The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

From hence doth our Saviour give us the great Description ⟨p. 18⟩of Spiritual life. It is a Well of living Water springing up into everlasting life. Joh. 4.12. The Spirit with his Graces residing in the Heart of a Believer, are a Well of living Water. Nor is it such a Well as content with its own fullness doth not of its own accord without any Instrument or pains in drawing send out its refreshing waters, as it is with most Wells though of living Water. For this is spoken by our Saviour in answer and opposition unto that Objection of the Woman, upon this mention of giving living water, v. 10. Sir, saith she, thou hast nothing to draw, and the Well is deep, whence wilt thou have this Water; V. 11. True, saith he, such is the nature of this Well and Water, dead earthly things. They are of no use unless we have Instruments, Lines and Buckets to draw withal. But the living Water which I shall give is of another nature. It is not water to be kept in a Pit or Cistern without us, whence it must be drawn; but it is within us; and that not dead and useless, but continually springing up unto the use and refreshment of them that have it. For so is it with the Principle of the New Creature, of the new Nature, the Spirit and his Graces in the Hearts of them that do believe. It doth of it self and from it self, without any external Influence on it, incline and dispose the whole Soul unto spiritual Actings that tend unto Eternal Life. Such are the thoughts of them that are Spiritually minded. They arise from the inward Principle, Inclination and Disposition of the Soul, are the bubblings of this Well of living water; they are the mindings of the Spirit.

From hence doth our Saviour give us the great Description ⟨p. 18⟩of Spiritual life. It is a Well of living Water springing up into everlasting life. Joh. 4.12. The Spirit with his Graces residing in the Heart of a Believer, are a Well of living Water. Nor is it such a Well as content with its own fulness doth not of its own accord without any Instrument or pains in drawing send out its refreshing waters, as it is with most Wells though of living Water. For this is spoken by our Saviour in answer and opposition unto that Objection of the Woman, upon this mention of giving living water, v. 10. Sir, saith she, thou hast nothing to draw, and the Well is deep, whence wilt thou have this Water; V. 11. True, saith he, such is the nature of this Well and Water, dead earthly things. They are of no use unless we have Instruments, Lines and Buckets to draw withall. But the living Water which I shall give is of another nature. It is not water to be kept in a Pit or Cistern without us, whence it must be drawn; but it is within us; and that not dead and useless, but continually springing up unto the use and refreshment of them that have it. For so is it with the Principle of the New Creature, of the new Nature, the Spirit and his Graces in the Hearts of them that do believe. It doth of it self and from it self, without any external Influence on it, incline and dispose the whole Soul unto spiritual Actings that tend unto Eternal Life. Such are the thoughts of them that are Spiritually minded. They arise from the inward Principle, Inclination and Disposition of the Soul, are the bublings of this Well of living water; they are the mindings of the Spirit.