their Affections especially their Fears Hopes Desires Sorrow Self-Revenge according as their Condition calls for them Hence sometimes they grow restless in their Complaints and turn themselves every way for relief like men that are out of the way and bewildred in the night But in this State and Condition tell them of the only proper way and means of their Relief which let the World say what it will is Christ and his Righteousness alone with the Grace of God in him and they quickly discover that they are strange things unto them such as they do not understand nor indeed approve They cannot see them they cannot discern them nor any Beauty in them for which they should be desired Wherefore after their Affections have been tossed up and down for a season under the Power and Torment of this Conviction they come unto one or other of these Issues with them For either they utterly decay and the Mind looseth all sense of any Impressions from them so as that they wonder in themselves whence they were so foolish as to be tossed and troubled with such melancholy Fancies and so commonly prove as bad a sort of Men as live upon the Earth or they take up in a formal legal Profession wherein they never attain to be Spiritually-Minded This is the best end that our Affections towards Spiritual things not guided by the Light of Faith do come unto Secondly Faith hath a clear prospect into and Apprehension of Spiritual things
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR THE Grace and Duty OF BEING Spiritually-Minded Declared and Practically Improved By JOHN OWEN D. D. ROM 8.6 To be Spiritually-Minded is Life and Peace COLOS. 3.2 Set your Affections on things Above LONDON Printed by J. G. for Nathaniel Ponder at the Sign of the Peacock in the Poultry near the Church 1681. The Preface I Think it necessary to give the Reader a brief account of the nature and design of the plain ensuing Discourse which may both direct him in the reading and be some kind of Apology for my self in the publishing of it He may therefore know that the Thoughts here communicated were originally private Meditations for my own use in a season wherein I was every way unable to do any thing for the Edification of others and far from expectation that ever I should be so able any more in this World Receiving as I thought some Benefit and satisfaction in the Exercise of my own Meditations therein when God was graciously pleased to restore a little strength unto me I insisted on the same Subject in the Instruction of a private Congregation and this I did partly out of a sense of the Advantage I had received my self by being conversant in them and partly from an Apprehension that the Duties directed and pressed unto in the whole Discourse were seasonable from all sorts of present Circumstances to be declared and urged on the Minds and Consciences of Professors For leaving others unto the choice of their own Methods and Designs I acknowledge that these are the two things whereby I regulate my Work in the whole Course of my Ministry To impart those Truths of whose Power I hope I have had in some measure a real Experience and to press those Duties which present Occasions Temptations and other Circumstances do render necessary to be attended unto in a peculiar manner are the things which I would principally apply my self unto in the Work of teaching others For as in the Work of the Ministry in general the whole Councel of God concerning the Salvation of the Church by Jesus Christ is to be declared so in particular we are not to fight uncertainly as men beating the Air nor shoot our Arrows at Random without a certain Scope and Design Knowledge of the Flock whereof we are Overseers with a due Consideration of their Wants their Graces their Temptations their Light their Strength and Weakness are required herein And when in pursuance of that Design the Preparation of the Word to be dispensed proceeds from Zeal to the glory of God and Compassion unto the Souls of Men when it is delivered with the Demonstration of a due Reverence unto God whose Word it is and of Authority towards them unto whom it is dispensed with a deep sense of that great account which both they that Preach and they that hear the word Preached must shortly give before the Judgment Seat of Christ there may the a Comfortable Expectation of a Blessed Issue of the whole Work But my present Design is only to declare in particular the Reasons why I Judg'd the Preaching and Publishing of this small and plain Discourse concening the Grace and Duty of being Spiritually Minded not to be altogether unseasonable at this time in the present circumstances of of most Christians And the first thing which I would observe unto this End is the present Importunity of the World to Impose itself on the Minds of Men and the various wayes of insinuation whereby it posesseth and filleth them If it attain hereunto if it can fill the Minds the Thoughts and Affections of men with it self it will in some fortify the Soul against Faith and Obedience and in others Weaken all Grace and endanger Eternal Ruin For if we Love the World the Love of the Father is not in us And when the World fills our Thoughts it will entangle our Affections And First the Present State of all Publick Affaires in it with an apprehended concernment of Private Persons therein continually Exerciseth the Thoughts of many and is almost the only subject of their mutual converse For the World is at present in a mighty hurry and being in many places cast off from all Foundations of stedfastness it makes the Mindes of Men giddy with its Revolutions or disorderly in the Expectations of them Thoughts about these things are both allowable and unavoydable if they take not the Mind out of its own Power by their multiplicity vehemency and urgency untill it be unframed as unto Spiritual things retaining neither room nor time for their entertainment Hence Men walk and talke as if the World were all when Comparatively it is nothing And when men come with their warmed Affections reeking with thoughts of these things unto the performance of or attendance unto any Spiritual Duty it is very Difficult for them if not impossible to stir up any Grace unto a Due and vigourous exercise Unless this plausible Advantage which the World hath obtained of insinuating it self and its Occasions into the Mindes of Men so as to fill them and Possesse them be watched against and obviated so far at least as that it may not transform the Mind into its own Image and likeness this Grace of being Spiritually-Minded which is Life and Peace cannot be attained nor kept unto it's due Exercise Nor can we be any of us delivered from this Snare at this season without a watchful endeavour to keep and preserve our Minds in the Constant Contemplation of things Spiritual and Heavenly proceeding from the prevalent adherence of our Affections unto them as will appear in the ensuing discourse Again there are so great and Pregnant Evidences of the Prevalency of an Earthly Worldly Frame of Spirit in many who make Profession of Religion that it is high time they were call'd unto a due consideration how unanswerable they are therein unto the power and Spirituallity of that Religion which they do Profess There is no way whereby such a Frame may be evinced to prevaile in many yea in the Generallity of such Professiors that is not manifest unto all In their habits attires and vestments in their usual converse and mispence of time in their over liberal entertainment of themselves and others unto the borders of Excess and sundry other things of an a like nature there is in many such a Conformity unto the World a thing severely forbidden that it is hard to make a distinction between them And these things do manifest such a predominancy of Carnal Affections in the Minds of Men as whatever may be pretended unto the contrary is inconsistent with Spiritual Peace To call Men off from this evil Frame of Heart and Minde to discover the Sin and danger of it to direct them unto the wayes and meanes whereby it may be Effected to supply their Thoughts and Affections with better Objects to discover and presse that Excercise of them which is indispensiblely required of all Believers if they design Life and
distinctly unto what is mentioned in the third place concerning the Complacency of the Mind in what its Affections are fixed on for it will fall in with sundry other things that are to be spoken unto But before we do proceed it is not amiss as I suppose to put a remark upon those important Truths which are directly contained in the Words proposed as the Foundation of the present Discourse As 1. To be spiritually minded is the great distinguishing Character of true Believers from all Vnregenerate Persons As such is it here asserted by the Apostle All those who are carnally minded who are in the flesh they are unregenerate they are not born of God they please him not nor can do so but must perish for ever But those who are spiritually minded are born of God do live unto him and shall come to the Enjoyment of him Hereon depends the Trial and Determination of what State we do belong unto 2. Where any are Spiritually minded there and there alone is Life and Peace What these are wherein they do consist what is their Excellency and Preheminence above all things in this World how they are the Effects and Consequents of our being spiritually minded shall be afterwards declared There is neither of these Considerations but is sufficient to demonstrate of how great Concernment unto us it is to be spiritually minded and diligently to enquire whether we are so or no. It will therefore be no small Advantage unto us to have our Souls and Consciences alwayes affected with and in due Subjection unto the Power of this Truth Namely that to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace whence it will follow that whatever we may think otherwise if we are not so we have neither of them neither Life nor Peace It will I say be of use unto us if we are affected with the Power of it For many greatly deceive themselves in hearing the Word They admit of Sacred Truths in their Understanding and assent unto them but take not in the Power of them on their Consciences nor strictly judge of their State and Condition by them which proves their Ruine For hereby they seem to themselves to believe that whereof in truth they believe not one Syllable as they ought They hear it they understand it in the Notion of it they assent unto it at least they do not contradict it yea they commend it oftentimes and approve of it But yet they believe it not For if they did they would judge themselves by it and reckon on it that it will be with them at the last day according as things are determined therein Or such Persons are as the Apostle James declares like a man beholding his natural face in a Glass for he beholdeth himself and goeth his ways and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was Jam. 1.23 24. There is a Representation made of them their State and Condition unto them in the Word they behold it and conclude that it is even so with them as the Word doth declare But immediately their minds are filled with other thoughts acted by other Affections taken up with other Occasions and they forget in a moment the Representation made of themselves and their Condition Wherefore all that I have to offer on this Subject will be utterly lost unless a firm perswasion hereof be fixed on our minds unless we are under the Power of it that to be spiritually minded is life and peace so that whatever our Light and Profession be our Knowledge or our Duty without this we have indeed no real Interest in Life and Peace These things being premised I shall more practically open the Nature of this Duty and what is required unto this frame of spirit To be Spiritually minded may be considered either as unto the Nature and Essence of it or as unto its Degrees for one may be so more than another or the same Person may be more so at one time than another In the first way it is opposed unto being carnally minded in the other unto being earthly minded To be carnally minded is as the Apostle speaks Death it is so every way and they who are so are dead in trespasses and sins This is opposed unto being Spiritually minded as unto its Nature or Essence Where a man as unto the Substance and Being of the Grace and Duty intended is not Spiritually minded he is carnally minded that is under the power of Death spiritual and obnoxious unto death Eternal This is the principal Foundation we proceed upon whence we demonstrate the indispensible necessity of the frame of mind enquired after There are two ways wherein Men are Earthly-minded The one is absolute when the love of earthly things is wholly predominant in the mind This is not formally and properly to be carnally minded which is of a larger extent The one Denomination is from the Root and Principle namely the Flesh the other from the Object or the things of the Earth The latter is a branch from the former as its root To be earthly minded is an operation and effect of the carnal mind in one especial way and Instance And it is as exclusive of Life and Salvation as the Carnal mind it self Phil. 3.19 1 Joh. 2.16 This therefore is opposed unto the Being of Spiritual mindedness no less than to be carnally minded is When there is in any a Love of earthly things that is predominant whence a Person may be rightly denominated to be earthly minded he is not nor can be spiritually minded at all he hath no Interest in the frame of heart and Spirit intended thereby And thus it is evidently with the greatest part of them who are called Christians in the World let them pretend what they will to the contrary Again there is a being Earthly-minded which consists in an inordinate Affection unto the things of this World It is that which is sinful which ought to be mortified yet is it not absolutely inconsistent with the Substance and Being of the Grace enquired after Some who are really and truely spiritually minded yet may for a time at least be under such an inordinate Affection unto and care about earthly things that if not absolutely yet comparatively as unto what they ought to be and might be they may be justly said to be earthly minded They are so in respect of those degrees in being spiritually minded which they ought to aim at and may attain unto And where it is thus this Grace can never thrive or flourish it can never advance unto any eminent degree This is the Zoar of many Professors that little one wherein they would be spared Such an earthly-mindedness as is wholly inconsistent with being Spiritually minded as unto the State and Condition which depends thereon they would avoid For this they know would be absolutely exclusive of Life and Peace They cannot but know that such a frame is as inconsistent with Salvation as living in the vilest sin that any man can
contract the Guilt of There are more ways of Spiritual and Eternal death than one as well as of Natural All that dye have not the Plague and all that perish eternally are not guilty of the same profligate sins The Covetous are excluded from the Kingdom of God no less severely than Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers and Thieves 1 Cor. 6.9 10. But there is a Degree in being earthly minded which they suppose their Interest Advantages Relations and Occasions of life do call for which they would be a little indulged in They may abide in such a frame without a disparagement of their Profession And the truth is they have too many companions to fear an especial Reflexion on themselves The Multitude of the Guilty take away the sense and shame of the Guilt But besides they hope well that it is not inconsistent absolutely with being spiritually minded Only they cannot well deny but that it is contrary unto such degrees in that grace such thriving in that Duty as is recommended unto them They think well of others who are Spiritually minded in an eminent degree At least they do so as unto the thing it self in general for when they come unto particular Instances of this or that man for the most part they esteem what is beyond their own Measure to be little better than pretence But in general to be Spiritually minded in an eminent degree they cannot but esteem it a thing excellent and desirable But it is for them who are more at leasure than they are their Circumstances and Occasions require them to satisfie themselves with an inferior measure To obviate such Pretences I shall insist on nothing in the Declaration of this Duty and the necessity of it but what is incumbent on all that believe and without which they have no Grounds to assure their Conscience before God And at present in general I shall say Whoever he be who doth not sincerely aim at the highest degree of being spiritually minded which the means he enjoyeth would lead him unto and which the light he hath received doth call for who judgeth it necessary unto his present Advantages Occasions and Circumstances to rest in such measures or degrees of it as he cannot but know that they come short of what he ought to aim at and so doth not endeavor after Compleatness in the Will of God herein can have no satisfaction in his own mind hath no unfailing Grounds whereon to believe that he hath any thing at all of the Reality of this Grace in him Such a Person possibly may have Life which accompanies the Essence of this Grace but he cannot have Peace which follows on its Degree in a due Improvement And it is to be feared that far the greatest number of them who satisfie themselves in this Apprehension willingly neglecting an Endeavour after the further Degrees of this Grace and growth in this Duty which their Light or Convictions and the means they enjoy do suggest unto them are indeed carnally minded and every way obnoxious unto death CHAP. II. A particular Account of the Nature of this Grace and Duty of being Spiritually minded How it is Stated in and evidenced by our Thoughts HAving Stated the General Concernments of that Frame of mind which is here recommended unto us we may proceed to enquire more particularly into the Nature of it according unto the Description before given in distinct Propositions And we shall carry on both these Intentions together First to shew What it is and wherein it doth consist and then how it doth evidence it self so as that we may frame a right Judgment whether it be in us or no. And we shall have no regard unto them who either neglect or despise these things on any pretence whatever For this is the Word according unto which we shall all shortly be Judged To be Carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace Thoughts and Meditations as proceeding from spiritual Affections are the first things wherein this Spiritual mindedness doth consist and whereby it doth evidence it self Our Thoughts are like the Blossoms on a Tree in the Spring You may see a Tree in the Spring all covered with Blossoms that nothing else of it appears Multitudes of them fall off and come to nothing Oft-times where there are most Blossoms there is least fruit But yet there is no fruit be it of what sort it will Good or Bad but it comes in and from some of those Blossoms The mind of man is covered with Thoughts as a Tree with Blossoms Most of them fall off vanish and come to nothing end in Vanity and sometimes where the mind doth most abound with them there is the least Fruit The Sap of the mind is wasted and consumed in them Howbeit there is no Fruit which actually we bring forth be it good or bad but it proceeds from some of these Thoughts Wherefore ordinarily these give the best and surest Measure of the Frame of mens minds As a man Thinketh in his Heart so is he Pro. 23.7 In case of strong or violent Temptations the real frame of a mans heart is not to be judged by the Multiplicity of Thoughts about any object For whether they are from Satans Suggestions or from inward Darkness trouble and horror they will impose such a continual sense of themselves on the mind as shall engage all its thoughts about them As when a man is in a Storm at Sea the current of his Thoughts runs quite another way than when he is in safety about his occasions But ordinarily Voluntary Thoughts are the best measure and indication of the frame of our minds As the nature of the Soil is judged by the Grass which it brings forth so may the disposition of the Heart by the predominancy of Voluntary thoughts They are the original acting of the Soul the way whereby the Heart puts forth and empties the Treasure that is in it the waters that first rise and flow from the fountain Every mans Heart is his Treasury and the Treasure that is in it is either Good or Evil as our Saviour tells us There is a good and bad Treasure of the Heart but whatever a man hath be it good or evil there it is This Treasure is opening emptying and spending it self continually though it can never be exhausted For it hath a Fountain in Nature or Grace which no Expence can diminish yea it increaseth and getteth strength by it The more you spend of the Treasure of your Hearts in any kind the more will you abound in Treasure of the same kind Whether it be Good or Evil it grows by Expence and Exercise And the principal way whereby it puts forth it self is by the Thoughts of the mind If the Heart be Evil they are for the most part vain filthy corrupt wicked foolish If it be under the Power of a Principle of Grace and so have a good Treasure in it it puts forth it self by thoughts suitable unto its
most earnestly to be desired or avoided Herein they seem to themselves to strive with all their might to endeavour to goe run or contend but all in vain every thing fails them and they are not relieved untill they are awaked So such Persons in Impressions they receive from the Word seem to strive and contend in their thoughts and resolutions to comply with what is proposed unto them but their strength fails they find no success for want of a Principle of Spiritual Life and after a time give over their Endeavours untill they are occasionally renewed again Now the Thoughts which in the Dispensation of the Word do proceed from an inward Principle of Grace excited unto its due exercise are distinguishable from them which are only occasionally suggested unto the mind by the Word outwardly Preached For 1. They are especial actings of Faith and Love towards the things themselves that are Preached They belong unto our receiving the Truth in the Love thereof And Love respects the Goodness of the things themselves and not meerly the Truth of the Propositions wherein they are expressed The other Thoughts are only the sence of the Mind as affected with Light and Truth without any cordial Love unto the things themselves 2. They are accompanied with Complacency of Soul arising from Love Experience more or less of the Power of them and their suitableness unto the new Nature or Principle of Grace in them For when our minds find that so indeed it is in us as it is in the Word that this is that which we would be more conformable unto it gives a secret Complacency with satisfaction unto the soul. The other Thoughts which are only occasional have none of these Concomitants or Effects but are dry and barren unless it be in a few words or transient Dicourse 3. The former are means of spiritual growth So some say the natural growth of Vegetables is not by insensible motion but by Gusts and sensible eruptions of increase These are both in spiritual Growth and the later consists much in those thoughts which the Principle of the new Nature is excited unto by the Word in the latter 2. The Duty of Prayer is another means of the like Nature One Principal end of it is to excite stir up and draw forth the Principle of Grace of Faith and Love in the Heart unto a due Exercise in holy thoughts of God and Spiritual things with Affections suitable unto them Those who design not this End in Prayer know not at all what it is to Pray Now all sorts of Persons have frequent Occasion to joyn with others in Prayer and many are under the Conviction that it is their own Duty to Pray every day it may be in their Families and otherwise And it is hard to conceive how men can constantly joyn with others in Prayer much more how they can Pray themselves but that they must have thoughts of Spiritual things every day Howbeit it is possible that they may have no Root or living spring of them in themselves but they are only occasional impressions on their minds from the outward performance of the Duty I shall give some Instances of the Grounds hereof which on many Reasons require our diligent Consideration Spiritual Thoughts may be raised in a Person in his own Duty by the Exercise of his Gifts when there is no acting of Grace in them at all For they lead and guide the mind unto such things as are the matter of Prayer that is Spiritual things Gifts are nothing but a spiritual improvement of our natural Faculties or Abilities And a man cannot speak or utter any thing but what proceeds from his Rational Faculties by Invention or Memory or both managed in and by his thoughts unless he speak by rote and that which is not rational What therefore proceeds from a mans rational Faculty in and by the Exercise of his Gifts that his Thoughts must be exercised about A man may read a long Prayer that expresseth Spiritual things and yet never have one Spiritual thought arise in his mind about them For there is no exercise of any Faculty of his mind required unto such reading but only to attend unto the words that are to be read This I say may be so I do not say that it is always so or that it must be so But as was said in the Exercise of Gifts it is impossible but there must be an Exercise of Reason by Invention Judgement and Memory and consequently thoughts of spiritual things Yet may they all be meerly occasional from the present external performance of the Duty without any living spring or exercise of Grace In such a Course may men of tolerable Gifts continue all their days unto the satisfaction of themselves and others deceiving both them and their own Souls This being evident from the Scripture and Experience an Enquiry may be made thereon as unto our own concernment in these things especially of those who have received Spiritual Gifts of their own and of them also in some degree who usually enjoy the Gifts of others in this Duty For it may be asked how we shall know whether the thoughts which we have of spiritual things in and upon Prayer do arise from Gifts only those of our own or other mens giving occasion unto them or are influenced from a living Principle and Spring of Grace in our Hearts A case this is however by some it may be apprehended of great importance and which would require much time fully to resolve For there is nothing whereby the refined sort of Hypocrites do more deceive themselves and others nothing whereby some men do give themselves more Countenance in an Indulgence unto their Lusts than by this Part of the Form of Godliness when they deny the Power thereof And besides it is that wherein the best of Believers ought to keep a diligent watch over themselves in every particular Instance of the Performance of this Duty With respect hereunto in an especial manner are they to watch unto Prayer If they are at any time negligent herein they may rest in a bare exercise of Gifts when on a due examination and trial they have no Evidence of the acting of Grace in what they have done I shall therefore with what brevity I can give a Resolution unto this Enquiry And to this end Observe 1. It is an ancient Complaint that Spiritual things are filled with great obscurity and difficulty and it is true Not that there is any such thing in themselves for they all come forth from the Father of lights and are full of Light Order Beauty and Wisdom And Light and Order are the only means whereby any thing makes a discovery of it self But the Ground of all darkness and difficulty in these things lyes in our selves We can more clearly and steadily see and behold the Moon and the Starres than we can the Sun when it shines in its greatest Lustre It is not because there is more light
in the Moon and Starres than in the Sun but because the light of the Sun is greater then our visive Faculty can directly bear and behold So we can more clearly discover the Truth and distinct Nature of things Moral and Natural than we can of things that are Heavenly and Spiritual See John 3.14 Not that there is more substance or reality in them but because the Ability of our Understanding is more suited unto the Comprehension of them The other are above us We know but in Part and our minds are liable to be hindred and disordered in their apprehension of things Heavenly and Spiritual by Ignorance Temptations and Prejudices of all sorts In nothing more are men subject unto mistakes than in the application of things unto themselves and a Judgement of their Interest in them Fear self-love with the prevalency of Temptations and Corruptions do all engage their Powers to darken the light of the mind and to pervert its Judgement In no case doth the deceitfulness of the heart or of sin which is all one more act it self Hence Multitudes say Peace to themselves to whom God doth not speak Peace and some who are Children of Light do yet walk in darkness Hence is that fervent Prayer of the Apostle for help in this case Ephes. 1.16 17 18 19. There is also a great similitude between Temporary Faith and that which is Saving and durable and between Gifts and Grace in their Operations which is that that is under present Consideration It is acknowledged therefore that without the especial light and conduct of the Spirit of God no man can make such a Judgement of his State and his Actions as shall be a stable Foundation of giving Glory to God and of obtaining peace unto his own soul. And therefore the greatest part of mankind do constantly deceive themselves in these things But ordinarily under this blessed Conduct in the search of our selves and the Concernments of our duty we may come unto a satisfaction whether they are influenced by Faith and have Grace exercised in them especially this duty of Prayer or whether it derive from the power of our natural Faculties raised by Light and spiritual Gifts only and so whether our spiritual Thoughts therein do spring from a Vital Principle of Grace or whether they come from occasional impressions on the mind by the performance of the Duty it self If men are willing to deceive themselves or to hide themselves from themselves to walk with God at all per adventures to leave all things at hazard to put off all Trials unto that at the last day and so never call themselves unto an account as unto the nature of their Duties in any particular Instance it is no wonder if they neither do nor can make any distinction in this matter as unto the true nature of their Thoughts in Spiritual Duties Two things are required hereunto 1. That we impartially and severely examine and try the Frames and actings of our minds in holy Duties by the Word of Truth and thereon not be afraid to speak that plainly unto our Souls which the Word speaks unto us This diligent search ought to respect our Principles Aims Ends Actings with the whole deportment of our Souls in every duty See 2 Cor. 13.5 If a man receiveth much Money and look only on the outward Form and Superscription when he supposeth that he hath great store of currant Coin in Gold and Silver he may have only heaps of Lead or Copper by him But he that trades in it as the comfort and support of his natural life and condition he will try what he receives both by the Ballance and the Touch-stone as the occasion requires especially if it be in a time when much adulterated Coin is passant in the World And if a man reckons on his Duties by Tale and Number he may be utterly deceived and be spiritually poor and a Bankrupt when he esteems himself rich encreased in Goods and wanting nothing Some Duties may appearingly hold in the Ballance as to Weight which will not hold it at the Touch-stone as to Worth Both means are to be used if we would not be mistaken in our Accounts Thus God himself in the midst of a multitude of Duties calls the People to try and examine themselves whether or no they are such as have Faith and Grace in them and so like to have acceptance with him Isa. 58.2 3 4 5. 2. Add we must unto our own diligent enquiry fervent Prayers unto God that he would search and try us as unto our sincerity and discover unto us the true frame of our hearts Hereof we have an express example Psal. 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting This is the only way whereby we may have the Spirit of God witnessing unto our sincerity with our own spirits There is need of calling in divine Assistance in this matter both from the importance of it and from its difficulty God alone knowing fully and perfectly what is in the hearts of men I no way doubt but that in the impartial use of these means a man may come to assured satisfaction in his own mind such as wherein he shall not be deceived whether he doth animate and quicken his thoughts of Spiritual things in Duties with inward Vital Grace or whether they are impressions on his mind by the occasion of the Duty A Duty this is of great Importance and necessity now Hipocrisie hath made so great an in-rode on Profession and Gifts have doflowred Grace in its principal Operations No Persons are in greater danger of walking at hazard with God than those who live in the exercise of Spiritual Gifts in Duties unto their own satisfaction and others For they may countenance themselves with an Appearance of every thing that should be in them in reality and power when there is nothing of it in them And so it hath fallen out We have seen many earnest in the Exercise of this Gift who have turned vile and debauched Apostates Some have been known to live in sin and an indulgence of their Lusts and yet to abide constant in their Duties Isa. 1.15 And we may hear Prayers sometimes that openly discover themselves unto Spiritual sense to be the Labour of the Brain by the help of Gifts in Memory and Invention without an Evidence of any mixture of Humility Reverence or Godly fear without any acting of Faith and Love They flow as Wine yet smell and taste of the unsavoury Cask from whence they proceed It is necessary therefore that we should put our selves on the severest trial lest we should be found not to be spiritually minded in Spiritual Duties Gifts are gracious vouchsafements of Christ to make Grace useful unto our selves and others yea they may make them useful unto the Grace of others who have no Grace in themselves But as
