3. It is that whereby our hearts and minds are taken off from the world, and all inordinate love tliereunto. Where this is in prevalent degree, there is neither life nor peace; and every excess in it both weakens spiritual life, and dis-
494 THE GRACE AND DUTY OF
turbs, yea, destroys all solid spiritual peace. I have occa- sionally 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 ourselves, 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 spi- ritual life, and whence we meet with so many disquietments and dejections of spirit unto the disturbance of our peace 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 expels 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 indispensably 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 advantageous unto our souls; against all which we have relief by being spiritu- ally 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 attend- ance unto any particular directions, without a change of the whole frame of our minds. Nothins: can give us relief here- in, 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 de- light, 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 mindcdness, that will give us this delight. For thereby the soul is transformed into the likeness of spiritual things ; so as that they arc
BEING SPIlllTUALLY MINDED. 495
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 em- braces, and not easily drawn off by any cause or means of the distractions so complained of, yea, they will all be prevented hereby.
2. I>espondencies in duties arise from the frequent incur- sions of the guilt of sin. The remembrance hereof fre- quently solicits 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 in- stances, is the great preservative against these disheartening incursions of sin. It is the soul's watch and guard against them, whencesoever they arise or proceed. No lust or cor- ruption 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 sole cure hereof lies in this grace and duty. The like may be said of all other ways, means, and occasions of such incursions of sin.
3. Weariness in, and of, spiritual duties, abate their ten- dency unto the improvement of life and peace in us. This evil ariseth from the same cause with that of distraction be- fore-mentioned. And it is ofttimes increased by the weak- ness 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 lies in that delight which spiritual mindedness gives unto the soul in spiritual things. For where there is a constant de- light 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. Whilst therefore we are exercised in a delight in sj)iritual things, weariness cannot prevalently assault the mind. And it is the only relief against that weariness which proceeds from the indispositions of the out- ward man. For as it will preserve the mind from attending
496 THE GRACE AND DUTY, &C.
too much unto their solicitations, crying spare thyself, by filling and possessing the thoughts with other things ; so it will offer a holy violence unto the complaints of the flesh, silencing them with a sense of, and delight in, holy duties.