The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

And the danger is yet greater with them who divert on the other Extreme. Such are they, who in Pride of Life, Vanity in Apparel, Excess in Drinking, pampering the Flesh every day, tread close on the heels of the World, if they do not also fully keep Company with it. Altogether in vain is it for such Persons to countenance themselves with an Appearance of other Graces in them, or the sedulous Performance of other Duties. This one Rule will eternally prevail against them; If any man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. And by the way, let men take heed how they walk in any Instance against the known Judgement and Practise of the wiser, or more experienced sort of Christians, to their Regret and Sorrow, if not unto their Offence and Scandal, or in any way whereunto they win the Consent of their own Light and Conscience, by such Reasonings and Considerations, as will not hold weight in the Balance of the Sanctuary. Yet thus, and no otherwise is it with all them, who under a Profession of Religion, do indulge, unto any Excesses wherein they are conformed unto the World.

And the danger is yet greater with them who divert on the other Extream. Such are they, who in Pride of Life, Vanity in Apparrel, Excess in Drinking, pampering the Flesh every day, tread close on the heels of the World, if they do not also fully keep Company with it. Altogether in vain is it for such Persons to countenance themselves with an Appearance of other Graces in them, or the sedulous Performance of other Dutys. This one Rule will eternally prevail against them; If any man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. And by the way, let men take heed how they walk in any Instance against the known Judgement and Practise of the wiser, or more experienced sort of Christians, to their Regret and Sorrow, if not unto their Offence and Scandal, or in any way whereunto they win the Consent of their own Light and Conscience, by such Reasonings and Considerations, as will not hold weight in the Ballance of the Sanctuary. Yet thus, and no otherwise is it with all them, who under a Profession of Religion, do indulge, unto any Excesses wherein they are conformed unto the World.

Fifthly, God makes a Hedge against the Excess of the Affections of men, rational and any way enlightened, unto the things of this World, by suffering the Generality of men to carry the use of them, and to be carried by the abuse of them, into Actings so filthy, so abominable, so ridiculous as Reason it self cannot but abhor. Men by them transform themselves into Beasts and Monsters, as might be manifested by all sorts of Instances; hence the Wise-man prayed against Riches, lest he should not be able to manage the Temptations wherewith they are accompanied;