unto our own souls they are of no other advantage or benefit but to stir up Grace unto its proper Exercise and to be a vehicle to carry it on in its proper use If we do not always regard this in their Exercise we had better be without them If instead hereof they once begin to impose themselves practically upon us so as that we rest in spiritual Light acting our Inventions Memories and Judgements with a ready utterance or such as it is there is no form of Prayer can be more prejudicial unto our Souls As Wine if taken moderately and seasonably helps the Stomach in Digestion and quickens the natural Spirits enabling the Powers of Nature unto their Duty is useful and helpful unto it but if it be taken in excess it doth not help Nature but oppress it and takes on it self to do what nature should be assisted unto it fills mens Carcasses with Diseases as well as their Souls with sin So whilest Spiritual Gifts are used and employed only to excite aid and assist Grace in its operations they are unutterably useful But if they put themselves in the Room thereof to do all that Grace should do they are hurtful and pernicious We have need therefore to be very diligent in this Enquiry whether our Spiritual Thoughts even in our Prayers be not rather occasioned from the Duty than spring from a gracious Principle in our Hearts or are the actings of real saving Grace 2. Where thoughts of Spiritual things in Prayer are Occasional only in the way before described such Prayers will not be a means of Spiritual Growth unto the soul. They will not make the soul Humble Holy Watchful and Diligent in universal Obedience Grace will not thrive under the greatest constancy in such Duties It is an astonishing thing to see how under frequency of Prayer and a seeming fervency therein many of us are at a stand as to visible thriving in the Fruits of Grace and it is to be feared without any encrease of strength in the Root of it Gods Hand is not shortned that he cannot save nor his Ear deafned that he cannot hear He is the same as in the dayes of old when our Fathers cryed unto him and were delivered when they trusted in him and were not confounded Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Prayer is the same that it was and shall lose nothing of its Prevalency whilest this World endureth Whence is it then that there is so much Prayer amongst us and so little success I speak not with respect unto the outward Dispensations of Divine Providence in Afflictions or Persecutions wherein God always acts in a way of Soveraignty and oft-times gives the most useful answer unto our Prayers by denying our Requests I intend that only whereof the Psalmist giveth us his Experience Psal. 138.3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul. Where Prayers are effectual they will bring in spiritual strength But the Prayers of many seem to be very spiritual and to express all conceivable supplies of Grace and they are persisted in with Constancy And God forbid we should Judge them to be Hypocritical and wholly Insincere Yet is there a defect somewhere which should be enquired after For they are not so answered as that they who Pray them are strengthned with strength in their Souls There is not that spiritual thriving that growth in Grace which might be expected to accompany such Supplications I know that a man may pray often pray sincerely and frequently for an especial Mercy Grace or Deliverance from a particular Temptation and yet no spiritual Supply of strength unto his own experience come in thereby So Paul prayed thrice for the removal of his Temptation and yet had the Exercise of it continued In such a case there may be no defect in Prayer and yet the Grace in particular aimed at not be attained For God hath other Holy Ends to accomplish hereby on the Soul But how Persons should continue in Prayer in general according to the mind of God so far as can be outwardly discovered and yet thrive not at all as unto spiritual strength in their Souls is hard to be understood And which is yet more astonishable men abide in the Duty of Prayer and that in constancy in their Families and otherwise and yet live in known sins Whatever spiritual thoughts such men have in and by their Prayers they are not spiritually minded Shall we now say that all such Persons are gross Hypocrites such as know they do but mock God and Man know that they have not Desires nor Aims after the things which they mention in their own Prayers but do these things either for some corrupt end or at best to satisfie their Convictions Could we thus resolve the whole difficulty of the Case were taken off For such double minded Men have no Reason to think that they shall receive any thing of the Lord as James speaks Chap. 1.7 Indeed they do not They never Act Faith with reference unto their own Prayers But it is not so with all of this sort Some judge themselves Sincere and in good Earnest in their Prayers not without some Hopes and Expectations of Success I will not say of all such Persons that they are among the Number of them concerning whom the Wisdom of God says Because I called unto them and they refused they shall call on me but I will not answer they shall seek me early and shall not find me Prov. 1.18 19 20 21. And although we may say unto such Persons in general Either leave your Sinning or leave your Praying from Psal. 50.16 17. and that with respect unto present Scandal and certain Miscarriage in the End if both be continued in yet in particular I would not advise any such Person to leave off his Praying untill he had left his Sin This were to advise a sick Man to use no Remedies untill he were well cured Who knows but that the Holy Spirit who works when and how he pleaseth may take a Time to Animate these lifeless Prayers and make them a means of Deliverance from the Power of this Sin In the mean time the Fault and Guilt is wholly their own who have effected a Consistency between a way in Sinning and a Course in Praying And it ariseth from hence that they have never laboured to fill up their Requests with Grace What there hath been of Earnestness or Diligence in them hath been from a Force put upon them by their Convictions and Fears For no man was ever absolutely prevail'd on by Sin who prayed for Deliverance according to the mind of God Every Praying man that perisheth was an Hypocrite The Faithfulness of God in his Promises will not allow us to Judge otherwise Wherefore the Thoughts that such Persons have of Spiritual things even in their Duties do not arise from within nor are a natural Emanation of the Frames of their
Hearts and Affections 3. Earnestness and appearing Fervency in Prayer as unto the outward delivery of the Words of it yea though the mind be so affected as to contribute much thereunto will not of themselves prove that the Thoughts of men therein do arise from an Internal Spring of Grace There is a Fervency of Spirit in Prayer that is one of the best Properties of it being an earnest Acting of Love Faith and Desire But there is a Fervency wherewith the mind it self may be affected that may arise from other Causes 1. It may do so from the ingagement of Natural Affections unto the Object of their Prayer or the things Prayed for Men may be mighty Earnest and Intent in their minds in praying for a Dear Relation or for Deliverance from Eminent Troubles or Imminent Dangers and yet all this Fervour arise from the vehement Actings of Natural Affections about the things prayed for excited in an especial manner by the present Duty Hence God calls the earnest cryes of some for Temporal things not a Crying unto him but an Howling Hosea 7.14 That is the cry of hungry Ravenous Beasts that would be satisfied 2. Sometimes it ariseth from the sharpness of Convictions which will make men even Roar in their Prayers for disquietment of Heart And this may be where there is no true Grace as yet received nor it may be ever will be so For the perplexing Work of Convictions goes before real Conversion and as it produceth many other Effects and Changes in the mind so it may do this of great Fervency in Vocal Prayers especially if it be accompanied with outward Afflictions Pains or Troubles Psal. 78.34 35. 3. Oft-times the Mind and Affections are very little concerned in that Fervour and Earnestness which appear in the outward Performance of the Duty But in the exercise of Gifts and through their own utterance men put their Natural Affections into such an Agitation as shall carry them out into a great Vehemency in their Expressions It hath been so with sundry Persons who have been discovered to be Rotten Hypocrites and have afterwards turned Cursed Apostates Wherefore all these things may be where there is no gracious Spring or Vital Principle Acting it self from within in Spiritual Thoughts Some it may be will design an Advantage by their Conceptions unto the Interest of Prophaneness and Scoffing For if there may be these evils under the Exercise of the Gift of Prayer both in Constancy and with Fervency if there may be a total want of the Exercise of all true Grace with it and under it then it may be all that is pretended of this Gift and its Use is but Hypocrisie and Talk But I say 1. It may be as well pretended that because the Sun shining on a Dung-hill doth occasion offensive and noisom Steams therefore all that is pretended of its Influence on Spices and Flowers causing them to give out their Fragrancy is utterly false No man ever thought that Spiritual Gifts did change or renew the Minds and Natures of Men where they are alone they only help and assist unto the useful Exercise of Natural Faculties and Powers And therefore where the Heart is not savingly renewed no Gifts can stir up a saving Exercise of Faith But where it is so they are a means to cause the Savour of it to flow forth 2. Be it so that there may be some Evils found under the Exercise of the Gift of Prayer what remedy for them may be proposed Is it that men should Renounce their use of it and betake themselves unto the Reading of Prayers only 1. The same may be said of all Spiritual Gifts whatever for they are all of them liable unto Abuse And shall we reject all the Powers of the World to come the whole complexe of Gospel Gifts for the Commuication whereof the Lord Christ hath promised to continue his Spirit with his Church unto the end of the World because by some they are abused 2. Not only the same but far greater evils may be found in and under the Reading of Prayers which needs no further Demonstration than what it gives of it self every Day 3. It is hard to understand how any benefit at all can accrew unto any by this Relief when the Advantages of the other way are evident Wherefore the Enquiry remains How we may know unto our own satisfaction that the Thoughts we have of Spiritual things in the Duty of Prayer are from Internal fountain of Grace and so are an evidence that we are Spiritually minded whereunto all these things do tend Some few things I shall offer towards Satisfaction herein 1. I take it for granted on the Evidence before given that Persons who have any Spiritual Light and will diligently Examine and Try their own Hearts will be able to discern what real Actings of Faith of Love and Delight in God there are in their Duties and consequently what is the Spring of their Spiritual Thoughts In general we are assured that he that believeth hath the Witness in himself 1 Joh. 5.10 Sincere Faith will be its own Evidence And where there are Sincere Actings of Faith they will evidence themselves if we try all things impartially by the Word But if men do as for the most part they do content themselves with the Performance of any Duty without an Examination of their Principles Frames and Actings of Grace in them it is no wonder if they walk in all Uncertainty 2. When the Soul finds a sweet Spiritual Complacency in and after its Duties it is an Evidence that Grace hath been acted in its Spiritual Thoughts and Desires Jer. 31. The Prophet receiveth a long gracious Message from God filled up with Excellent Promises and Pathetical Exhortations unto the Church The whole is as it were summ'd up in the close of it Ver. 25. For I have satiated the weary Soul and I have replenished every sorrowful Soul Whereon the Prophet adds Vpon this I awaked and beheld and my Sleep was sweet unto me God's gracious Message had so composed his spirits and freed his mind from Trouble as that he was at quiet Repose in himself like a man asleep But after the end of it he stirrs up himself unto a Review and Consideration of what had been spoken unto him I awaked and beheld or I stirred up my self and considered what had been delivered unto me And saith he my Sleep was sweet unto me I found a gracious Complacency in and Refreshment unto my Soul from what I had heard and received So is it oft-times with a Soul that hath had real Communion with God in the Duty of Prayer It finds it self both in it and afterwards when it is awakened unto the consideration of it spiritually refreshed it is sweet unto him This holy Complacency this Rest and sweet Repose of mind is the Foundation of the Delight of Believers in this Duty They do not pray only because it is their Duty so to do nor yet because
they stand in need of it so as that they cannot live without it but they have delight in it and to keep them from it is all one as to keep them from their daily food and refreshment Now we can have no delight in any thing but what we have found some Sweetness Rest and Complacency in Without any such Experience we may do or use any thing but cannot do it with delight And it ariseth 1. From the approach that is made unto God therein It is in its own Nature an Access unto God on a Throne of Grace Ephes. 2.18 Heb. 10.19 20. And when this Access is Animated by the Actings of Grace the Soul hath a Spiritual Experience of a nearness in that Approach Now God is the Fountain and Center of all Spiritual Refreshment Rest and Complacency And in such an Access unto him there is a refreshing Taste of them Communicated unto the Soul Psal. 36.7 8 9. How excellent is thy Loving kindness O God! therefore the children of men put their Trust under the shadow of thy Wings They shall be abundantly satisfied with the Fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them Drink of the River of thy pleasures For with thee is the fountain of Life in thy Light we shall see Light God is proposed in the Excellency of his Loving Kindness which is comprehensive of his Goodness Grace and Mercy And so is he also as the Spring of Life and Light all Spiritual Powers and Joyes Those that believe are described by their Trust under the shadow of his Wings In his Worship the Fatnesse of his House they make their Approaches unto him And the Fruit hereof is that he makes them to Drink of the River of his Pleasures the satisfying refreshing Streams of his Grace and Goodness they approach unto him as unto the Fountain of Life so as to Drink of that Fountain in renewed Communications of Life and Grace and in the Light of God the Light of his Countenance to see Light in satisfying Joy In these things doth consist and from them doth arise that Spiritual Complacency which the Souls of Believers do find in their Duties 2. From the due Exercise of Faith Love and Delight the Graces wherein the Life of the new Creature doth principally consist There is a suitableness unto our Natural Constitution and a secret Complacency of our Natures in the proper Actings of Life Natural for its own Preservation and Encrease There is so in our Spiritual Constitution in the proper Actings of the Powers of our Spiritual Life unto its Preservation and Encrease These Graces in their due Exercise do Compose and Refresh the mind as those which are Perfective of its State which quell and cast out whatever troubles it Thence a blessed Satisfaction and Complacency befalls the Soul Herein he that believeth hath the witness in himself Besides Faith and Love are never really Acted on Christ but they prepare and make meet the Soul to receive Communications of Love and Grace from him which it never faileth of although it be not always sensible thereof 3. From the Testimony of Conscience bearing witness unto our sincerity both in Aims Ends and Performances of the Duty Hence a gracious Repose of Mind and great Satisfactoriness doth ensue If we have no Experience of these things it is evident that we walk at Random in the best of our Duties For they are among the principal things that we do or ought to Pray for And if we have not Experience of the Effects of our Prayers in our Hearts we neither have advantage by them nor give Glory unto God in them But yet here as in most other Spiritual things one of the worst of Vices is ready to impose it self in the room and place of the best of our Graces And this is Self-pleasing in the Performance of the Duty This instead of a Grace steeped in Humility as all true Grace is is a vile effect of Spiritual Pride or the offering of a Sacrifice unto our own Net and Drag It is a glorying in the Flesh for whatever of Self any doth glory in it is but Flesh. When men have had enlargements in their Expressions and especially when they apprehend that others are satisfied or affected therewith they are apt to have a secret Self-pleasing in what they have done which before they are aware turns into Pride and a noxious Elation of mind The same may befall men in their most Secret Duties performed outwardly by the Aid of Spiritual Gifts But this is most remote from and contrary unto that Spiritual Complacency in Duty which we speak of which yet it will pretend unto untill it be diligently Examined The Language of this Spiritual Complacency is I will go in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy Righteousness of thine only Psal. 71.16 That of Spiritual Pride is God I thank thee that I have done thus and thus as it was expressed by the Pharisee That is in God alone this is in Self That draws forth the Savour of all Graces this immediately covereth and buries them all if there be any in the Sâ—ul That fills the Soul eminently with Humility and Self-abasement this with a lifting up of the mind and Proud Self-conceit That casts out all Remembrance of what we have done our selves retaining only a sence of what we have received from God of the impressions of his Love and Grace This blots out all Remembrance of what we have freely received from God and retains only what we have done our selves Wherever it is there is no due sence either of the Greatness or Goodness of God Some it may be will say that if it be so they for their parts are cut off They have no experience of any such Spiritual rest and complacency in God in or after their Prayers At the best they begin them with tears and end them in sorrow and sometimes they know not what is become of them but fear that God is not glorified by them nor their own souls bettered I answer 1. There is great Spiritual Refreshment in that Godly sorrow which is at work in our Prayers Where the Holy Ghost is a Spirit of Grace and Supplication he causeth Mourning and in that Mourning there is Joy 2. The secret Encouragement which we receive by praying to adhere unto God constantly in Prayer ariseth from some experience of this Holy Complacency though we have not a sensible evidence of it 3. Perhaps some of them who make this complaint if they would awaken and consider will find that their souls at least sometimes have been thus refreshed and brought unto an holy Rest in God 4. Then shall you know the Lord if you follow on to know him Abide in seeking after this Complacency and satisfaction in God and you shall attain it 3. It is a sure Evidence that our Thoughts of Spiritual things in our Supplications are from an internal Spring of Grace and are not meerly occasioned by the
Duty it self when we find the daily fruit and advantage of them especially in the preservation of our Souls in an holy humble watchfull frame Innumerable are the Advantages Benefits and Effects of Prayer which are commonly spoken unto Growth in Grace and Consolation is the substance of them Where there is continuance in Prayer there will be Spiritual Growth in some proportion For men to be Earnest in Prayer and Thriftless in Grace is a certain Indication of prevalent corruptions and want of being Spiritually Minded in Prayer it self If a man eats his daily food let him eat never so much or so often if he be not nourished by it his Body is under the Power of prevalent distempers And so is his Spiritual Constitution who thriveth not in the use of the food of the New Creature But that which I fix upon with respect unto the present enquiry is the Frame that it preserves the soul in It will keep it humble and upon a diligent watch as unto it's dispositions and actings He who prays as he ought will endeavour to live as he prayes This none can do who doth not with diligence keep his heart unto the things he hath prayed about To pray earnestly and live carelesly is to proclaim that a man is not Spiritually minded in his prayer Hereby then we shall know what is the Spring of those spiritual Thoughts which our minds are exercised withall in our supplications If they are influenced unto a constant daily watch for the preservation of that frame of Spirit those dispositions and Inclinations unto spiritual things which we pray for they are from an internal Spring of Grace If there be generally an unsuitableness in our minds unto what we seem to contend for in our Prayers the Gift may be in exercise but the Grace is wanting If a man be every day on the Exchange and there talketh diligently and earnestly about Merchandize and the Affairs of Trade but when he comes home thinks no more of them because indeed he hath nothing to do no interest in them he may be a very poor man notwithstanding his pretences And he may be spiritually very poor who is on occasions fervent in prayer if when he retires unto himself he is not carefull and diligent about the matter of it 4. When Spiritual Affections and due preparation of heart unto the Duty do excite and animate the Gift of Prayer and not the Gift make impressions on the Affections then are we Spiritually Minded therein Gifts are Servants not Rulers in the Mind are bestowed on us to be serviceable unto Grace not to lead it but to follow it and to be ready with their Assistance on its exercise For the most part where they lead all they are all alone This is the natural order of these things Grace habitually inclineth and disposeth the heart unto this Duty Providence and Rule gives the occasions for its excercise Sence of Duty calls for preparation Grace coming into actual exercise Gifts come in with their Assistance If they lead all all is out of order It may be otherwise sometimes A Person indispos'd and lifeless ingaging into Prayer in a way of Obedience upon conviction of Duty may in and by the Gift have his Affections excited and Graces engaged unto its proper Work It may be so I say but let men take heed how they trust unto this Order and Method For where it is so there may be little or nothing of the Exercise of true Grace in all their fervour and Commotion of Affections But when the genuine Actings of Faith Love holy Reverence and gracious Desires do stir up the Gift unto its Exercise calling in its assistance unto the expression of themselves then are the Heart and Mind in their proper Order 5. It is so when other Duties of Religion are equally regarded and attended unto with Prayer it self He all whose Religion lyes in Prayer and Hearing hath none at all God hath an equal respect unto all other Duties and so must we have also So is it expressed as unto the Instance of Alms Acts 10.31 And James placeth all Religion herein because there is none without it Jam. 1.27 I shall not value his Prayers at all be he never so earnest and frequent in them who gives not Alms according to his Ability And this in an especial manner is required of us who are Ministers that we be not like an hand set up in cross Wayes directing others which way to go but staying behind it self This digression about the Rise and Spring of Spiritual Thoughts in Prayer I judged not unnecessary in such a time and season wherein we ought to be very jealous lest Gifts impose themselves in the room of Grace and be careful that they are employed only unto their proper End which is to be serviceable unto Grace in its Exercise and not otherwise 3. There is another Occasion of Thoughts of spiritual things when they do not spring from a living Principle within and so are no evidence of being spiritually minded And this is the Discourse of others They that fear the Lord will be speaking one to another of the things wherein his Glory is concerned Mal. 3.16 To declare the Righteousness the Glory of God is the Delight of his Saints Psal. 145. 3 4 5 6 7 8. Great is the Lord and greatly to be Praised and his Greatness is unsearchable One Generation shall praise thy Works to another and shall declare thy mighty Works I will speak of the Glorious honour of thy Majesty and of thy wondrous Works And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible Acts and I will declare thy Greatness They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great Goodness and shall sing of thy Righteousness The Lord is gracious and full of Compassion slow to Anger and of great Mercy And accordingly there are some who are ready on all occasions to be speaking or making mention of things Divine Spiritual and Holy and it is to be wished that there were more of them All the flagitious sins that the World is filled withall are not a greater evidence of the Degeneracy of Christian Religion than this is that it is grown unusual yea a shame or scorn for men to speak together of the things of God It was not so when Religion was in its primitive Power and Glory nor is it so with them who really fear God and are sensible of their Duty Some I say there are who embrace all occasions of Spiritual Communication Those with whom they do converse if they are not Profligate if they have any spiritual Light cannot but so far comply with what they say as to think of the things spoken which are spiritual Oft times the Track and Course of mens thoughts lye so out of the way are so contrary unto such things that they seem strange unto them they give them no Entertainment You do but cross their way with such Discourses whereon they stand still a little and
so pass on Even the Countenances of some men will change hereon and they betake themselves unto an unsatisfied silence untill they can divert unto other things Some will make such replies of empty words as shall evidence their Hearts to be far enough estranged from the things proposed unto them But with others such occasional Discourses will make such Impressions on their minds as to stir up present thoughts of Spiritual things But though frequent occasions hereof may be renewed yet will such Thoughts give no evidence that any man is spiritually minded For they are not genuine from an internal Spring of Grace From these causes it is that the Thoughts of Spiritual Things are with many as Guests that come into an Inn and not like Children that dwell in the House They enter occasionally and then there is a great stir about them to provide meet entertainment for them Within a while they are disposed of and so depart unto their own occasions being neither lookt nor enquired after any more Things of another nature are attended unto New Occasions bring in new Guests for a season Children are owned in the House are missed if they are out of the way and have their daily Provision constantly made for them So is it with these occasional Thoughts about Spiritual things By one means or other they enter into the mind and there are entertained for a season On a sudden they depart and men hear of them no more But those that are Natural and Genuine arising from a living spring of Grace in the Heart disposing the mind unto them are as the Children of the House They are expected in their places and at their seasons If they are missing they are enquired after The Heart calls it self unto an Account whence it is that it hath been so long without them and calls them over into its wonted converse with them CHAP. IV. Other Evidences of Thoughts about Spiritual things arising from an Internal Principle of Grace whereby they are an Evidence of our being Spiritually Minded The abounding of these Thoughts how far and wherein such an Evidence II. THe second Evidence that our Thoughts of Spiritual things do proceed from an Internal Fountain of sanctified Light and Affections or that they are Acts or Fruits of our being Spiritually minded is that they abound in us that our minds are filled with them We may say of them as the Apostle doth of other Graces If these things are in you and abound you shall not be barren It is well indeed when our minds are like the Land of Egypt in the years of Plenty when it brought forth by handfulls when they flow from the Well of Living Water in us with a full Stream and Current But there is a measure of abounding which is necessary to evidence our being Spiritually minded in them There is a double Effect ascribed here unto this Frame of Spirit First Life and then Peace The Nature and Being of this Grace depends on the former Consideration of it namely its procedure from an Internal Principle of Grace the Effect and Consequence whereof is Life But that it is Peace also depends on this Degree and measure of the Actings of this part of it in our Spiritual Thoughts And this we must consider It is the Character of all men in the state of depraved Nature and Apostasie from God that every Imagination of the Thoughts of their Hearts is only evil continually Gen. 6.5 All Persons in that condition are not Swearers Blasphemers Drunkards Adulterers Idolaters or the like These are the vices of particular Persons the effects of particular Constitutions and Temptations But thus it is with them all and every one of them all the Imaginations of the Thoughts of their Hearts are evil and that continually Some as unto the Matter of them some as unto their End all as unto their Principle for out of the evil Treasure of the Heart can proceed nothing but what is evil That infinite multitude of open sins which is in the World doth give a clear Prospect or Representation of the Nature and Effects of our Apostasie from God But he that can consider the numberless number of Thoughts which pass through the minds of every individual Person every day all evil and that continually he will have a farther Comprehension of it We can therefore have no greater Evidence of a change in us from this State and Condition than a change wrought in the course of our Thoughts A Relinquishment of this or that particular sin is not an Evidence of a Translation from this state For as was said such particular sins proceed from particular Lusts and Temptations and are not the immediate universal Consequence of that Depravation of Nature which is equal in all Such alone is the vanity and wickedness of the Thoughts and Imaginations of the Heart A change herein is a blessed Evidence of a change of State He who is cured of a Dropsie is not immediately healthy because he may have the prevailing seeds and matter of other Diseases in him and the next day die of a Lethargy But he who from a state of Sickness is restored in the Temperature of the Mass of Blood and the Animal Spirits and all the Principles of Life and Health unto a good Crasis and Temperature his state of Body is changed The Cure of a particular sin may leave behind it the seeds of Eternal Death which they may quickly effect But he who hath obtained a change in this Character which belongs essentially unto the state of depraved Nature is spiritually recovered And the more the stream of our Thoughts is turned the more our minds are filled with those of a contrary Nature the greater and more firm is our Evidence of a Translation out of that depraved state and condition There is nothing so unaccountable as the Multiplicity of Thoughts of the minds of men They fall from them like the Leaves of Trees when they are shaken with the Wind in Autumn To have all these Thoughts all the several Figments of the Heart all the conceptions that are framed and agitated in the mind to be evil and that continually what an Hell of Horrour and Confusion must it needs be A deliverance from this Loathsom hateful state is more to be valued than the whole World Without it neither Life nor Peace nor Immortality or Glory can ever be attained The design of Conviction is to put a stop unto these Thoughts to take off from their Number and thereby to lessen their Guilt It deserves not the name of Conviction of Sin which respects only outward Actions and regards not the inward Actings of the mind And this alone will for a season make a great change in the Thoughts especially it will do so when assisted by Superstition directing them unto other Objects These two in Conjunction are the rise of all that Devotional Religion which is in the Papacy Conviction labours to put some stop and bounds unto thoughts
