Secondly, Our next inquiry is. How this spiritual minded- ness 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 ways,
1. It is the only means 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 sovereign grace, for the most part without any preparation for it in ourselves. * He creates the fruit of the lips; peace, peace.' But although di-
490 THE GRACE AND DUTY OF
vine love be in itself unchangeable, and always 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. li. 12. And so many others have found it by woful experience. To insist upon all that is required on our parts, that we may obtain a gracious refreshing sense of divine love, after it is once sTranted 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 mere act of sovereign grace, have tasted herein of the good- ness 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 seals us unto the day of redemption, neglected or despised. And it argues a mighty prevalency of some corruption or tempta- tion, that shall cause men willingly, and by their own sloth, to forfeit so inestimable a grace, mercy, and privilege. 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 T am afraid that many of us are very negligent herein, unto the great prejudice of our souls and spiritual state. Many of such intimations are given us by the Holy Ghost througli the word, which we take little notice of; either we know not the voice of Christ in them, or do not hearken unto liim in a due manner, or refuse a compliance with him, when we cannot but know that he speaks unto us. See Cant. v. 2, 3. Or if we receive any impressions of a gracious 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, trials, 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 soul's preserving of itself in a frame meet
BEING SPIRITUALLY MINDED, 491
to receive and retain this sense of God's 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, always prepared for that holy converse and communion with himself, which he 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 means 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 fa- vour, as David is often remembering and calling over what he received in such places, as in the * land of the Hermonites, and at the hill Mizar;' Psal. xlii. 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 privileges as they ought. The full soul loatheth the honeycomb. And God is well pleased, when a 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 a high provocation of God, when men are regardless of, and unthankful for, outward tempoi-al 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 regardlessness 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 lays up these inestimable jewels in a due manner.