The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

Here lies the ground of their self-deceivings; they are Professors of the Gospel in a peculiar manner, they judge themselves Believers, they hope they shall be saved, and have many Evidences for it. But one Negative Evidence will render an hundred that are positive useless. All these things have I done, saith the young man; yet one thing thou wantest, saith our Saviour. And the want of that one rendered his all things of no avail unto him. Many things you have done, many things you do, many grounds of hope abide with you, neither your selves nor others do doubt of your Condition. But are you Spiritually minded? If this one thing be wanting, all the rest will not avail you, you have indeed neither Life nor Peace. And what grounds have you to judge that you are so, if the current of your thoughts lye in direct contrariety unto the present Calls of God? If at such a time as this is, your love to the World be such as ever it was, and perhaps be increased; if your desires are strong to secure the things of this Life unto you and yours; if the daily contrivance of your minds be not how you may attain a constant Resignation of your selves and your all unto the Will of God, which will not be done without much Thoughtfulness and Meditations on the Reasons of it and Motives unto it, I cannot understand how you can judge your selves to be Spiritually minded.

Here lyes the ground of their self-deceivings; they are Professors of the Gospel in a peculiar manner, they judge themselves Believers, they hope they shall be saved, and have many Evidences for it. But one Negative Evidence will render an hundred that are positive useless. All these things have I done, saith the young man; yet one thing thou wantest, saith our Saviour. And the want of that one rendred his all things of no avail unto him. Many things you have done, many things you do, many grounds of hope abide with you, neither your selves nor others do doubt of your Condition. But are you Spiritually minded? If this one thing be wanting, all the rest will not avail you, you have indeed neither Life nor Peace. And what grounds have you to judge that you are so, if the current of your thoughts lye in direct contrariety unto the present Calls of God? If at such a time as this is, your love to the World be such as ever it was, and perhaps be encreased; if your desires are strong to secure the things of this Life unto you and yours; if the daily contrivance of your minds be not how you may attain a constant Resignation of your selves and your all unto the Will of God, which will not be done without much Thoughtfulness and Meditations on the Reasons of it and Motives unto it, I cannot understand how you can judge your selves to be Spiritually minded.