Chapter 16

Assimulation to things Heavenly and Spiritual in Affections Spiritually renewed. This Assimulation the Work of Faith. How, and whereby. Reasons of the want of Growth in our Spiritual Affections, as to this Assimulation.

WHen Affections are Spiritually renewed, in their Exercise, or fixing of themselves on Spiritual things; There is an Assimulation wrought in them, and in the whole Soul to those Spiritual and Heavenly things by Faith. But when there is a Change in them only, from other Causes and Occasions, and not from Renewing Grace, there is an Assimulation effected of Spiritual and Heavenly Things to themselves, to those Affections, by Imagination.

This must somewhat at large be spoken to, as that which gives the most eminent Distinction between the Frames of Mind, whose difference we inquire into. And to that end we shall cast our consideration of it into the ensuing Observations.

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, has 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 deviate or decline in the least from the Guidance of the Faith, they degenerate from their Spirituality, and give up themselves to the Service of Superstition. Next to corrupt secular Interest in the management of crafty selfish Seducers, this has 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 gos 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 to 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 to 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 to their proper Object, they either wither and dye, as to any appearing of Spiritual Motions. or else keep the Mind tossed up and down in perpetual disquietment, without rest or Peace. The foolish Man wearis himself, because he cannot find the way to the City. So was it with them who on the account of their Attendance to the Doctrine of Christ, are called his Disciples, Joh. 6. Having preached to them about the Bread which came down from Heaven, and givs Life to them that feed, they were greatly affected with it, and cryed out, Lord, evermore, give us of this Bread, verse 34. But when he proceeded to declare the Mystery of it, they having not Faith to discern and apprehend it, their Affections immediately decayed, and they forsook both him and his Doctrine, vers. 66.

We may consider one especial Instance of this nature. Persons every day fall under great and effectual Convictions of Sin, and of their danger or certain Misery thereby. This stirs up and acts all their Affections, especially their Fears, Hopes, Desires, Sorrow, Self-Revenge, according as their Condition calls for them. Hence sometimes they grow restless in their Complaints, and turn themselves every way for relief, like men that are out of the way, and bewildred in the night. But in this State and Condition tell them of the only proper way and means of their Relief, which, let the World say what it will, is Christ and his Righteousness alone, with the Grace of God in him, and they quickly discover that they are strange things to them, such as they do not understand, nor indeed approve. They cannot see them, they cannot discern them, nor any Beauty in them for which they should be desired.

Wherefore after their Affections have been tossed up and down for a season, under the Power and Torment of this Conviction, they come to one or other of these Issues with them. For either they utterly decay, and the Mind looss all sense of any Impressions from them, so as that they wonder in themselves, whence they were so foolish as to be tossed and troubled with such melancholy Fancies, and so commonly prove as bad a sort of Men as live upon the Earth; or they take up in a formal legal Profession wherein they never attain to be Spiritually-Minded. This is the best end that our Affections towards Spiritual things not guided by the Light of Faith, do come to.

Secondly, Faith has a clear prospect into, and Apprehension of Spiritual things, as they are in themselves, and in their own nature. It is true, the Light of it cannot fully comprehend the nature of all those things which are the Objects of its Affections, For they are infinite and incomprehensible, such as are the Nature of God, and the Person of Christ; and some of them, as future Glory, are not yet clearly revealed: But it discerns them all in a due manner, so as that they may in themselves, and not in any corrupt Representation, or Imagination of them, be the Object of our Affections. They are as the Apostle speaks, Spiritually discerned, Cor. 2:14. which is the reason why the natural man cannot receive them, namely, because he has not Ability Spiritually to discern them. And this is the principal end of the Renovation of our Minds, the principal quality and effect of Faith, namely, the Communication to our Minds, and the acting in us, of a Spiritual Saving Light, whereby we may see and discern Spiritual things as they are in their own Nature, Kind, and proper Use, see Ephes. 1:17, 18, 19. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of him. The Eyes of your Understanding being enlightned: that ye know what is the hope of his Calling, and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints, and what is the exceeding Greatness of his Power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty Power. Cor. 4:6. God shines in our Hearts, to give the Light of the Knowledge of his Glory in the Face of Jesus Christ. The End God designes, is to draw our Hearts and Affections to himself. And to this end, he gives to us a glorious internal Light, whereby we may be enabled to discern the true nature of the things that we are to cleave to with Love and Delight. Without this we have nothing but false Images of Spiritual things in our Minds: not always as to the Truth or Doctrine concerning them, but as to their Reality, Power and Efficacy. This is one of the principal Effects of Faith, as it is the principal part of the Renovation of our Minds, namely, to discover in the Soul and represent to the Affections things Spiritual and Heavenly, in their Nature, Beauty, and genuine Excellency. This attracts them if they are Spiritually renewed and causs them to cleave with Delight to what is so proposed to them. He that believes in Christ in a due manner, who thereon discovers the Excellency of his Person, and the Glory of his Mediation, will both love him, and on his Believing rejoyce with Joy unspeakable, and full of Glory. So is, it in all other Instances; the more steady is our view by Faith of Spiritual things the more firm and constant will our Affections be in cleaving to them. And wherever the Mind is darkned about them, by Temptation or Seduction from the Truth, there the Affections will be quickly weakned and impaired. Wherefore,