a thought of him How foolish was I to be wanting to such or such an Opportunity I am in Arrears unto my self and have no rest untill I be satisfied I say if indeed we are Spiritually minded we will duely and carefully call over the consideration of those times and seasons wherein we ought to have Exercised our selves in Spiritual Thoughts and if we have lost them or any of them mourn over our own negligence But if we can omit and lose such Seasons or Opportunities from time to time without regret or self-reflections it is to be fear'd that we wax worse and worse Way will be made hereby for further Omissions untill we grow wholly cold about them And indeed that woful loss of time that is found amongst many Professors is greatly to be bewail'd Some lose it on themselves by a continual track of fruitless Impertinent Thoughts about their own concerns Some in vain converse with ohers wherein for the most part they edifie one another unto vanity How much of this time might nay ought to be redeemed for holy Meditations The Good Lord make all Professors sensible of their loss of former seasons that they may be the more watchful for the future in this great concernment of their Souls Little do some think what Light what Assurance what Joy what readiness for the Cross or for Heaven they might have attained had they laid hold on all just seasons of exercising their Thoughts about Spiritual things which they have enjoyed who now are at a loss in all and surprized with every fear or difficulty that doth befall them This is the first thing that belongs unto our being Spiritually minded for although it doth not absolutely or essentially consist therein yet is it inseparable from it and the most undeceiving Indication of it And thus of abounding and abiding in Thoughts about Spiritual things such as arise and spring naturally from a living Principle a Spiritual Frame and Disposition of Heart within CHAP. V. The Objects of Spiritual Thoughts or what they are conversant about evidencing them in whom they are to be Spiritually minded Rules directing unto steadiness in the Contemplation of Heavenly things Motives to fix our Thoughts with Steadiness in them BEfore I proceed unto the next general Head and which is the Principal thing the foundation of the Grace and Duty enquired after some things must be spoken to render what hath been already insisted on yet more particularly useful And this is to enquire what are or what ought to be the special Objects of those Thoughts which under the Qualifications laid down are the Evidences of our being Spiritually minded And it may be we may be useful unto many herein by helping of them to fix their minds which are apt to rove into all uncertainty For this is befallen us through the disorder and weakness of the faculties of our Souls that sometimes what the mind guides leads and directs unto in things Spiritual and Heavenly our wills and Affections through their Depravation and Corruption will not comply withal and so the good designings of the mind are lost Sometimes what the Will and Affections are inclin'd unto and ready for the mind through its weakness and inconstancy cannot lead them to the accomplishment of so to will is present with us but how to perform that will we know not So many are barren in this Duty because they know not what to fix upon nor how to Exercise their Thoughts when they have chosen a subject for their Meditations Hence they spend their time in fruitless Desires that they could use their Thoughts unto more purpose rather than make any Progress in the Duty it self They tire themselves not because they are not willing to go but because they cannot find their way Wherefore both these things shall be spoken unto both what are the proper Objects of our Spiritual Thoughts and how we may be steady in our Contemplations of them And I shall unto this purpose first give some general Rules and then some particular Instances in way of Direction 1. Observe the especial Calls of Providence and apply your minds unto Thoughts of the Duties required in them and by them There is a voice in all signal Dispensations of Providence The voice of the Lord cryeth unto the City the men of wisdom shall see thy Name hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 There is a Call a Cry in every Rod of God in every chastising Providence and therein makes a Declaration of his Name his Holiness his Power his Greatness This every wise substantial man will labour to discern and so comply with the call God is greatly provoked when it is otherwise Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be asham'd Isa. 26.11 If therefore we would apply our selves unto our present Duty we are wisely to consider what is the voice of God in his present providential Dispensations in the World Hearken not unto any who would give another Interpretation of them but that they are plain Declarations of his Displeasure and Indignation against the sins of men Is not his wrath in them reveal'd from Heaven against the ungodliness of men especially such as detain the Truth in unrighteousness or false Hypocritical Professors of the Gospel Doth he not also signally declare the uncertainty and instability of Earthly Enjoyments from Life it self to a Shoo-latchet As also how vain and foolish it is to adhere inordinately unto them The fingers that appeared writing on the Wall the Doom of Belshazzar did it in Characters that none read and words that none could understand but Daniel But the present Call of God in these things is made plain upon Tables that he may run who readeth it If the Heavens gather blackness with Clouds and it thunder over us if any that are on their Journey will not believe that there is a Storm a coming they must bear the severity of it Suppose then this to be the Voice of Providence suppose there be in it these Indications of the mind and will of God what are the Duties that we are called unto thereby They may be referred unto two Heads 1. A diligent search into our selves and an holy Watch over our selves with respect unto those ways and sins which the displeasure of God is declared against That present Providences are Indications of Gods Anger and Displeasure we take for granted But when this is done the most are apt to cast the Causes of them on others and to excuse themselves so long as they see others more wicked and prosligate than themselves openly guilty of such Crimes as they abhor the Thoughts of they cast all the wrath on them and fear nothing but that they shall suffer with them But alas When the storm came on the Ship at Sea wherein there was but one person that feared God upon an Enquiry for whose sake it came the Lot fell on him Jon. 1.7 The cause of
to fulfill the Lusts thereof Their Principal trouble is that they cannot comply with them to the utmost by reason of some outward restraints These dwell near unto those Fools who make a mock of sin and will e're long take up their Habitation among them But I speak as I said before of them only whose Temptations are their Afflictions and who groan for Deliverance from them Acquaint such persons with the great indeed only way of Relief in this Distress as it is expressed Heb. 2.17 18. He is a Mercifull and Faithfull High Priest in things appertaining unto God for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to Succour them that are Tempted And chap. 4.15 16. For we have not an High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Let them know that their only way for their Deliverance is by acting Faith in Thoughts on Christ his Power to succour them that are tempted with the ways whereby he administreth a sufficiency of Grace unto that end retreating for Relief unto him on the urgency of Temptations they can hardly be brought unto a complyance therewithall They are ready to say Are not Abana and Pharpar Rivers of Damascus better than all the Waters of Israel Is it not better to betake our selves and to trust unto our own Promises Resolutions and Endeavours with such other wayes of escape as are in our own power I shall speak nothing against any of them in their proper place so far as they are warranted by Scripture Rule But this I say none shall ever be delivered from perplexing Temptations unto the glory of God and their own Spiritual Advantage but by the acting and exercising of Faith on Christ Jesus and the sufficiency of his Grace for our Deliverance But when men are not Spiritually minded they cannot fix their Thoughts on Spiritual things Therefore do men daily pine away under their Temptations they get ground upon them until their Breach grow great like the Sea and there be no healing of it I mention this only to shew the weight and necessity of the Duty proposed For when men under the Power of Conviction are pressed with Temptation they will do any thing rather than betake themselves unto the only efficacious Relief Some will groan and cry out under their Vexation from the Torture they are put unto in the conflict between their Temptations and Convictions Some will betake themselves unto the pretended Relief that any false Religion tenders unto them But to apply themselves in Thoughts of Faith unto Jesus Christ whose Grace alone is sufficient for all that they will not be perswaded unto We are all of us liable unto Temptations Those who are not sensible of it are under the Power of what the Temptation leads unto And they are of two sorts First Such as are extraordinary when the hand of God is in them in a peculiar manner for our Rebuke It is true God tempts none as Temptation formally leads unto sin But he orders Temptations so far forth as they are Afflictive and Chastisements Thus it is when he suffers an especial corruption within to fall in â—onjunction with an especial Temptation without and to obtain a prevalency thereby Of these there is no doubâ— but any man not judicially hardened may know both his Disease and the Remedy But that ordinary course of Temptations which we are exercised withall needs a diligent Attendance for their Discovery as well as for our Deliverance from them And it is to be feared that many are kept in Spiritual weakness useless and in darkness all their dayes through the Power of their Temptations yet never know what they are or wherein they consist These gray hairs are sprinkled on them yet they know it not some approve themselves in those very things and ways which are their Temptations Yet in the exercise of due Watchfulness Diligence and Prudence men may know both the Plague of their own hearts in their prevailing Corruptions and the ways whereby it is excited through Temptation with the occasions it makes use of and the Advantages it takes For Instance One may have an Eminency in Gifts and usefulness or success in his labours which gives him great Acceptance with others Such an one shall hardly avoid a double Temptation First of Spiritual Pride and self Exaltation Hence the Apostle will not admit a Novice one unexperienced in the ways of Grace and deceits of Sin into the Office of the Ministry lest he should be lifted up with Pride and fall into the condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3.6 He himself was not without danger hereof 2 Cor. 12.17 The best of men can hardly fortifie their minds against the secret workings of Pride upon successes and applause unless they keep them constantly ballanced with Thoughts of their own vileness in the sight of God And Secondly Remisseness unto exact universal Mortification which they countenance themselves against by their Acceptance and Success above others in the Ministry It were much to be desired that all we who are Ministers would be carefull in these things for although some of us may not much please others yet we may so far please our selves as to expose our Souls unto these Snares And the effects of negligence herein do openly appear unto the Disadvantage of the Gospel Others are much conversant in the World and the Affairs of it Negligence as unto a Spiritual watch Vanity in Converse Love of earthly things with conformity unto the World will on all occasions impose themselves upon them If they understand not their Temptations herein Spiritual Mindedness will be impaired in them continually Those that are Rich have their especial Temptations which for the most part are many plausible and effectual and those that are Poor have theirs also The Snares of some lye in their Constitutions of others in their Society of most in the various Circumstances of Life Those who are upon their Watch in any due measure who exercise any Wisdom or Observation concerning themselves may know wherein their Temptations do lye what are the Advantages whereby they perplex their Minds and endanger their Souls In these cases generally men are taught what are the ways and means of their Deliverance and Preservation Wherefore there are three things required unto this Duty and Spiritual Wisdom unto them all 1. To know what are the especial Temptations from whence you suffer and whereby the Life of God is obstructed in in you If this be neglected if it be disregarded no man can maintain either Life or Peace or is Spiritually minded 2. Know your Remedy your Relief wherein alone it doth consist Many Duties are required of us unto this end and are usefull thereunto But know assuredly that no one of them not all of
them in conjunction will bring in Relief unto the glory of God and your own Peace without Application by Faith unto him who is able to succour them that are Tempted Wherefore 3. Herein lyes your great Duty with respect unto your Temptations namely in a constant exercise of your Thoughts on the Love Care Compassion and tenderness of Christ with his Ability to help succour and save them that do believe so to strengthen your Faith and Trust in him which will prove assuredly successeful and Victorious The same Duty is incumbent on us with respect unto any urgent prevalent general Temptation There are Seasons wherein an hour of Temptation comes on the earth to try them that dwell therein What if a man should judge that now it is such an hour and that the Power of Darkness is put forth therein what if he should be perswaded that a general security coldness deadness and Decay in Grace especially as to the vigorous Actings of Zeal Love and Delight in God with an Indifferency unto Holy Duties are the effects of this hour of Temptation I do not say determinately that so it is let others judge as they see cause But if any one do so judge undoubtedly it is his Duty to be exercised in his Thoughts how he may escape in this day of Tryal and be counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man He will find it his concernment to be conversant in his mind with the Reasons and Motives unto watchfulness and how he may obtain such supplies of Grace as may effectually preserve him from such Decayes 3. All things in Religion both in Faith and Practice are to be the Objects of such Thoughts As they are proposed or occurr unto our Minds in great variety on all sorts of occasions so we ought to give them entertainment in our Meditations To hear things to have them proposed unto us it may be in the way of a Divine Ordinance and to let them slip out or flow from us as Water that is poured into a leaking Vessel is the Ruine of many Souls I shall therefore choose out some Instances as was before proposed of those things which I judge that they who would be Spiritually minded ought to abide and abound in Thoughts concerning them 1. It is our Duty greatly to mind the things that are above eternal things both as unto their Reality their present State and our future enjoyment of them Herein consists the Life of this Grace and Duty To be Heavenly Minded that is to mind the things of Heaven and to be Spiritually Minded is all one Or it is the effect of being Spiritually Minded as unto its Original and essence or the first proper actings of it It is the Cause of it as unto its growth and Degrees and it is the Evidence of it in Experience Nor do I understand how it is possible for a Man to place his chief Interest in things above and not have many thoughts of them It is the great Advice of the Apostle on a supposition of our Interest in Christ and Conformity unto him Col. 3.1 2. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your Affections or your Thoughts Mind much the things that are above It becomes those who through the vertue of the Resurrection of Christ are raised unto Newness of Life to have their Thoughts exercised on the State of things above with respect unto the Presence of Christ among them And the singular use of our Prospect into these things or our Meditations on them he instructs us in 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day For our light Affliction which is but for a Moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Whilst we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Not to faint under the daily Decays of our outward man and the Approaches of Death thereby to bear afflictions as things light and Momentary to thrive under all in the inward man are unspeakable Mercies and Priviledges Can you attain a better frame Is there any thing that you would more desire if you are Believers Is it not better to have such a mind in us than to enjoy all the Peace and security that the world can afford One principal means whereby we are made partakers of these things is a due Meditation on things unseen and Eternal These are the things that are within the Vail whereon we ought to cast the Anchor of our Hope in all the Storms we meet withall Heb. 6.19 20. whereof we shall speak more afterwards Without doubt the generality of Christians are greatly defective in this Duty partly for want of Light into them partly for want of Delight in them they think little of an eternal Countrey Wherever men are they do not use to neglect Thoughts of that Countrey wherein their Inheritance lyes If they are absent from it for a season yet will they labour to acquaint themselves with the principal Concernments of it But this Heavenly Countrey wherein lyes our Eternal Inheritance is not regarded Men do not as they ought exercise themselves unto thoughts of things Eternal and Invisible It were impossible if they did so that their Minds should be so earthly and their Affections cleave so as they do unto present things He that looks steadily on the Sun although he cannot bear the lustre of its beams fully yet his sight is so affected with it that when he calls off his eyes from it he can see nothing as it were of the things about him they are all dark unto him And he who looks steadily in his Contemplations on things above eternal things though he cannot comprehend their Glory yet a Vail will be cast by it on all the desireable Beauties of Earthly things and take off his Affections from them Men live and act under the Power of a Conviction that there is a State of Immortality and Glory to come With a perswasion hereof they much relieve themselves in their Sorrows Sufferings and Temptations Yet with many it is only a Reserve when they can be here no more But as unto daily Contemplation of the Nature and Causes of it or as unto any entrance into it by Faith and Hope the most are Strangers thereunto If we are Spiritually minded nothing will be more natural unto us than to have many Thoughts of Eternal things as those wherein all our own principal Concerns do lye as well as those which are excellent and glorious in themselves The Direction thereon is that we would make Heavenly Things the things of the future State of Blessedness and Glory a principal Object of our Thoughts that we would think much about them that we
to look after Blessedness in such things as alone are suited unto its rational Constitution For if it did they would place their Happiness and Blessedness in them Wherefore it is nothing but an Artifice of the god of this World to blind the Eyes of men unto their Eternal Destruction 3. Some of the Philosophers of old did attain an Apprehension that the Blessedness of men in another world doth consist in the Souls full satisfaction in the Goodness and Beauty of the Divine Nature And there is a Truth in this Notion which contemplative men have adorned with excellent and rational Discourses And sundry who have been and are Learned among Christians have greatly improved this Truth by the Light of the Scripture From Reason they take up with Thoughts of the Goodness the Amiableness the self-sufficiency the alsufficient satisfactoriness of the infinite Perfections of the Divine Nature These things shine in themselves with such a glorious Light as that there is no more required unto a perception of them but that men do not wilfully shut their eyes against it through bestial Sensuality and Love of Sin From Reason also do they frame their Conceptions concerning the Capacity of the Souls of men for the immediate Enjoyment of God and what is suited therein unto their utmost Blessedness No more is required unto these things but a due consideration of the Nature of God and Man with our Relation unto him and dependance on him By the Light of the Scripture they frame these things into that which they call the Beatifical Vision whereby they intend all the wayes whereby God in the highest and immediate Instances can and doth communicate of himself unto the Souls of men and the utmost Elevation of their intellectual Capacities to receive those Communications It is such an Intellectual Apprehension of the Divine Nature and Perfections with ineffable Love as gives the Soul the utmost Rest and Blessedness which its Capacities can extend unto These things are so and they have been by many both piously and elegantly illustrated Howbeit they are above the Capacities of ordinary Christians they know not how to manage them in their Minds nor exercise their Thoughts about them They cannot reduce them unto present usefulness nor make them subservient unto the exercise and encrease of Grace And the Truth is the Scripture gives us another Notion of Heaven and Glory not contrary unto this not inconsistent with it but more suited unto the Faith and Experience of Believers and which alone can convey a true and useful sence of these things unto our Minds This therefore is diligently to be enquired into and firmly stated in our Thoughts and Affections 4. The principal Notion which the Scripture gives us of the State of Heavenly Blessedness and which the meanest Believers are capable of improving in daily practice is That Faith shall be turned into Sight and Grace into Glory We walk now by Faith and not by Sight saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.7 Wherefore this is the Difference between our present and our future state that Sight hereafter shall supply the room of Faith 1 Joh. 3.2 And if Sight come into the place of Faith then the Object of that Sight must be the same with the present Object of our Faith So the Apostle informs us 1 Cor. 13.9.10 12. For we know in part and when we Prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away For now we see through a Glass darkly but then face to face Those things which we see now darkly as in a glass we shall then have an immediate sight and full comprehension of for that which is perfect must come and doe away that which is in part What then is the principal Present Object of Faith as it is Evangelical into whose room Sight must succeed Is it not the Manifestation of the Glory of the infinite Wisdom Grace Love Kindness and Power of God in Christ the Revelation of the eternal Councels of his Will and the ways of their Accomplishment unto the eternal Salvation of the Church in and by him with the glorious exaltation of Christ himself Wherefore in the full satisfactory Representation of these things unto our Souls received by Sight or a direct immediate Intuition of them doth the Glory of Heaven principally consist We behold them now darkly as in a glass that is the utmost which by Faith we can attain unto in Heaven they shall be openly and fully displayed The infinite incomprehensible Excellencies of the Divine Nature are not proposed in Scripture as the immediate Object of our Faith nor shall they be so unto Sight in Heaven The Manifestation of them in Christ is the immediate Object of our Faith here and shall be of our Sight hereafter Only through this Manifestation of them we are lead even by Faith ultimately to acquiesce in them as we shall in Heaven be lead by Love perfectly to adhere unto them with Delight ineffable This is our immediate Objective Glory in Heaven we hope for no other And this if God will I shall shortly more fully explain Whoever lives in the exercise of Faith and hath any experience of the Life Power and Sweetness of these Heavenly things unto whom they are a Spring of Grace and Consolation they are able to meditate on the Glory of them in their full enjoyment Think much of Heaven as that which will give you a perfect view and comprehension of the Wisdom and Love and Grace of God in Christ with those other things which shall be immediately declared Some perhaps will be ready to say that if this be Heaven they can see no great Glory in it no such Beauty as for which it should be desired It may be so for some have no Instrument to take a view of Invisible things but carnal Imaginations Some have no Light no Principle no disposition of Mind or Soul whereunto these things are either acceptable or suitable Some will go no further in the consideration of the Divine Excellencies of God and the Faculties and actings of our Souls than Reason will guide them which may be of use But we look for no other Heaven we desire none but what we are lead unto and prepared for by the Light of the Gospel that which shall perfect all the beginnings of Gods Grace in us not what shall be quite of another nature and destructive of them We value not that Heaven which is equally suited unto the Desires and Inclinations of the worst of men as well as of the best for we know that they who like not Grace here neither do nor can like that which is Glory hereafter No man who is not acquainted experimentally in some measure with the Life Power and Evidence of Faith here hath any other Heaven in his aim but what is erected in his own Imagination The Glory of Heaven which the Gospel prepares us for which Faith leads and conducts us unto
a discriminating character of Believers This is no Heaven unto any others Those who have not an experience of the Excellency of these things in their initial state in this World and their incomparable Transcendency unto all other things cannot conceive how heavenly Glory and Blessedness should consist in them Unskilful men may cast away rough unwrought Diamonds as useless Stones they know not what polishing will bring them unto Nor do men unskilful in the Mysteries of Godliness judge there can be any Glory in rough unwrought Grace they know not what lustre and beauty the polishing of the Heavenly hand will give unto it It is generally supposed that however men differ in and about Religion here yet they agree well enough about Heaven they would all go to the same Heaven But it is a great Mistake they differ in nothing more they would not all go to the same Heaven How few are they who value that Heavenly State which we have treated of or do understand how any blessedness can consist in the enjoyment of it But this and no other Heaven would we go unto Other notions there may be there are of it which being but fruits and effects of mens own Imaginations the more they dwell in the contemplation of them the more carnal they may grow at best the more superstitious But spiritual Thoughts of this Heaven consisting principally in freedom from all sin in the Perfection of all Grace in the vision of the Glory of God in Christ and all the excellencies of the Divine Nature as manifested in him are an effectual Means for the improvement of spiritual Life and the encrease of all Graces in us For they cannot but effect an Assimilation in the Mind and Heart unto the things contemplated on where the Principles and Seeds of them are already inlaid and begun This is our first Direction Secondly Having fixed right Notions and Apprehensions of Heavenly things in our minds it is our Duty to think and contemplate greatly on them and our own concernment in them Without this all our Speculations concerning the nature of eternal things will be of no use unto us And unto your Encouragement and Direction take these few short Rules relating unto this Duty 1. Here lyes the great Trial whether we are spiritually minded or no by vertue of this Rule If we are risen with Christ we will mind the things that are above Col. 3.3 2. Here lyes the great Means whereby we may attain further degrees in that blessed frame of mind if it be already formed in us by vertue of that Rule Beholding the Glory of God as in a Glass we are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 3. Here lyes the great Evidence whether we have a real interest in the things above or no whether we place our Portion and Blessedness in them by vertue of that Rule Where our Treasure is there will our Hearts be also Are they our Treasure our Portion our Reward in comparison whereof all other things are but loss and dung we shall assuredly be conversant in our minds about them 4. It cannot be imagined that a man should have in him a Principle cognate and suited unto things above of the same kind and nature with them that his Soul should be under the conduct of those habits of Grace which strive and naturally tend unto Perfection labouring greatly here under the weight of their own weaknesses as it is with all who are truely Spiritually Minded and yet not have his Thoughts greatly exercised about these things 1 Joh. 3.3 It were well if we would trye our selves by things of so uncontroulable Evidence What can any object unto the Truth of these things or the Necessity of this Duty If it be otherwise with us it is from one of these two causes either we are not convinced of the Truth and Reality of them or we have no delight in them because we are not spiritually minded Do we think that men may turmoyl themselves in earthly Thoughts all the day long and when they are freed of their Affairs betake themselves unto those that are vain and useless without any stated converse with things above and yet enjoy Life and Peace We must take other measures of things if we intend to live unto God to be like him and to come unto the enjoyment of him What is the matter with men that they are so stupid They all generally desire to go to Heaven at least when they can live here no longer Some indeed have no other regard unto it but only that they would not go to Hell But most would dye the Death of the Righteous and have their latter end like his yet few there are who endeavour to attain a right Notion of it to try how it is suited unto their Principles and Desires but content themselves with such general notions of it as please their Imaginations It is no wonder if such Persons seldom exercise their Minds or Thoughts about it nor do they so much as pretend to be Spiritually minded But as for those who are instructed in these things who profess their chiefest Interest to lye in them not to abound in Meditation concerning them it argues indeed that whatever they profess they are earthly and carnal Again Meditate and think of the Glory of Heaven so as to compare it with the opposite state of Death and eternal Misery Few men care to think much of Hell and the Everlasting Torments of the Wicked therein Those do so least who are in most danger of falling thereinto They put far from them the evil day and suppose their Covenant with Death and Hell to be sure Some begin to advance an Opinion that there is no such Place because it is their Interest and Desire that there should be none Some out of Profaneness make a Scoffe at it as though a future Judgment were but a Fable Most seem to think that there is a Severity in thoughts about it which it is not fit we should be too much terrified withal Some transient Thoughts they will have of it but not suffer them to abide in their minds lest they should be too much discomposed Or they think it not consistent with the Goodness of Christ to leave any men in that condition whereas there is more spoken directly of Hell its Torments and their Eternity by himself self 〈◊〉 in all the Scripture besides These Thoughts â—â—â—…ost proceed from an unwillingness to be troubled 〈◊〉 their sins and are useful unto none It is the height of Folly for men to endeavour the hiding of themselves for a few Moments from that which is unavoidably coming upon them unto Eternity and the due consideration whereof is a means for an Escape from it But I speak only of true Believers And the more they are conversant in their Thoughts about the future estate of Eternal Misery the greater Evidence they have of the Life and confidence of Faith It is a necessary Duty
