Herein lies the great danger of multitudes at this present season; for, let men profess what they will, under the power of this frame their eternal state is in hazard every moment. And persons are en- gaged in it in great variety of degrees; and we may cast them under two heads:— ,
lst. Some do not at all understand that things are amiss with
328 © OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. [PART I.
them, or that they are much to be blamed. They plead, as was be- fore observed, that they are all lawful things which their hearts do cleave unto, and which it is their duty to take care of and regard. “May they not delight in their own relations, especially at such a time, when others break and cancel all duties and bonds of relation in the service of and provision they make for their lusts? May they not be careful, in good and honest ways of diligence, about the things of the world, when the most either lavish their time away in the pursuit of bestial lusts, or heap them up by deceit and oppression? May they not contrive for the promotion of their children in the world, to add the other hundred or thousand pounds unto their ad- vancement, that they may be in as good condition as others, seeing he is worse than an infidel who provides not for his own family?” By such reasonings and secret thoughts do many justify themselves in their earthly mindedness. And so fixed they are in the approba- tion of themselves, that if you urge them to their duty, you shall lose their acquaintance, if they do not become your enemies for telling them the truth. Yea, they will avoid one duty that lieth not against their earthly interest, because it leads unto another;—they will not engage in religious assemblies, or be constant unto their duty in them, for fear duties of charity should be required of them or ex- pected from them. On what grounds such persons can satisfy them- selves that they are spiritually minded, I know not. I shall leave only one rule with persons that are thus minded:— Where our love unto the world hath prevailed, by its reasonings, pleas, and pretences, to take away our fear and jealousy over owr own hearts lest we should inordinately love it, there it is assuredly predominant in us.
2dly. Others are sensible of the evil of their hearts, at least are jealous and afraid lest it should be found that their hearts do cleave inordinately unto these things. Hence they endeavour to con- tend against this evil, sometimes by forcing themselves unto such acts of piety or charity as are contrary unto that frame, and some- times by labouring a change of the frame itself; especially they will do so when God is pleased to awaken them by trials and afflictions, such as write vanity and emptiness on all earthly enjoyments. But, for the most part, they strive not lawfully, and so obtain not what they seem to aim at.
This disease with many is mortal, and will not be thoroughly cured in any but by the due exercise of this part of spiritual mindedness, There are other duties required also unto the same end,—namely, of the mortification of our desires and affections unto earthly things,— whereof I have treated elsewhere; but without this, or a fixed con- templation on the desirableness, beauty, and glory, of heavenly things, it will not be attained. Farther to evince the truth hereof, we may
CHAP. V.] MOTIVES TO FIX OUR THOUGHTS ON SPIRITUAL OBJECTS. 329
observe these two things:—(1st.) If by any means a man do seem to have taken off his heart from the love of present things, and be not at the same time taken up with the love of things that are heavenly, his seeming mortification is of no advantage unto him. So persons frequently, through discontent, disappointments, or dissatisfaction with relations, or mere natural weariness, have left the world, the affairs and cares of it, as unto their wonted conversations in it, and have betaken themselves to monasteries, convents, or other retire- ments suiting their principles, without any advantage to their souls.
(2dly.) God is no such severe lord and master as to require us to take off our affections from and mortify them unto those things which the law of our nature makes dear unto us, as wives, children, houses, lands, and possessions, and not propose unto us somewhat that is incomparably more excellent to fix them upon. So he invites the elect of the Gentiles unto Christ: Ps. xlv. 10, “ Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house;” that is, “Come into the faith of Abraham, who forsook his country and his father’s house to follow God whither§v- ever he pleased.” But he proposeth this for their encouragement, verse 11, “So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for-he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.” The love of the great King is an abundant satisfactory recompense for parting with all things in this world. So when Abraham’s servant was sent to take Rebekah for a wife unto Isaac, he required that she should immediately leave father and mother, brothers, and all enjoyments, and go along with him; but withal, that she might know herself to be no loser thereby, he not only assured her of the greatness of his master, but also at present he gave her “jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment,” Gen. xxiv. 58. And when our Saviour requires that we should part with all for his sake and the gospel, he promiseth a hundredfold in lieu of them, even in this life,—namely, in an interest in things spi- ritual and heavenly. Wherefore, without an assiduous meditation on heavenly things, as a better, more noble, and suitable object for our affections to be fixed on, we can never be freed in a due manner from an inordinate love of the things here below.