OF SPIRITUAL MINDEDNESS. 41 much more how they can pray themselves, but that they must have thoughts of spiritual things every day; howbeit it is possible that they may have no root, or living spring, of them in themselves, but they are only occasional impressions on their minds from the out- ward performance of the duty. I shall give some in- stances of the grounds hereof, which, for many rea- sons require our diligent consideration. Spiritual thoughts may be raised in a person in his own duty, by the exercise of his gifts, when there is no acting of grace in them at all ; for they lead and guide the mind unto such things as are the matter of prayer; that is, spiritual things. Gifts are nothing but a spiritual improvement of our natural faculties or abilities. And a man cannot speak or utter any thing but what proceeds from his rational faculties by in- vention or memory, or both, managed in and by his thoughts, unless he speak by rote, and that which is not rational. What therefore proceeds from a man's rational faculty, in and by the exercise of his gifts, that his thoughts must be exercised about. A man may read a long prayer that expresseth spiri- tual things, and yet never have one spiritual thought arise in his mind about them. For there is no exer- cise of any faculty of his mind required unto such reading, but only to attend unto the words that are to be read. This I say may be so ; I do not say that it is so, or that it must be so. But, as was said in the exercise of gifts, it is impossible but there must be an exercise of reason, by invention, judgment, and mem- ory ; and consequently, thoughts of spiritual things. Yet may they all be merely occasional, from the pre- sent external performance of the duty, without any liv- ing spring or exercise of grace. In such a course, 4*
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