most spiritual exercises of religion. There are external exercises of
conversations and carriages of the choicest saints; keep a fixed eye
upon the wise, prudent, humble, holy, and heavenly deportment;
write after the fairest copy you can find; labor to imitate those
Christians who are most eminent in grace. But,
11. The eleventh word of advice and counsel is this—Be much in the
most spiritual exercises of religion. There are external exercises of
religion—such as hearing, praying, singing, receiving, holy
conference, etc., Isaiah 1:11-14, and 1 Tim. 4:8, and Mat. 6. Now
custom, conviction, education, and a hundred other external
considerations, may lead people to these external exercises. But there
are the more spiritual exercises of religion—such as loving of God,
delighting in God, prizing of Christ, compliance with the motions,
counsels, and dictates of the Spirit, living in an exercise of grace,
triumphing in Christ Jesus, setting our affections upon things above,
meditation, self-examination, self-judging, etc. Now the more you
live in the exercise of these, more spiritual duties of religion—the
more you glorify God, the more you evidence the power of grace, and
the in-dwellings of the Spirit—and the more you difference and
distinguish yourselves from hypocrites and all unsound professors,
and the better foundation you lay for a bright, strong, and growing
assurance. But,
12. The twelfth and last word of advice and counsel I shall give you is
—To make a wise, a seasonable, a sincere, a daily, and a thorough
improvement of all the talents that God has entrusted you with.
There is a talent of time, of power, of riches, of honor, of greatness—