is 172 OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. things will utterly vitiate all thoughts of God, and refl., der them useless to us. ( 1.) Vain curiosity. (2.) Carnal boldness. It is un- imaginable. how the subtle disquisitions and disputes of men, about the nature, properties, and counsels of God, have corrupted, renderedsapless and useless by vain cu- riosity, and striving for an artificial accuracy, in ex- pression of men's apprehensions. When the wits and minds of men are engaged in such thoughts, ' God is, not in all their thoughts,' even when all their thoughts . are concerning him. When once men are got into their `metaphysical curiosities, and logical niceties,' in their contemplations about God and his divine pro- perties, they bid farewell, for the most part, to all godly fear and reverence.. Others are under the power of car- nal boldness, that they think of Godwith no other re spect,than if they thought of worms of the earth like. thémselves. There is no holy awfulness upon their minds and souls in the mention ofhis name. By these things may our thoughts of God be sovitiated, that the heart in them shall not be affected with a reverence of him nor any evidence be given that we are spiritually minded. It is this holy reverence that is the means of bringing sanctifying virtue into our souls, from God, upon our thoughts of him. None that thinkof God with a due reverence, but he shall be sensible of advantage by it. Hereby do we sanctify God in our access to him, and when we do so, he will sanctify and purify our hearts by thosevery thoughts in which we draw nigh to him. We may have many sudden, occasional, transient thoughts of God, that are not introduced in our minds by a preceding reverential fear. But if they leave not
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