to consider it as what we were by nature obnoxious unto as being Children of Wrath what we have deserved by our Personal sins as the wages of sin is Death what we are delivered from through Jesus the Deliverer who saves us from the wrath to come what expression it is of the Indignation of God against sin who hath prepared this Tophet of Old that we may be delivered from sin kept up to an Abhorrency of it walking in Humility self-abasement and the Admiration of Divine Grace This therefore is required of us that in our Thoughts and Meditations we compare the state of Blessedness and Eternal Glory as a free and absolute effect of the Grace of God in and through Christ Jesus with that state of Eternal Misery which we had deserved And if there be any spark of Grace or of holy Thankfulness in our Hearts it will be stirred up unto its due exercise Some it may be will say that they complained before that they cannot get their minds fixed on these things Weakness Weariness Darkness Diversions Occasions do prevalently obstruct their abiding in such Thoughts I shall speak further unto this afterwards at present I shall only suggest two things 1. If you cannot attain yet continue to follow after get your minds in a perpetual endeavour after an abode in spiritual Thoughts Let your minds be rising towards them every hour yea an hundred times a day on all occasions on a continual sense of Duty and sigh within your selves for deliverance when you find Disappointments or not a continuance in them It is the sence of that Place Rom. 8.23 24 25 26 27. 2. Take care you go not backwards and lose what you have wrought If you neglect these things for a season you will quickly find your selves neglected by them So I observe it every day in the hearing of the Word Whilst Persons keep up themselves to a diligent Attendance on it where they find it preached unto their Edification they find great Delight in it and will undergo great Difficulties for the enjoyment of it Let them be diverted from it for a season after a while it grows indifferent unto them any thing will satisfy them that pretends unto the same Duty CHAP. VII Especial Objects of Spiritual Thoughts on the Glorious State of Heaven and what belongs thereunto First of Christ himself Thoughts of Heavenly Glory in opposition unto Thoughts of Eternal Misery The Use of such Thoughts Advantage in Sufferings IT will be unto our Advantage having stated right Notions of the Glory of the blessed State above in our minds to fix on some particulars belonging unto it as the especial Object of our Thoughts and Meditations As 1. Think much of him who unto us is the Life and Center of all the Glory of Heaven that is Christ himself I shall be very brief in treating hereof because I have designed a peculiar Treatise on this Subject of beholding the Glory of Christ both here and unto Eternity At present therefore a few things only shall be mentioned because on this occasion they are not to be omitted The whole of the Glory of the State above is expressed by being ever with the Lord where he is to behold his Glory For in and through him is the Beatifical manifestation of God and his Glory made for evermore And through him are all Communications of inward Glory unto us The present Resplendency of Heavenly Glory consists in his Mediatory Ministry as I have at large elsewhere declared And he will be the means of all glorious communications between God and the Church unto Eternity Wherefore if we are Spiritually minded we should fix our Thoughts on Christ above as the Center of all Heavenly Glory To help us herein we may consider the things that follow 1. Faith hath continual Recourse unto him on the account of what he did and suffered for us in this world For thereon Pardon of sin Justification and Peace with God do depend This ariseth in the first place from a sence of our own wants But Love of him is no less necessary unto us than Faith in him And although we have powerful Motives unto Love from what he did and was in this world yet the formal Reason of our Adherence unto him thereby is what he is in himself as he is now exalted in Heaven If we rejoyce not at the Remembrance of his present Glory if the Thoughts of it be not frequent with us and refreshing unto us how dwelleth his Love in us 2. Our Hope is that e're long we shall be ever with him And if so it is certainly our Wisdom and Duty to be here with him as much as we can It is a vain thing for any to suppose that they place their chiefest happiness in being for ever in the Presence of Christ who care not at all to be with him here as they may And the only way of our being present with him here is by Faith and Love acting themselves in Spiritual Thoughts and Affections And it is an absurd thing for men to esteem themselves Christians who scarce think of Christ all the day long Yet some as one complained of old scarce ever think or speak of him but when they swear by his Name I have read of them who have lived and dyed in continual Contemplation on him so far as the Imperfection of our present state will admit I have known them I do know them who call themselves unto a Reproof if at any time he hath been many minutes out of their Thoughts And it is strange that it should be otherwise with them who love him in sincerity yet I wish I did not know more who give evidences that it is a rare thing for them to be exercised in serious Thoughts and Meditations about him Yea there are some who are not averse upon occasions to speak of God of Mercy of Pardon of his Power and Goodness who if you mention Christ unto them with any thing of Faith Love Trust in him they seem unto them as a strange thing Few there are who are sensible of any Religion beyond what is natural The things of the Wisdom and Power of God in Christ are foolishness unto them Take some Directions for the Discharge of this Duty 1. In your Thoughts of Christ be very careful that they are conceived and directed according to the Rule of the Word lest you deceive your own souls and give up the conduct of your Affections unto vain Imaginations Spiritual Notions befalling carnal minds did once by the means of Superstition ruine the Power of Religion A Conviction men had that they must think much of Jesus Christ and that this would make them conformable unto him but having no real Evangelical Faith nor the Wisdom of Faith to exercise it in their Thoughts and Affections in a due manner nor understanding what it was to be truely like unto him they gave up themselves unto many foolish Inventions and Imaginations by which they
Thought to express their Love and conformity unto him They would have Images of him which they would embrace adore and bedew with their tears They would have Crucifixes as they called them which they would carry about them and wear next unto their hearts as if they resolved to lodge Christ alwayes in their bosoms They would go in Pilgrimage to the place where he dyed and rose again through a thousand dangers and purchase a feigned Chip of a Tree whereon he suffered at the price of all they had in the world They would endeavour by long Thoughtfulness Fastings and Watchings to cast their Souls into Raptures and Extasies wherein they fancied themselves in his Presence They came at last to make themselves like him in getting impressions of wounds on their sides their hands and feet Unto all these things and sundry others of an alike Nature and Tendency did Superstition abuse and corrupt the Minds of men from a pretence of a Principle of Truth For there is no more certain Gospel Truth than this that Believers ought continually to contemplate on Christ by the actings of Faith in their Thoughts and Affections and that thereby they are changed and transformed into his Image 2 Cor. 3.18 And we are not to forego our Duty because other men have been mistaken in theirs nor part with practical fundamental Principles of Religion because they have been abused by Superstition But we may see herein how dangerous it is to depart in any thing from the conduct of Scripture Light and Rule when for want thereof the best and most noble Endeavours of the minds of men even to love Christ and to be like unto him do issue in Provocations of the highest nature Pray therefore that you may be kept unto the Truth in all things by a diligent Attendance unto the only Rule thereof and conscientious subjection of Soul unto the Authority of God in it For we ought not to suffer our Affections to be entangled with the paint or Artificial Beauty of any way or means of giving our Love unto Christ which are not warranted by the Word of Truth Yet I must say that I had rather be among them who in the actings of their Love and Affections unto Christ do fall into some irregularities and excesses in the manner of expressing it provided their Worship of him be neither Superstitious nor Idolatrous than among those who professing themselves to be Christians do almost disavow their having any Thoughts of or Affection unto the Person of Christ But there is no need that we should foolishly run into either of these extreams God hath in the Scripture sufficiently provided against them both He hath both shewed us the Necessity of our diligent acting of Faith and Love on the Person of Christ and hath limited out the way and means whereby we may so do And let our Designs be what they will where in any thing we depart from his Prescriptions we are not under the conduct of his Spirit and so are sure to lose all that we do Wherefore two things are required that we may thus think of Christ and Meditate on him according to the mind and will of God 1. That the means of bringing him to Mind be what God hath promised and appointed 2. That the continued Proposal of him as the Object of our Thoughts and Meditations be of the same kind For both these ends the superstitious minds of men invented the wayes of Images and Crucifixes with their Appurtenances before mentioned And this rendred all their Devotion an Abomination That which tends unto these ends among Believers is the Promise of the Spirit and the Institutions of the Word Would you then think of Christ as you ought take these two directions 1. Pray that the Holy Spirit may abide with you continually to mind you of him which he will do in all in whom he doth abide For it belongs unto his Office 2. For more fixed Thoughts and Meditations take some express place of Scripture wherein he is set forth and proposed either in his Person Office or Grace unto you Gal. 3.1 4. This Duty lyes at the Foundation of all that blessed communion and entercourse that is between Jesus Christ and the Souls of Believers This I confess is despised by some and the very Notion of it esteemed ridiculous But they do therein no less than renounce Christianity and turn the Lord Christ into an Idol that neither knoweth seeth nor heareth But I speak unto them who are not utter strangers unto the Life of Faith who know not what Religion is unless they have real spiritual entercourse and communion with the Lord Christ thereby Consider this therefore as it is in particular exemplified in the Book of Canticles There is not one Instance of it to be found which doth not suppose a continual Thoughtfulness of him And in answer unto them as they are actings of Faith and Love wherein he is delighted doth he by his Spirit insinuate into our Minds and Hearts a gracious sence of his own Love Kindness and Relation unto us The great variety wherein these things are mutually carryed on between him and the Church the singular endearments which ensue thereon and blessed Estate in Rest and Complacency do make up the substance of that Holy Discourse No Thoughts then of Christ proceeding from Faith accompanyed with Love and Delight shall be lost They that sow this seed shall return with their sheaves Christ will meet them with gracious Intimations of his Acceptance of them delight in them and return a sense of his own Love unto them He never will be he never was behind with any poor Soul in returns of Love Those gracious and blessed Promises which he hath made of coming unto them that believe in him of making his abode with them and of supping with them all expressions of a Gracious Presence and intimate Communion do all depend on this duty Wherefore we may consider three things concerning these Thoughts of Christ. 1. That they are exceeding acceptable unto him as the best pledges of our Cordial Affection Cant. 2.14 O my Dove that art in the clefts of the Rock in the secret places of the stairs let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely When a Soul through manifold discouragements and despondencies withdraws and as it were hides it self from him he calleth to see a poor weeping blubbered face and to hear a broken voice that scarce goes beyond sighs and groans 2. These Thoughts are the only Means whereby we comply with the gracious intimations of his Love mentioned before By them do we hear his Knocking know his Voice and open the door of our Hearts to give him entrance that he may abide and sup with us Sometimes indeed the Soul is surprized into Acts of Gracious Communion with Christ Cant. 6.11 But they are not to be expected unless we abide in those wayes and means which prepare
and make our Souls meet for the Reception and entertainment of him Wherefore 3. Our want of experience in the power of this Holy entercourse and communion with Christ ariseth principally from our Defect in this Duty I have known one who after a long Profession of Faith and Holiness fell into great Darkness and distress meerly on this account that he did not experience in himself the Sweetness Life and Power of the Testimonies given concerning the real Communications of the Love of Christ unto and the intimation of his Presence with Believers He knew well enough the Doctrine of it but did not feel the Power of it at least he understood there was more in it than he had experience of God carryed him by Faith through that Darkness but taught him withal that no sence of these things was to be let into the Soul but by constant Thoughtfulness and Contemplations on Christ. How many blessed visits do we lose by not being exercised unto this Duty See Cant. 5.1 2 3. Sometimes we are busie sometimes careless and negligent sometimes slothful sometimes under the power of Temptations so that we neither enquire after nor are ready to receive them This is not the way to have our Joyes abound Again I speak now with especial respect unto him in Heaven The Glory of his Presence as God and Man eternally united the Discharge of his Mediatory Office as he is at the right hand of God the Glory of his present acting for the Church as he is the Minister of the Sanctuary and the true Tabernacle which God hath fixed and not Man the Love Power and Efficacy of his Intercession whereby he takes care for the Accomplishment of the Salvation of the Church the approach of his Glorious coming unto Judgment are to be the Objects of our daily Thoughts and Meditations Let us not mistake our selves To be spiritually minded is not to have the Notions and Knowledge of spiritual things in our minds it is not to be constant no not to abound in the performance of Duties both which may be where there is no Grace in the Heart at all It is to have our Minds really exercised with delight about Heavenly things the things that are above especially Christ himself as at the right hand of God Again So think of eternal things as continually to lay them in the Ballance against all the sufferings of this Life This use of it I have spoken unto somewhat before and it is necessary it should be pressed upon all occasions It is very probable that we shall yet suffer more than we have done Those who have gone before us have done so it is foretold in the Scripture that if we will live Godly in Christ Jesus we must do so we stand in need of it and the World is prepared to bring it on us And as we must suffer so it is necessary unto the Glory of God and our own Salvation that we suffer in a due manner Meer sufferings will neither commend us unto God nor any way advantage our own Souls When we suffer acording to the will of God it is an eminent Grace Gift and Priviledge Psal. 1.29 But many things are required hereunto It is not enough that men suppose themselves to suffer for Conscience sake though if we do not so all our sufferings are in vain Nor is it enough that we suffer for this or that way of Profession in Religion which we esteem to be true and according to the Mind of God in opposition unto what is not so The Glory of Sufferings on these accounts solely hath been much sullied in the dayes wherein we live It is evident that Persons out of a natural Courage accompanied with deep radicate perswasions and having their minds influenced with some sinister ends may undergo things hard and difficult in giving Testimony unto what is not according to the Mind of God Examples we have had hereof in all Ages and in that wherein we live in an especial manner See 1 Pet. 4.14 15 16. We have had enough to take off all paint and appearance of Honour from them who in their sufferings are deceived in what they profess But men may from the same Principles suffer for what is indeed according to the Mind of God yea may give their bodyes to be burned therein and yet not to his Glory nor their own eternal Advantage Wherefore we are duely to consider all things that are requisite to make our sufferings acceptable unto God and honourable unto the Gospel I have observed in many a frame of Spirit with respect unto sufferings that I never saw good event of when it was tryed to the uttermost Boldness confidence a pretended contempt of hardships and scorning other men whom they suppose defective in these things are the Garments or Livery they wear on this Occasion Such Principles may carry men out in a bad Cause they will never do so in a good Evangelical Truth will not be honourably witnessed unto but by Evangelical Graces Distrust of our selves a due apprehension of the nature of the evils to be undergone and of our own frailty with continual Prayers to be delivered from them or supported under them and prudent care to avoid them without an inroad on conscience or neglect of Duty are much better preparations for an entrance into a state of Suffering Many things belong unto our Learning aright this first and last Lesson of the Gospel namely of bearing the Cross or undergoing all sorts of sufferings for the Profession of it But they belong not unto our present Occasion This only is that which we now press as an evidence of our sincerity in our sufferings and an effectual means to enable us chearfully to undergo them which is to have such a continual prospect of the future state of Glory so as to lay it in the Ballance against all that we may undergo For 1. To have our Minds filled and possessed with Thoughts thereof will give us an Alacrity in our entrance into sufferings in a way of Duty Other considerations will offer themselves unto our Relief which will quickly fade and disappear They are like a Cordial Water which gives a little Relief for a Season and then leaves the Spirits to sink beneath what they were before it was taken Some relieve themselves from the consideration of the Nature of their Sufferings they are not so great but that they may conflict with them and come off with safety But there is nothing of that kind so small which will not prove too hard and strong for us unless we have especial Assistance Some do the same from their Duration they are but for ten dayes or six months and then they shall be free Some from the Compassion and esteem of Men. These and the like considerations are apt to occur unto the minds of all sorts of Persons whether they are spiritually minded or no. But when our Minds are accustomed unto Thoughts of the Glory that shall be
and delighted The minds of some men are apt on such occasions to be filled with thoughts of what they have received and their Affections to be wholly taken up with it But he who is Spiritually Minded will immediately retreat unto Thoughts of God placing his Delight and taking up his satisfaction in him And so on the other side great Distresses prevalent Sorrows strong Pains violent Distempers are apt of themselves to take up and exercise all the Thoughts of men about them But those who are spiritually minded will in and under them all continually betake themselves unto Thoughts of God wherein they find relief and refreshment against all that they feel or fear In every state their principal Joy is in the Remembrance of his Holiness 2. That they be accompanied with Godly Fear and Reverence These are required of us in all wherein we have to do with God Heb. 12.28 29. And as the Scripture doth not more abound with Precepts unto any Duty so the Nature of God and our own with the infinite distance between them make it indispensably necessary even in the light of the natural Conscience Infinite Greatness infinite Holiness infinite Power all which God is command the uttermost reverential fear that our nature are capable of The want hereof is the spring of innumerable evils yea indeed of all that is so Hence are blasphemous abuses of the holy Name of God in cursed Oaths and Execrations hence it is taken in vain in Ordinary Exclamations hence is all Formality in Religion It is the spiritual Mind alone that can Reconcile those things which are prescribe us as our Duty towards God To delight and Rejoyce in him alwayes to triumph in the Remembrance of him to draw nigh unto him with boldness and confidence are on the one hand prescrib'd unto us And on the other it is so that we fear and tremble before him that we fear that Great and dreadful Name the Lord our God that we have Grace to serve him with Reverence and Godly Fear because he is a consuming fire These things Carnal Reason can comprehend no consistency in what it is afraid of it cannot delight in and what it delights in it will not long fear But the Consideration of Faith concerning what God is in himself and what he will be unto us gives these different Graces their distinct Operations and a blessed Reconciliation in our Souls Wherefore all our Thoughts of God ought to be accompanied with an holy Awe and Reverence from a due sense of his Greatness Holiness and Power Two things will utterly vitiate all Thoughts of God and render them useless unto us 1. Vain Curiosity 2. Carnal Boldness It is inimaginable how the subtle disquisitions and disputes of men about the Nature Properties and Councels of God have been corrupted rendred sapless and useless by vain Curiosity and striving for an artificial Accuracy in the expression of mens apprehensions When the Wits and Minds of men are engaged in such Thoughts God is not in all their Thoughts even when all their Thoughts are concerning him When once men are got into their Metaphysical Curiosities and Logical Niceties in their Contemplations about God and his Divine Properties they bid farewell for the most part unto all Godly Fear and Reverence Others are under the power of Carnal Boldness that they think of God with no other respect than if they thought of Worms of the earth like themselves There is no holy Awfulness upon their Minds and Souls in the mention of his Name By these things may our Thoughts of God be so vitiated that the heart shall not in them be affected with a Reverence of him nor any Evidence be given that we are spiritually minded It is this holy Reverence that is the means of bringing in Sanctifying vertue into our Souls from God upon our Thoughts of him None that think of God with a due Reverence but he shall be sensible of Advantage by it Hereby do we sanctifie God in our Access unto him and when we do so he will sanctifie and purifie our hearts by those very Thoughts in which we draw nigh to him We may have many sudden occasional transient Thoughts of God that are not Introduced into our minds by a preceding Reverential Fear But if they leave not that fear on our hearts in proportion unto their continuance with us they are of no value but will insensibly habituate us unto a common bold frame of Spirit which he despises So is it in the case of Thoughts of a contrary nature Thoughts of sin of sinful Objects may arise in our minds from the Remainders of Corruption or be occasioned by the Temptations and Suggestions of Satan If these are immediately rejected and cast out of us the Soul is not more prejudiced by their entrance than it is Advantaged by their Rejection through the power of Grace But if they make frequent returns into the minds of men or make any abode or continuance in their soliciting of the Affections they greatly defile the Mind and Conscience disposing the person unto the further entertainment of them So if our occasional Thoughts of God do immediately leave us and pass away without much affecting our Minds we shall have little or no Benefit by them But if by their frequent visits and some continuance with us they dispose Souls unto an holy Reverence of God they are a blessed means of promoting our Sanctification Without this I say there may be thoughts of God unto no advantage of the Soul There is implanted on our Nature such a sence of a Divine Power and Presence as that on all sudden occasions and surprizals it will act it self according unto that sence and apprehension There is Vox Naturae clamantis ad Dominum Naturae A voice in Nature it self upon any thing that is suddenly too hard for it which cryes out immediately unto the God of Nature So men on such occasions without any consideration are surprized into a calling on the Name of God and crying unto him And from the same natural apprehension it is that wicked and profane persons will break forth on all occasions into cursed Swearing by his Name So men in such wayes have Thoughts of God without either Reverence or Godly fear without giving any Glory unto him and for the most part unto their own disadvantage Such are all thoughts of God that are not accompanyed with holy Fear and Reverence There is scarce any Duty that ought at present to be more press'd on the Consciences of men than this of keeping up a constant holy Reverence of God in all wherein they have to do with him both in private and publick in their inward Thoughts and outward Communication Formality hath so prevailed on Religion and that under the most effectual means of its suppression that very many do manifest that they have little or no Reverence of God in the most solemn Duties of his Worship and less it may be in their secret
day of our Tryal This is the first thing wherein we may Evidence our selves unto our selves to be under the conduct of the minding of the Spirit or to be spiritually minded And I have insisted the longer on it because it contains the first sensible Egress of the Spring of living waters in us the first acting of spiritual Life unto our own experience I should now proceed unto the consideration of our Affections of whose frame and state these Thoughts are the only genuine Exposition But whereas there are or may be some who are sensible of their own weakness and deficiency in the discharge of that part of this duty in being spiritually minded which we have passed through and may fall under discouragements thereon we must follow him as we are able who will not Quench the smoaking Flax nor break the bruised Reed by offering something unto the relief of them that are sincere under the sense of their own weakness CHAP. X. Sundry things tendred unto such as Complain that they know not how that they are not able to abide in holy Thoughts of God and Spiritual or Heavenly things for their Relief Instruction and Direction Rules concerning stated Spiritual Meditation SOme will say yea many on all occasions do say That there is not any thing in all their Duty towards God wherein they are more at a loss than they are in this one of fixing or exercising their Thoughts or Meditations on things Heavenly or Spiritual They acknowledge knowledge it a Duty they see an Excellency in it with inexpressible usefulness But although they often try and attempt it they cannot attain unto any thing but what makes them ashamed both of it and themselves Their Minds they find are unsteady apt to rove and wander or give entertainment unto other things and not to abide on the Object which they design their Meditation towards Their Abilities are small their Invention barren their Memories frail and their Judgments to dispose of things into right order weak and unable They know not what to think on for the most part and when they fix on any thing they are immediately at loss as unto any progress and so give over Hence other Thoughts or Thoughts of other things take advantage to impose themselves on them and what began in spiritual Meditation ends in carnal Vanity On these considerations oft-times they are discouraged to enter on the Duty oft-times give it over so soon as it is begun and are glad if they come off without being losers by their Endeavours which often befals them With respect unto other Duties it is not so with them Unto such as are really concerned in these things unto whom their want and defect is a Burden who mourn under it and desire to be freed from it or refreshed in their conflict with it I shall offer the things that ensue 1. That sense of the Vanity of our Minds which this consideration duely attended unto will give us ought greatly to humble and abase our Souls Whence is it thus with us that we cannot abide in Thoughts and Meditations of things Spiritual and Heavenly It is because they are such things as we have no great concernment in It may be they are things worthless and unprofitable so that it is to purpose to spend our Thoughts about them The Truth is they alone are worthy useful and desireable all other things in comparison of them are but Loss and dung Or it is because the faculties and Powers of our Souls were not originally suited unto the contemplation of them and delight in them This also is otherwise They were all given unto us all created of God for this End all fitted with Inclinations and power to abide with God in all things without aversation or weariness Nothing was so natural easie and pleasant unto them as steadiness in the contemplation of God and his works The cause therefore of all this evil lyes at our own doors All this therefore and all other Evils came upon us by the entrance of sin And therefore Solomon in his Enquiry after all the Causes and Effects of Vanity brings it under this Head Lo this only have I found that God made man upright but they have sought out many Inventions Eccles. 7.29 For hereby our Minds that were created in a state of blessed Adherence unto God where wholly turned off from him and not only so but filled with Enmity against him In this state that Vanity which is prevalent in them is both their Sin and their Punishment Their sin in a perpetual Inclination unto things vain foolish sensual and wicked So the Apostle describes it at large Ephes. 4.17 18 19. Tit. 3.3 And their punishment in that being turned off from the chiefest Good wherein alone Rest is to be found they are filled with darkness confusion and disquietment being like a troubled Sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt By grace our Minds are renewed that is changed and delivered from this frame but they are so partially only The Principle of Vanity is no longer predominant in us to alienate us from the life of God or to keep us in Enmity against him Those who are so renewed do not walk in the Vanity of their Minds as others do Ephes. 4.17 They go up and down in all their wayes and occasions with a Stream of vain Thoughts in their Minds But the remainders of it are effectually Operative in us in all the actings of our minds towards God affecting them with Vncertainty and Instability As he who hath received a great wound in any principal part of his Body though it may be so cured as that death shall not immediately ensue thereon yet it may make him go weak and lame all his dayes and hinder him in the Exercise of all the powers of Life The Vanity of our Minds is so cured as to deliver us from spiritual death but yet such a wound such a weakness doth remain as both weakens and hinders us in all the operations of Spiritual life Hence those who have made any progress in Grace are sensible of their Vanity as the greatest Burden of their Souls and do groan after such a compleat Renovation of their Minds as whereby they may be perfectly freed from it This is that which they principally regard in that complaining desire Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Yea they groan under a sence of it every day nor is any thing such a trouble unto them observing how it defeats them in their designs to contemplate on Heavenly things how it frustrates their best Resolutions to abide in the spiritual actings of Faith and Love how they are imposed on by it with the Thoughts of things which either in themselves or in their consequences they most abhorre nothing are they so afraid of nothing is so grievous and burdensome unto them nothing do they more groan for deliverance from When there is War