Thirdly, Affections thus lead to, and fixed on Spiritual and Heavenly things under the Light and Conduct of Faith, are more and more renewed, or made in themselves more Spiritual and Heavenly. They are in their cleaving to them, and delight in them, continually changed and Assimulated to the things themselves: becomming more and more to be what they are namely, Spiritual and Heavenly.

This Transformation is wrought by Faith, and is one of the most excellent Faculties and Operations, see Cor. 3:18. And the means whereby it works herein, are our Affections. In them as we are Carnal, we are conformed to this World; and by them as Sanctifyed, are we transformed in the renewing of our Minds, Rom. 12:2. And this Transformation is the Introduction of a new Form or Nature into our Souls, diverse from that wherewith we were before endued. So is it described, Isaiah 11:6, 7, 8, 9. A Spiritual Nature they were changed into. And it is twofold.

First, Original and Radical as to the Substance or Essence of it, which is the Effect of the first Act of Divine Grace upon our Souls, when we are made new Creatures. Herein our Affections are passive, they do not transform us, but are transformed.

Secondly, Gradual as to its Increase; and therein Faith works in and by the Affections.

Whenever the Affections do cleave intensely to any Object, they receive an Impression from it, as the Wax does from the Seal when applyed to it, which changs them into its own likeness. So the Apostle affirms of sensual unclean Persons; they have Eyes full of Adultery, Pet. 2:14. Their Affections are so wholly possessed and filled with their lustful Objects, as that they have brought forth their own likeness upon their Imaginations. That blots out all others, and leaves them no Inclinations but what they stir up in them. When men are filled with the Love of this World, which carries along with it all their other Affections, their Hopes, Fears, and Desires, to a constant Exercise about the same Object, they become Earthly-Minded. Their Minds are so changed into the Image of the things themselves, by the effectual working of the corrupt Principles of Sin, Self-Love and Lust, as if they were made up of the Earth, and therefore have no Savour of any thing else.

In like manner when by Faith men come to embrace Heavenly things, through the effectual Working of a Principle of Spiritual Life and Grace in them, they are every day more and more made Heavenly. The Inward Man is renewed day by Day. Love is more sincere and ardent, Delight is more ravishing and sensible, Desires are more inlarged and intense, and by all a Tast and Relish of Heavenly things is heightned into refreshing Experience see Rom. 5:2, 3, 4, 5.

This is the way whereby one Grace is added to another, Pet. 1:5, 6. in Degrees. Great is the Assimulation between renewed Affections and their Spiritual Objects, that by this means may be attained.

The Mind hereby becomes the Temple of God wherein he dwells by the Spirit; Christ also dwells in Believers, and they in him. God is Love, and he that dwells in Love, dwells in God, and God in him, 1 John 4:16.

Love in its proper Exercise, gives a mutual Inhabitation to God and Believers. In brief, he whose Affections are set upon Heavenly things in a due manner, will be Heavenly-Minded. And in the due Exercise of them, will that Heavenly Mindedness be encreased. The Transformation and Assimulation that is wrought, is not in the Object or Spiritual things themselves, they are not changed neither in themselves, nor in the Representation made of them to our Minds; But the Change is in our Affections which are made like to them.

Two Cases deriving from this Principle and Consideration, may be here spoken to, and shall be so; the first in this, and the other in the following Chapter. The one is concerning the Slowness and Imperceptibility of the Growth of our Affections in their Assimulation to Heavenly things, with the Causes and Reasons of it. The other is, the Decays that frequently befall Men in their Affections to Spiritual things instead of growing and thriving in them, with the Reasons and Causes thereof.

First, This Progress and Growth of our Affections into Spirituality and Heavenliness, into Conformity to the things they are set upon, is oftentimes very slow, and some times imperceptible. Yea, for the most part, it is a hard thing to find it Satisfactorily in our selves or others. Our Affections stand like Shrubs in the Wilderness, which see not when good coms, and are not like Plants in a Garden enclosed, which is watered every day. But it is not so without our Folly and our Sin.

