The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

If we are Strangers unto these things, if we have never received Efficacious Intimations of Divine Love unto our Souls, in and by the Duties of Divine Worship, we cannot love them and delight in them as we ought. What do men come to hear the Word of God for? What do they pray for? What do they expect to receive from him? Do they come unto God as the Eternal Fountain of Living Waters? as the God of all Grace, Peace, and Consolation? Or do they come unto his Worship without any Design as unto a dry ⟨p. 244⟩and empty show? Do they fight uncertainly with these things as men beating the Air? or do they think they bring something unto God, but receive nothing from him? that the best of their Business is to please him in doing what he commands, but to receive any thing from him they expect not, nor do ever examine themselves whether they have done so or no? It is not for Persons who walk in such ways, ever to attain a due Delight in the Ordinances of Divine Worship.

If we are Strangers unto these things, if we have never received Efficatious Intimations of Divine Love unto our Souls, in and by the Duties of Divine Worship, we cannot love them and delight in them as we ought. VVhat do men come to hear the VVord of God for? What do they pray for? VVhat do they expect to receive from him? Do they come unto God as the Eternal Fountain of Living Waters? as the God of all Grace, Peace, and Consolation? Or do they come unto his VVorship without any Design as unto a dry ⟨p. 244⟩and empty shew? Do they fight uncertainly with these things as men beating the Air? or do they think they bring something unto God, but receive nothing from him? that the best of their Business is to please him in doing what he commands, but to receive any thing from him they expect not, nor do ever examine themselves whether they have done so or no? It is not for Persons who walk in such wayes, ever to attain a due Delight in the Ordinances of Divine Worship.

Believers have other Designs herein, and among the rest, this in the First place, that they may be a fresh made Partakers of Refreshing Comforting Pledges of the Love of God in Christ; and thereby of their Adoption, of the Pardon of their Sins, and acceptance of their Persons. According as they meet with these things, in the Duties of Holy Worship, public, or private, so will they love, value, and adhere unto them. Some Men are full of other Thoughts and Affections, so as that these things are not their principal Design or Desire, or are contented with that measure of them which they suppose themselves to have attained; or at least are not sensible of the need they stand in, to have fresh Communications of them made unto their Souls; supposing that they can do well enough without a renewed Sense of Divine Love every Day; some are so Ignorant of what they ought to design, to look after, in the Duties of Gospel Worship, as that it is impossible they should have any real Design in them. Many of the better sort of Professors are too negligent in this matter. They do not long and pant in the Inward man, after renewed Pledges of the Love of God; They do not consider how much need they have of them, that they may be encouraged and strengthened unto all other Duties of Obedience; they do not prepare their Minds for their Reception of them, nor come with Expectation of their Communication unto them; they do not rightly