The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

Spiritual Thoughts of God himself. The Opposition unto them and Neglect of them, with their Causes and the way of their Prevalency. Predominant Corruptions expelling due Thoughts of God, how to be discovered, &c. Thoughts of God, of what nature, and what they are to be accompanied withal, &c.

Spiritual Thoughts of God himself. The Opposition unto them and Neglect of them, with their Causes and the way of their Prevalency. Predominant Corruptions expelling due Thoughts of God, how to be discovered, &c. Thoughts of God, of what nature, and what they are to be accompanyed withal, &c.

I Have spoken very briefly unto the first particular Instance of the Heavenly things, that we are to fix our Thoughts upon, namely, the Person of Christ. And I have done it on the Reason before mentioned, namely, that I intend a peculiar Treatise on that subject, or and Enquiry how we may behold the Glory of Christ in this Life, and how we shall do so unto Eternity. That which I have reserved unto the last place as unto the exercise of their Thoughts about, who are Spiritually Minded, is that which is the absolute Foundation and Spring of all spiritual things; namely, God himself. He is the Fountain whence all these things proceed, and the Ocean wherein they issue; He is their Centre and Circumference wherein they all begin, meet and end. So the Apostle issues his profound Discourse of the Counsels of ⟨p. 126⟩the Divine Will and Mysteries of the Gospel, Rom. 11.36. Of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be Glory for ever. All things arise from his Power, are all disposed by his Wisdom into a tendency unto his Glory; of him, and through him, and to him are all things. Under that consideration alone are they to be the Objects of our Spiritual Meditations, namely, as they come from him, and tend unto him. All other things are finite and limited; But they begin and end in that which is immense and infinite. So God is All in All. He therefore is or ought to be the only Supreme absolute Object of our Thoughts and Desires; other things are from and for him only. Where our Thoughts do not either immediately and directly, or mediately and by just consequence tend unto and End in him, they are not Spiritual,