‘that feared God, upon an inquiry for whose sake it came, the lot fell on him, Jonah i. 7. The cause of the present storm may as well be the secret sins of professors as the open provocations of un- godly men. God will punish severely those which he hath known, Amos iii. 2. It is therefore certainly our duty to search diligently, that nothing be found resting in us against which God is declaring his displeasure. Take heed of negligence and security herein. When our Saviour foretold his disciples that “one of them should betray him,” he who alone was guilty was the last that said, “Mas- ter, is it 1?” Let no ground of hopes you have of your spiritual
310 OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. [PART I.
condition and acceptance with God, no sense of your sincerity in any of your duties, no visible difference between you and others in the world, impose themselves on your minds to divert them from diligence in this duty. “The Lorp’s voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom will see his name.”
(2.) A diligent endeavour to live in a holy resignation of our persons, our lives, our families, all our enjoyments, unto the sove- reign will and wisdom of God, so as that we may be in readiness to part with all things upon his call without repining. ‘This, also, is plainly declared in the voice of present providences. God is making wings for men’s riches, he is shaking their habitations, taking away the visible defences of their lives, proclaiming the instability and un- certainty of all things here below; and if we are not minded to con- tend with him, we have nothing left to give us rest and peace for a moment but a holy resignation of all unto his sovereign pleasure.
Would you now know what you should fix and exercise your thoughts upon, so as that they may be evidences of your being spiri- tually minded? I say, be frequently conversant in them about these things. They lie before you, they call upon you, and will find you a just employment. Count them part of your business, allow them some part of your time, cease not until you have the testimony of your consciences that you have in sincerity stated both these duties in your minds; which will never be done without many thoughts about them. . Unless it be so with you, God will be greatly displeased at the neglect of his coming and call, now it is so plain and articulate. Fear the woful dooms recorded, Prov. 1. 24-81, Isa, xv. 12, Ixvi, 4, to this purpose. And if any calamity, public or private, do overtake you under a neglect of these duties, you will be wofully surprised, and not know which way to turn for relief. This, therefore, is the time and season wherein you may have an especial trial and experi- ment whether you be spiritually minded or no, It is the wisdom of faith to excite and draw forth grace into exercise, according unto present occasions. If this grace be habitually resident in you, it will put itself forth in many thoughts about these present duties.
But, alas! for the most part, men are apt to walk contrary to God in these things, as the wisdom of the flesh is contrary unto him in all things. A great instance we have with respect unto these duties, especially the latter of them; for,—
[1.] Who almost makes a diligent search into and trial of his heart and ways with respect unto the procuring causes of the displeasure and judgments of God? Generally, when the tokens and evidences of them do most abound, the world is full of outrageous, provoking sins. These visibly proclaim themselves to be the causes of the “coming of the wrath of God on the children of disobedience.”
‘CHAP. V.] THE OBJECTS OF SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS. 31]
Hence most men are apt to cast the whole reason of present judg-
ments upon them, and to put it wholly from themselves. Hence,
commonly, there is never less of self-examination than when it is
called for in a peculiar manner. But as I will not deny but that
_ the open, daring sins of the world are the procuring cause of the wrath of God against it in temporal judgments, so the wisest course for us is to refer them unto the great judgment of the last day. This the apostle directs us unto, 2 Thess. i. 6-10. Our duty it is to con- sider on what account “judgment begins at the house of God,” and to examine ourselves with respect thereunto.
[2.] Again, the other part of our present duty, in compliance with the voice of providence, is an humble resignation of ourselves and all owr concernments unto the will of God, sitting loose in our affec- tions from all earthly, temporal enjoyments. This we neither do nor can do, let us profess what we will, unless our thoughts are greatly exercised about the reasons for it and motives unto it; for this is the way whereby faith puts forth its efficacy unto the mortification of
self and all earthly enjoyments. Wherefore, without this we can make no resignation of ourselves unto the will of God. But, alas! how many at present do openly walk contrary unto God herein! The ways, the countenances, the discourses of men, do give evidence here- unto. Their love unto present things, their contrivances for their increase and continuance, do grow and thrive under the calls of God to the contrary. So it was of old: “They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.” Can the generality of professors at this day give _ testimony unto the exercise of their thoughts upon such things as should dispose them unto this holy resignation? that they meditate on the calls of God, and thence make themselves ready to part with all at his time and pleasure? How can persons pretend to be spiritually minded, the current of whose thoughts lies in direct con- trariety unto the mind of God?