A treatise of mans imaginations Showing his natural evil thoughtsA treatise of mans imaginations Shewing his naturall euill thoughts

That weighty charge of Solomon (Right worshipful) to every son of wisdom, for the^a keeping of his heart above all watch and ward, may well persuade us, that some matters of great importance depend thereon: Among many (because my gates may not be great before so small a city) I will touch one. There is a strange desire, not of earthly but of spiritual powers: after the possession of mans heart: ⟨image 3⟩God saith,^b, my son give me thy heart; and to him indeed the right belongs: Yet thorough mans transgression Satan hath got such hold thereof, that unless it be by divine power he will not be kept out; & though we hear not Satan's voice, yet his^c dealing bewrays his meaning, that above all things in man he desires the heart. Once he strove about a dead mans body, ^dbut doubtless his purpose therein was to have set up an Idol for himself in the hearts of the living. But what is mans heart that it should be so desired? Surely in substance little, but for employment almost infinite: It is a Treasure ^ewhereout man bringeth all his actions good, or evil: It is a temple wherein is ⟨image 3⟩either the Ark of God, ⁶or Dagon for the Devil: Yea, it is a^f palace wherein dwelleth, and a throne whereon sitteth either Christ, or Satan, the^g king of glory, or the^h prince of darkness: andⁱ