in any place it behoveth them that are concerned to have an Eye and regard unto all their Enemies and their Attempts against them But if they are Vigilant and diligent in their Oppositition unto those that are without that visibly contend with them and in the mean time Neglect such as trayterously act within among themselves betraying their Councels and weakning their Strength they will be undoubtedly ruined Wise men do first take care of what is within as knowing if they are there betrayed all they do against their open Enemies is to no purpose In the warfare wherein we are engag'd we have Enemies of all sorts that openly and visibly in various Temptations fight against our Souls These it is our Duty to watch against to conflict with and to seek a conquest over But it is this internal vanity of mind that endeavours in all things to betray us to weaken us in all our Graces or to hinder their due operations and to open the doors of our Hearts unto our cursed Enemies If our principal Endeavour be not to discover suppress and destroy this Traytor we shall not succed in our spiritual warfare This therefore being the original cause of all that disabilty of mind as unto steadiness in holy Thoughts and Meditations whereof you do complain when you are affected therewith turn unto the consideration of that from whence it doth proceed Labour to be humbled greatly and to walk humbly under a sence of the Remainders of this Vanity of mind So some wholesom Fruits may be taken from this bitter Root and Meat may come out of this Eater If when you cannot abide in holy Thoughts of God and your Relation unto him you reflect on this cause of it to your further Humiliation and self-abasement your Good designs and purposes are not lost Let such an one say I began to think of God of his Love and Grace in Christ Jesus of my Duty towards him and where now in a few minutes do I find my self I am got into the Ends of the earth into things useless and earthly or am at such a loss as that I have no mind to proceed in the work wherein I was ingaged O wretched man that I am what a cursed Enemy have I within me I am asham'd of my self weary of my self loath my self who shall deliver me from this Body of Death Such Thoughts may be as useful unto him as those which he first designed True it is we can never be freed absolutely from all the Effects of this Vanity and Instability of Mind in this world Vnchangeable cleaving unto God alwayes in all the Powers and Affections of our Minds is reserved for Heaven But yet great degrees may be attained in the conquest and expulsion of it such as I fear few have experience of yet ought all to the labour after If we apply our selves as we ought to the increase of Spiritual Light and Grace if we labour diligently to abide and abound in Thoughts of spiritual things and that in Love to them and delight in them if we watch against the entertainment and approbation of such Thoughts and things in our minds as whereby this vain frame is pleased and confirmed there is though not an absolute perfection yet a blessed degree of Heavenly Mindedness to be attain'd and therein the nearest approach unto Glory that in this world we are capable of If a man cannot attain an Athletick Constitution of Health or a strength like that of Sampson yet if he be wise he will not omit the use of such means as may make him to be useful in the ordinary Duties of Life And although we cannot attain Perfection in this matter which yet is our Duty to be continually pressing after yet if we are wise will be endeavouring such a cure of this spiritual distemper as we may be able to discharge all the duties of the Life of God But if men in all other things feed the Vanity of their own Minds if they permit them to Rove continually after things foolish sensual and earthly if they wilfully supply them with Objects unto that End and labour not by all means for the Mortification of this evil frame in vain shall they desire or expect to bring them at any time on any occasion to be Steady in the Thoughts of Heavenly things If it be thus with any as it is to be feared it is with many it is their duty to mind the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in the first place Make the Tree Good and then the Fruit will be Good and not before When the power of Sanctifying Grace hath made the Mind habitually Spiritual and Heavenly Thoughts of such things will be natural unto it and accompanyed with delight But they will not be so untill the God of Peace have Sanctified us in our whole Spirits Souls and Bodies whereby we may be preserved blameless unto the comeing of Jesus Christ. 2. Be alwaies sensible of your own Insufficincy to raise in your Minds or to managed spiritual Thoughts or Thoughts of things spiritual and Heavenly in a due manner But in this case men are apt to suppose that as they may so they can think of what they please Thoughts are their own and therefore be they of what sort they will they need no assistance for them They cannot think as they ought they can do nothing at all And nothing will convince them of their folly untill they are burdened with an experience of the contrary as unto Spiritual things But the advice given is expressely laid down by the Apostle in the Instance of himself 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God He speaks principally of Ministers of the Gospel and that of such as were most eminently furnished with Spiritual Gifts and Graces as he declares v. 6. And If it be so with them and that with respect unto the work and Duties of their Calling how much more is it so with others who have not their Graces nor their Offices Wherefore if men without regard unto the present actual Grace of God and the supplies of his Spirit do suppose that they can of themselves exercise their Minds in spiritual Thoughts and so only fret at themselves when they fall into disappointment not knowing what is the matter with them they will live in a lifeless barren frame all their dayes By the strength of their natural Abilities men may frame Thoughts of God and heavenly things in their Minds according unto the knowledge they have of them They may Methodize them by Rules of Art and express them elegantly unto others But even while they do so they may be far enough from being spiritually minded For there may be in their Thoughts no actings of Faith Love or holy Delight in God or any Grace at all But such alone are things which we enquire after they are such only as wherein the Graces of the Spirit
are in their proper Exercise With respect unto them we have no sufficiency in our selves all our sufficiency must be of God There is no Truth among persons of Light and Knowledge more generally granted in the notion of it than this that of our selves we can do nothing and none more neglected in daily practice Men profess they can do nothing of themselves and yet go about their Duties as if they could do all things 3. Remember that I have not at present treated of solemn stated Meditation Concerning which other Rules and Instructions ought to be given By solemn or stated Meditation I intend the Thoughts of some Subject Spiritual and Divine with the fixing forcing and ordering our Thoughts about it with a design to affect our own Hearts and Souls with the matter of it or the things contained in it By this design it is distinguish'd from the study of the Word wherein our principal aim is to learn the Truth or to declare it unto others And so also from Prayer whereof God himself is the immediate Object But in Meditation it is the affecting of our own Hearts and Minds with Love Delight and Humiliation At present I have only shewed what it is to be Spiritually minded and that in this Instance of our Thoughts as they proceed from the habitual frame of our hearts and affections or of what sort the constant course of our Thoughts ought to be with respect unto all the occasions of the Life of God This persons may be in a readiness for who are yet unskilful in and unable for stated Meditation For there is required thereunto such an Exercise of our Natural Faculties and Abilities as some through their weakness and Ignorance are incapable of But as unto what we have hitherto insisted on it is not unattainable by any in whom is the Spirit of Faith and Love For it is but the frequent actings of them that I intend Wherefore do your Hearts and Affections lead you unto many Thoughts of God and Spiritual Things do they spring up in you as water in a well of living Waters Are you ready on all occasions to entertain such Thoughts and to be conversant with them as opportunity doth offer it self Do you labour to have in a readiness what is useful for you with respect unto Temptations and Duties Is God in Christ and the things of the Gospel the ordinary Retreat of your Souls Though you should not be able to carry on an orderly stated Meditation in your minds yet you may be spiritually minded A man may not have a Capacity and Ability to carry on a great Trade of Merchandize in the world The knowledge of all sorts of Commodities and Seasons of the World and Nations of it with those Contrivances and Accounts which belong unto such Trade may be above his comprehension and he may quickly ruine himself in undertaking such an Employment Yet may the Abilities of this man serve him well enough to carry on a retail Trade in a private Shop wherein perhaps he may thrive as well and get as good an Estate as any of those whose greater Capacities lead them forth unto more large and hazardous Employments So it may be with some in this case The natural Faculties of their minds are not sufficient to enable them unto Stated Meditation They cannot cast things into that method and order which is required thereunto nor frame the conceptions of their minds into words significant and expressive yet as unto frequency of Thoughts of God and a disposition of Mind thereunto they may thrive and be skilful beyond most others of greater natural Abilities Howbeit because even Stated Meditation is a necessary Duty yea the principal way whereby our spiritual Thoughts do profitably act themselves I shall have regard thereunto in the following Direction wherefore 4. Whatever Principle of Grace we have in our minds we cannot attain unto a ready exercise of it in a way of spiritual Meditation or otherwise without great Diligence nor without great Difficulty It was shewed at the entrance of this Discourse that there is a Difference in this Grace between the Essence Substance or Reality of it which we would not exclude men from under many failings or infirmities and the useful Degrees of it wherein it hath its principal exercise As there is a difference in Life natural and its actings in a weak deseased sickly Body and in that which is of a Good Constitution and in a vigorous health Supposing the first the Reality of this Grace be wrought in us or implanted in our Minds by the holy Ghost as a principal part of that new Nature which is the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus unto good works yet unto the growth and improvement of it as of all other Graces our own diligent Care Watchfulness and spiritual striving in all holy Duties are required Unless the most fruitful Ground be manured it will not bring forth an useful Crop Let not any think that this frame of a Spiritual mind wherein there is a disposition unto and a readiness for all holy Thoughts of God of Christ of spiritual and heavenly things at all times and on all occasions will befall him and continue with him he knows not how As good it is for a poor man to expect to be rich in this world without Industry or a weak man to be strong and healthy without Food and Exercise as to be spiritually minded without an earnest endeavour after it It may be enquired what is requisite thereunto And we may name some of those things without which such an holy frame will not be attained As 1. A continual watch is to be kept in and on the Soul against the Incursions of vain Thoughts and Imaginations especially in such seasons wherein they are apt to obtain Advantage If they are suffer'd to make an inroad into the mind if we accustom our selves to give them entertainment if they are wont to lodge within in vain shall we hope or desire to be spiritually minded Herein consists a principal part of that duty which our Saviour so frequently so emphatically chargeth on us all namely to Watch Mark 3.37 Unless we keep a strict watch herein we shall be betray'd into the hands of our spiritual enemies for all such Thoughts are but making provision for the flesh to fullfill its desires in the lusts thereof however they may be disappointed as unto actual sin This is the substance of the advice given us in charge Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the Issues of Life 2. Careful Avoidance of all societies and businesses of this life which are apt under various pretences to draw and seduce the mind unto an earthly or sensual frame If men will venture on those things which they have found by Experience or may find by Observation that they seduce and draw off their Minds from an Heavenly frame unto that which is contrary thereunto and will not watch unto
upon a design that will be easily or it may be honestly defeated Men are able to defend themselves in their Callings and Enjoyments and to satisfie their Consciences against any Perswasions to the contrary Yet there is a Season wherein we are obliged to part with all we have and give up our selves wholly to follow Christ in all things Math. 19.21 And if we neglect or refuse it in that season it is an Evidence that we are Hypocrites And there was a time when Superstition had so much Power on the Minds of men that multitudes were perswaded to forsake to give up all their Interest in Relations Callings Goods Possessions and betake themselves unto tedious Pilgrimages yea hard Services in War to comply with that Superstition and it is not the Glory of our Profession that we have so few Instances of men parting with all and giving up themselves unto Heavenly Retirement But I am at present on no such Design I aim not to take men out of their lawful Earthly occasions but to bring spiritual Affections and Thoughts into the management of them all The things mentioned will deprive you of no Time you can lay a claim unto but Sanctifie it all I confess he must be a great Proficient in Spirituality who dares venture on an absolute Retirement and he must be well satisfied that he is not called unto an usefulness among men inconsistent therewith Unto them it may prove a disadvantage Yet this also is attainable if other Circumstances do concur Men under the due Exercise of Grace and the Improvement of it may attain unto that fixedness in Heavenly-mindedness that Inconcernment in all things here below as to give themselves up intirely and continually unto Heavenly Meditation unto a blessed Advancement of all Grace and a near approach unto Glory And I would hope it was so with many of them in ancient times who renounced the World with all Circumstances of Relations State Inheritances and betook themselves unto Retirement in Wildernesses to abide alwayes in Divine Contemplation But afterwards when Multitudes whose minds were not so prepared by a real growth in all Grace and Mortification unto the World as they were betook themselves under the same pretences unto a Monastical Retirement the Devil the World sensual Lusts Superstition and all manner of Evils pursued them found them out possessed them unto the unspeakable dammage and Scandal of Religion This therefore is not that which I invite the common sort of Believers unto Let them that are able and free receive it The Generality of Christians have Lawful Callings Employments and Businesses which ordinarily they ought to abide in That they also may live unto God in their Occasions they may do well to consider Two things 1. Industry in mens Callings is a thing in it self very Commendable If in nothing else it hath an Advantage herein that it is a means to preserve men from those Excesses in Lust and Ryot which otherwise they are apt to run into And if you consider the two sorts of men whereinto the Generality of Mankind are Distributed namely of them who are industrious in their Affairs and those who spend their time so far as they are able in Idleness and Pleasure the former sort are far more amiable and desireable Howbeit it is capable of being greatly abused Earthly-mindedness Covetousness devouring things holy as to Times and Seasons of Duty Uselesness and the like pernicious Vices do invade and possess the Minds of men There is no Lawful Calling that doth absolutely exclude this Grace of being Spiritualy-minded in them that are ingaged in it nor any that doth include it Men may be in the meanest of Lawful Callings and be so and men may be in the best and highest and not be so Consider the Calling of the Ministry The Work and Duty of it calls on those that are employed in it to have their Minds and Thoughts conversant about spiritual and heavenly things They are to study about them to meditate on them to commit them unto Memory to speak them out unto others It will be said Surely such men must needs be Spiritually-minded If they go no further than what is mentioned I say they must needs be so as Printers must needs be Learned who are continually conversant about Letters A man may with great Industry ingage himself in these things and yet his mind be most remote from being Spiritual The Event doth declare that it may be so and the Reasons of it are manifest It requires as much if not more Watchfulness more Care more Humility for a Minister to be Spiritually minded in the Discharge of his Calling than to any sort of men in theirs And that as for other Reasons so because the commonness of the exercise of such Thoughts with their design upon others in their expression will take off their Power and Efficacy And he will have little benefit by his own Ministy who endeavours not in the first place an Experience in his own heart of the Power of the Truths which he doth teach unto others And there is Evidently as great a failing herein among us as among any other sort of Christians as every occasion of Tryal doth Demonstrate 2. Although Industry in any honest Calling be allowable yet unless men labour to be Spiritually-minded in the exercise of that Industry they have neither Life nor Peace Hereunto all the things before mentioned are necessary I know not how any of them can be abated yea more is required than is expressed in them If you burn this Roll another must be written and many like things must be added unto it And the Objection from the expence of Time in the Observance of them is of no force For a man may do as much work whil'st he is Spiritually minded as whil'st he is Carnal Spiritual Thoughts will no more hinder you in your Callings than those that are vain and earthly which all sorts of men can find leisure for in the midst of their Employments If you have filled a Vessel with Chaff yet you may pour into it a great deal of water which will be contained in the same space and Vessel And if it be necessary that you should take in much of the Chaff of the world into your minds yet are they capable of such measures of Grace as shall preserve them sincere unto God Fifthly This frame will never be preserved nor the Duties mentioned be ever performed in a due manner unless we dedicate some part of our Time peculiarly unto them I speak unto them only concerning whom I suppose that they do daily set apart some portion of Time unto holy duties as Prayer and Reading of the Word and they find by experience that it succeeds well with them For the most part if they lose their Seasons they lose their Duties For some have complained that the urgency of Business and multiplicity of Occasions driving them at first from the fixed time of their Duties hath brought
failed with looking upwards O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me Isa. 38.14 When the Soul labours sincerely for Communion with God but sinks into broken confused thoughts under the weight of its own weakness yet if he looks to God for relief his chattering and Mourning will be accepted with God and profitable unto himself 2. Supply the Brokenness of your Thoughts with Ejaculatory Prayers according as either the Matter of them or your defect in the Management of them doth require So was it with Hezekiah in the Instance before mentioned where his own Meditations were weak and broken he cryes out in the midst of them O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me And Meditation is properly a Mixture of Spiritual Apprehension of God and heavenly things in the Thoughts and Conceptions of the Mind with Desires and Supplications thereon It is good and profitable to have some special designed Subject of Meditation in our Thoughts I have at large declared before what things are the proper Objects of the Thoughts of them that are Spiritually-minded But they may be more peculiarly considered as the matter of designed Meditation And they may be taken out of some especial spiritual Experience that we have lately had or some Warnings we have received of God or something wherewith we have been peculiarly affected in the Reading or Preaching of the Word or what we find the present posture and Frame of our Minds and Souls to require or that which supplyes all most frequently the Person and Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. If any thing of this nature be peculiarly designed antecedently unto this Duty and a Season be sought for it with respect thereunto the Mind will be fixed and kept from wandering after variety of Subjects wherein it is apt to lose it self and brings nothing to Perfection Lastly Be not discouraged with an Apprehension that all that you can attain unto in the discharge of this duty is so little so contemptible as that it is to no purpose to persist in it Nor be wearied with the difficulties you meet withal in its performance You have to do with him only in this matter who will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax whose will it is that none should despise the day of small things And if there be in this Duty a ready Mind it is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not He that can bring into this Treasure only the Mites of broken Desires and Ejaculatory Prayers so they be his best shall not come behind them who cast into it out of their greater abundance in Ability and Skill To faint and give out because we cannot arise unto such a height as we aim at is a fruit of Pride and Unbelief He who finds himself to gain nothing by continual Endeavours after holy fixed Meditations but only a living active sense of his own Vileness and Unworthiness is a sufficient gainer by all his Pains Cost and Charge But ordinarily it shall not be so Constancy in the Duty will give Ability for it Those who conscientiously abide in its Performance shall increase in Light Wisdom and Experience untill they are able to manage it with great Success These few plain Directions may possibly be of some use unto the weaker sort of Christians when they find a disability in themselves unto the discharge of this Duty wherein those who are Spiritually minded ought to be peculiarly exercised PART II. CHAP. XI The Seat of Spiritual-Mindedness in the Affections The Nature and use of them The Ways and Means used by God himself to call the Affections of Men from the World IN the Account given at the entrance of this Discourse of what it is to be Spiritually Minded it was reduced unto there Heads The First was the Habitual Frame Disposition and Inclination of the Mind in its Affections The Second was the Usual Exercise of the Mind in its Thoughts Meditations and Desires about Heavenly Things Whereunto Thirdly was added the Complacency of Mind in that Relish and Savour which it finds in Spiritual Things so thought and meditated on The Second of these hath hitherto alone been spoken unto as that which leads the way unto the others and gives the most sensible Evidence of the state enquired after Therein consists the Stream which rising in the Fountain of our Affections runs into a Holy Rest and Complacency of Mind The first and last I shall now handle together and therein comprehend the Account of what it is to be Spiritually Minded Spiritual Affections whereby the Soul adhears unto Spiritual Things taking in such a Savour and Relish of them as wherein it finds Rest and Satisfaction is the peculiar Spring and Substance of our being Spiritually Minded This is that which I shall now further explain and confirm The great contest of Heaven and Earth is about the Affections of the poor Worm which we call Man That the World should contend for them is no wonder It is the best that it can pretend unto All things here below are capable of no higher Ambition than to be possessed of the Affections of Men. And as they â—y under the Curse it can do us no greater Mischief than â—y â— prevailing in this Design But that the Holy God should as it were ingage in the Contest and strive for the Affections of Man is an effect of Infinite Condiscention and Grace This he doth expresly My Son sayeth he give me thy Heart Prov. 23.26 It is our Affections he asketh for and comparatively nothing else to be sure he will accept of nothing from us without them The most fat and costly Sacrifice will not be accepted if it be without a Heart All the wayes and methods of the Dispensation of his Will by his Word all the Designs of his effectual Grace are suited unto and prepared for this end namely to recover the Affections of man unto himself So he expresseth himself concerning his Word Deut. 10.12 And now Israel What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to Fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his Wayes and to Love and to Serve the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul And as unto the Word of his Grace he declares it unto the same purpose Deut. 30.6 And the Lord thy God will Circumcise thy Heart and the Heart of thy Seed to Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul And on the other side all the Artifices of the World all the Paint it puts on its Face all the great Promises it makes all the false Appearances and Attires it cloaths it self withal by the help of Satan have no other end but to draw and keep the Affections of Men unto it self And if the World be preferred before God in this address which is made unto us for our Affections we shall justly perish with the World unto Eternity and be rejected by him whom we
Judgements Dangers Sicknesses Apprehensions of the approach of Death Psal. 34 78.35 37. These things take men off for a season from their greedy Delight in earthly things and the pursuit of the Interest of Lust in making Provision for the Flesh. On many other Occasions by great variety of Causes there may be temporary Impressions made on the Affections that shall seem for a season to have turned the stream of them And thereon we have many who every day will be wholly as it were for God resolved to forsake Sin and all the Pleasures of it but the next return unto all their former Excesses For this is the Effect of those Impressions that whereas Men ordinarily are predominantly acted by Love Desire and Delight which lead them to act according unto the true natural Principles of the Soul now they are for a Season acted by Fear and Dread which put a kind of Force on all their Inclinations Hereon they have other thoughts of Good and Evil of Things Eternal and Tmporal of God and their own Duty for a season And hereon some of them may and do perswade themselves that there is a Change in their Hearts and Affections which there is not like a Man who perswades himself that he hath lost his Ague because his present Fit is over The next trial of Temptation carries them away again unto the World and Sin There are sometimes sudden Impressions made on Spiritual Affections which are always of great Advantage to the Soul renewing its Engagements unto God and Duty So was it with Jacob Gen. 28.16 17 18 19 20. So is it often with Believers in hearing the Word and other Occasions On all of them they renew their cleavings unto God with Love and Delight But the Effect of these Impressions on unrenewed Affections are neither Spiritual nor durable Yea for the most part they are but Checks given in the Providence of God unto the raging of their Lusts. Psal. 9.20 Secondly They are liable unto an habitual Change This the Experience of all Ages gives Testimony to There may be an habitual Change wrought in the Passions and Affections of the Mind as unto the inordinate and violent pursuit of their Inclinations without any gracious Renovation of them Education Philosophy or Reason long Afflictions Spiritual Light and Gifts have wrought this Change So Saul upon his Call to be King became another Man Hereby Persons naturally passionate and furious have been made sedate and moderate and those who have been sensual have become temperate yea and haters of Religion to be Professors of it All these things and many more of the like nature have proceeded from a Change wrought upon the Affections only whil'st the Mind Will and Conscience have been totally unsanctified By this Change where it is alone no man ever became Spiritually-Minded For whereas there are two parts of the Depravation of our Affections that whereby they are turned off from God and that whereby they inordinately cleave unto other things their Change principally if not only respects the latter They are brought into some Order with respect unto present things The Mind is not continually tossed up and down by them as the Waves of the Sea that are troubled and cast up mire and dirt They do not carry those in whom they are into vitious sensual Actions but they allow them to make Vertue in Moderation Sobriety Temperance Fidelity and Usefulness in several Ways to be their Design And it is admirable to think what Degrees of Eminency in all sorts of Moral Vertues upon this one Principle of moderating the Affections even many among the Heathens attained unto But as unto their Aversation from God and Spiritual things in the true Spiritual Notion of them they are not cured by this Change At least this Change may be and yet this latter not be wrought Again This Alteration doth but turn the Course or Stream of Mens Affections it doth not change the Nature of them They are the same in their Spring and Fountain as ever they were only they are habituated unto another Course than what of themselves they are inclined unto You may take a young Whelp of the most fierce and savage Creatures as of a Tygar or a Wolf and by custom or usage make it as tame and harmless as any domestick Creature a Dog or the like But although it may be turned unto quite another way or course of acting than what it was of it self enclined unto yet its nature is not changed And therefore frequently on Occasion Opportunity or Provocation it will fall into its own savage Inclination And having tasted of the Blood of Creatures it will never be reclaimed So is it with the depraved Affections of men with respect unto their Change their streams are turned they are habituated unto a new Course their Nature is not altered at least not from rational unto Spiritual from earthly unto heavenly Yet this is that which was most beautiful and desirable in nature the Glory of it and the utmost of its Attainments He who has by any means proceeded unto such a moderation of his Affections as to render him kind benign patient useful preferring publick Good before private inordinate and temporate in all things will rise up in Judgement against those who professing themselves to be under the Conduct of the Light of Grace do yet by being morose angry selfish wordly manifest that their Affections are not subdued by the Power of that Grace Wherefore that we may be Spiritually-minded there is yet another work upon our Affections required which is their internal Renovation whereby not only the Course of their Actings is changed but their Nature is altered and Spiritually renewed I intend that which is expressed in that great Evangelical Promise Isai. 17.6 7 8 9. The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the Fatlings together and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall feed their young ones shall lye down together and the Lion shall eat Straw like the Ox and the sucking Child shall play on the hole of the Asp and the weaned Child shall put his Hand on the Cockatrice Den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain A Change and Alteration is promised in the Natures Principles and first Inclinations of the worst and most Savage Sinners who pass under the Power of Gospel Grace This is that which is required of us in a way of Duty Ephes. 4.13 And be ye renewed in the Spirit of your Minds There is a Renovation of the Mind it self by the Communication of Spiritual Saving Light and Understanding thereunto whereof I have treated elsewhere at large see Rom. 12.2 Ephes. 1.17 18. But the Spirit of the Mind that whereby it is enlivened lead and disposed unto its Actings that is to be renewed also The Spirit of the Mind is in this Place opposed unto
Soul and Body 1 Thes. 5.23 When we say that we are Sanctifyed in part only we do not say that any Part Power or Faculty of the Soul is unsanctifyed but only that the work is not absolutely perfect in any of them All Sin may retain Power in some one Affection as Anger fear or Love as unto actual Irruptions and Effects more than in all the rest As one Affection may be more eminently Sanctifyed in some than in others For it may have advantages unto this End from Mens natural Tempers and various outward Circumstances Hence some find little Difficulty in the Mortification of all other Lusts or corruptions in Comparison of what they meet withal in some one inordinate Affection or Corruption This it may be David had regard unto Psal. 18.23 I have known Persons shining examplarily in all other Graces who have been scarce free from giving great Scandal by the excess of their Passions and easy Provocations thereunto And yet they have known that the setting themselves unto the sincere vigorous Mortification of that disorder is the most eminent Pledg of their Sincerity in other things For the Tryal of our self denyal lyes in the things that our natural Inclinations lye strongest towards Howbeit as was said there is no Affection where there is this Work of Renovation but it is sanctifyed and renewed none of them is left absolutely unto the Service of Sin and Satan And therefore whereas by reason of the advantages mentioned Sin doth greatly contend to use some of them unto its Interest and Service in a peculiar manner yet are they inabled unto made meet for gracious Actings and do in their proper Seasons put forth themselves accordingly There is no Affection of the Mind from whence the Soul and Conscience hath received the greatest Dammage that was as it were the Field wherein the Contest is managed between Sin and Grace but hath its Spiritual Use and Exercise when the Mind is renewed There are some so inordinately subject to Anger and passion therein as if they were absolutely under the Power and Dominion of it yet do they also know how to be angry and sin not in being angry at Sin in themselves and others Yea what Indignation yea what Revenge 2 Cor. 7.7 Yea God is pleased sometimes to leave somewhat more than ordinary of the Power of Corruption in one Affection that it may be an Occasion of the Continual Exercise of Grace in the other Affections Yet are they all sanctifyed in their Degree that which is relieved as well as that which doth relieve And therefore as the remainder of Sin in them that believe is called the old Man which is to be crucifyed in all the Members of it because of its adherence unto the whole Person in all its Powers and Faculties So the Grace implanted in our natures is called the New Man there being nothing in us that is not seasoned and affected with it As nothing in our Natures escaped the taint of Sin so nothing in our Natures is accepted from the Renovation that is by Grace He in whom any one Affection is utrerly unrenewed hath no one graciously renewed in him Let men take heed how they indulge to any depraved Affection for it will be an unavoidable Impeachment of their Sincerity Think not to say with Naaman God be merciful unto me in this thing in all others I will be for him He require the whole Heart and will have it or more The chief work of a Christian is to make all his Affections in all their Operations subservient unto the Life of God Rom. 6.17 And he who is wise will keep a continual Watch over those wherein he finds the greatest Reluctancy thereunto And every Affection is originally sanctifyed according unto the use it is to be of in the Life of Holiness and Obedience To be intire for God to follow him wholly to cleave unto him with purpose of Heart to have the Heart circumcis'd to love him is to have all our Affections renewed and sanctifyed without which we can do none of them When it is otherwise there is a double Heart an Heart and a Heart which he abhors Their Heart is divided now shall they be found faulty Hosea 10.2 So it is in the other Change mentioned What ever is or may be wrought upon our Affections when they are not Spiritually renewed That very change as unto the Degree of it is not universal it doth not affect the whole Mind in all its Powers and Affections until a vital prevailing Principle and habit of Grace is implanted in the Soul Sin will not only radically adhere unto all the Faculties Powers and Affections but it will under any Change that may befall them refer the Rule and Dominion in some of them unto it self So was it with the young Man that came unto our Lord Jesus Christ to know what he should do to obtain Eternal Life Mark 10.17 18 19 20 21 22. Thus there are many who in other things are reduced unto Moderation Sobriety and Temperance yet there remaineth in them the Love of Mony in a predominant Degree which to them is the Root of all evil as the Apostle Speaks some seem to be Religious but they bridle not their Tongues through Anger Envy Hatred and the like their Religion is in vain The most of Men in their several ways of Profession pretend not only unto Religion but unto zeal in it yet set no Bounds unto their Affections unto earthly Enjoyments Some of old who had most eminently in all other things subdued their Passions and Affections were the greatest Enemies unto and Persecutors of the Gospel Some who seem to have had a mighty Change wrought in them by a Superstitious Devotion do yet walk in the Spirit of Cain towards all the Disciples of Christ as it is with the principal Devotionists in the Church of Rome and elsewhere we may see some go soberly about the Persecution and Destruction of other Christians Some will cherish one Secret Lust or other which they cannot but know to be pernitious unto their Souls Some love the Praise of Men which will never permit them to be truely Spiritually Minded so our Saviour testifyeth of some that they could not believe because they loved the Praise of Men. This was the known Vice of all the antient Philosophers They had many of them on the Principles of Reason and by severe Exercise subdued their Affections unto great Moderation about Temporary things But in the mean time were all of them Slaves to vain glory and the praise of men untill by the publick Observation of it and some Contradictions in their Lives unto their Pretences unto Virtue they lost that also among wise and considerative Men. And generally if men not Spiritually renewed were able to search themselves they would find that some of their Affections are so far from having any change wrought in them as that they are a quiet Habitation for Sin where it exerciseth its
