The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

Or such Persons are as the Apostle James declares, like a man beholding his natural face in a Glass; for he beholdeth himself and goeth his ways, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was, Jam. 1.23, 24. There is a Representation made of them, their State and Condition unto them in the Word; they behold it, and conclude that it is even so with them, as the Word doth declare. But immediately their minds are filled with other thoughts, acted by other Affections, taken up with other Occasions, and they forget in a moment the Representation made of themselves and their Condition. Wherefore all that I have to offer on this Subject will be utterly lost, unless a firm persuasion hereof be fixed on our minds, unless we are under the Power of it, that to be spiritually minded is life and peace; so that whatever our Light and Profession be, our Knowledge or our Duty, without this we have indeed no real Interest in Life and Peace.

Or such Persons are as the Apostle James declares, like a man beholding his natural face in a Glass; for he beholdeth himself and goeth his ways, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was, Jam. 1.23, 24. There is a Representation made of them, their State and Condition unto them in the Word; they behold it, and conclude that it is even so with them, as the Word doth declare. But immediately their minds are filled with other thoughts, acted by other Affections, taken up with other Occasions, and they forget in a moment the Representation made of themselves and their Condition. Wherefore all that I have to offer on this Subject will be utterly lost, unless a firm perswasion hereof be fixed on our minds, unless we are under the Power of it, that to be spiritually minded is life and peace; so that whatever our Light and Profession be, our Knowledge or our Duty, without this we have indeed no real Interest in Life and Peace.

These things being premised, I shall more practically open the Nature of this Duty, and what is required unto this frame of spirit. To be Spiritually minded may be considered either as unto the Nature and Essence of it, or as unto its Degrees; for one may be so more than another, or the same Person may be more so at one time than another. In the first way it is opposed unto being carnally minded, in the other unto being earthly minded.