The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

First, Affections Spiritually renewed are in all their Actings, in their whole Exercise, under the Guidance and Conduct of Faith. It is Faith which in its Spiritual Light, hath the leading of the Soul in the whole Life of God; we live here by Faith, as we shall do hereafter by Light. If our Affections ⟨p. 255⟩deviate or decline in the least from the Guidance of the Faith, they degenerate from their Spirituality, and give up themselves unto the Service of Superstition. Next unto corrupt secular Interest in the management of crafty selfish Seducers, this hath been the great in-let of all Superstition and false Worship into the World. Blind Affection groping in the dark after Spiritual Things, having not the Saving Light of Faith to conduct them; have seduced the Minds of Men into all manner of Superstitions, Imaginations, and Practices, continuing to do so at this day. And wherever they will lead the way, when Faith goeth not before them to discover both way and end, they that lead, and the Mind that is led, must fall into one Snare and Pit or another.

Wherefore Affections that are Spiritually renewed, move not, act not, but as Faith discovers their Object, and directs them unto it. It is Faith that works by Love, we can love nothing sincerely with divine Love, but what we believe Savingly with Divine Faith. Let our Affections unto any Spiritual Things be never so vehement, if they spring not from Faith, if they are not guided by it, they are neither accepted with God, nor will promote the Interest of Spirituality and Holiness in our own Souls. Heb. 11.6. Mat. 6.22, 23. And this is the reason whence we oft times see great and plausible Appearances of Spiritual Affections, which yet endure only for a Season. They have been awakened, excited, acted by one means or another outward or inward; but not having the Light of Faith to guide them unto their proper Object, they either wither and dye, as unto any appearing of Spiritual Motions▪ or else keep the Mind tossed up and down in perpetual disquietment, without rest or Peace. The foolish Man wearieth himself, because he cannot find the way to the City. So was it with them who on the account of their Attendance unto