Rule and Dominion Secondly There is an Universality that is Objective in Spiritual things with respect unto the Renovation of our Affections that is Affections Spiritually renewed do fix themselves upon and cleave unto all all Spiritual things in their proper places and unto their proper Ends. For the Ground and Reason of our adherence unto any one of them are the same with respect unto them all That is their Relation unto God in Christ. Wherefore when our Affections are renewed we make no choice in Spiritual things cleaving unto some and refusing others making use of Naamans restraint but our adherence is the same unto them all in their proper places and Degrees And if by reason of Darkness and Ignorance we know not any of them to be from God as for Instance the Observation of the Lords Day it is of unspeakable Disadvantages unto us An equal respect is required in us unto all Gods Commands Yet there are various Distinctions in Spiritual things And thereon a man may and ought to value one above another as unto the Degrees of his Love and Esteem although they are to be sincere with respect unto them all First God himself that is as revealed in and by Christ is in the first and chiefest place the proper and adequate Object of our Affections as they are renewed He is so for himself or his own Sake alone This is the Spring the Center and chief Object of our Love He that loves not God for himself that is for what he is in himself and what from himself alone he is and will be unto us in Christ which Considerations are inseperable he hath no true Affection for any Spiritual thing whatever And not a few do here deceive themselves or are deceived which should make us the more strict and diligent in the Examination of our selves They suppose that they love Heaven and Heavenly things and the Duties of Divine Worships which Perswasion maybe fall them on many Grounds and Occasions which will not endure the Tryal But as unto God himself they can give no Evidence that they have any Love to him either on the account of the Glorious Excellencies of his Nature with their natural Relation unto him and Dependance on him nor on the account of the Manifestation of himself in Christ and the Exercise of his Grace therein But whatever be pretended there is no Love unto God whereof these things are not the formal Reason that proceed not from these Springs And because that all men pretend that they love God and defie them that think them so vile as not so to do though they live in open Enmity against him and hatred of him it becomes us strictly to examine our selves on what grounds we pretend so to do It is because indeed we see an Excellency a Beauty a desirableness in the glorious properties of his Nature such as our Souls are refreshed and satisfyed with the thoughts of by Faith and in whose Enjoyment our Blessedness will consist so that we alwayes rejoyce at the Remembrance of his Holyness It is our great Joy and Satisfaction that God is what he is is it from the glorious Manifestation that he hath made of himself and all his Holy Excellencies in Christ with the communication of himself unto us in and by him If it be so indeed then is our Lord generous and gracious from the Renovation of our Affections But if we say we love God yet truely know not why or upon Principles of Education and because it is esteemed the highth of Wickedness to do otherwise we shall be at a Loss when we are called unto our Tryal This is the first object of our Affections Secondly In other Spiritual things renewed Affections do cleave unto them according as God is in them God alone is loved for himself all other things for him in the measure and Degree of his presence in them This alone gives them preheminence in renewed Affections for Instance God is in Christ in the humane nature of the man Christ Jesus in a way and manner singular in concern a like incomprehensible so as he is in the same kind in nothing else Therefore is the Lord Christ even as unto his humane Nature the Object of our Love and Affections in such a way and Degree as no other thing Spiritual or Eternal but God himself is or ought to be all other Spiritual things become so from the Presence of God in them and from the Degree of that Presence have they their Nature and Use. Accordingly are they or ought to be the Object of our Affections as unto the degree of their Exercise Evidence of the Presence of God in things and Persons are the only attractives of renewed Affections Thirdly In those things which seem to stand in an equality as unto what is of God in them yet on some especial Occasions and Reasons our Love may go forth eminently unto one more than another Some particular Truth with the Grace communicated by it may have been the means of our Conversion unto God of our Edification in an especial manner of our Consolation in Distress it cannot be but that the Mind will have a peculiar respect unto and valuation of such Truths and the Grace administred by them And so it is as unto Duties We may have found such a lively Intercourse and Communion with God in some of them as may give us a peculiar Delight in them But notwithstanding these Differences Affections Spiritually renewed do cleave unto all Spiritual Things as such For the true formal Reason of their so doing is the same in them all namely God in them only they have several ways of acting themselves towards them whereof I shall give one Instance Our Saviour distributes Spiritual things into those that are Heavenly and those that are Earthly that is comparatively so Joh. 3.12 If I have told you earthly things and you believe not how shall ye believe if I tell you of Heavenly Things The Heavenly Things are the deep and misterious Councels of the Will of God These renewed Affections cleave unto with Holy Admiration and satisfactory Submission captivating the Understanding unto what it cannot comprehend So the Apostle declares it Rom. 11.33 34 35 36. O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearcheable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out for who hath known the Mind of the Lord or who hath been his Councellor Or who hath first given to him and it shall be recompenced to him again For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be Glory for ever Amen What the Mind cannot comprehend the Heart doth admire and adore delighting in God and giving Glory unto him in all The Earthly Things intended by our Saviour in that place is the Work of God upon the Souls of Men in their Regeneration wrought here in the Earth Towards these the Affections act themselves with Delight and with great
Thanksgiving The Experience of the Grace of God in and upon Believers is sweet unto their Souls But one way or other they cleave unto them all they have not a prevailing Aversation unto any of them They have a regard unto all Gods Precepts a delight in all his Councels a Love to himself and all his Ways Whatever other Change is wrought on the Affections if they be not Spiritually renewed it is not so with them For as they do not cleave unto any Spiritual Things in their own true proper nature in a due manner because of the Evidences of the Presence of God in them so there are alwayes some of them whereunto those whose Affections are not renewed do maintain an Aversation and an Enmity And although this Frame doth not instantly discover it self yet it will do so upon any especial Tryal So was it with the Hearers of our Saviour Joh. 6. There was a great Impression made on their Affections by what he taught them concerning the Bread of God that came down from Heaven and gave Life unto the World For they cryed thereon Lord evermore give us of this Bread v. 34. But when the Mystery of it was further explained unto them they liked it not but cryed This is a hard Saying who can bear it v. 60 and thereon fell off both from him and his Doctrine although they had followed him so long as to be esteemed his Disciples v. 66. I say therefore whensoever Mens Affections are not renewed whatever other Change may have been wrought upon them as they have no true delight in any Spiritual things or truths for themselves and in their own Nature so there are some Instances wherein they will maintain their natural Enmity and Aversation unto them This is the first difference between Affections Spiritually renewed and those which from any other Causes may have some kind of Change wrought in them CHAP. XIIII The second Difference between Affections Spiritually renewed and those who have been only Changed by Light and Conviction Grounds and Reasons of Mens Delight in Duties of Divine Worship and of their Diligence in their Performance whose Minds are not Spiritually Minded THe second Difference lyeth herein That there may be a Change in the Affections wherein Men may have Delight in the Duties of Religious Worship and Diligence in their Observance but it is the Spiritual Revovation of the Affections that gives Delight in God through Christ in any Duty of Religious Worship whatever Where the truth of the Gospel is known and publickly Professed there is great variety in the Minds Wayes and Practices of Men about the Duties of Religious Worship Many are profane in their Minds and Lives who practically at least despise or wholly neglect the Observance of them These are stout hearted and far from Righteousness Tit. 1.16 Some attend unto them formally and Coursorily from the Principles of their Education and it may be out of some Convictions they have of their necessity But many there are who in the Way they choose and are pleased withal are diligent in their Observance and that with great Delight who yet give no Evidence of the Spiritual Renovation of their Minds Yea the way whereby some express their Devotion in them being Superstitious and Idolatrous is inconsistent with that or any other Saving Grace This therefore we must diligently enquire into or search into the grounds and reasons of Mens delight in Divine Worship according unto their Convictions of the way of it and yet continue in their Minds altogether unrenewed And 1 Men may be greatly affected with the Outward Part of Divine Worship and the manner of the performance thereof who have no delight in what is internal real and Spiritual therein Joh. 5.35 He was a burning and a shining Light and ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in this Light So many were delighted in the preaching of Ezekiel because of his Eloquence and Elegancy of his Parables Chap. 33.31 32. This gave them both delight and diligence in hearing whereon they call themselves the People of God though they continued to live in Sin their Hearts went after Covetousness The same may befall many at present with reference unto the Spiritual Gifts of those by whom the Word is dispensed I deny not but that Men may be more delighted more satisfyed with the Gifts the Preaching of one than another and yet be sincere in their delight in the Dispensation of the Word for they may find more Spiritual Advantage thereby than by the Gifts of others and things so prepared as to be suited unto their Edification more than elsewhere But that which at present we insist on hath respect only unto some outward Circumstances pleasing the Minds of men 2 Tim. 2.3 4. This was principally evident under the Old Testament whil'st they had carnal Ordinances and a worldly Sanctuary Oft times under that Dispensation the People were given up unto all sorts of Idolatry and Superstition And when they were not so yet were the Body of them carnal and unholy as is evident from the whole tract of Gods dealings with them by his Prophets and in his Providences Yet had they great delight in the Outward Solemnities of their Worship placing all their trust of Acceptance with God therein They who did truely and really believe looked through them all unto Christ whom they did foresignify without which the things were a Yoke unto them and a Burthen almost insupportable Act. 15. But those who were Carnal delighted in the things themselves and for their Sakes rejected him who was the Life and Substance of them all And this proved the great means of the Apostacy of the Christian Church also For to maintain some Appearance of Spiritual Affections men introduced Carnal Incitations of them into Evangelical Worship such as singing with Musick and pompous Ceremonies For they find such things needful to reconcile the Worship of God unto their Minds and Affections and through them they appear to have great delight therein Could some men but in their thoughts seperate Divine Service from that Outward Order those Methods of Variety Shew and Melody wherewith they are affected they would have no Delight in it but look upon it as a thing that must be endured How can it be otherwise conceived of among the Papists they will with much earnestness many Evidences of Devotion sometimes with difficulty and danger repair unto their Solemn Worship And yet when they are present understand not one Word whereby their Minds might be excited unto the real actings of Faith Love and Delight in God Only Order Ceremony Musick and other Incentives of Carnal Affections make great Impression on them Affections Spiritually renewed are not concerned in these things Yea if those in whom they are should be engag'd in the use of them they would find them means of diverting their Minds from the proper work of Divine Worship rather than an advantage therein It will appear so unto themselves unless they
not prosper VVe may therefore do well to consider that the principal way whereby we may Sanctify the Name of God in all Duties of his VVorship and obtain the Benefit of them to our own Souls is by a Conscientious Approach unto them with an holy Desire and Design to be found in the Exercise of Faith and Love on God in Christ and to be helped and guided therein by them To be under an Efficacious Influence from this Design is the best Preparation for any Duty So David expresseth his Delight in the VVorship of God How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of Hosts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord my Heart and my Flesh cryeth out for the Living God Psal. 84.1 2. He longed for the Tabernacle and the Courts of it but it was the Enjoyment of God himself the Living God that he desired and sought after This was that which made him so servent in his Desires after those Ordinances of God So he expresseth it Psal. 63.2 To see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary David had had great Communion with and Delight in God by Faith and Love in the Solemn Duties of his VVorship And this was that which inflam'd him with Desires after renewed Opportunities unto the same End Secondly This Design is not general unactive useless and sloathful But such Persons diligently endeavour in the use of these Ordinances and attendance unto them to be found in the Exercise of these Graces They have not only an Antecedent Design to be so but a diligent actual Endeavour after it not suffering their Minds by any thing to be diverted from the pursuit of that Design Ecc. 5.1 Whatever is not quickned and enlivened hereby they esteem utterly lost Neither Outward Administrations nor Order will give them Satisfaction when these things are wanting in themselves Without the Internal Actings of the Life of Faith external Administrations of Ordinances of Worship are but dead things Nor can any Believer obtain real Satisfaction in them or Refreshment by them without an Inward Experience of Faith and Love in them and by them And it is that which if we are wise we shall continually attend unto the Consideration of A watchful Christian will be careful lest he loose any one Duty by taking up the Carcase of it And the danger of so doing is not small Our Affections are renewed but in part And as they are still liable to be diverted and seduced from Spirituality in Duty even by things earthly and carnal through the Corruption that remaineth in them So there is a Disposition abiding in them to be pleased with those external things in Religious Duties which others as we have shewed before who are no way graciously renewed do satisfy themselves withal The Grace and Oratory of the Speaker in preaching of the Word especially in these days wherein the Foppery of fine Language even in Sacred things is so much extolled the Order and Circumstances of other Duties with Inclination and Love unto a Party are apt to insinuate themselves with great Complacency into our Affections so far as they are unrenewed And these things discover the true Grounds whence it is that the Ordinances of Divine VVorship are so useless as they are to many who seem to attend unto them with Diligence They may be referred unto these three Heads 1 They do not come unto them as the meanes appointed of God for the Exercise of Faith and Love unto Christ so as to make it their Design in their Approaches to them without which all that is spoken of Advantage in and by other Duties is utterly lost 2 They do not in and under them labour to stir up Faith and Love unto their due Exercise 3 They suffer their Minds to be diverted from the Exercise of these Graces partly by occasional Temptations partly by attendance unto what is Outward only in the Ordinances themselves Spiritual Affections find no place of Rest in any of these things such Proposals of God in Christ of his VVill and their own Duty as may draw out their Faith Love Godly Fear and Delight into their due Exercise is that which they enquire after and acquiesce in Two things alone doth Faith regard in all Duties of Worship as unto the Outward Administration of it The one absolutely the other comparatively both with respect unto the End mentioned or the Exercise Growth and Encrease of Grace in us The first is that they may be of Divine Appointment Where their Original and Observance is resolved into Divine Authority there and there alone will they have a Divine Efficacy In all these things Faith hath regard to nothing but Divine Precepts and Promises Whatever hath regard to any thing else is not Faith but Fancy And therefore these uncommanded Duties in Religion which so abound in the Papal Church as that if not the whole yet all the principal Parts of their Worship consist in them are such as in whose Discharge it is impossible Faith should be in a due Exercise That which it hath comparative respect unto is the Spiritual Gifts of them unto whom the Administration of the Ordinances of the Gospel in the publick Worship of the Church is committed With respect unto them Believers may have more Delight and Satisfaction in the Ministry of one than of another as was touched before But this is not because one is more learned than another or more Elegant than another hath more ability of Speech than another or fervency in utterance than another is more fervent or earnest in his Delivery but because they find the Gifts of one more suited and more Effectual to stir up Faith and Love unto an holy Exercise in their Minds and Hearts then what they find in some others Hence they have a peculiar value for and delight in the Ministry of such Persons especially when they can enjoy it in due Order and without the Offence of others And Ministers that are wise will in Holy Administrations neglect all other tings and attend unto this alone how they may be helpful unto the Faith and Love and Joy of Believers so far as they are the Object of their Ministry This is the first reason and ground whereon Affections Spiritually-Renewed cleave unto Ordinances of Divine Worship with Delight and Satisfaction namely because they are the means appointed and Blessed of God for the Exercise and Increase of Faith and Love with an Experience of their Efficacy unto that End Secondly The Second is Because they are the meanes of the Communication of a Sense of Divine Love and Supplies of Divine Grace unto the Souls of them that do believe So far as our Affections are renewed this is the most principal attractive to cleave unto them with Delight and Complacency They are as was observed before the ways of our approaching unto God Now we do not draw nigh to God as himself speaks as a dry Hearth or a barren
as they are in themselves and in their own nature It is true the Light of it cannot fully comprehend the nature of all those things which are the Objects of its Affections For they are infinite and incomprehensible such as are the Nature of God and the Person of Christ and some of them as future Glory are not yet clearly revealed But it discerns them all in a due manner so as that they may in themselves and not in any corrupt Representation or Imagination of them be the Object of our Affections They are as the Apostle speaks Spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 which is the reason why the natural man cannot receive them namely because he hath not Ability Spiritually to discern them And this is the principal end of the Renovation of our Minds the principal quality and effect of Faith namely the Communication unto our Minds and the acting in us of a Spiritual Saving Light whereby we may see and discern Spiritual things as they are in their own Nature Kind and proper Use see Ephes. 1.17 18 19. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him The Eyes of your Understanding being enlightned that ye know what is the hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding Greatness of his Power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty Power 2 Cor. 4.6 God shines in our Hearts to give the Light of the Knowledge of his Glory in the Face of Jesus Christ. The End God designes is to draw our Hearts and Affections unto himself And unto this end he gives unto us a glorious internal Light whereby we may be enabled to discern the true nature of the things that we are to cleave unto with Love and Delight Without this we have nothing but false Images of Spiritual things in our Minds not alwayes as unto the Truth or Doctrine concerning them but as unto their Reality Power and Efficacy This is one of the principal Effects of Faith as it is the principal part of the Renovation of our Minds namely to discover in the Soul and represent unto the Affections things Spiritual and Heavenly in their Nature Beauty and genuine Excellency This attracts them if they are Spiritually renewed and causeth them to cleave with Delight unto what is so proposed unto them He that believes in Christ in a due manner who thereon discovers the Excellency of his Person and the Glory of his Mediation will both love him and on his Believing rejoyce with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory So is it in all other Instances the more steady is our view by Faith of Spiritual things the more firm and constant will our Affections be in cleaving unto them And wherever the Mind is darkned about them by Temptation or Seduction from the Truth there the Affections will be quickly weakned and impaired Wherefore Thirdly Affections thus lead unto and fixed on Spiritual and Heavenly things under the Light and Conduct of Faith are more and more renewed or made in themselves more Spiritual and Heavenly They are in their cleaving unto them and delight in them continually changed and Assimulated unto the things themselves becomming more and more to be what they are namely Spiritual and Heavenly This Transformation is wrought by Faith and is one of the most excellent Faculties and Operations see 2 Cor. 3.18 And the meanes whereby it works herein are our Affections In them as we are Carnal we are conformed unto this World and by them as Sanctifyed are we transformed in the renewing of our Minds Rom. 12.2 And this Transformation is the Introduction of a new Form or Nature into our Souls diverse from that wherewith we were before endued So is it described Isaiah 11.6 7 8 9. A Spiritual Nature they were changed into And it is twofold First Original and Radical as to the Substance or Essence of it which is the Effect of the first Act of Divine Grace upon our Souls when we are made new Creatures Herein our Affections are passive they do not transform us but are transformed Secondly Gradual as unto its Increase and therein Faith works in and by the Affections Whenever the Affections do cleave intensely unto any Object they receive an Impression from it as the Wax doth from the Seal when applyed unto it which changeth them into its own likeness So the Apostle affirms of sensual unclean Persons they have Eyes full of Adultery 2 Pet. 2.14 Their Affections are so wholly possessed and filled with their lustful Objects as that they have brought forth their own likeness upon their Imaginations That blots out all others and leaves them no Inclinations but what they stir up in them When men are filled with the Love of this World which carries along with it all their other Affections their Hopes Fears and Desires unto a constant Exercise about the same Object they become Earthly-Minded Their Minds are so changed into the Image of the things themselves by the effectual working of the corrupt Principles of Sin Self-Love and Lust as if they were made up of the Earth and therefore have no Savour of any thing else In like manner when by Faith men come to embrace Heavenly things through the effectual Working of a Principle of Spiritual Life and Grace in them they are every day more and more made Heavenly The Inward Man is renewed day by Day Love is more sincere and ardent Delight is more ravishing and sensible Desires are more inlarged and intense and by all a Tast and Relish of Heavenly things is heightned into refreshing Experience see Rom. 5.2 3 4 5. This is the way whereby one Grace is added unto another 2 Pet. 1.5 6. in Degrees Great is the Assimulation between renewed Affections and their Spiritual Objects that by this means may be attained The Mind hereby becomes the Temple of God wherein he dwells by the Spirit Christ also dwelleth in Believers and they in him God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 John 4.16 Love in its proper Exercise gives a mutual Inhabitation unto God and Believers In brief he whose Affections are set upon Heavenly things in a due manner will be Heavenly-Minded And in the due Exercise of them will that Heavenly Mindedness be encreased The Transformation and Assimulation that is wrought is not in the Object or Spiritual things themselves they are not changed neither in themselves nor in the Representation made of them unto our Minds But the Change is in our Affections which are made like unto them Two Cases deriving from this Principle and Consideration may be here spoken unto and shall be so the first in this and the other in the following Chapter The one is concerning the Slowness and Imperceptibility of the Growth of our Affections in their Assimulation unto
A Signal Contempt of the Love Grace Faithfulness and Wisdom of God in giving of us such Promises of Grace to make us to encrease thrive and grow How can it be done more effectually than by such a neglect of his Promised Grace Secondly An Evidence that such Persons love not care not for Grace or Holiness for their own Souls but meerly to serve their turn at present as they suppose nor do desire the least of Grace or Priviledge by Christ without which they can have any hopes to get to Heaven This sufficiently discovers men to be wholly under the Power of Self-Love and to center therein for if they may have so much Grace and Mercy as may save them they care for no more Thirdly It is repugnant unto the Honour of Gospel Grace as though it would carry us so far and no farther in the way to Glory For it must be known that this sort of Persons who sit down in their present Measures and Attainments either really have no true Grace at all or that which is of the lowest meanest and most imperceptible size and degree For if any one hath attained any considerable Growth in Faith and Love in the Mortification of Sin in Heavenly-Mindedness it is utterly impossible but that ordinarily he will be pressing forward towards farther Attainments and farther Degrees of Spiritual Strength in the Life of God So the Apostle declares it in his own Example Phil. 3.10 11 12 13 14. What thoughts can these Persons have concerning the Glory Power and Efficacy of Gospel Grace which they suppose they have received If they measure them by the Effects which they find in themselves either as unto the Mortification of Sin or Strength unto and Delight in Duties of Holiness or as unto Spiritual Consolation they can see no Excellency nor Beauty in them For they do not manifest themselves but in their Success as they transform the Soul dayly into the Image of Christ. Fourthly It is that which hath lost the Reputation and Glory of the Religion in the World and therein the Honour of the Gospel it self For the most of Professors do take up with such Measures as put no lustre upon it as give no Commendation unto the Religion they profess For their measures allow them such a Conformity unto the World in their Wayes Words and Actions in their Gestures Apparrel and Attire as that they are no way visibly to be distinguished from it Yea the Ground and Reason why the most do rest in their present measures is because they will not be further differenced from the World This hath greatly lost the Glory Honour and Reputation of Religion amongst us And on the other side if all visible Professors would endeavour continually to grow and thrive in Spirituality of Mind and Heavenlyness of Affections with Fruits suited thereunto it would bring a Conviction on the world that there is a Secret Invisible Power accompanying the Religion they profess transforming them dayly into the Image and Likeness of God Fifthly Whatever is pretended unto the contrary it is inconsistent with all solid Peace of Conscience For so such thing is promised unto any who live in such a Contempt of Divine Promises nor is it attainable but by the diligent Exercise of all those Graces which lye neglected under this Frame Few men are able to judge whether they have real eternal abiding Peace or no unless it be in Case of Tryals and Temptations At other Seasons general Hopes and Confidences do or may supply the want of it in their Minds But when any Fear Danger Tryal or Word of Conviction befalls them they cannot but enquire and examine how it is with them And if they find their Affections cold dead earthly carnal withering not spiritual or heavenly there will be an end of their supposed Peace and they will fall into woful Disquietments and they will then find that the Root of all this Evil lyes in this Frame and Disposition They have been so far satisfyed with their present measures or attainments in Religion as that the utmost of their Endeavours have been but to preserve their Station or not to forfeit it by open Sins to keep their Souls alive from the severe Reflections of the Word and their Reputation fair in the Church of God Spiritually to thrive to prosper in their Souls to wax fat and flourishing in the Inward Man to bring forth more fruit as Age increaseth to press towards Perfection are things they have not designed nor pursued Hence it is that so many among us are visibly at an unthrifty stand in the World that where they were one Year there they are another like Shrubs in the Wilderness not like the Plants in the Garden of God not as Vines planted in a very fruitful Hill Yea though many are sensible themselves that they are cold lifeless and fruitless Yet will they not be convinced that there is a necessity of making a dayly progress in Spirituality and Heavenly-Mindedness whereby the Inward man may be renewed day by day and Grace augmented with the Increase of God This is a work as they suppose for them who have nothing else to do not consistent with their Business Callings and Occasions not necessary as they hope unto their Salvation nor it may be to be attained by them if they should set themselves about it This Apprehension of Imagination upon the beginning of the Declension and decay of Christian Religion in the many Cast of all Holiness and Devotion unto a sort of men who undertook to retire themselves utterly out of the World amongst whom also the Substance of Religion was quickly lost and a Cloud or Meteor of Superstition embraced in the Room of it But this Folly is ominous unto the Souls of men Those who have made the greatest Progress in the Conformity of their Affections unto things Spiritual and Heavenly know most of its Necessity Excellency and Desireableness yea without some Progress in it these things will not be known Such will testify that the more they attain herein the more they see there is yet to be attained and the more they do desire to attain what is behind Forgetting those things which are behind they reach forth unto the things that are yet before them like men running in a Race whose Prize and Reward is yet before them Phil. 3.13 14. It is a comely thing to see a Christian weaned from the World minding Heavenly Things green and flourishing in Spiritual Affection And it is the more lovely because it is so rare The generality of them take up with those measures which neither glorifie God nor bring in durable Peace into their own Souls That which men pretend and complain of herein is the difficulty of the Work They can as they suppose preserve their present Station but to press forward to grow in Grace to thrive in their Affections this is too hard for them But this Complaint is unequal and unjust and adds unto the guilt of
