OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. 361 CHAPTER XX. HAVING considered the nature of spiritual affections as renewedby grace, and those notions of their objects under which they cleave to them, it remains only that we inquire into the way of the soul's application of self to those objects by its affections, which belong also to our being spiritually minded. And I shall give an account hereof in some few particulars, with brief observations on them. First. It is required that our adherence to all spiritual things, with love and delight, be firm and stable. The affections are the powers and instruments of the soul, whereby it makes application to any thing without itself and cleaves to it. This is their nature and use with reference to things spiritual. Transient thoughts of spiritual things, with vanishing desires, may rise out of present convictions, as they did with them who cried out to our Savior, Lord, give us evermore of this bread, and immediately left him. Such occasional thoughts and desires are common to all sorts of men, yea, the worst of them ; let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be as his. Fading satisfac- tion, with joy and delight, often befall men in their attendance on the word, who yet never come to have it rooted in their hearts. There are sundry things wanting to the sincerity of these affections. (1.) Those in whom they are, never had a clear spir- itual view of the things themselves in their ownnature, which they pretend to be affected with (2.) They have not a sincere love to them, and 31
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