The Preface
I Think it necessary to give the Reader a brief account of the nature and design of the plain ensuing Discourse, which may both direct him in the reading, and be some kind of Apology for my self in the publishing of it. He may therefore know, that the Thoughts here communicated, were originally private Meditations for my own use, in a season wherein I was every way unable to do any thing for the Edification of others, and far from expectation that ever I should be so able any more in this World. Receiving, as I thought, some Benefit and satisfaction in the Exercise of my own Meditations therein, when God was graciously pleased to restore a little strength to me, I insisted on the same Subject, in the Instruction of a private Congregation; and this I did, partly out of a sense of the Advantage I had received my self by being conversant in them and partly from an Apprehension, that the Duties directed and pressed to, in the whole Discourse, were seasonable from all sorts of present Circumstances, to be declared and urged on the Minds and Consciences of Professors. For leaving others to the choice of their own Methods and Designs, I acknowledge that these are the two things whereby I regulate my Work in the whole Course of my Ministry. To impart those Truths of whose Power I hope I have had in some measure, a real Experience, and to press those Duties which present Occasions, Temptations, and other Circumstances do render necessary to be attended to in a peculiar manner, are the things which I would principally apply my self to in the Work of teaching others. For as in the Work of the Ministry, in general, the whole Councel of God concerning the Salvation of the Church by Jesus Christ is to be declared; so in particular, we are not to fight uncertainly as men beating the Air, nor shoot our Arrows at Random, without a certain Scope and Design. Knowledge of the Flock whereof we are Overseers, with a due Consideration of their Wants, their Graces, their Temptations, their Light, their Strength, and Weakness, are required herein. And when in pursuance of that Design, the Preparation of the Word to be dispensed, proceeds from Zeal to the glory of God, and Compassion to the Souls of Men; when it is delivered with the Demonstration of a due Reverence to God whose Word it is, and of Authority towards them to whom it is dispensed, with a deep sense of that great account which both they that Preach, and they that hear the word Preached, must shortly give, before the Judgment Seat of Christ; there may the a Comfortable Expectation of a Blessed Issue of the whole Work. But my present Design is only to declare in particular, the Reasons why I Judged the Preaching and Publishing of this small and plain Discourse concening the Grace and Duty of being Spiritually Minded not to be altogether unseasonable at this time, in the present circumstances of of most Christians. And the first thing which I would observe to this End is, the present Importunity of the World to Impose itself on the Minds of Men; and the various ways of insinuation whereby it posesss and fills them. If it attain hereto, if it can fill the Minds, the Thoughts and Affections of men with it self, it will in some, fortify the Soul against Faith and Obedience, and in others, Weaken all Grace, and endanger Eternal Ruin.
For if we Love the World the Love of the Father is not in us; And when the World fills our Thoughts, it will entangle our Affections. And First, the Present State of all Public Affaires in it, with an apprehended concernment of Private Persons therein, continually Exerciss the Thoughts of many, and is almost the only subject of their mutual converse. For the World is at present in a mighty hurry, and being in many places cast off from all Foundations of steadfastness, it makes the Mindes of Men giddy with its Revolutions, or disorderly in the Expectations of them.
Thoughts about these things are both allowable and unavoydable, if they take not the Mind out of its own Power, by their multiplicity, vehemence, and urgency, untill it be unframed as to Spiritual things, retaining neither room nor time for their entertainment.
Hence Men walk and talke, as if the World were all, when Comparatively it is nothing.
And when men come with their warmed Affections reeking with thoughts of these things to the performance of, or attendance to any Spiritual Duty, it is very Difficult for them, if not impossible to stir up any Grace to a Due and vigourous exercise. Unless this plausible Advantage which the World has obtained of insinuating it self and its Occasions into the Mindes of Men, so as to fill them and Possesse them, be watched against, and obviated, so far, at least, as that it may not transform the Mind into its own Image and likeness this Grace of being Spiritually-Minded which is Life and Peace cannot be attained nor kept to it's due Exercise.
Nor can we be, any of us, delivered from this Snare, at this season, without a watchful endeavor to keep and preserve our Minds in the Constant Contemplation of things Spiritual and Heavenly, proceeding from the prevalent adherence of our Affections to them, as will appear in the ensuing discourse.