their Sloth It reflects upon the Words of our Saviour that his Yoke is easy and his Burden Light that his Commandments are not grievious It expersseth Unbelief in the Promises of God tendring such Supplies of Grace as to render all the wayes of Wisdom easy yea Mercy and Peace It is contrary unto the Experience of all who have with any Sincerity and Diligence ingaged in the wayes of Gospel Obedience And the whole cause of the pretended Difficulty lyes in themselves alone which may be reduced unto these two Heads First A Desire to retain some thing or things that is or are inconsistent with such a Progress For unless the Heart be ready on all Occasions to esteem every things as Loss and Dung so as we may win Christ the work will be accomcompanied with insuperable Difficulties This is the first Principle of Religion of Gospel Obedience that all things are to be despised for Christ. But this Difficulty ariseth not from the thing it self but from our Indisposition unto it and unfitness for it That which is an easy pleasant Walk unto a found and healthy Man is a toilsome Journey to him that is diseased and infirm In particular whilst Men will retain an inordinate respect unto the World the Vanities the Pleasures the Profits the Contentments of it whil'st Self-Love putting an undue Valuation on our Persons our Relations our Enjoyments our Reputations doth cleave unto us we shall labour in the Fire when we ingage in this Duty or rather we shall not at all sincerely ingage in it wherefore the Apostle tells us that in this case we must cast off every weight and the Sin that doth so easily beset us if we intend to run with Joy the Race that is set before us Heb. 12.1 Secondly It is because Men dwell continually upon the Entrances of Religion in the first and lowest Exercise of Grace some are alwayes beginning at Religion and the beginning of things are alwayes difficult They design not to be Compleat in the whole Will of God nor to give all Graces their perfect Work They do not with use habituate Grace unto a readiness in all the Actings of it which the Apostle commends in them that are perfect or compleat Heb. 5.14 Hence he calls such Persons Babes and Carnal comparatively unto them that are strong men and Spiriual Such Persons do not obliege themselves unto the whole Work and all the Duties of Religion but only what they Judge necessary unto them in their present Circumstances In particular they do not attempt a thorow-work in the Mortification of any Sin but are hewing and hacking at it as their Convictions are urgent or abate the Wounds whereof in the Body of Sin are quickly healed They give not any Grace its perfect Work but are alwayes making Essayes and so give over Whil'st it is thus with any they shall alwayes be deluded with the Apprehensions of insuperable Difficulties as to the Growth of their Affections in Spirituality and Heavenliness Remove these things out of the way as the ought to be removed and we shall find all the Paths wherein we are to walk towards God to be Pleasantness and Peace This is the first Cause whence it is that there may be Affections truely Spiritual and gratiously renewed in some Persons who yet do not thrive in an Assimulation and Conformity unto Heavenly things Men take up with their present measures and thereon pretend either necessary Occasion or Discouragements from Difficulties in attempting Spiritual Growth in the inward Man But they may thank themselves if as they bring no honour unto Christ so they have no solid Peace in their own Souls Secondly As the Evil proceedeth from Folly so it is alwayes the Consequent of Sin of many Sins of various sorts Let us not dwell on heartless Complaints that we do not find our Affections lively and heavenly that we do not find the Inward Man to thrive or grow Let us not hearken after this or that Relief or Comfort under this Consideration as many things are usually insisted on unto that purpose They may be of use when Persons are under Temptations and not able to make a right Judgement of themselves But in the Course of our ordinary walking with God they are not to be attended not retired unto The general Reason of this evil State is our own sinful Carelesness Negligence and Sloth with perhaps an Indulgence unto some known Lust or Corruption And we do in vain seek after refreshing Cordials as though we were only Spiritually faint when we stand in need of Launcings and Burnings as nigh unto a Lethargy It would be too long to give Instances of these Sins which fail not effectually to obstruct the thriving of Spiritual Affections But in general when men are careless as unto that continual Watch which they ought to keep over their Hearts whil'st they are negligent in holy Duties either as unto the seasons of them or the manner of their Performance when they are Strangers unto holy Meditation and self-Examination whil'st they inordinately pursue the things of the World or are so tender and delicate as that they will not undergo the hardship of an heavenly Life either as unto the Inward or Outward Man much more when they are vain in their Conversation corrupt in their Communication especially if under the Predominant Influence of any particular Lust it is vain to think of thriving in Spiritual Affections And yet thus it is with all who ordinarily and in their constant Course are thriftless herein CHAP. XVII Decayes in Spiritual Affections with the Causes and Danger of them Advice unto them who are sensible of the Evil of Spiritual Decays IT must be acknowledged that there is yet that which is worse than what we have yet insisted on and more opposite unto the Growth of Affections in Conformity unto Heavenly things which is the proper Character of those that are Spiritually renewed And this is their Spiritual Decay manifesting it self in sensible and visible Effects Some there are yea many who upon the Beginning of a Profession of their Conversion unto God have made a great appearance of vigorous active Spiritual Affections yea it is so with most it may be all who are really so converted God takes notice of the Love of the Youth in his People of the Love of their Espousals In some this vigiour of Spiritual Affections is from the real Power of Grace exerting its Efficacy on their Hearts and in their Minds In others it is from other Causes as for Instance Relief from Conviction by Spiritual Illumination will produce this Effect And this falls out unto their Advantage of such Persons that generally a Change is wrought in their younger dayes For then their Affections in their natural Powers are active and bear great sway in the whole Soul Wherefore the Change that is made is most eminent in them be it what it will But as men Increase in Age and thereon grow up in Carnal Wisdom
and a great valuation of Earthly things with their Care about them and Converse in them they abate and decay in their Spiritual Affections every day They will abide in their Profession but have lost their first Love It is a shame and folly unutterable that it should be so with any who make Profession of that Religion wherein there are so many incomparable Excellencies to endear and ingage them to it more and more but why should we hide what Experience makes manifest in the Sight of the Sun and what multitudes proclaim concerning themselves Wherefore I look upon it as a great Evidence if not absolutely of the Sincerity of Grace yet of the Life and Growth of it when men as they grow up in age do grow in an Undervaluation of present things in contempt of the World in Duties of Charity and Bounty and decay not in any of them But I say it is usual that the Entrances of Mens Profession of Religion and Conversation unto God are attended with vigorous active Affections towards Spiritual things Of them who really and sincerely believed it is said that on their believing they rejoyced with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory And of those who only had a work of Conviction on them improved by temporary Faith that they received the Word with Joy and did many things gladly In this State do many abide and thrive until their Affections be wholly transformed into the Image and likeness of things above But with many of all sorts it is not so they fall into woful Decayes as unto their Affections about Spiritual things and consequently in their whole Profession and Conversation their Moisture becomes as the drought in Summer They have no Experience of the Life and Actings of them in themselves nor any Comfort or Refreshment from them they honour not the Gospel with any Fruits of Love Zeal or Delight nor are useful any way unto others by their Example Some of them have had seeming Recoveries and are yet again taken into a lifeless Frame Warnings Aflictions Sicknesses the Word have awakened them but they are fallen again into a dead Sleep so as that they seem to be Trees whose Fruit withereth without Fruit twice dead plucked up by the Roots Some things must be spoken unto this woful Condition in general as that which is directly opposite unto the Grace and Duty of being Spiritually Minded and contrary unto and obstructive of the Growth of Spiritual Affections in an Assimulation unto Heavenly things And what shall be spoken may be applied unto all the Degrees of these Decayes though all of them are not alike dangerous or perillous First There may be a time of Temptation wherein a Soul may apprehend in it self not only a Decay in but an utter Loss of all Spiritual Affections when yet it is not so As Believers may apprehend and Judge that the Lord hath forsaken and forgotten them when he hath not done so Isaiah 49.14 15. So they may under their Temptations apprehend that they have forsaken God when they have not done so As a man in the Night may apprehend he hath lost his way and be in great Distress when he is in his proper Road. For Temptation brings Darkness and Amazement and leads into Mistakes and a false Judgement in all things They find not it may be Grace working in Love Joy and Delight as formerly nor that Activity of Heart and Mind in Holy Duties which Spiritual Affections gave unto them But yet it may be the same Grace works in Godly Sorrow by Mourning Humiliation and Self-Abasement no less effectually nor less acceptably unto God Such as these I seperate from the present Consideration Secondly There may be a Decay in Affections themselves as unto their actings towards any Objects whatever at least as unto the outward Symptoms and Effects of them and on this ground their Opperations towards Spiritual things may be less sensible So men in their younger days may be more ready to express their Sorrow by tears and their Joy by sensible Exaltation and Motion of their Spirits than in riper Years And this may be so when there is no Decay of Grace in the Affections as renewed But 1 When it is so it is a Burthen unto them in whom it is They cannot but mourn and have a Godly-Jealousy over themselves least the Decayes they find should not be in the Outward but the Inward not in the natural but the Spiritual Man And they will labour that in all Duties and at all times it may be with them as in Dayes of old although they cannot attain Strength in them that vigour of Spirit that Life Joy Peace and Comfort which any have had Experience of Secondly There will be in such Persons no Decayes in Holiness of Life nor as unto Diligence in all Religious Duties If the Decay be really of Grace in the Affections it will be accompanied with a proportionable Decay in all other things wherein the Life of God is concerned But if it be only as unto the sensible Actings of natural Affections no such Decay will ensue Thirdly Grace will in this case more vigorously act it self in the other Faculties and Powers of the Soul as the Judgment and the Will in their Approbation of and firm adherence unto Spiritual things But Fourthly When men find or may find their Affections yet quick active and intent on other things as the lawful Enjoyments and Comforts of this Life it is in vain for them to relieve themselves that the Decayes they find are in their Affections as natural and not as they ought to be gratious If we see a man in his old age grow more in Love with the things of this World and less in Love with the things of God it is not through the weakness of nature but through the strength of Sin On these and it may be some other the like Occasions there may be an Apprehension of a Decay in Spiritual Affections when it may not be so at least not unto the Degree that is apprehended But when it is so really as it is evidently with many I had almost said with the most in these Dayes it is a woful Frame of Heart and never enough to be lamented It is that which lies in direct Contradiction unto that Spiritual-Mindedness which is Life and Peace It is a Consumption of the Soul which threatens it with Death every day It belongs not unto my Design to treat of it in particular yet I cannot let it pass without some remarks upon it it being an Evil almost epidemical among Professors and prevalent in some unto such a Degree as that they seem to be utterly forsaken of all Powers of Spiritual Life Now besides all that Folly and Sin which we before discovered as the Causes of the want of the Growth of our Affections in Spirituality and Heavenliness which in this case of their Decay are more abominable there is a multiplication of Evils wherewith this State of Heart and
You had only a temporary Work which excited your Affections for a season which now it is worn off leaves no sweet Remembrance of it self upon your Minds Had your Faith and Love been sincere in what you did it were impossible but that the Remembrance of their Actings in some especial Instances should be sweet and refreshing unto you Or else 2 You are hardened through the Deceitfulness of Sin and there is no way left to give a Sense or Impression of Spiritual things upon your Minds You have truely nothing left in Religion but the Fear of Hell and trouble of Duties I speak not to such at present As unto those unto whom this Frame is a Burden there is no more effectual means to stir them unto Endeavours for Deliverance than a continual Remembrance of former things and Experiences they have had of holy Entercourse and Communion with God This will revive quicken and strengthen the things that are ready to dye and beget a Self-Abhorrency in them in consideration of that woful Frame and temper of Mind which by their Sins and Negligence they have brought themselves into 2dly Consider that as there are many things dreadfully pronounced in the Scripture against Backsliding and Backsliders in heart as it is with you yet also there are especial Calls and Promises given and proposed unto those in your Condition And know assuredly that upon your Compliance or non-Compliance with them depends your everlasting Blessedness or Woe Consider both Call and Promise in that Word of Gods Grace Jer. 3.12 13 14. Go and proclaim these Words towards the North and say Return thou Backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine Anger to fall upon you for I am merciful faith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine Iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy wayes to the Strangers under every green Tree and ye have not obeyed my Voice saith the Lord. Turn O backsliding Children saith the Lord for I am married unto you and I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion Add thereunto this blessed Promise Hos. 14.4 I will heal their backsliding I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from them If you design to live and not die it must be by yielding Obedience unto this Call and pleading this Promise before God mixing it with Faith Your Return must be by the Word Isai. 57.18 19. Here lies your great Encouragement and Direction herein lyeth your only Relief As you value your Souls defer not the Duty you are called unto one moment You know not how soon you may be without the reach of Calls and Promises And he that can hear them without stirring up himself in Sincerity to comply with them hath made already a great Progress towards that length 3 As unto those who on these and the like Considerations do not only desire but will endeavour also to retrieve themselves from this Condition I shall give no advice at present but this be in good earnest As the Prophet speaks in another Case if you will return return and come make through work of it You must do so at one time or another or you will perish Why not now Why is not this the best Season Who knows but it may be the only time you will have for it It were easy to multiply all sorts of Arguments unto this purpose Trifling Endeavours Occasional Resolutions and Attempts like the early Cloud and morning Dew shifting with Warnings and Convictions by renewed Duties until their Impressions are worn out will ruine your Souls Unless there be universal Diligence and Permanency in your Endeavours you are undone Then shall ye know the Lord if you follow on to know him But now to return These things I say through our Sloth Negligence and Sin may befal us as unto our Spiritually renewed Affections Their Progress in Conformity unto Spiritual and Heavenly things may be slow imperceptible yea totally obstructed for a season and not only so but they may fall under Decays and the Soul therein be guilty of backsliding from God But this is that which they are capacitated for by their Renovation this is that whereby the Grace wherewith they are renewed doth lead unto this is that which in the diligent use of means they will grow up unto whereon our Comfort and Peace do depend namely an holy Assimulation unto those Spiritual and heavenly things which they are set and fixed on wherein they are renewed and made more Spiritual and Heavenly every day CHAP. XVIII IT remains only as unto this Head now spoken unto that we briefly consider what is the State of Spiritual Affections thus daily exercised and improved And this we shall do by shewing 1 What is their Pattern 2 What is their Rule 3 What is their Measure or whereunto they may attain First The Pattern which we ought continually to bear in our Eyes whereunto our Affections ought to be conformed is Jesus Christ and the Affections of his holy Soul The Mind is the Seat of all our Affections and this is that we ought continually to design and endeavour namely that the same Mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus Phil. 2.5 To have our Minds so affected with Spiritual things as was the Mind of Christ is the principal Part of our Duty and Grace Nor do I think that any man can attain any considerable Degree in Spiritual Mindedness who is not much in the Contemplation of the same Mind in Christ 2 Cor. 3.18 To this purpose ought we to furnish our Minds with Instances of the holy Affections that were in Christ and their blessed Exercise on all Occasions The Scripture makes a full Representation of them unto us and we ought to be conversant in our Meditations on them What glorious things are spoken of his Love to God and his Delight in him whence also he delighted to do his Will and his Law was in the midst of his Bowels Psal. 40.8 Seated in the throne of his Affections What Pitty and Compassion had he for the Souls of men yea for whole humane Kind in all their Sufferings Pains and Distresses How were all his Affections alwayes in Perfection of Order under the Conduct of the Spirit of his Mind Thence was his Self-denial his Contempt of the World his Readiness for the Cross to do or suffer according to the Will of God If this Pattern be continually before us it will put forth a transforming Efficacy to change us into the same Image When we find our Minds liable unto any Disorders cleaving inordinately unto the things of this World moved with intemperate Passions vain and frothy in Conversation darkened or disturbed by the Fumes of distempered Lusts let us call things to an account and ask of our selves whether this be the Frame of Mind that was in Christ Jesus This therefore is an Evidence
the Affections It were easy to manifest that from these three corrupt Springs arose that Flood of Idolatry and False-Worship which spread it self over the Church of Rome and with whose Machinations the Minds of men are yet too much replenished Fourthly Where it is not thus yet carnal Affections do variously debase Spiritual things to bring them into a Conformity with themselves And this may proceed so far until men think wickedly that God is altogether like unto them But I shall not insist on these things any farther Lastly Where Affections are Spiritually renewed the Person oâ— Christ is the Center of them but where they are changed only they tend unto an End in Self Where the new man as â—ut on Christ is all in all Col. 3.10 11. He is the Spring by his Spirit that gives them Life Light and Being and he is the Ocean that receives all their Sâ—â—egâ—â—â— God even the Father presents not himself in his Beauty and Amiableness as the Object of our Affections but as he is in Christ acting his Love in him 1 Joh. 4.8 9. And as unto all other Spiritual things renewed Affections cleave unto them according as they derive from Christ and lead unto him for he is unto them all and in all It is he whom the Souls of his Saints do love for himself for his own Sake and all other things of Religion in and for him The Air is pleasant and useful that without which we cannot live or breath But if the Sun did not enlighten it and warm it with its Beams if it were alwayes one perpetual Night and cold what Refreshment could be received by it Christ is the Sun of Righteousness and if his Beams do not quicken animate and enlighten the best the most necessary Duties of Religion nothing desirable would remain in them This is the most certain Character of Affections Spiritually renewed They can rest in nothing but in Christ they fix on nothing but what is amiable by a Participation of his Beauty and in whatever he is therein do they find Complacency It is otherwise with them whose Affections may be changed but are not renewed That Truth is and it may be made good by all sorts of Instances that Christ in the Mystery of his Person and in the Glory of his Mediation are the only things that they dislike in Religion False Representations of him by Images and Pictures they may embrace and delight in false Notions of his present Glory Greatness and Power may affect them a Worship of their own devising they may give unto him and please themselves in it Corrupt Opinions concerning his Office and Grace may possess their Minds and they may contend for them but those who are not Spiritually renewed cannot love the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity yea they have an inward Secret Aversation from the Mystery of his Person and his Grace It is Self which all their Affections center in the wayes whereof are too long here to be declared This is the first thing that is required to render our Affections in such a State and Condition as that from and by them we may be Spiritually-Minded namely That they themselves are Spiritually and savingly renewed The things that remain will admit of a speedy dispatch as I suppose CHAP. XIX THE Second thing required that we may be Spiritually Minded as unto the Interest of our Affections therein is the Object of them about which they are conversant and whereunto they do adhere What this is materially or what are the Spiritual things which our Affections are to be set upon hath been declared already under the Consideration of the Object of our Thoughts and Meditations for they are the same Yea as hath been intimated the fixing of our Affections upon them is the Spring and cause of our Thoughts about them But that which we shall now enquire into is the true Notion and Consideration of Spiritual and Heavenly things which renders them the formal proper Object of Spiritual Affections and is the reason of their Adherance unto them For as was intimated before men may have false Notions of Spiritual things under which they may like them and embrace them with unrenewed Affections Wherefore we shall enquire into some of those Considerations of Heavenly things under which Affections Spiritually renewed do satisfactorily cleave unto them with Delight and Complacency 1. And the First is that as they comprehend God in Christ and all other things as deriving from him and tending unto him they have an infinite Beauty Goodness and Amiableness in them which are powerfully attractive of Spiritual Affections and which alone are able to fill to them to satisfy them to give them Rest and Acquiescency Love is the most ruling and prevalent Affection in the whole Soul But it cannot be fixed on any Object without an Apprehension true or false of an Amiableness and Desirableness in it from a suitable Goodness unto all its Desires And our Fear so far as it is Spiritual hath divine Goodness for its Object Hos. 3.5 Unless this be that which draws our Hearts unto God and the things of God in all Pretence of Love unto him men do but Frame Idols to themselves according to their own Understanding as the Prophet speaks Hos. 13.2 Wherefore that our Affections may cleave unto Spiritual things in a due manner three things are required 1 That we apprehend and do find a Goodness a Beauty and thence an Amiableness and Desirableness in them â—â—ech â— 17 Many pretend to love God and Spiritual things but they know not why Why they love other things they know well enough but why they love God they cannot tell Many are afraid of him suppose they ought to love him and therefore pretend so to do though indeed they know they do not they do but flatter him with their lips when their hearts are far from him Some are much affected with the Benefits and Mercies they receive from him and suppose that they love him on that account But this love is no other but what the Devil falsely charged Job withal Chap. 1.8 9 10 11. Some have Delight in the outward Modes and Rites of Divine Worship wherewith they satisfy themselves that they love God and Spiritual things when they only please their own Imaginations and Carnal Minds Many have a Traditional Apprehension that they ought to love God they know no reason why they should not they know it will be ill for them if they do not and these take it for granted that they do How few are there who have that Spiritual discerning and apprehension of the divine Excellencies that view of the Excellency of the Goodness and Love of God in Christ as thereby alone to be drawn after him and to delight in him yet is this the ground of all sincere real love unto God Two things are required that we may apprehend an amiable Goodness in any thing and cleave unto it with sincere Affection First A real Worth or
the Text from whence the whole is educed is to manifest how it is Life and Peace which is affirmed by the Apostle This shall be done with all brevity as having passed through that which was principally designed And two things are we to enquire into 1 What is meant by Life and Peace 2 In what Sense to be Spiritually Minded is both of them 1 That Spiritual Life whereof we are made Partakers in this World is threefold or there are three Gospel Priviledges or Graces so expressed 1 There is the Life of Justification Therein the Just by Faith do live as freed from the Condemnatory Sentence of the Law So the Righteousness of one comes on all that believe unto the Justification of Life Rom. 5.18 It gives unto Believers a Right and Title to Life for they that receive the abundance of Grace and the Gift of Righteousness shall reign in Life by one Christ Jesus vers 17. This is not the Life here intended for this Life depends solely on the Soveraign Grace of God by Jesus Christ and the Imputation of his Righteousness unto us unto Pardon Right to Life and Salvation 2 There is a Life of Sanctification As Life in the foregoing sense in opposed unto Death spiritual as unto the the Guilt of it and the condemnatory Sentence of Death wherewith it was accompanied so in this it is opposed unto it as unto its internal Power on and Efficacy in the Soul to keep it under an Impotency unto all Acts of Spiritual Life yea an Enmity against them This is that Life wherewith we are quickned by Christ Jesus when before we were dead in Trespasses and Sins Ephes. 2.1 5. Of this Life the Apostle treats directly in this place for having in the first four verses of the Chapter declared the Life of Justification in the nature and Causes of it in the following he treats of Death spiritual in Sin with the Life of Sanctification whereby we are freed from it And to be Spiritually-Minded is this Life in a double Sense 1 In that it is the principal Effect and Fruit of that Life The Life it self consists in the Infusion and Communication of a Principle of Life that is of Faith and Obedience unto all the Faculties and Powers of our Soul enabling us to live unto God To be Spiritually-Minded which is a Grace whereunto many Duties do concur and that not only as to the Actings of all Grace in them but as unto the Degrees of their Exercise cannot be this Life formally But it is that wherein the Power of this Principle of Life doth in the first and chiefest place put forth it self All Actings of Grace all Duties of Obedience internal and external do proceed from this Spring and Fountain Nothing of that kind is acceptable unto God but what is influenced by it and is an Effect of it but it principally puts forth its Vertue and Efficacy in rendring our Minds Spiritual which if it effect not it works not at all that is we are utterly destitute of it The next and immediate Work of the Principle of Life in our Sanctification is to renew the Mind to make it Spiritual and thereon gradually to carry it on unto that Degree which is here called being Spiritually-Minded 2 It is the proper Adjunct and Evidence of it Would any one know whether he be Spiritually alive unto God with the Life of Sanctification and Holiness The Communication of it unto him being by an Almighty Act of creating Power Ephes 2.10 It is not easily discernable so as to help us to make a right Judgement of it from its Essence or Form But where things are in themselves indiscernable we may know them from their proper and inseperable Adjuncts which are therefore called by the Names of the Essence or the Form it self Such is this being Spiritually-Minded with respect unto the Life of Sanctification it is an inseperable Property and Adjunct of it whereby it infallibly evidenceth if self unto them in whom it is In these two respects it is the Life of Sanctification 3 Life is taken for the Comforts and Refreshments of Life So speaks the Apostle 1 Thes. 3.8 Now we live if you stand fast in the Lord now our Life will do us good we have the Comforts the Refreshments and the Joyes of it Non est vivere Sed valere vita The Comforts and Satisfactions of Life are more Life than Life it self It is Life that is that which makes Life to be so bringing in that Satisfaction those Refreshments unto it which make it pleasant and desirable And I do suppose this is that which is principally intended in the Words of the Apostle it is Life a chearful joyous Life a Life worth the living In Explication and Confirmation whereof it is added that it is Peace also Peace is twofold 1 General and absolute that is Peace with God through Jesus Christ which is celebrated in the Scripture and which is the only Original Spring and Fountain of all Consolation unto Believers that which virtually containes in it every thing that is good Useful or desirable unto them But it is not here precisely intended It is not so 1 As to the immediate ground and Cause of it which is our Justification not our Sanctification Rom. 5.1 Being justifyed by Faith we have Peace with God So Christ alone is our Peace as he who hath made Peace for us by the Blood of the Cross Ephes. 2.14 15. Hereof our being Spiritually-Minded is no way the cause or reason only it is an Evidence and Pledge of it as we shall see 2 Not as unto the formal nature of it Peace with God through the Blood of Christ is one thing and Peace in our Minds through an holy Frame in them is another The former is communicated unto us by an immediate Act of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us Rom. 5.5 The latter is an Effect on our Minds begun and gradually carryed on by the Duties we have before at large declared The immediate Actings of the holy Spirit in sealing us witnessing unto our Adoption and being an Earnest of Glory are required unto the former Our own Sedulity and Diligence in Duties and the Exercise of all Grace are required unto the latter 2 Peace is taken for a peculiar Fruit of the Spirit consisting in a gracious Quietness and Composure of Mind in the mid'st of Difficulties Temptations Troubles and such other things as are apt to fill us with Fears Despondencies and Disquietments This is that which keeps the Soul in its own Power free from Transports by Fears or Passions on all the abiding Grounds of Gospel Consolation For although this be a peculiar especial Grace yet it it that which is influenced and kept alive by the Consideration of all the Love of God in Christ and all the Fruits of it And whereas Peace includes in the first Notion of it an inward Freedom from Oppositions and Troubles which those in whom it is are outwardly exposed