The Folly that keeps many in this Condition, consists herein; The generality of Christians are contented with their present measures, and design little more, than not to lose the ground they have gained. And a pernitious Folly it is that both ruines the Glory of Religion, and deprives the Souls of Men, of Peace and Consolation. But so it is, Men have some grounds of Persuasion, or at least they hope, and suppose they have such grounds, that they are passed from Death to Life, that they are in a State of Grace and Acceptance with God. This State they will endeavor to preserve by a diligent Performance of the Dutys it requirs, and the avoidance of such Sins, whereby they might make a forfeiture of it. But as for earnest watchful Endeavours and Diligence to thrive in this State, to grow in Grace, to be changed from Glory to Glory into the Image of Christ, to press forwards towards the mark of the High-Calling, and after Perfection to lay hold upon Eternal Life, to be more holy, more humble, more righteous, more Spiritually-minded, to have their Affections more and more transformed into the likeness of things above; they are but few, that sincerely and diligently apply themselves to it, or to the means of these things. The Measures which they have attain'd to, give Satisfaction to the Church, and Reputation in the World, that they are Professours, and some so speak Peace to their own Souls. To be more holy and heavenly, to have their Affections more taken up with the things above, they suppose somewhat inconsistent with their present Occasions and Affairs. By this means has Religion lost much of its Glory, and the Souls of Men have been deprived of the principal Advantages of it in this World.

Such Persons are like to men who live in a Country whereni they are not only pressed with Poverty, and all sorts of Misery; but are also obnoxious to grievous Punishments, and Death it self, if they are taken in it. In this Condition they are told and assured of another Country, wherein so soon as they are arrived, they shall be freed from all Fear of danger of Punishment, and if they pass further into it, they shall meet with Riches, Plenty and a fair Inheritance provided for them. Hereon they betake themselves to their Voyage to obtain an entrance into it, and Possession of it. But no sooner do they come within the Borders, and so are free from Danger, or fear of Punishment and Death, but they sit down and will go no further, to enjoy the good things of the Country whereto they are come. And it falls out with many of them, that through their Sloath, Negligence, and Ignorance, they take up short of the true Bounds and Limits of the Country of Liberty and Peace which they aimed at, whereby Danger and Death surprize them unawares. This ruine could not have befallen them, had they industriously endeavored to enter into the heart of the Country, and have possessed the good things thereof. At best, being only in the Borders, they lead a poor Life all their dayes, exposed to wants and danger.

So it is in this case. Men falling under the Power of Convictions, and those restless Fears wherewith they are accompanied, will stir up themselves, and inquire how they may fly from the Wrath to come, how they may be delivered from the State of Sin, and the Eternal Misery which will ensue thereon.

In the Gospel not only Mercy and Pardon are proposed to them on their believing, which is the first entrance into the Heavenly Country; But Peace, and Joy, and Spiritual Strength upon their Admission into it, and a progress made in it by Faith and Obedience. But many when they have attain'd so far, as that they have some hopes of Pardon and Freedom from the Curse, so as to deliver them from their tormenting Fears, will endeavor to preserve those hopes, and keep that State; but will not pass on to a full Enjoyment of the precious things of the Gospel, by Growth in Grace and Spiritual Affections. But how many of them fall under woful Mistakes. For supposing themselves to be in a Gospel State, it proves in the Issue, that they never entred into it. They were not it may be far from the Kingdom of Heaven, in the same Sense as it was spoken of him who never came thither. There is no way to secure an Interest in the Gospel, as to Pardon and Mercy, Safety and Deliverance, but by a Growth in Grace, Holiness, and Spirituality, which gives an entrance into the choicest Mercies and Priviledges of it.

This Folly of Men in taking up with their Measures, endeavouring only to maintain that State and Condition which they hope they have attained, is the great reason why their Affections do not dayly grow up into Spirituality, through an Assimulation to Heavenly things. And a Folly it is, attended with innumerable Aggravations. As for Instance.

First, It is contrary and destructive to the genuine and principal Property of Gospel Grace. For it is every where compared by our Savior to things which from small Seeds and Beginings, do grow up by a continual Increase to large measures, as to a grain of Mustard Seed, a little leaven, and the like.

That Grace in whose nature it is not to thrive and grow, may Justly be suspected, and ought diligently to be examined by them who take care of their own Souls and would not be eternally deceived.

Secondly, It is contrary to the most excellent or invaluable Evangelical Promises recorded in the Old Testament and the New; and which are amongst the principal Supportments of the Faith, Hope, and Comfort of Believers. God has given them to us, to encourage us to an Expectation of such Supplies of Grace, as shall cause us to thrive and grow against all Opposition, to the utmost of our Continuance in this World. And they are so multiplyed as that there is no need to mention any of them in particular; God evidencing thereby how great is the Grace, and how pretious which he so often promiss, and of what Consideration it is of to our selves, see Psal. 92:13, 14, 15. Isai. 40.28, 29, 30, 31. Wherefore the Folly of taking up with present measures of Grace, Holiness, and Spirituality, is attended with two unspeakable Evils.

