The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

It is the spiritual Mind alone that can Reconcile those things which are prescribe us as our Duty towards God. To delight and Rejoice in him always, to triumph in the Remembrance of him, to draw nigh unto him with boldness and confidence, are on the one hand prescribed unto us: And on the other it is so, that we fear and tremble before him, that we fear that Great and dreadful Name the Lord our God, that we have Grace to serve him with Reverence and Godly Fear, because he is a consuming fire. These things Carnal Reason can comprehend no consistency in; what it is afraid of, it cannot delight in; and what it delights in, it will not long fear. But the Consideration of Faith (concerning what God is in himself, and what he will be unto us,) gives these different Graces their distinct Operations, and a blessed Reconciliation in our Souls. Wherefore, all our Thoughts of God ought to be accompanied with an holy Awe and Reverence, from a due sense of his Greatness, Holiness and Power. Two things will utterly vitiate all Thoughts of God, and render them useless unto us.

It is the spiritual Mind alone that can Reconcile those things which are prescribe us as our Duty towards God. To delight and Rejoyce in him alwayes, to triumph in the Remembrance of him, to draw nigh unto him with boldness and confidence, are on the one hand prescrib'd unto us: And on the other it is so, that we fear and tremble before him, that we fear that Great and dreadful Name the Lord our God, that we have Grace to serve him with Reverence and Godly Fear, because he is a consuming fire. These things Carnal Reason can comprehend no consistency in; what it is afraid of, it cannot delight in; and what it delights in, it will not long fear. But the Consideration of Faith (concerning what God is in himself, and what he will be unto us,) gives these different Graces their distinct Operations, and a blessed Reconciliation in our Souls. Wherefore, all our Thoughts of God ought to be accompanied with an holy Awe and Reverence, from a due sense of his Greatness, Holiness and Power. Two things will utterly vitiate all Thoughts of God, and render them useless unto us.

(1.) Vain Curiosity. (2.) Carnal Boldness. It is inimaginable how the subtle disquisitions and disputes of men, about the Nature, Properties and Counsels of God, have been corrupted, rendered sapless and useless by vain Curiosity, and striving for an artificial Accuracy in the expression of mens apprehensions. When the Wits and Minds of men are engaged in such Thoughts, God is not in