The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

Fourthly, Where it is not thus, yet carnal Affections do variously debase Spiritual things, to bring them into a Conformity with themselves. And this may proceed so far, until men think wickedly, that God is altogether like unto them. But I shall not insist on these things any farther.

Lastly, Where Affections are Spiritually renewed, the Person o• Christ is the Centre of them, but where they are changed only, they tend unto an End in Self. Where the new man as •ut on, Christ is all in all, Col. 3.10, 11. He is the Spring, by his Spirit, that gives them Life, Light, and Being; and he is the Ocean that receives all their S••eg•••. God, ⟨p. 298⟩even the Father presents not himself in his Beauty and Amiableness as the Object of our Affections, but as he is in Christ, acting his Love in him, 1 Joh. 4.8, 9. And as unto all other Spiritual things, renewed Affections cleave unto them, according as they derive from Christ, and lead unto him; for he is unto them all and in all. It is he whom the Souls of his Saints do love for himself, for his own Sake, and all other things of Religion in and for him. The Air is pleasant and useful, that without which we cannot live or breath. But if the Sun did not enlighten it, and warm it with its Beams, if it were always one perpetual Night, and cold, what Refreshment could be received by it? Christ is the Sun of Righteousness, and if his Beams do not quicken, animate and enlighten the best, the most necessary Duties of Religion, nothing desirable would remain in them. This is the most certain Character of Affections Spiritually renewed. They can rest in nothing but in Christ: they fix on nothing but what is amiable by a Participation of his Beauty, and in whatever he is, therein do they find Complacency. It is otherwise with them whose Affections may be changed, but are not renewed. That Truth is, and it may be made good by all sorts of Instances, that Christ in the Mystery of his Person, and in the Glory of his Mediation, are the only things that they dislike in Religion. False Representations of him by Images and Pictures they may embrace, and delight in false Notions of his present Glory; Greatness and Power, may affect them; a Worship of their own devising they may give unto him, and please themselves in it. Corrupt Opinions concerning his Office and Grace, may possess their Minds, and they may contend for them but those who are not Spiritually renewed, cannot love the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity: yea, they have an inward Secret Aversation from the Mystery of his Person and his Grace. It is Self which all their Affections centre in, the ways whereof are too long here to be declared.