The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

Secondly, They are liable unto an habitual Change. This the Experience of all Ages gives Testimony to. There may be an habitual Change wrought in the Passions and Affections of the Mind, as unto the inordinate and violent pursuit of their Inclinations, without any gracious Renovation of them. Education, Philosophy, or Reason, long Afflictions, Spiritual Light and Gifts have wrought this Change. So Saul upon his Call to be King, became another Man. Hereby, Persons naturally passionate and furious have been made sedate and moderate; and those who have been sensual, have become temperate; yea, and haters of Religion, to be Professors of it. All these ⟨p. 205⟩things, and many more of the like nature have proceeded from a Change wrought upon the Affections only; whilst the Mind, Will and Conscience have been totally unsanctified.

Secondly, They are liable unto an habitual Change. This the Experience of all Ages gives Testimony to. There may be an habitual Change wrought in the Passions and Affections of the Mind, as unto the inordinate and violent pursuit of their Inclinations, without any gracious Renovation of them. Education, Philosophy, or Reason, long Afflictions, Spiritual Light and Gifts have wrought this Change. So Saul upon his Call to be King, became another Man. Hereby, Persons naturally passionate and furious have been made sedate and moderate; and those who have been sensual, have become temperate; yea, and haters of Religion, to be Professors of it. All these ⟨p. 205⟩things, and many more of the like nature have proceeded from a Change wrought upon the Affections only; whil'st the Mind, Will and Conscience have been totally unsanctified.

By this Change, where it is alone, no man ever became Spiritually-Minded. For whereas there are two parts of the Depravation of our Affections, that whereby they are turned off from God, and that whereby they inordinately cleave unto other things; their Change principally, if not only, respects the latter. They are brought into some Order with respect unto present things. The Mind is not continually tossed up and down by them, as the Waves of the Sea, that are troubled and cast up mire and dirt. They do not carry those in whom they are into vicious sensual Actions, but they allow them to make Virtue in Moderation, Sobriety, Temperance, Fidelity, and Usefulness in several Ways, to be their Design. And it is admirable to think what Degrees of Eminency in all sorts of Moral Virtues upon this one Principle of moderating the Affections, even many among the Heathens attained unto. But as unto their Aversation from God and Spiritual things, in the true Spiritual Notion of them, they are not cured by this Change. At least this Change may be, and yet this latter not be wrought.