The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

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 myself 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 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 myself 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 to 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 cirviii author’s preface,

cumstances do render necessary to be attended to in a peculiar manner, are the things which I would principally apply myself to in the work of teaching others. For as in the work of the ministry in general, the whole counsel 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 to the souls of men; when it is delivered with the demonstration of a due reverence to God, whose word it is, and of authority towards them to 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 be 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 judged the preaching and publishing of this small and plain discourse concerning the grace and duty of being spiritually minded not to be altogether unseasonable at this time, in the present circumstances of most Christians. And the .first thing which I would observe to this end is, the present importunity of the world to impose itself on the minds of men, and the various ways of insinuation, whereby it possesseth and filleth them. If it attain hereto, if it can fill the minds, the thoughts and affections of men with itself, it will, to some, for-ATTTHOR%S PREFACE. IX

tify the soul against faith and obedience, and in oth ers, weaken all grace, and endanger eternal ruin.

For if we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us 5 and when the world fills our thoughts, it will entangle our affections. And first, the present state of public affairs 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 steadfastness, it makes the minds of men giddy with its revolutions, or disorderly in the expectations of them.

Thoughts about these things are both allowable and unavoidable, if they take not the mind out of its own power, by their multiplicity, vehemency, and urgency, until it be unframed as to spiritual things, retaining neither room nor time for their entertainment.

Hence, men walk and talk, as if the world were all, when comparatively it is nothing.

And when men come with their warmed affections reeking with the thoughts of these thngs, to the performance of, or attendance to, any spiritual duty, it is very difficult for them, if not impossible, to stir up any grace to a due and vigorous exercise.. Unless this plausible advantage which the world hath obtained, of insinuating itself and its occasions into the minds of men, so as to fill them and possess 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 to its due exercise.

Nor can we be any of us delivered from this snare x author’s preface,

at this season, proceeding from the prevalent abhorrence of our affections to things spiritual and heavenly, without a watchful endeavor to keep and preserve our minds in the constant contemplation of 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 called to a due consideration, how unanswerable they are therein, to the power and spirituality of that religion which they do profess. There is no way whereby such a frame may be evinced to prevail in many, yea, in the generality of such professors, that is not manifest to all. In their habits, attires, and vestments, in their usual converse and misspence of time, in their over liberal entertainment of themselves and others, to the borders of excess, and sundry other things of a like nature 5 there is in many such a conformity to the world, (a thing severely forbidden,) th?.t 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 to the contrary, it is inconsistent with spiritual peace. To call men off from this evil frame of heart and mind, to discover the sin and danger of it, to direct them to the ways and means whereby it may be effected, to supply their thoughts and affections with better objects, to discover and press that exercise of them which is indispensably required of all believers, if they desire life and peace, is some part of the work of the ensuing discourse. It may be, it will be judged but a weak attempt as to the attaining of that end: but it cannot be denied to have these two advantages — first, that it is seasonable — and authok’s preface. xi

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