The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

The same Duty is incumbent on us with respect unto any urgent prevalent general Temptation. There are Seasons wherein an hour of Temptation comes on the earth to try them that dwell therein. What if a man should judge that now it is such an hour, and that the Power of Darkness is put forth therein? what if he should be persuaded that a general security, coldness, deadness and Decay in Grace, especially as to the vigorous Actings of Zeal, Love, and Delight in God, with an Indifferency unto Holy Duties, are the effects of this hour of Temptation? I do not say determinately that so it is, let others judge as they see cause. But if any one do so judge, undoubtedly it is his Duty to be exercised in his Thoughts, how he may escape in this day of Trial, and be counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man. He will find it his concernment to be conversant in his mind with the Reasons and Motives unto watchfulness, and how he may obtain such supplies of Grace as may effectually preserve him from such Decays.

The same Duty is incumbent on us with respect unto any urgent prevalent general Temptation. There are Seasons wherein an hour of Temptation comes on the earth to try them that dwell therein. What if a man should judge that now it is such an hour, and that the Power of Darkness is put forth therein? what if he should be perswaded that a general security, coldness, deadness and Decay in Grace, especially as to the vigorous Actings of Zeal, Love, and Delight in God, with an Indifferency unto Holy Duties, are the effects of this hour of Temptation? I do not say determinately that so it is, let others judge as they see cause. But if any one do so judge, undoubtedly it is his Duty to be exercised in his Thoughts, how he may escape in this day of Tryal, and be counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man. He will find it his concernment to be conversant in his mind with the Reasons and Motives unto watchfulness, and how he may obtain such supplies of Grace as may effectually preserve him from such Decayes.

3. All things in Religion both in Faith and Practice are to be the Objects of such Thoughts. As they are proposed or occur unto our Minds in great variety on all sorts of occasions, so we ought to give them entertainment in our Meditations. To hear things, to have them proposed unto us, it may be, in the way of a Divine Ordinance, and to let them slip out or flow from us, as Water that is poured into a leaking Vessel, is the Ruin of many Souls. I shall therefore choose out some Instances as was before proposed, of those things which I judge that they who would be Spiritually minded, ought to abide and abound in Thoughts concerning them.