Diseases of the soul a discourse divine, moral, and physical. By Tho. AdamsDiseases of the soule a discourse diuine, morall, and physicall. By Tho. Adams

Cause.

The Cause of the Lethargy is abundant flegme, overmuch cooling the brain, and thereby provoking sleep; which putrefied in the brain, causeth a fever. The cause of Idleness is indulgence to the flesh, a forgetfulness of the end of our creation, a wilful digression from man: for the lazy wretch is a dormouse in an humane husk. To man motion is natural, the joints and eyes are made to move; and the mind is never asleep, as if it were set to watch the body: Sleep is the image of death, saith the Poet: and therefore the Church-sleeper is a dead corps, set in his pew like a coffin, as if the Preacher were to make his funeral Sermon. He sings out harvest like the Grasshopper; therefore may at Christmas dance for and without his dinner. He riseth at noon to breakfast, which he falls to unwashed, and removes not out of his chair without a sleep. Whilst he sleeps, the enemy oversows the field of his heart with tares. He is a patient subject for the devil to work on, a cushion for him to sit on, and take his ease: his misery is, that his damnation sleepeth not. His bed is his haven, his heaven, and sound sleep his deity. The standing water stinks with putrefaction:¹ And virtue hath no virtue, but in action.

THe Cause of the Lethargie is abundant flegme, ouermuch cooling the braine, and therby prouoking sleep; which putrified in the braine, causeth a feuer. The cause of Idlenesse is indulgence to the flesh, a forgetfulnesse of the end of our creation, a wilfull digression from man: for the lazy wretch is a dormouse in an humane huske. To man motion is naturall, the ioints and eyes are made to moue; and the mind is neuer asleep, as if it were set to watch the body: Sleepe is the image of death, sayth the Poet: and therefore the Church-sleeper is a dead corps, set in his pew like a coffin, as if the Preacher were to make his funerall Sermon. He sings out haruest like the Grashopper; therfore may at Christmas dance for and without his dinner. He riseth at noone to breakefast, which he falls to vnwashed, and remoues not out of his chaire without a sleepe. Whilst hee sleepes, the enemy ouersowes the field of his heart with tares. Hee is a patient subiect for the diuell to worke on, a cushion for him to sit on, and take his ease: his miserie is, that his damnation sleepeth not. His bed is his hauen, his heauen, and sound sleepe his deitie. The standing water stinkes with putrefaction: