The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

It were well if Darkness and Ignorance of the true nature of the future State and eternal Glory, did not exceedingly prejudice Believers themselves, as unto their Delight in them and Meditations about them. They have nothing fixed or stated in their Minds, which they can betake themselves unto in their Thoughts when they would contemplate about them. And by the way, whatever doth divert the minds of men from the power and life of Spiritual Worship, as do all pompous Solemnities in the performance of it, doth greatly hinder them as unto right Conceptions of our future state. There was a Promise of Eternal Life given unto the Saints under the Old Testament: But whereas they were obliged unto a Worship that was carnal and outwardly pompous, they never had clear and distinct Apprehensions of the future state of Glory; For Life and Immortality were brought to Light by the Gospel. Wherefore, although no man living can see or find out the infinite Riches of Eternal Glory; yet is it the Duty of all to be acquainted with the Nature of it in general, so as that ⟨p. 102⟩they may have fixed Thoughts of it, Love unto it, earnest Desires after it, all under its own true and proper Notion.

2. So great a Part of Mankind as the Mahometans, unto whom God hath given all the principal and most desirable parts of the World to inhabit and possess, do conceive the state of future Blessedness to consist in the full satisfaction of their sensual Lusts and Pleasures. An Evidence this is, that the Religion which they profess, hath no power or Efficacy on their Minds to change them from the Love of Sin, or placing their Happiness in fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh. It doth not at all enlighten their Minds to discern a Beauty in Spiritual things, nor excite their Affections unto the Love of them, nor free the Soul to look after Blessedness in such things as alone are suited unto its rational Constitution. For if it did, they would place their Happiness and Blessedness in them. Wherefore, it is nothing but an Artifice of the god of this World, to blind the Eyes of men unto their Eternal Destruction.