First, A Signal Contempt of the Love, Grace, Faithfulness, and Wisdom of God, in giving of us such Promises of Grace, to make us to encrease, thrive, and grow. How can it be done more effectually, than by such a neglect of his Promised Grace.

Secondly, An Evidence that such Persons love not, care not for Grace or Holiness for their own Souls, but meerly to serve their turn at present as they suppose; nor do desire the least of Grace or Priviledge by Christ, without which they can have any hopes to get to Heaven. This sufficiently discovers men to be wholly under the Power of Self-Love, and to center therein; for if they may have so much Grace and Mercy, as may save them, they care for no more.

Thirdly, It is repugnant to the Honor of Gospel Grace, as though it would carry us so far, and no farther in the way to Glory. For it must be known that this sort of Persons who sit down in their present Measures and Attainments either really have no true Grace at all, or that which is of the lowest, meanest, and most imperceptible size and degree. For if any one has attained any considerable Growth in Faith and Love, in the Mortification of Sin, in Heavenly-Mindedness, it is utterly impossible but that ordinarily he will be pressing forward towards farther Attainments, and farther Degrees of Spiritual Strength in the Life of God. So the Apostle declares it in his own Example, Phil. 3:10, 11, 12, 13, 14. What thoughts can these Persons have concerning the Glory, Power, and Efficacy of Gospel Grace, which they suppose they have received. If they measure them by the Effects which they find in themselves, either as to the Mortification of Sin, or Strength to, and Delight in Duties of Holiness, or as to Spiritual Consolation, they can see no Excellency nor Beauty in them. For they do not manifest themselves but in their Success, as they transform the Soul dayly into the Image of Christ.

Fourthly, It is that which has lost the Reputation and Glory of the Religion in the World, and therein the Honor of the Gospel it self. For the most of Professors do take up with such Measures as put no lustre upon it, as give no Commendation to the Religion they profess. For their measures allow them such a Conformity to the World, in their Ways, Words and Actions, in their Gestures, Apparrel, and Attire, as that they are no way visibly to be distinguished from it. Yea, the Ground and Reason why the most do rest in their present measures, is because they will not be further differenced from the World. This has greatly lost the Glory, Honor, and Reputation of Religion amongst us. And on the other side, if all visible Professors would endeavor continually to grow and thrive in Spirituality of Mind, and Heavenlyness of Affections, with Fruits suited thereunto, it would bring a Conviction on the world, that there is a Secret Invisible Power, accompanying the Religion they profess, transforming them dayly into the Image and Likeness of God.

Fifthly, Whatever is pretended to the contrary, it is inconsistent with all solid Peace of Conscience. For so such thing is promised to any who live in such a Contempt of Divine Promises; nor is it attainable but by the diligent Exercise of all those Graces which lye neglected under this Frame. Few men are able to judge whether they have real, eternal, abiding Peace or no, unless it be in Case of Tryals and Temptations. At other Seasons, general Hopes and Confidences do, or may supply the want of it in their Minds. But when any Fear, Danger, Tryal, or Word of Conviction befalls them, they cannot but inquire and examine how it is with them. And if they find their Affections cold, dead, earthly, carnal, withering, not spiritual or heavenly, there will be an end of their supposed Peace, and they will fall into woful Disquietments, and they will then find that the Root of all this Evil lyes in this Frame and Disposition. They have been so far satisfyed with their present measures or attainments in Religion, as that the utmost of their Endeavours have been, but to preserve their Station, or not to forfeit it by open Sins, to keep their Souls alive from the severe Reflections of the Word and their Reputation fair in the Church of God. Spiritually to thrive, to prosper in their Souls, to wax fat and flourishing in the Inward Man, to bring forth more fruit as Age increass, to press towards Perfection, are things they have not designed nor pursued.

Hence it is that so many among us, are visibly at an unthrifty stand in the World; that where they were one Year, there they are another, like Shrubs in the Wilderness, not like the Plants in the Garden of God, not as Vines planted in a very fruitful Hill. Yea, though many are sensible themselves, that they are cold, lifeless, and fruitless, Yet will they not be convinced, that there is a necessity of making a dayly progress in Spirituality and Heavenly-Mindedness, whereby the Inward man may be renewed day by day, and Grace augmented with the Increase of God. This is a work as they suppose for them who have nothing else to do; not consistent with their Business, Callings, and Occasions; not necessary as they hope to their Salvation, nor it may be, to be attained by them, if they should set themselves about it. This Apprehension of Imagination, upon the beginning of the Declension, and decay of Christian Religion in the many, Cast of all Holiness and Devotion to a sort of men who undertook to retire themselves utterly out of the World, amongst whom also the Substance of Religion was quickly lost, and a Cloud, or Meteor of Superstition embraced in the Room of it. But this Folly is ominous to the Souls of men.

