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which we must foon entirely leave, cannot be a portion for an immortal fpirit; but that an endlefs happiness is fet in his view, which is every way fuited to his moft raifed defires: and therefore he judges, that this deferves an unfpeakable preference. He efteems heaven a better country than this, and God the best portion, and Chrift and holiness the only way to come at the enjoyment of God forever; and therefore is determined at any rate to make fure of thefe.

2. The temper of the mind is difcovered in the more fixed employment of the thoughts. That which we fix upon for our great bufinefs, will be very frequently prefent to our thoughts, A carnal mind has his thoughts most turned according to his biafs; when better thoughts occur to him, they are rather forced upon him than chofen, or intended rather for fpeculationthan practical improvement. The fpiritual mind will fet itfelf frequently and seriously to meditate on fpiritual things; to make God prefent to the mind; to ruminate on the excellency, the grace, and the work of a Redeem er ; on the glorious employments and entertainments of the heavenly world;

on the feveral branches of his duty, and the ftate of his foul. He loves to have his thoughts exercifed upon fuch deferving fub jects, and cannot be content to have them entirely taken up with the world. He will ap propriate fome time, as far as his circumftances will admit, on purpofe for holy meditation: Through defire he feparates himself, and Leeks and intermeddles with this wifdom, Prov

xviii.

xviii. 1. Even in the midft of worldly buff nefs, he will find opportunities to mix fomeferious thoughts; to lift up his heart to God in an ejaculation, when he has not leisure to purfue a train of thought. He is jealous, left vain and worldly thoughts fhould gain too firm a poffeffion, or give his mind too deep a tincture; and therefore will have, times to recollect himfelf. This may be expected from fuch a man ordinarily on every day more or lefs; and especially that he will gladly improve the greater leifure of a Lord's-day to clear his mind of vain thoughts, and employ it fixedly in those of the best tendency.

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3. It will appear in the bent of the heart and affections, either to carnal or spiritual things; whether we favour most the things of God! or the things of men, Mat. xvi. 23: Whe ther we fet our affections most on things above, or on things below, Col. iii. 2. In both which places the Greek word is the fame as that in the text. The current of defire runs ftrong, eft in the carnal mind towards fome worldly good or other; while the Pfalmift speaks the very foul of the fpiritual mind, Pfal. lxxiii. 25. "Whom have I in heaven but thee ?: and there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee." The delight and joy of thofe who are addicted to the flesh, is in the increase of corn and wine, and fuch things; but the delight of the other is much more inthe light of God's countenance, Pfal. iv. 6. 7. The one rejoices, if the body prospers and is in health; the other mainly upon evidence of the profperity of his foul. He who minds.

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the flesh, fears nothing fo much as worldly exercises, or the lofs of outward comforts: but he who minds the fpirit, is moft apprehenfive of fin againft God, and God's dif pleasure for fin. The one is moft fenfibly ftruck with forrow and concern, when he meets with afflictions and trials, which are grievous to the flesh: the other, when he is confcious that he hath offended God, wound, ed his own confcience, loft ground in his holy courfe, given way to temptation, and done fomething which tends to feparate between God and him. When the carnally minded are neceffitated to make fome reflections on their paft fins, they faften only on those which are grofs and generally hateful; and they are moft affected with the fhame, or cenfure, or other temporal inconvenience that they fuffer by them but the fpiritually minded are truly forry for every known fin that they remember, though it fhould be ever fo fafhionable, though it has been invifible to men; and that which chiefly affects them in all fins, is their offenfivenefs to God.

4. In the activity fhewn in pursuit of these feveral ends. If we act as in earneft to gain fome earthly good, repine at no pains, but can contentedly fit up late, and rife up early, and eat the bread of carefulness for that purpose; while we proceed with negligence and indifference in purfuit of the prize of glory if here we can fatisfy ourselves with good words, cold wifhes, faint endeavours,

and very uncertain hopes; fuch conduct is· too plain a fign of the prevalence of the carnal

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nal mind. Many will thus feek to enter into heaven, but fhall not be able, Luke xiii. 24, The spiritually minded will act at another rate; they will take heaven by violence, and be espe cially fervent in fpirit, when they are ferving the Lord; as fuch who are determined to gain their point, whatever it costs them, and to run their chriftian race fo as to obtain.

5. In the balance given to the several in、 terests of flesh and spirit, when they come in competition. This comparative view fets men in the cleareft light for discovery to themselves and others. Thus Chrift put Peter upon the trial of himself, "Loveft thou me, more than thefe ?" John xxi. 15. And in this Chrift only called Peter to examine the state of his. foul, by a rule which had been more general. ly delivered before, for the use of all his disciples, Matt. x. 37. "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of. me: and he that loveth fon or daughter more. than me, is not worthy of me." The fame.. thing is expreffed in stronger terms, Luke xiv. 26. "If any man come to me, and hate not. his father, and mother, and wife, and child-ren, and brethren and fifters, yea and his own, life alfo; he cannot be my difciple." This. hating of them can mean no more than a rea-diness so to behave in reference to them, if Christ and they come in competition, as with...... out such a reason would look like hating one's own flesh. There may be occafions wherein. we cannot maintain a good conscience, without going contrary to the judgments, and refifting the importunities of intimate friends.

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and dear relations; or without lofing the fa vour of thofe, to whom otherwife it would be our intereft and inclination to approve ourfelves. Or the trial may go farther unless we will forbear what we apprehend to be our duty, or do fomething which we judge finful, we shall not only run great hazards in our own perfons; but alfo the prefent interefts of our families are like to fuffer, and those who are dear and near us, to be involved in great temporal inconveniences..

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This is a very preffing difficulty, when God in his providence brings any to it; but after all, these are no better than fleshly motives when fet againft duty and confcience and here the carnally minded are like to break with Chrift; but the fpiritually minded will fhew that their love to their mafter is fupreme.

The improvement I would call you to make of this firft branch of the fubject, which I have gone through, viz. an explication of the two oppofite tempers mentioned in the text; is, to prefs you carefully to examine yourfelves upon this important and diftinguishing head of religion.

It will be a very melancholy cafe, if thofe can make a shift to evade a conviction, that the bent of their hearts is wrong and ruinous, who bear undeniable marks of a carnal mind reigning in them: fuch, for inftance, as give themselves up to work. all uncleannefs with greedinefs; who live in a course of fenfuality, making provision for the flesh, to fulfil the hifts

But yet others should not conclude haftily,

that

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