Again there are so great and Pregnant Evidences of the Prevalency of an Earthly Worldly Frame of Spirit, in many who make Profession of Religion, that it is high time they were called to a due consideration, how unanswerable they are therein, to the power and Spirituallity of that Religion which they do Profess. There is no way whereby such a Frame may be evinced to prevaile in many; yea in the Generallity of such Professiors, that is not manifest to all. In their habits, attires and vestments, in their usual converse and mispence of time, in their over liberal entertainment of themselves and others to the borders of Excess, and sundry other things of an a like nature, there is in many, such a Conformity to the World (a thing severely forbidden) that it is hard to make a distinction between them. And these things do manifest such a predominancy of Carnal Affections in the Minds of Men, as whatever may be pretended to the contrary, is inconsistent with Spiritual Peace. To call Men off from this evil Frame of Heart and Minde, to discover the Sin and danger of it, to direct them to the ways and means whereby it may be Effected, to supply their Thoughts and Affections with better Objects, to discover and presse that Excercise of them which is indispensiblely required of all Believers, if they design Life and Peace, is, some part of the work of the ensuing Discourse. It may be it will be Judged but a Weak attempt as to the attaining of that end. But it cannot be denyed to have these two Advantages; first that it is seasonable; and secondly that it is sincerely intended. And if it have this only successe, that it may occasion others who have more Ability and opportunity then I have, to bring in their Assistance for an opposition to the vehement and Importunate insinuations of the World in these things, to have an entertainment in the Minds of Professors, this Labor will not be Lost. But things are come to that pass amongst us, that unless a more than ordinary vigorous Exercise of the Ministry of the Word, with other means appointed to the same end be engaged in, to recall Professors, to that strict Mortification, that Sincerity of Conversation, that seperation from the ways of the World, that Heavenly Mindedness, that Delight in the Contemplation of Spiritual things, which the Gospel and the whole Nature of Christian Religion do require, we shall loose the Glory of our Profession, and leave it very uncertain what will be our Eternal Condition. The same may be spoken concerning Love of the World as to the Advantages and Emoluments which Men trust to attain to themselves thereby. This is that wih renders Men Earthly Minded, and most remote from having their Conversations above. In the pursuit of this Corrupt Affection do many Professors of Religion, grow withering, useless, sapless, giving no Evidence that the Love of God abids in them. On these and many other accounts, do many, Christians evidence themselves to be strangers from Spiritual Mindedness, from a Life of Meditation and Holy Contemplation on things above; Yet unless we are found in these things in some Good Measure no Grace will thrive or Flourish in us; No Duty will be rightly Performed by us, no Condition Sanctified or Improved, nor are we Prepar'd, in a due manner, or made meet for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light. Wherfore as was said, to direct and provoke Men, to that which is the only remedy of all these Evils which alone is the means of giving them a view, into, and a fore tast of Eternal Glory; Especially to such who are in my own Condition, namely in a very near approach to a Departure out of this World, is the Design and Scope of the ensuing Discourse; wih is recommended to the Grace of God for the benefit of the Reader.
I want to give the reader a brief explanation of the nature and purpose of this straightforward discourse that follows. My hope is that it will guide you as you read, and serve as some explanation for why I decided to publish it. You should know that the thoughts shared here were originally private meditations for my own use, written during a season when I was completely unable to do anything for the benefit of others — and when I had little expectation that I would ever be able to do so again in this life. When I found some benefit and satisfaction in working through these meditations, and when God graciously restored a measure of strength to me, I continued with the same subject as I taught a private congregation. I did this partly because of the personal benefit I had received from these meditations, and partly because I believed the duties urged throughout this discourse were timely and needed to be declared and pressed upon the minds and consciences of believers, given all that is happening around us. Setting aside what others choose as their own methods and goals, I will acknowledge the two things that guide my work throughout my entire ministry. I aim to share those truths whose power I hope I have genuinely experienced in some measure, and to urge those duties which present circumstances, temptations, and other situations make especially necessary to attend to. In ministry generally, the whole counsel of God concerning the salvation of the Church through Jesus Christ must be declared; but in particular, we should not fight aimlessly — like men beating the air or shooting arrows at random without any clear target or purpose. We must know the flock we oversee, and we must carefully consider their needs, their graces, their temptations, their understanding, their strengths, and their weaknesses. When the preparation of the Word to be preached flows from a zeal for God's glory and compassion for people's souls — and when it is delivered with appropriate reverence for God whose Word it is, and with authority toward those who receive it, with a deep sense of the great account that both preachers and hearers will soon give before the judgment seat of Christ — then we may have a confident expectation of a blessed outcome. But my present purpose is simply to explain why I judged it fitting to preach and publish this brief, plain discourse on the grace and duty of being spiritually minded, given the present circumstances of most Christians. The first thing I want to point out is the world's persistent pressure to impose itself on people's minds, and the many subtle ways it possesses and fills them. If the world succeeds in filling the minds, thoughts, and affections of people with itself, it will in some cases fortify the soul against faith and obedience, and in others it will weaken all grace and put eternal life at risk.