Those who have made the greatest Progress in the Conformity of their Affections to things Spiritual and Heavenly, know most of its Necessity, Excellency, and Desireableness; yea, without some Progress in it, these things will not be known. Such will testify that the more they attain herein, the more they see there is yet to be attained, and the more they do desire to attain what is behind. Forgetting those things which are behind, they reach forth to the things that are yet before them; like men running in a Race, whose Prize and Reward is yet before them. Phil. 3:13, 14. It is a comely thing to see a Christian weaned from the World, minding Heavenly Things, green and flourishing in Spiritual Affection. And it is the more lovely, because it is so rare. The generality of them take up with those measures, which neither glorifie God, nor bring in durable Peace into their own Souls.

That which men pretend, and complain of herein, is the difficulty of the Work. They can as they suppose preserve their present Station, but to press forward to grow in Grace, to thrive in their Affections, this is too hard for them. But this Complaint is unequal and unjust and adds to the guilt of their Sloth. It reflects upon the Words of our Savior, that his Yoke is easy, and his Burden Light, that his Commandments are not grievious. It expersss Unbelief in the Promises of God, tendring such Supplies of Grace as to render all the ways of Wisdom easy, yea, Mercy and Peace. It is contrary to the Experience of all who have with any Sincerity and Diligence ingaged in the ways of Gospel Obedience. And the whole cause of the pretended Difficulty lyes in themselves alone; which may be reduced to these two Heads.

First, A Desire to retain some thing, or things, that is, or are inconsistent with such a Progress. For unless the Heart be ready on all Occasions, to esteem every things as Loss and Dung, so as we may win Christ, the work will be accomcompanied with insuperable Difficulties. This is the first Principle of Religion, of Gospel Obedience, that all things are to be despised for Christ. But this Difficulty ariss not from the thing it self, but from our Indisposition to it, and unfitness for it. That which is an easy pleasant Walk to a found and healthy Man, is a toilsome Journey to him that is diseased and infirm. In particular, while Men will retain an inordinate respect to the World, the Vanities, the Pleasures, the Profits, the Contentments of it; whil'st Self-Love, putting an undue Valuation on our Persons, our Relations, our Enjoyments, our Reputations, does cleave to us, we shall labor in the Fire when we ingage in this Duty; or rather we shall not at all sincerely ingage in it; wherefore the Apostle tells us, that in this case, we must cast off every weight, and the Sin that does so easily beset us, if we intend to run with Joy the Race that is set before us, Heb. 12:1.

Secondly, It is because Men dwell continually upon the Entrances of Religion in the first and lowest Exercise of Grace; some are always beginning at Religion, and the beginning of things are always difficult. They design not to be Compleat in the whole Will of God, nor to give all Graces their perfect Work. They do not with use, habituate Grace to a readiness in all the Actings of it, which the Apostle commends in them that are perfect or compleat, Heb. 5:14. Hence he calls such Persons Babes, and Carnal, comparatively to them that are strong men and Spiriual. Such Persons do not obliege themselves to the whole Work, and all the Duties of Religion, but only what they Judge necessary to them in their present Circumstances. In particular, they do not attempt a thorow-work in the Mortification of any Sin, but are hewing and hacking at it, as their Convictions are urgent, or abate, the Wounds whereof in the Body of Sin, are quickly healed. They give not any Grace its perfect Work, but are always making Essayes, and so give over.

Whil'st it is thus with any, they shall always be deluded with the Apprehensions of insuperable Difficulties, as to the Growth of their Affections in Spirituality and Heavenliness. Remove these things out of the way as the ought to be removed, and we shall find all the Paths wherein we are to walk towards God, to be Pleasantness and Peace.

This is the first Cause whence it is, that there may be Affections truely Spiritual and gratiously renewed in some Persons, who yet do not thrive in an Assimulation and Conformity to Heavenly things. Men take up with their present measures; and thereon pretend either necessary Occasion, or Discouragements from Difficulties in attempting Spiritual Growth in the inward Man. But they may thank themselves, if as they bring no honor to Christ, so they have no solid Peace in their own Souls.

