The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

(2.) With Thoughts of the divine Being, those of his Omnipresence and Omniscience ought continually to accompany us. We cannot take one step in a walk before him, unless we remember that always and in all places he is present with us, that the frame of our hearts and our inward Thoughts are continually in his view no less than our outward Actions. And as we ought to be perpetually under an awe of, and in the fear of God in these apprehensions, so there are some seasons wherein our minds ought to be in the actual conception ⟨p. 158⟩and thoughts of them, without which we shall not be preserved in our Duty.

(2.) With Thoughts of the divine Being, those of his Omnipresence and Omniscience ought continually to accompany us. We cannot take one step in a walk before him, unless we remember that alwayes and in all places he is present with us, that the frame of our hearts and our inward Thoughts are continually in his view no less than our outward Actions. And as we ought to be perpetually under an awe of, and in the fear of God in these apprehensions, so there are some seasons wherein our minds ought to be in the actual conception ⟨p. 158⟩and thoughts of them, without which we shall not be preserved in our Duty.

1. The first season of this nature, is when times, places, with other occasions of Temptation and consequently of Sinning, do come and meet. With some, Company doth constitute such a season; and with some, Secrecy with Opportunity do the same. There are those who are ready with a careless boldness to put themselves on such Societies as they do know have been Temptations unto them and occasions of sin; every such entrance into any society or company, unto them who know how it hath formerly succeeded, is their actual sin, and it is Just with God to leave them to all the evil Consequents that do ensue. Others also do either choose, or are frequently cast on such Societies; and no sooner are they engaged in them, but they forget all regard unto God, and give themselves up not only unto Vanity, but unto various sorts of excess. David knew the Evil and Danger of such occasions; and gives us an account of his behaviour in them,