The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

Therefore the way in this case for him who is really a Believer, is to retreat immediately unto his own Experience, which will pour shame and contempt on the suggestions of Satan. There is no Believer, who hath knowledge and time to exercise the wisdom of Faith in ⟨p. 155⟩the consideration of himself and of Gods dealings with him, but hath a witness in himself of his eternal Power and Godhead, as also of all those other Perfections of his Nature which he is pleased to manifest and glorify by Jesus Christ. Wherefore on this suggestion of Satan, that there is no God, he will be able to say, that he might better tell me that I do not Live nor Breathe, that I am not fed by my Meat, nor warmed by my Clothes, that I know not my self nor any thing else: For I have spiritual sense and experience of the contrary; like him of old, who when a cunning Sophister would prove unto him by Syllogisms that there was no such thing as motion, he gave no answer unto his Arguments, but Rose up and walked. How often, will he say, have I had experience of the power and presence of God in Prayer; as though I had not only heard of him by the hearing of the ear, but also seen him by the seeing of the eye? How often hath he put forth his Power and Grace in me by his Spirit and his Word with an uncontrollable Evidence of his Being, Goodness, Love and Grace? How often hath he refreshed my Conscience with the sense of the pardon of sin, speaking that peace unto my Soul, which all the world could not communicate unto me? In how many afflictions, dangers, troubles hath he been a present help and relief? what sensible Emanations of Life and Power from him have I obtained in Meditation on his Grace and Glory? As he who had been blind answered the Pharisees unto their ensnaring captious questions; Be it what it will, One thing I know, that whereas I was blind now I see. Whatever, saith such a Soul, be in this Temptation of Satan, one thing I know full well, that whereas I was dead, I am alive, whereas I was blind, now I see, and that by an effect of divine power.

Therefore the way in this case for him who is really a Believer, is to retreat immediately unto his own Experience, which will pour shame and contempt on the suggestions of Sathan. There is no Believer, who hath knowledge and time to exercise the wisdom of Faith in ⟨p. 155⟩the consideration of himself and of Gods dealings with him, but hath a witness in himself of his eternal Power and Godhead, as also of all those other Perfections of his Nature which he is pleased to manifest and glorify by Jesus Christ. Wherefore on this suggestion of Sathan, that there is no God, he will be able to say, that he might better tell me that I do not Live nor Breathe, that I am not fed by my Meat, nor warm'd by my Cloaths, that I know not my self nor any thing else: For I have spiritual sence and experience of the contrary; like him of old, who when a cunning Sophister would prove unto him by Syllogisms that there was no such thing as motion, he gave no answer unto his Arguments, but Rose up and walked. How often, will he say, have I had experience of the power and presence of God in Prayer; as though I had not only heard of him by the hearing of the ear, but also seen him by the seeing of the eye? How often hath he put forth his Power and Grace in me by his Spirit and his Word with an uncontrollable Evidence of his Being, Goodness, Love and Grace? How often hath he refreshed my Conscience with the sense of the pardon of sin, speaking that peace unto my Soul, which all the world could not communicate unto me? In how many afflictions, dangers, troubles hath he been a present help and relief? what sensible Emanations of Life and Power from him have I obtain'd in Meditation on his Grace and Glory? As he who had been blind answered the Pharisees unto their ensnaring captious questions; Be it what it will, One thing I know, that whereas I was blind now I see. Whatever, saith such a Soul, be in this Temptation of Sathan, one thing I know full well, that whereas I was dead, I am alive, whereas I was blind, now I see, and that by an effect of divine power.