Secondly, As the Evil proceeds from Folly, so it is always the Consequent of Sin, of many Sins, of various sorts. Let us not dwell on heartless Complaints, that we do not find our Affections lively and heavenly; that we do not find the Inward Man to thrive or grow. Let us not hearken after this or that Relief or Comfort under this Consideration, as many things are usually insisted on to that purpose. They may be of use, when Persons are under Temptations, and not able to make a right Judgement of themselves. But in the Course of our ordinary walking with God, they are not to be attended, not retired to. The general Reason of this evil State, is our own sinful Carelesness, Negligence and Sloth, with perhaps an Indulgence to some known Lust or Corruption. And we do in vain seek after refreshing Cordials, as though we were only Spiritually faint, when we stand in need of Launcings and Burnings, as nigh to a Lethargy. It would be too long to give Instances of these Sins, which fail not effectually to obstruct the thriving of Spiritual Affections. But in general, when men are careless as to that continual Watch which they ought to keep over their Hearts; whil'st they are negligent in holy Duties, either as to the seasons of them, or the manner of their Performance; when they are Strangers to holy Meditation, and self-Examination; whil'st they inordinately pursue the things of the World, or are so tender and delicate, as that they will not undergo the hardship of an heavenly Life, either as to the Inward or Outward Man; much more when they are vain in their Conversation, corrupt in their Communication, especially if under the Predominant Influence of any particular Lust, it is vain to think of thriving in Spiritual Affections. And yet thus it is with all who ordinarily, and in their constant Course are thriftless herein.

The second difference between spiritually renewed affections and those that have been changed only by knowledge and conviction. The grounds and reasons why people who are not spiritually minded may still take delight in the duties of worship and be diligent in performing them.

The second difference is this: there can be a change in the affections in which people find delight in the duties of religious worship and are diligent in observing them — but it is the spiritual renovation of the affections that produces true delight in God through Christ in any duty of worship whatsoever.

Where the truth of the Gospel is known and publicly professed, there is great variety in people's minds, ways, and practices regarding the duties of worship. Many are spiritually indifferent in both mind and life, and at least practically despise or wholly neglect these duties. These are stubborn-hearted and far from righteousness, as Titus 1:16 indicates. Some attend to them formally and perfunctorily, driven by their upbringing and perhaps some conviction of their necessity. But many are diligent in their observance — according to the way they have chosen and are satisfied with — and even take great delight in it, and yet give no evidence of any spiritual renovation of mind. Indeed, the way some express their devotion — through superstition and idolatry — is incompatible with spiritual renovation or any other saving grace. We must therefore carefully examine the grounds and reasons why people can take delight in divine worship according to their own convictions about how it should be done, and yet remain entirely unrenewed in their minds.

First, people may be greatly moved by the outward form and manner of worship, with no delight in what is internal, real, and spiritual about it, as John 5:35 shows: "He was the lamp that was burning and was shining, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light." Similarly, many took delight in Ezekiel's preaching because of his eloquence and the elegance of his parables, as Ezekiel 33:31-32 describes. This gave them both delight and diligence in hearing him, so that they called themselves the people of God — while continuing to live in sin and chasing after greed. The same can happen today with respect to the spiritual gifts of those who preach the Word. I am not denying that people may be more delighted and satisfied with the gifts and preaching of one minister than another, and yet be sincere in that delight — because they may find more spiritual benefit there than from others, and material better suited to their growth. But what I am addressing here has to do only with outward circumstances that please the minds of people, as 2 Timothy 4:3-4 warns.

This was most evident under the Old Testament, while the people had physical ordinances and an earthly sanctuary. Often under that system the people fell into all kinds of idolatry and superstition. And when they did not, the body of them was still carnal and unholy, as is plain from the whole record of God's dealings with them through His prophets and in His providences. Yet they took great delight in the outward ceremonies of their worship, placing all their confidence of acceptance with God in those external observances. Those who truly and genuinely believed looked through all the ceremonies to Christ, whom they foreshadowed — without that faith, the ceremonies were a yoke and a burden nearly unbearable, as Acts 15 shows. But those who were carnal delighted in the ceremonies for their own sake, and on that account rejected the one who was the life and substance of them all. This same tendency also became a major cause of the apostasy of the Christian church. To maintain some appearance of spiritual affections, people introduced fleshly stimulants into worship — things like elaborate music and ornate ceremonies. They found such things necessary to make the worship of God agreeable to their minds and affections, and through them they appeared to have great devotion. If some people could mentally separate the service of God from the external order, variety, spectacle, and music that move them, they would find no delight in it at all — they would look on it as something to be endured. How else can one make sense of what happens among the Catholics: they will attend their solemn worship with great earnestness and many apparent signs of devotion, sometimes through difficulty and danger. And yet, when they are present, they do not understand a single word by which their minds might be stirred to genuine acts of faith, love, and delight in God. Only order, ceremony, music, and other stimulants of the fleshly affections make any real impression on them. Spiritually renewed affections have no stake in these things. In fact, those in whom they are present would find that such things distract their minds from the real work of worship rather than aiding in it. This will be evident to them, unless they are willing to lose their spiritual affections — the active work of faith and love — and replace them with a fleshly and imaginary devotion. Hence two people may attend the same ordinances of worship with equal delight, yet for very different reasons — like two men entering the same garden, filled with every variety of herbs and flowers; one ignorant of plants, the other a skilled herbalist. Both may be equally delighted — one by the colors and fragrance of the flowers, the other by reflection on their various natures, their uses in medicine, and the like. It can be the same in the hearing of the Word: one person is moved by the outward manner of delivery, another by its spiritual power, at the very same moment. For this reason, Augustine tells us that Athanasius abolished a certain style of singing at Alexandria — not congregational psalm-singing, but a kind of melodic chanting in the reading of Scripture and certain offices of worship that had begun to be introduced at that time. The reason Athanasius gave was that the inflection of the voice and musical cadence might divert people's minds from the spiritual affection required in sacred duties. Whatever genuine order exists in the worship of God — an order that is itself an expression of divine wisdom — it is suited to and helpful for spiritual affections, because it proceeds from the same Spirit by which they are internally renewed, as Colossians 2:5 implies: "beholding your order." Everything appointed by God is both useful and delightful to them. None can say with greater depth of admiration, "How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord," as Psalm 84:1-2 expresses, than those whose affections have been renewed. Yet their delight does not end there, as we will see shortly.

