170 O.t SPIRÏTi7"AL i1IINDEDNES.°S. were some of the last words of David, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. "Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure this is all my salvation and all my de- sire!' In the prospect he had of all the distresses that were to befall his family, he triumphantly rejoiceth in the everlasting covenant that God hath made with him. In these thoughts his saints take delight, they are sweet to them and full of refreshment. " Their medi- tations of him are sweet, they are glad in the Lord." Psal. civ. 34. Thus it is with them that are truly spi- ritually minded. Theynot only think much of God but they take delight in these thoughts; they are sweet to them ; and not_only so, but they have no solid joynor delight, but in their thoughts of God, which therefore they retreat to continually. They do so especially on great occasions, which of themselves are apt to divert them from them. As, suppose a man hath received a signal mercy,with the matter whereof he is exceed- ingly affected and delighted. The minds of some men are apt on such occasions, to be " filled with thoughts of what they have received," and their affections to be wholly taken up with it. But he who is spirit- ually minded, will immediately retreat to thoughts of God, placing his delight and taking up his satisfaction in him. And so, on the other side, great distresses, prevalent sorrows, strong pains, violent distempers, are apt of themselves to take up and exercise all the thoughts of men about them. But those who are spi- ritually minded, will in and tinder them all, continually betake themselves to thoughts of God, wherein they find relief and refreshment against all that they feel or fear. In every state, their principal joy is in the re- membrance of his holiness.
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