unto there are two things from which we are secured by this Peace which is an Effect of being Spiritually Minded The first is Offences There is nothing of whose Danger we are more warned in the Gospel than of Offences Wo to the World saith our Saviour because of Offences All Ages all Times and Seasons are filled with them and they pâ—ove pernitious and destructive to the Souls of many Such are the Scandalous Divisions that are among Christians the endless Differences of Opinions and diversity of practices in Religion and the Worship of God the Falls and Sins of Professors the fearful ends of some of them the Reproaches that are cast on all that ingage into any peculiar way of Holiness and strictness of Life with other things of the like nature whereby the souls of innumerable Persons are disquieted subverted or infected are to be reckoned unto this Head Against any hurtful or noxious Influence on our Minds from these things against Disquietments Dejections of Spirit and Disconsolations are we secured by this Peace So the Psalmist assures us Psal. 119.165 Great Peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them The Law or the Word of God is the only way of the Revelation of God and his Will unto us and the only outward Way and Rule of our Converse and Communion with him Wherefore to love the Law is the principal part of our being heavenly Minded yea virtually that which comprehends the whole For such as do so nothing none of the things before mentioned nor any other of the like nature shall be an Offence a stumbling Block or cause of falling into sin And the reason is because they have such an Experience in themselves of the Truth Power Efficacy and Holiness of the Gospel as that the Miscarriages of Men under a Profession of it shall never be unto them an Occasion of falling or being offended at Christ. And I look upon it as a sign of a very evil Frame of Heart when men are concerned in the Miscarriages of some that have made Profession whereby they are it may be damaged in their Outward Concerns so as that they are surprized into Reflections on that Religion which they profess professing the same themselves 2 The second is Afflictions Persecutions and Sufferings of all Sorts It is known by all It were well if it were not so well known what Disquietments Dejections and Disconsolations these things are apt to fill the Minds of Men withal What Fears Troubles Sorrows they reflect upon them Against all these Effects of them this Peace intended gives us Security It makes us to preserve a peaceable yea a joyous Life in our Conflict with them see Joh. 16.33 Both these as here joyned together Life and Peace do comprize an holy Frame of Heart and Mind wherein the Souls of Believers do find Rest Quietness Refreshment and Satisfaction in God in the midst of Temptations Afflictions Offenâ—es and Sufferings It is the Souls Composure of it self in God in his Love in Christ Jesus so as not greatly to be put out of Order to be cast down with any thing that may befall it but affords men Chearfulness and Satisfaction in themselves though they walk sometimes in the Valley of the Shadow of Death Such Persons have that in them abiding with them as will give them Life and Peace under all Occurrences 2 Our next enquiry is how this Spiritual Mindedness is Life and Peace or what it contributes unto them how it produceth the Frame of Heart and Mind so expressed And this it doth several wayes 1 It is the only meanes on our part of retaining a Sense of Divine Love The Love of God in a gracious Sense of it as shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost is the first and only Foundation of all durable Comforts Such as will support and refresh us under all Oppositions and Distresses that is of Life and Peace in our Souls in any Condition This God communicates by an Act of Soveraign Grace for the most part without any Preparation for it in our selves He creates the Fruit of the Lips Peace Peace But although Divine Love be in it self unchangeable and alwayes the same yet this Sense of it may be lost as it was in David when he prayed that God would restore unto him the Joys of his Salvation Psal. 51.12 And so many others have found it by woful Experience To insist upon all that is required on our parts that we may retain a gratious refreshing Sense of Divine Love after it is once granted unto us belongs not unto my present purpose But this I say there is not any thing wherein we are more concerned for to be careful and diligent in than as unto what belongs to that end For men who by a meer Act of Soveraign Grace have tasted herein of the Goodness of God who have had the Consolation and Joys of it to be negligent in the keeping and preserving it in their Souls is a Provocation that they will at one time or other be sensible of There is nothing doth more grieve the Holy Spirit than to have his especial Work whereby he Seales us unto the Day of Redemption neglected or despised And it argues a mighty Prevalency of some Corruption or Temptation that shall cause men willingly and by their own Sloth to forfeit so inestimable a Grace Mercy and Priviledge And it is that which there are but few of us who have not reason to bewail our Folly in Every Intimation of Divine Love is an inestimable Jewel which if safely treasured up in our Hearts adds unto our Spiritual Riches and being lost will at one time or another affect us with Sorrow And I am afraid that many of us are very negligent herein unto the great prejudice of our Souls and Spiritual State Many such Intimations are given us by the Holy Ghost through the Word which we take little notice of either we know not the Voice of Christ in them or do not hearken unto him in a due manner or refuse a Compliance with him when we cannot but know that he speaks unto us see Cant. 5.2 3. Or if we recieve any Impressions of a gratious Sense of Divine Love in them we quickly lose them not knowing how much the Life of our Souls is concerned therein and what use of them we may have in our following Temptations Tryals and Duties Now the great means of retaining a Sense of the Love of God which is the only spring of Life and Peace unto our Souls is this Grace and Duty of being Spiritually-Minded This is evident from the very nature of the Duty For 1 It is the Souls preserving of it self in a Frame meet to receive and retain this sense of Gods Love What other way can there be on our part but that our Minds which are so to receive it and retain it are Spiritual and Heavenly alwayes prepared for that holy Converse and Communion with himself which he
excess in it both weakens Spiritual Life and disturbs yea destroys all solid Spiritual Peace I have occasionally spoken unto it before as also the way whereby our minding of the things that are above in a due manner doth deliver and preserve our Souls from the Snares of it And if we diligently examine our selves we shall find that in our inordinate Affections and cleaving unto these things the principal Causes why we thrive no more in the power of Spiritual Life and whence we meet with so many Disquietments and Dejections of Spirit unto the disturbance of our Prace and Rest in God is from hence For there is no Grace which is not impaired by it in its nature or not obstructed by it in its Exercise Wherefore to be Spiritually Minded is Life and Peace because it subdues and expells that inordinate Love unto present things which is destructive of them both and inconsistent with them 4 It preserves the Mind in a due and holy Frame in the Performance of all other Duties This also is indispensibly required unto the Preservation of Life and Peace especially unto the improvement of them They will not abide much less thrive and flourish in any Persons who are negligent in holy Duties or do not perform them in a due manner And there are four things which impede or hinder us from such an attendance unto Holy Duties as may be advantagious unto our Souls against all which we have relief by being Spiritually Minded 1 Distractions 2 Despondencies 3 Weariness 4 Unreadiness of Grace for Exercise 1 Distraction of Mind and Thoughts hath this evil Effect which many complain of few take the right way of Deliverance from For this Evil will not be cured by attendance unto any particular Directions without a change of the whole Frame of our Minds Nothing can give us Relief herein but a prevalent Delight in being exercised about things Spiritual and Heavenly For hence arise all our Distractions the want of fixing our minds on Spiritual things with Delight makes them obnoxious to be diverted from them on all occasions yea to seek occasions for such Diversions It is this frame alone namely of Spiritual Mindedness that will give us this Delight For thereby the Soul is transformed into the likness of Spiritual things so as that they are suited unto it and pleasant unto our Affections The mind and the things themselves are thereby so fitted unto each other that on every occasion they are ready for mutual Embraces and not easily drawn off by any cause or means Of the Distractions so complained of yea they will all be prevented hereby 2 Despondencys in Duties arise from the frequent Incursions of the Guilt of Sin The remembrance hereof frequently sollicites the Minds of Persons in their first entrances into Duty unless they are under especial actings of Grace stirring them up unto earnestness and fervency in what they undertake At other seasons it renders men Lifeless and Heartless so as that they know not whether they had best Pray or no when Duty and Opportunity call them thereunto To be Spiritually Minded we have manifested in many Instances is the great Preservative against these disheartening incursions of sin It is the Souls watch and guard against them whence ever they arise or proceed No lust or corruption can be Prevalent in a Spiritual mind And this is the Principal cause of such Incursions of Sin as affect the Soul with a disheartening sense of Guilt No Affections can abide in any sinful Disorder where the Mind is so affected This also gives sin an entrance unto a distracting sense of Guilt But the fole Cure hereof lyes in this Grace and Duty The like may be said of all other wayes meanes and Occasions of such Incursions of Sin 3 Weariness in and of Spiritual Duties abate their tendency unto the Improvement of Life and Peace in us This Evil ariseth from the same Cause with that or Distraction before mentioned And it is oft-times encreased by the Weakness and Indispositions of the Flesh or of the outward man Sometimes the Spirit is willing but through the weakness of the Flesh it is disappointed The principal cure hereof lyes in that Delight which spiritual Mindedness gives unto the Soul in Spiritual things For where there is constant Delight in any thing there will be no weariness at least not such as shall hinder any from cleaving firmly unto the things wherein he doth delight Whil'st therefore we are exercised in a delight in Spiritual things weariness cannot prevalently assault the Mind And it is the only Relief against that Weariness which proceeds from the Indispositions of the outward man For as it will preserve the Mind from attending too much unto their Solicitations crying spare thy self by filling and possessing the Thoughts with other things so it will offer an holy Violence unto the Complaints of the Flesh silencing them with a sense of and delight in holy Duties 4 The Unreadiness of Grace for its due and proper Excercise is another thing which defeats us of the Benefit of holy Duties The Seasons of them are come sense of Duty carries men unto an Attendance unto them and the performance of them But when they should enter upon them those Graces of Faith Love Fear and Delight wherein the Soul and Being of them do consist are out of the way unready for a due Exercise so as that men take up and satisfy themselves with the meer outward Performance of them The Heart and Mind have been taken up with other things due Preparation hath been wanting men come unto them with reaking Thoughts of earthly Occasions and it is no easy matter in or immediately out of such a Frame to stir up Grace unto a due Exercise But herein lyeth the very Life of being Spiritually Minded The nature of it consists in the keeping and preserving all Grace in a Readiness for its Exercise as our Occasions require And this is an effectual way whereby this Grace come to be Life and Peace For they cannot be attained they cannot be preserved without such a constancy and Spirituality in all holy Duties as we shall never arive at unless we are Spiritually Minded Lastly this frame of mind brings the Soul unto and keeps it at its nearest approaches unto Heaven and Blessedness wherein lye the eternal springs of life and Peace According unto the Degrees of this Grace in us such are those of our approaches unto God Nearness unto him gives us our initial conformity unto him by the Renovation of his Image in us as our Presence with him will give us Perfection therein for when we see him we shall be like unto him He therefore alone as he is in Christ being the fountain of Life and Peace by our drawing nigh unto him and by our Likeness of him will they thrive and flourish in our Souls FINIS
Nature and compliant with its inclinations Wherefore these Thoughts give the best measure of the frame of our Minds and Hearts I mean such as are Voluntary such as the mind of its own accord is apt for inclines and ordinarily betakes it self unto Men may have a multitude of Thoughts about the Affairs of their Callings and the Occasions of life which yet may give no due measure of the inward frame of their Hearts So men whose calling and work it is to study the Scripture or the things revealed therein and to preach them unto others cannot but have many Thoughts about Spiritual things and yet may be and oftentimes are most remote from being spiritually minded They may be forced by their Work and Calling to think of them early and late Evening and Morning and yet their Minds be no way rendred or proved Spiritual thereby It were well if all of us who are Preachers would diligently examine our selves herein So is it with them who oblige themselves to read the Scripture it may be so many Chapters every day notwithstanding the diligent performance of their Task they may be most remote from being spiritually minded See Ezek. 33.31 But there is a certain Track and Course of Thoughts that men ordinarily betake themselves unto when not affected with present Occasions If these be vain foolish Proud Ambitious sensual or filthy such is the mind and its frame If they be Holy Spiritual and Heavenly such may the frame of the mind be judged to be But these things must be more fully explained It is the great Character and description of the frame of mens minds in an unregenerate Condition or before the Renovation of their Natures That every Imagination of the Thoughts of their Hearts are only evil continually Gen. 6.5 They are continually coyning Figments and Imaginations in their Hearts stamping them into Thoughts that are vain foolish and wicked All other Thoughts in them are occasional these are the natural genuine product of their Hearts Hence the clearest and sometimes first discovery of the bottomless evil Treasure of filth folly and wickedness that is in the Heart of man by nature is from the innumerable multitude of evil Imaginations which are there coyned and thrust forth every day So the wicked are said to be like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt Isa. 57.20 There is a fulness of evil in their Hearts like that of water in the Sea This fulness is troubled or put into continual Motion by their Lusts and impetuous desires Hence the mire and dirt of evil Thoughts are continually cast up in them It is therefore evident that the Predominancy of Voluntary thoughts is the best and most sure indication of the inward frame and State of the mind For if it be so on the one side as unto the Carnal mind it is so on the other as unto the Spiritual Wherefore to be spiritually minded in the first place is to have the Course and Stream of those Thoughts which we ordinarily retreat unto which we approve of as suited unto our Affections to be about spiritual things Therein consists the minding of the Spirit But because all men unless horribly profligate have thoughts about spiritual things yet we know that all men are not spiritually minded we must consider What is required unto such Thoughts to render them a certain Indication of the state of our minds And there are these three things required hereunto 1. That they be natural arising from our selves and not from outward occasions The Psalmist mentions the inward thoughts of men Psal. 49.11 64.6 But whereas all thoughts are the inward Acts of the mind it should seem that this expression makes no distinction of the especial kind of Thoughts intended from those of another sort But the difference is not in the formal Nature of them but in the Causes Springs and Occasions Inward thoughts are such as arise meerly and solely from mens inward Principles Dispositions and Inclinations that are not suggested or excited by any outward Objects Such in wicked men are those actings of their Lusts whereby they entice and seduce themselves Jam. 1.14 Their Lusts stir up thoughts leading and encouraging them to make Provision for the flesh These are their inward Thoughts Of the same Nature are those thoughts which are the minding of the Spirit They are the first natural egress and genuine acting of the habitual disposition of the Mind and Soul Thus in Covetous men there are two sorts of thoughts whereby their Covetousness acts it self First Such as are occasioned by outward Objects and Opportunities So it was with Achan Josh. 7.21 When saith he I saw among the Spoyls a goodly Babylonish Garment and two hundred Shekels of Silver and a Wedge of Gold then I coveted them His sight of them with an Opportunity of possessing himself of them excited covetous thoughts and desires in him So is it with others every day whose Occasions call them to converse with the Objects of their Lusts. And some by such Objects may be surprized into Thoughts that their minds are not habitually inclined unto And therefore when they are known it is our duty to avoid them But the same sort of Persons have thoughts of this nature arising from themselves only their own dispositions and inclinations without any outward Provocations The vile Person will speak villany and his heart will work iniquity Isa. 32.6 And this he doth as the liberal deviseth liberal things v. 8. from his own disposition and inclination he is contriving in his thoughts how to act according to them So the Vnclean Person hath two sorts of thoughts with respect unto the satisfaction of his Lusts. First Such as are occasioned in his mind by the external Objects of it Hereunto Stage-playes Revellings Dancings with the Society of bold Persons Persons of corrupt Communication do contribute their wicked Service For the avoidance of this Snare Job made a Covenant with his Eyes Chap. 31.1 And our Saviour gives that holy Declaration of the evil of it Mat. 5.28 But he hath an habitual Spring of these thoughts in himself constantly enclining and disposing him thereunto Hence the Apostle Peter tells us that such Persons have eyes full of an Adulteress that cannot cease from sin 2 Ep. 2.14 Their own Affections make them restless in their thoughts and contrivances about sin So is it with them who are given to excess in Wine or strong Drink They have pleasing thoughts raised in them from the Object of their lust represented unto them Hence Solomon gives that advice against the Occasion of them Prov. 23.31 But it is their own habitual disposition which carries them unto pleasing thoughts of the satisfaction of their Lusts which he describes v. 34 35. So is it in other Cases The thoughts of this latter sort are mens inward thoughts and such must these be of Spiritual things whence we may be esteemed spiritually minded Psal. 45.1 Saith the
two things that the weaker sort of Believers may be exercised with in their Thoughts of the Divine Being and Existence which may occasion them some trouble 1. Sathan knowing the weakness of our Minds in the immediate Contemplation of things infinite and incomprehensible will sometimes take advantage to insinuate blasphemous Imaginations in opposition unto what we would fix upon and relieve our selves withal He will take that very time trusting unto our weakness and his own methods of subtilty to suggest his Temptations unto Atheism by insnaring Enquiries when we go about to refresh our Souls with Thoughts of the Divine Being and Excellencies But is there a God indeed How do you know that there is a God and may it not be otherwise will be his language unto our minds For from his first Temptation by way of an ensnaring Question Yea and hath God said it ye shall not eat of every Tree of the Garden he proceeds still much in the same methods So he did with our Saviour himself If thou be the Son of God Is there a God how if there should be none In such a case the Rule is given us by the Apostle Above all take the shield of Faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Wicked Eph. 6.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the wicked one that is the Devil And two wayes will Faith Act it self on this occasion 1. By a speedy rejection of such Diabolical Suggestions with detestation So did our Saviour in a case not unlike it Get thee behind me Sathan Wherefore if any such Thoughts are suggested or seem to arise in your minds know assuredly that they are no less immediately from the Devil than if he personally stood before you and visibly appear'd unto you if he did so there is none of you but would arm your selves with an utter defiance of what he should offer unto you It is no less necessary on this occasion when you may feel him though you see him not Suffer not his fiery darts to abide one moment with you entertain no parly or dispute about them reject them with indignation and strengthen your rejection of them with some pertinent testimony of Scripture as our Saviour did If a man have a Granado or Fire-ball cast into his Cloaths by his Enemy he doth not consider whether it will burn or no but Immediately shakes it off from him Deal no otherwise with these fiery darts lest by their abode with you they inflame your Imagination unto greater disturbance 2. In case they utterly depart not upon this Endeavour for their exclusion and casting out return immediately without further dispute unto your own Experience When the Devil hath ask'd you the Question if you answer him you will be ensnar'd but if thereon you ask your selves the Question and apply your selves unto your own experience for an answer unto it you will frustrate all his designs There are Arguments to be taken as was said from the Light of Nature and Reason in its proper exercise sufficient to defeat all Objections of that kind But these are not our proper weapons in case of our own Temptation which alone is now under Consideration It requires longer and more sedate reasonings than such a state will admit of nor is it a Sanctified medium for our Relief It is what is suited unto suggestions on the occasion of our Meditations that we enquire after In them we are not to argue on such Principles but to take the shield of Faith to Quench these fiery darts And if on such occasions Sathan can divert us into long disputes about the Being of God he hath his end by carrying us off from the meditation on him which we did design and after a while he will prevail to make it a common road and trade that no sooner shall we begin to think of God but immediately we must dispute about his Being Therefore the way in this case for him who is really a Believer is to retreat immediately unto his own Experience which will pour shame and contempt on the suggestions of Sathan There is no Believer who hath knowledge and time to exercise the wisdom of Faith in the consideration of himself and of Gods dealings with him but hath a witness in himself of his eternal Power and Godhead as also of all those other Perfections of his Nature which he is pleased to manifest and glorify by Jesus Christ. Wherefore on this suggestion of Sathan that there is no God he will be able to say that he might better tell me that I do not Live nor Breathe that I am not fed by my Meat nor warm'd by my Cloaths that I know not my self nor any thing else For I have spiritual sence and experience of the contrary like him of old who when a cunning Sophister would prove unto him by Syllogisms that there was no such thing as motion he gave no answer unto his Arguments but Rose up and walked How often will he say have I had experience of the power and presence of God in Prayer as though I had not only heard of him by the hearing of the ear but also seen him by the seeing of the eye How often hath he put forth his Power and Grace in me by his Spirit and his Word with an uncontrollable Evidence of his Being Goodness Love and Grace How often hath he refreshed my Conscience with the sense of the pardon of sin speaking that peace unto my Soul which all the world could not communicate unto me In how many afflictions dangers troubles hath he been a present help and relief what sensible Emanations of Life and Power from him have I obtain'd in Meditation on his Grace and Glory As he who had been blind answered the Pharisees unto their ensnaring captious questions Be it what it will One thing I know that whereas I was blind now I see Whatever saith such a Soul be in this Temptation of Sathan one thing I know full well that whereas I was dead I am alive whereas I was blind now I see and that by an effect of divine power This shield of Faith managed in the hand of Experience will quench the fiery darts of Sathan and he will fall under a double defeat 1. His Temptations will be repell'd by the proper way of resistance whereon he will not only desist in his Attempt but even fly from you Resist the Devil saith the Apostle and he will fly from you He will not only depart and cease to trouble you but will depart as one defeated and confounded And it is for want of this resistance lively made use of that many hang so long in the Bryars of this Temptation 2. Recalling the Experiences we have had of God will lead us unto the exercise of all kind of Graces which is the greatest disappointment of our Adversary 2. In Thoughts of the Divine Being and Existence we are apt to be at a loss to be as it were overwhelmed in
our minds because the Object is too great and Glorious for us to contemplate on Eternity and Immensity every thing under the notion of Infinite take off the mind from its distinct actings and reduce it as it were unto nothing Hereon in some not able to abide in the strict Reasons of things vain and foolish Imaginations are apt to arise and enquiries how can these things be which we cannot comprehend Others are utterly at a loss and turn away their Thoughts from them as they would do their eyes from the bright beams of the Sun Two things are adviseable in this case 1. That we betake our selves unto an holy Admiration of what we cannot comprehend In these things we cannot see God and Live nay in life Eternal it self they are not absolutely to be comprehended only what is Infinite can fully comprehend what is so Here they are the Objects of Faith and Worship in them we may find rest and satisfaction when enquiries and reasonings will disquiet us and it may be overwhelm us Infinite Glory forbids us any near approach but only by Faith The Soul thereby bowing down it self unto Gods adoreable Greatness and Imcomprehensible Perfections finding our selves to be nothing and God to be all will give us rest and peace in these things Rom. 11.33 34 35 36. We have but unsteady Thoughts of the greatness of the World and all the Nations and Inhabitants of it yet are both it and these but as the dust of the ballance and the drop of the bucket as vanity as nothing compared with God what then can our Thoughts concerning him issue in but holy Admiration 2. In case we are brought unto a loss and disorder in our minds on the contemplation of any one Infinite Property of God it is good to divert our Thoughts unto the Effects of it such as whereof we have or may have experience for what is too great or high for us in it self is made suitable to our understandings in its Effects So the Invisible things of God are known in and by the things that are seen And there is indeed no Property of the Divine Nature but we may have an experience of it as unto some of its effects in and upon our selves These we may consider and in the Streams taste of the Fountain which we cannot approach By them we may be led unto an holy admiration of what is in it self Infinite Immense Imcomprehensible I cannot comprehend the Immensity of Gods Nature it may be I cannot understand the nature of Immensity yet if I find by experience and do strongly believe that he is alwaies present wherever I am I have the Faith of it and satisfaction in it 2. With Thoughts of the divine Being those of his Omnipresence and Omniscience ought continually to accompany us We cannot take one step in a walk before him unless we remember that alwayes and in all places he is present with us that the frame of our hearts and our inward Thoughts are continually in his view no less than our outward Actions And as we ought to be perpetually under an awe of and in the fear of God in these apprehensions so there are some seasons wherein our minds ought to be in the actual conception and thoughts of them without which we shall not be preserved in our Duty 1. The first season of this nature is when times places with other occasions of Temptation and consequently of Sinning do come and meet With some Company doth constitute such a season and with some Secrecy with Opportunity do the same There are those who are ready with a careless boldness to put themselves on such Societies as they do know have been Temptations unto them and occasions of sin every such entrance into any society or company unto them who know how it hath formerly succeeded is their actual sin and it is Just with God to leave them to all the evil Consequents that do ensue Others also do either choose or are frequently cast on such Societies and no sooner are they engag'd in them but they forget all regard unto God and give themselves up not only unto Vanity but unto various sorts of excess David knew the Evil and Danger of such occasions and gives us an account of his behaviour in them Psal. 39.1 2 3. I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me I was dumb with silence I held my peace even from Good and my sorrow was stirred My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned then spake I with my tongue As for their evil words and wayes he would have no communication with them And as unto Good discourse he judged it unseasonable to cast Pearl before Swine He was therefore silent as unto that also though it was a grief and trouble to him But this occasioned in him afterwards those excellent Meditations which he expresseth in the following Verses In the entrances of these occasions if men would remember the presence of God with them in these places with the holy severity of the Eye that is upon them it would put an awe upon their spirits and embitter those Jollities whose Relish is given them by Temptation and Sin He doth neither walk humbly nor circumspectly who being unnecessarily cast on the Society of men wicked or profane on such occasions wherein the ordinary sort of men give more than ordinary liberty unto corrupt Communication or Excess in any kind doth not in his entrance of them call to mind the presence and all-seeing Eye of God and at his Departure from them consider whether his Deportment hath been such as became that Presence and his being under that Eye But alas Pretences of Business and necessary Occasions Ingagements of Trade carnal Relations and the common course of communication in the world with a supposition that all sorts of Society are allowed for Diversion have cast out the Remembrance of God from the minds of most even then when men cannot be preserved from sin without it This hath sullied the Beauty of Gospel Conversation amongst the most and left in very few any prevalent Evidence of being spiritually minded Wherefore as unto them who either by their voluntary choice or necessity of their Occasions do enter and engage pomiscuously into all Societies and Companies let them know assuredly that if they awe not their hearts and spirits continually with the Thoughts and apprehensions of the Omnipresence and Omniscience of God that he is alwayes with them and his Eye alwayes upon them they will not be preserved from Snares and sinful miscarriages Yea such Thoughts are needful unto the best of us all and in the best of our societies that we behave not our selves undecently in them at any time Again unto some Privacy Secresy and Opportunity are occasions of Temptation and Sin They are so unto persons under Convictions not wholly turned to God