The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

Whosoever shall sincerely engage in this Duty according unto what he hath, and shall abide constant therein, he will make such a refreshing Progress in his Apprehension of Heavenly Things, as he will be greatly satisfied withal. We are kept in Darkness, Ignorance, and unsteadiness of Meditations about them, not from the nature of the Things themselves, but from our own Sloth, Negligence, and readiness to be turned aside by Apprehensions of Difficulties, of the Lyon in the way. ⟨p. 78⟩Wherefore I shall consider two things. (1.) What are the principal Motives unto this Duty of fixing our Thoughts on the things that are above, and the Advantages which we receive thereby. (2.) Give some Directions how and on what in particular we may exercise our Thoughts on those things above.

Whosoever shall sincerely engage in this Duty according unto what he hath, and shall abide constant therein, he will make such a refreshing Progress in his Apprehension of Heavenly Things, as he will be greatly satisfied withall. We are kept in Darkness, Ignorance, and unsteadiness of Meditations about them, not from the nature of the Things themselves, but from our own Sloth, Negligence, and readiness to be turned aside by Apprehensions of Difficulties, of the Lyon in the way. ⟨p. 78⟩Wherefore I shall consider two things. (1.) What are the principal Motives unto this Duty of fixing our Thoughts on the things that are above, and the Advantages which we receive thereby. (2.) Give some Directions how and on what in particular we may exercise our Thoughts on those things above.

(1.) Faith will be increased and strengthened by it. Invisible things are the proper Objects of Faith. It is the evidence of things not seen, Heb. 11.1. Wherefore in our Thoughts of them, Faith is in its proper exercise, which is the principal means of its Growth and increase. And hereon two things will ensue.