3. They are capable of spiritual acts and exercises, and do perform them. 4. They have much of the Spirit of God in them, re are not in the flesh, that is, ye are not carnal men; but in the Spirit, spiritual men, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you, Rom. viii. 9.

II. What the spiritual things are, spiritual men mind; from which they are denominated spiritually minded men. 1. They mind their own souls, and the spiritual and eternal welfare of them. 2. The law of God is spiritual, Rom. vi. 14 and this is minded by a spiritual man. 3. The gospel, and the truths of it, We have thought of thy loving kindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. 4. Spiritual blessings are minded by spi ritual men; such as the elect of God are blessed with in heavenly places in Christ, Eph. i. 3. 5. Being built up a spiritual house, and being a holy spiritual priesthood; they are concerned to offer up spiritual sacrifices. 6. Spiritually minded men employ themselves in spiritual services. 7. They exercise themselves in the several graces of the Spirit of God. To all which may be added, 8. That spiritually minded men have their hearts, affections, and conversations in heaven.

III. It may next be enquired, how any of the sons of men come to be spiritual men, and to be spiritually minded. They are not so naturally, or by their first birth; they are born of the flesh, and are flesh, carnal, sinful, and corrupt, there must be a renewing of the mind, or it must be cast into a different mould: the Spirit of God must work in him to will, must enlighten his mind, and fill it with the knowledge of spiritual things.

IV. The effects and consequences, and so the evidence of being spiritually minded, are life and peace.

OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE,

I SHALL Consider,

I. What conscience is, and its office. 1. What it is. It is a power or faculty of the rational soul of man: by which it knows

its own actions, and judges of them according to the light it has; some take it to be an habit of the mind; others an act of the practical judgment, flowing from the faculty of the understanding by the force of some certain habit. 1. It is a science, or knowledge, as its name shews; a knowledge of the will of God, and of a man's actions, as being agreeable or disagreeable to it. 2. From this knowledge arises a judgment which conscience forms of itself and actions, if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged, 1 Cor. xi. 31. 3.-It is the will of God revealed, which is the rule of conscience, its knowledge and judgment. 4. Hence nothing can bind the conscience but the law and will of God; it is God's vicegerent, acts for and under him; no laws of men are binding on conscience, which are not according to, or are contrary to the law and will of God; We ought to obey God, rather than men, is the deter mination of the apostles of Christ, Acts iv. 19, 20. 11. The office of conscience, what it does and ought to perform, when it does its duty. 1. It is a light to enlighten men in the know. ledge of the will of God; it is that light which lightens every man that comes into the world. 2. It takes cognizance of a man's actions; it keeps a good look out, and watches over them; it has a sort of an omniscience belonging to it. 3. It takes an account of them, and registers them; it is a book in which all are written. 4. It acts the part of a witness for or against men, Rom. ix. i. 5. Conscience is a judge, acquitting or condemning. 6. In wicked men it has the office of a punisher, or tormentor; and a greater punishment, and a more severe torment cannot well be endured than the stings and lashes of a man's own conscience; this is what the scripture calls the worm that never dies; and the heathens meant by a vulture feeding on mens hearts or livers.

II. The various sorts of conscience; which may be reduc ed to these two, an evil conscience, Heb. x. 22. and a good conscience, 1 Tim. i. 19. 1. An evil conscience, which is blind and ignorant, dull, heavy, and stupid. A partial one ; a bribed one; an impure one; a seared one; a desperate one.

11. A good conscience. Conscience, when it does its office according to its light, is a natural good conscience; as in the heathens; so the apostle Paul, before his conversion, lived in all good conscience, Acts xxiii. 1. and there may be in good men a conscience not commendable, and which in a sense, cannot be called good. As, 1. There may be in them a mistaken and erring conscience; Some with conscience of the idol, thinking it to be something, when it is nothing, eat it as a thing of fered to an idol, and their conscienee being weak is defiled, 1 Cor. viii. 7. 2. A doubting conscience. The apostle Paul had no doubt, but was firmly persuaded, that there is nothing unclean of itself, yet observes, that he that doubteth, is condemned, Rom. xvi. 14. 23. 3. A weak conscience; which arises from weakness of faith about things lawful and pure, Rom. xiv. 1, 14. 4. A conscience smitten and wounded, which, though not sinful, may be said to be evil, and not good, because distressed; a wounded spirit, or conscience, who can bear? Prov. xviii. 14. 5. There is a conscience enlightened and awakened with a sense of sin and danger; which, though for the present distressing, issues well. The epithets of a good conscience are, A tender one, Neh. v. 15. A conscience void of offence, Acts. xxiv. 16. and a pure conscience, 1 Tim. iii. 9.

III. The effects of a good and pure conscience; which must make it very desirable and valuable. 1. Freedom from the guilt of sin. 2. Peace of soul and tranquility of mind. 3. Joy, as well as peace. 4. Boldness, confidence, and glorying in the midst of calumnies, reproaches, and persecutions from the world. 5. A deliverance from the fears of death and judgment to come.

OF COMMUNION WITH GOD.

COMMUNION with God is the top of the saints experience. in this life, it is the height of experimental religion and powerful godliness. This, of all the enjoyments of God's people

on earth, is the nearest to the heavenly bliss; and could en tire perfection, and endless duration be added to it, it would be that. I shall consider,

I. Communion with God in general. 1. Communion is founded in union, and arises from it. There is an union between God and his people; for the more open manifestation and evidence of which our Lord prays, John xvii. 21. The evidence of which union is the gift of the Spirit to them in regeneration; and the bond of it is the everlasting love of God. 11. The grand blessing of grace flowing from this union, is covenant interest in God; than which there cannot be a greater blessing; Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Hence, in. There is a mutual intercourse between God and his people; which is variously expressed in scripture. 1. By their mutual indwelling in each other, 1 John iv. 16. 2. By a mutual walking together, 2 Cor. vi. 16. 3. By a mutual converse. 4. By a mutual sitting down and feasting together: God has spread a table for his people, particularly in the ordinance of the Lord's supper, in which much spiritual communion is enjoyed.

II. The persons who have communion with God, are, such only who are loved and chosen by him; who are redeemed and reconciled by Christ, and who are regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit of God.

III. Such persons have fellowship with Father, Son, and Spirit, distinctly; the apostle John says, it is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, 1 John i. 3. to which may be added, Phil. ii. 1. If any fellowship of the Spirit; and also 2 Cor. xiii. 14. The communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. All which put together, shew that the saints have a communion with each person in the Godhead.

IV. The properties of it; shewing the excellency of this communion and fellowship. 1. It is a wonderful instance of condescension in God; that he who is the high and lof ty One, who dwells in heaven, the high and holy place; he whose throne the heaven is, and the earth his footstool,

2. It is very

condescends to dwell with men on earth. honourable to the sons of men to be favoured with such communion. 3. This is a privilege very desirable, nothing more so; this is the one thing saints are desirous of in public worship, to behold the beauty, of the Lord; to sit under his shadow, and taste his pleasant fruits. 4. It is exceeding valuable, it is beyond all the enjoyments of life; it is this which makes wisdom's ways, ways of pleasantness; and because so valuable, the apostle John, in an exulting manner says, Truly, our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

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