The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

And although I have seen those Valleys of public Worship forsaken, either on Pretences of higher Attainments in Faith, Light and Love, than to stand in need of them any more, or on a Foolish Opinion, that they cease upon the Dispensation of the Spirit, which is given unto us to make them useful and effectual, or on some Provocations that have been given unto some Men, or which they have taken unto themselves, which they have thought they could revenge by a neglect of Public Administrations, or through Slavish Peace and Negligence in times of Difficulty, as is the manner of some, who forsake the Assemblies of the Saints, Heb. 16.25. Yet, I never saw but it issued in a great decay, if not in an utter loss of all exercise of Faith and Love, and sometimes in open Profaneness. For such Persons Contemn, the way and ⟨p. 238⟩means which God in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness hath appointed for their Exercise and Increase; and this shall not prosper. We may therefore do well to consider, that the principal way whereby we may Sanctify the Name of God, in all Duties of his Worship, and obtain the Benefit of them to our own Souls; is by a Conscientious Approach unto them with an holy Desire and Design to be found in the Exercise of Faith and Love on God in Christ, and to be helped and guided therein by them.

And although I have seen those Vallies of publick Worship forsaken, either on Pretences of higher Attainments in Faith, Light and Love, than to stand in need of them any more, or on a Foolish Opinion, that they cease upon the Dispensation of the Spirit, which is given unto us to make them useful and effectual, or on some Provocations that have been given unto some Men, or which they have taken unto themselves, which they have thought they could revenge by a neglect of Publick Administrations, or through Slavish Peace and Negligence in times of Difficulty, as is the manner of some, who forsake the Assemblies of the Saints, Heb. 16.25. Yet, I never saw but it issued in a great decay, if not in an utter loss of all exercise of Faith and Love, and sometimes in open Profaneness. For such Persons Contemn, the way and ⟨p. 238⟩meanes which God in his infinite Wisdom and Goodness hath appointed for their Exercise and Increase; and this shall not prosper. VVe may therefore do well to consider, that the principal way whereby we may Sanctify the Name of God, in all Duties of his VVorship, and obtain the Benefit of them to our own Souls; is by a Conscientious Approach unto them with an holy Desire and Design to be found in the Exercise of Faith and Love on God in Christ, and to be helped and guided therein by them.