Second, people may take delight in the outward performance of worship because it gives them a way to satisfy their conscience — to comply, in some measure, with what it demands of them. When the conscience is awakened to a sense of the necessity of such duties — those that make up the substance of worship — it will give the mind no rest or peace in neglecting them. When those duties are attended to at the times that knowledge, conviction, and custom call for, the conscience is satisfied enough that the mind finds present ease and relief. And when the soul becomes accustomed to finding relief this way, it will not only be diligent in performing these duties and avoid skipping them — it will actually come to delight in them, because it finds such great benefit from them. This is why many people will not skip their morning prayer, even though they are fully resolved to spend the rest of the day in sin. And there are very few who diligently labor to live and walk in a manner that matches their own prayers; yet everything in our prayers that goes beyond our actual efforts to live accordingly is nothing more than the exercise of spiritual gifts responding to conscience. Others find in these duties a temporary relief from trouble — like the temporary cooling a fever patient experiences from drinking cold water, which eases the flames for a time but does not cure the illness. They use these duties as an antidote against the poison and sting of sin, which calms the rage of guilt but cannot expel its venom.

Or these duties serve them the way the sin offerings did under the law. Those offerings gave a guilty person immediate relief. But as the apostle says, they could not make people perfect. They did not entirely remove a conscience condemning for sin. As soon as any duty was neglected, the sense of sin returned — and not only regarding the act, but the person himself feeling condemned under the law. The sacrifices then had to be repeated for a renewed covering. This is what gave that people of the flesh such delight and satisfaction in those sacrifices that they trusted in them for righteousness, life, and salvation. So it is with people who are consistent in spiritual duties purely out of conviction. The performance of those duties brings them present relief and ease — it may not heal their wound, but it dulls the pain and scatters their immediate fears. This is why they perform them frequently, and often not without delight — because they find ease in doing so. And those are in a somewhat dangerous condition who, upon feeling guilt for any sin, run to their prayers for relief, and once they have prayed feel quite at ease in mind and conscience — even though they have obtained no real sense of forgiveness, and no real strength against that sin.

Someone might object: do not all people — even the best of people — perform spiritual duties out of a conviction of their necessity? Do they not know it would be sinful to omit them, and so find satisfaction in their minds when they have performed them? Yes, they do — but there is a difference. It is one thing to perform a duty out of conviction of its necessity as an ordinance of God, where the conviction concerns only the duty itself. It is another thing to perform a duty in order to satisfy a troubled conscience about other sins, or to quiet the conscience under its distress about them — and it is this second kind we are speaking about. This kind begins and ends in self — self-satisfaction is its only aim. By it, people seek some rest and quiet in their own minds, which they cannot find any other way. But when a duty is performed in faith — out of conviction of its necessity as God's ordinance and its usefulness in the way of His grace — the soul begins and ends in God. It seeks no satisfaction in the duty itself, nor finds it there, but only in and from God through it.

Third, the main reason why people whose affections have been changed but not spiritually renewed take delight in the holy duties of worship is that they place their righteousness before God in those duties — and hope on that basis to be accepted by Him. They do not know — they do not seek — any righteousness other than one of their own making. Whatever notions they may hold about the righteousness of faith or the righteousness of Christ, what they actually trust in practice is their own righteousness — and this reveals itself in their consciences whenever they are truly put to the test. Indeed, when they cry out to God and claim faith in Christ, they quickly show that their principal trust is placed in themselves. Now among all the things they can claim in the way of duty and obedience, nothing carries a more plausible appearance of righteousness than what they do in the worship of God and the exercise of religious acts toward Him. This is what He expects from them — what is due to Him in the light of their conscience — the best they can do to please Him, and therefore what they must put their trust in, or trust in nothing. They secretly suppose not only that there is a righteousness in these acts that stands on its own, but that it can even make up for their sins to some degree. And so, knowing they will frequently fall into sin, they quiet their conscience by increasing their duties and renewing their diligence in performing them.

