112 OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. grounds such persons can satisfy themselves that they are sptrituallyminded, I know not. I shall leave only one rule with persons that are thus minded. ` Where our love to the world hath prevailed, by its reasonings, pleas, and pretences, to take away our fear and jea- lousy over our own hearts, lest we should inordinately love it, there it is assuredly predominant in us.' 2. Others are sensible of the evil of their hearts, at least are jealous and afraid lest it should be found that their hearts do cleave inordinately to these things. Hence they endeavor to contend against this evil, sometimes by forcing themselves unto such acts of piety or charity as are contrary to that frame, and sometimes by laboring a change of the frame itself : especially they will do so when God is pleased to awaken them by trials and afflictions, such as write vanity and emptiness on all earthly enjoyments. But for the most part, they strive not lawfully, and obtain not what they seem to aim at. This disease with many is mortal ; and will not be thoroughly cured in any but by the due exercise of this part of spiritual mindedness. There areother duties required also to the same end, namely, of the mortifi- cation of our desiresand affections unto earthly things, whereof I have treated elsewhere. But without this, or a fixed contemplation on the desirableness, beauty, and glory of heavenly things, it will not be attained. Further to evidence the truth hereof, we may observe these two things. First, If by any means a man seem to have taken off his heart from the love of present things, and be not at the same time taken up with the love of things that are heavenly, his seeming mortifi- cation is of no advantage unto him. So persons fre- quently through discontent, disappointments, or dis-
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