If we love the world, the love of the Father is not in us; and when the world fills our thoughts, it will entangle our affections. First, the current state of all public affairs — along with the sense that private individuals have a stake in them — constantly occupies the thoughts of many people and has become almost the only topic of conversation. The world is in a great commotion right now. In many places it has been torn loose from all stable foundations, and this makes people's minds dizzy with its constant changes, or disorderly as they wait for what comes next.
Thinking about these things is both permissible and unavoidable — as long as it does not overwhelm the mind through sheer volume, intensity, and urgency, leaving no room or time for spiritual matters.
As a result, people live and talk as if the world were everything, when in comparison it is nothing.
When people come to perform or attend any spiritual duty with their affections still warm and stirred up by thoughts of worldly things, it is very difficult — if not impossible — for them to stir up any grace to its proper and vigorous exercise. Unless the world's influence — its ability to insinuate itself into people's minds and fill them completely — is carefully resisted and counteracted, at least to the point where it does not reshape the mind into its own image, the grace of being spiritually minded, which is life and peace, cannot be attained or maintained.
None of us can be delivered from this snare in this season without a watchful effort to keep our minds in constant contemplation of spiritual and heavenly things, sustained by the strong attachment of our affections to them — as will become clear in the discourse that follows.
There are also abundant and clear signs that an earthly, worldly frame of spirit prevails in many who claim to follow the Christian religion — so much so that it is long past time they seriously considered how inconsistent this is with the power and spirituality of the very religion they profess. There is hardly a way in which such a frame can be shown to prevail among many — indeed, among the majority of such professing Christians — that is not already plain for everyone to see. In their habits, clothing, and attire; in their usual conversations and wasted time; in their excessive entertainment of themselves and others to the edge of excess; and in many other similar things — many show such a conformity to the world (a thing strictly forbidden) that it is hard to tell them apart from the world. These things reveal that carnal affections dominate the minds of many, and whatever may be claimed to the contrary, this is incompatible with spiritual peace. The purpose of this discourse is partly to call people away from this evil state of heart and mind — to expose its sin and danger, to direct them to the ways and means by which change can be achieved, to fill their thoughts and affections with better objects, and to press upon them that exercise of grace which is absolutely required of all believers if they desire life and peace. It may be judged as a weak effort toward achieving that end. But it cannot be denied that it has two advantages: first, that it is timely; and second, that it is sincerely intended. And if it achieves only this one result — that it moves others who have more ability and opportunity than I have to bring their efforts to bear against the world's forceful and persistent pressure to occupy the minds of professing Christians — then this labor will not have been wasted. But things have come to such a point among us that unless there is a more than ordinarily vigorous exercise of the ministry of the Word — along with other appointed means directed toward the same end — to call professing Christians back to strict mortification of sin, sincerity of life, separation from the ways of the world, heavenly-mindedness, and delight in the contemplation of spiritual things (all of which the Gospel and the whole nature of the Christian religion require), we will lose the glory of our profession and leave it very uncertain what our eternal condition will be. The same must be said about the love of the world as it concerns the advantages and material benefits that people trust they will gain through it. This is what makes people earthly-minded and furthest from having their conversation in heaven. In pursuing this corrupt affection, many professing Christians wither, become useless and lifeless, giving no evidence that the love of God lives in them. For these and many other reasons, many Christians show themselves to be strangers to spiritual mindedness, to a life of meditation and holy contemplation of things above. Yet unless we are found in these things to a meaningful degree, no grace will thrive or flourish in us, no duty will be rightly performed, no circumstance will be sanctified or turned to profit, and we will not be properly prepared or made fit for the inheritance of the saints in light. Therefore, as was said, the purpose and scope of this discourse is to direct and stir up people to the only remedy for all these evils — the only means by which they may gain a glimpse and foretaste of eternal glory — and especially to those who are in my own condition, namely, drawing very near to departing this world. This discourse is committed to the grace of God for the benefit of the reader.