It is hard to overstate what delight and satisfaction people will take in anything that seems to contribute to a righteousness of their own. For such things appeal to and satisfy all the principles of fallen human nature once it has come under the weight of conviction concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.

This is what made the Jews of old cling so stubbornly to the ceremonies and sacrifices of the law, and prefer them above the Gospel, the kingdom of God, and its righteousness, as Romans 10:3-4 shows. They looked to the law for righteousness and sought it there. Those who had been kept for many generations in only a tolerable observance of the ceremonies — and only with great difficulty — when they had learned to place all their hopes of righteousness in them, clung to them at the cost of both their temporal and eternal ruin, as Romans 9:31-33 describes. And when people were persuaded that righteousness could be earned through acts of generosity and supposed charity in giving their wealth to the church, those who were otherwise covetous, greedy, and oppressive would freely pour out gold and surrender their entire estate — along with all their ill-gotten goods — to obtain it. Such is the powerful hold that the desire for self-righteousness has on the human mind. It is the soul's strongest defense against Christ and the Gospel — the last stronghold by which self maintains its position against the grace of God.

Therefore, those who place their righteousness — or the greater part of it — in the duties of religious worship will not only be diligent in performing them, but will often multiply and accumulate them. This will be especially true if those duties can be performed in a way that pleases their affections with an outward show of humility and devotion, without requiring any real exercise of faith or sincere love for God. So it is with many people in all kinds of religion — whether the form of worship they follow is true or false, appointed by God or rejected by Him. The prophet addresses precisely this in Isaiah 1:11-19 and Micah 6:7-8.

Fourth, the reputation that comes from devotion in religious duties may almost imperceptibly lead the unrenewed mind into great diligence and delight in performing them. However divided people may be in their views and practices about religion — however different or even contrary their ways of worship — it is among all kinds of people, and even in the secret thoughts of those who outwardly scorn such things, a mark of reputation to be devout, diligent, and strict in the duties of religion as they understand them. This has a powerful influence on the minds of people when pride quietly rules them and they love the praise of men more than the praise of God.

This consideration will be especially compelling when people believe that the honor and reputation of the tradition they profess — in competition with others — depends largely on their reputation for strictness in religious duties. In that case, they will not only be personally diligent but zealous in drawing others into the same observances. These two motivations — personal reputation and the reputation of their group — were the life and soul of the Pharisaism of old. The more people's minds are driven by these considerations, the more their love for and delight in those duties that earn them reputation will grow and thrive.

I am not suggesting that people are — or at least I am not speaking of those who are — such outright hypocrites as to do everything they do in religion merely to be seen and praised by others, being driven in all public duties by that motive alone, as some of the Pharisees were. I am speaking about those who, though moved by the convictions and motives just described, also allow this corrupt desire for reputation and human praise to operate alongside them. For whenever such a motive is allowed in and becomes strong in the mind, it will broadly influence the affections toward delight in those duties by which that end can be achieved — until the person is so habituated to them that he performs them with great apparent satisfaction.

Fifth, I should note superstition in the last place. As an undue fear of God's nature, will, and ways — built on false ideas and perceptions of them — superstition can appear in the minds of people in all kinds of religion, true and false. It is an inward fault of the mind. As it concerns the outward ways and means of religious service — consisting in the devout performance of duties God does not accept but actually forbids — it belongs only to religion that is false and corrupt. How superstition in both its forms draws people into the performance of religious duties — often with the most scrupulous diligence, and sometimes with almost superhuman efforts to go beyond normal human limits — would take too long to describe here. It is enough to have named it among the reasons why people whose affections are not spiritually renewed may yet take great delight in the diligent performance of outward religious duties. Our purpose in all of this is to identify the true nature of this grace and duty of being spiritually minded. We have established that it requires our affections to be spiritually and supernaturally renewed. And because there can be a great change worked on people's affections with respect to spiritual things where there is nothing of this supernatural renovation, our present inquiry is: what are the differences between the activity of spiritually renewed affections and those that have been merely changed by occasional circumstances? And since the great exercise of affections takes place in the duties of worship, I have been laying out the grounds and reasons why people with unrenewed minds often take delight in the duties of worship and are diligent in performing them.

From these and similar considerations, it can be shown that the greater part of the devotion in the world does not spring from the spiritual renovation of the mind — without which it is not accepted by God. What remains is to provide further evidence in service of the inquiry we are pursuing: namely, what are the grounds and reasons why those whose minds and affections are spiritually renewed take delight in the ordinances of worship and attend to their observance with care and diligence? Because this is a matter of great importance, and is useful in other contexts as well, I will treat it separately in the following chapter, so that the reader may understand it more clearly — both in terms of the doctrine itself and in terms of its place in our larger discussion.