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

The first may fitly be termed a thought of Pride, whereby every man naturally thinks himself most excellent, and far to exceed all other men whatsoever: thus the Prophet Isay bringeth in Babylon speaking in her heart, that is, thinking,^a I will ascend into heaven, and exalt my throne above or besides the stars of God, as if she should think with her self, I am far more excellent then any other what soever, & therefore I am to be exalted from the earth to heaven, and to be matched with God himself. And the Prophet Zephaniah bringeth in Ni•ive speaking thus in her heart,^b I am, and there is none besides me: And so the proud Pharisee in his private, and secret prayer ⟨p. 120⟩to God sayeth,^c I thank thee Lord, that I am not as other men, meaning that he is more excellent: And the whore of Babylon ^dis brought in saying of her self,^e I sit as a Queen, and am no widow and shall see no mourning. All which places show this to be the nature of man, to exalt himself in his own heart, above all others. If any shall say, hereby no more can be proved but that this thought is in some proud and insolent persons; I add therefore, that as our first Parents in the beginning, did learn that proud lesson of the devil, Ye shall be as Gods: so we being in their loins when they sinned, and descending from them by ordinary generation, do together with our nature receive that corruption ⟨p. 121⟩from them, whereby we think thus proudly of our selves, that we far excel others and are as little Gods on earth in respect of others. Indeed the most will say for themselves, we abhor this proud thought, neither did we ever find it to be in us: But we must know that the lesser we discern it in our selves, the more it reigneth in our hearts; and the more we discern, and bewail it, the lesser place it taketh in us.