The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

2. The second Rule to this purpose is, That we would consider, whether Thoughts of Spiritual things do constantly take possession of their proper seasons. There are some times and seasons in the course of mens Lives, wherein they retire themselves unto their own Thoughts. The most busied men in the World have some times of Thinking unto themselves. And those who design no such thing, as being afraid of coming to be wiser or better than they are, do yet spend time therein whether they will or no. But they who are wise will be at home as much as they can, and have as many seasons for such their Retirements as is possible for them to attain. If that man be foolish who busieth himself so much abroad in the concerns of others, that he hath no time to consider the state of his own House and Family; much more is he so, who spendeth all his Thoughts about other things, and never makes use of them in an Enquiry, ⟨p. 57⟩how it is with himself and his own Soul. However men can hardly avoid, but that they must have some seasons, partly stated, partly occasional, wherein they entertain themselves with their own Thoughts: The Evening and the Morning, the times of waking on the Bed, those of the necessary cessation of all ordinary Affairs, of walking, journeying, and the like, are such seasons.

If we are Spiritually minded, if Thoughts of Spiritual things do abound in us, they will ordinarily and that with Constancy possess these seasons, look upon them as those which are their due, which belong unto them. For they are expressly assigned unto them in the way of Rule, expressed in Examples and Commands. See Psal. 16.7, 8. Psal. 92.2. Deut. 6.7. If they are usually given up unto other ends and occasions, are possessed with Thoughts of another Nature, it is an open Evidence that Spiritual Thoughts have but little Interest in our minds, little prevalency in the conduct of our Souls. It is our Duty to afford unto them stated times taken away from other Affairs that call for them. But if instead thereof we rob them of what is as it were their own, which no other things or business can lay any just claim unto, how dwelleth the Love of Spiritual things in us? Most Professors are convinced that it is their Duty to pray Morning and Evening, and it is to be wished that they were all found in the Practice of it. But if ordinarily they judge themselves, in the performance of that Duty, to be discharged from any further Exercise of Spiritual Thoughts, applying them unto things worldly, useless, or vain, they can make no pretence to be Spiritually minded.