ion, and real taste of spiritual things. Some powders do not smell
till they are beaten, truly till these truths be well powdered and beaten
small by meditation, they cannot smell so fragrantly to the spirit. As
meats do not nourish till they be chewed and digested, so spiritual things
do not relish to a soul, nor can they truly feed the soul, till they be
chewed and digested into the heart by serious and earnest consideration.
This is that which makes these same truths to be someway not the same;
these very principles of religion received and confessed by all, to be
lively in one, and dead in another. It is the living consideration of
living truth, the application of truth to the heart, that makes it lively
in one, whereas others keep it only beside them in a corner of their
minds, or in a book, in the corner of the house. The same meat is laid
to you all, the most part look on it, others contemplate it, and exercise
only their understandings about it, but there are some who taste it, and
find sweetness in it, who digest it by meditation and solemn avocation of
their hearts from the things of the world, and therefore some are fed,
some are starved.

Need we to enlarge much upon this subject? Is it not too palpable that
many who fill up our churches are in the flesh, because they do mind and
savour only the things of the flesh, and not of the Spirit? Will you
seriously search your hearts, ask what relishes most with them? Can you
say, that it is the kingdom of God or the righteousness thereof? Or is it
not rather those other things of food and raiment, and such like, that
have no extent beyond this narrow span of time? I am persuaded the hearts
of many taste no sweetness in religion, else they would fix more upon it,
and pursue it more earnestly. Are not the things of another world, the
great things of the gospel, counted all strange things, (Hos. viii. 12,)
as things that you have not much to do with? Do you not let the officers
of Jesus Christ, all the sweet invitations of the gospel, pass by as
strangers, and as if ye were unconcerned in them? What taste have they
more than the white of an egg? How unsavoury a discourse or thought to a
carnal heart is it, to speak of subduing the lusts of the flesh, of dying
to the world, of the world to come? Who find their hearts inwardly stirred
upon the proposal of Jesus Christ? But if any matter of petty gain were
proffered, O how would men listen with both their ears! How beaut