And amongst all the faculties of the soul Most of the disquiet and […] necessary 1trouble of our lives arises from the vanity and ill government of that power of the soul which we […] imagination and opinion, bordering between the senses and our understanding; which is nothing else but a shallow apprehension of good or evil •en from the senses: Now because […] good or evil things agree or disagree to the senses, and the life of sense is […] us before the use of reason, and the delights of sense are present, and pleasing, and suitable to our natures: thereup• the imagination setteth a great price upon sensible good things; and the judgement it self since the fall, until it hath an higher light and strength, yieldeth to our imagination; hence it co• ⟨p. 177⟩to pass that the best things, if they be attended with sensible inconveniences, as want, disgrace in the world, and such like, are misjudged for evil things; and the very worst things, if they be attended with respect in the world and sensible contentments, are imagined to be the greatest good: which appears not so much in mens words (because they are ashamed to discover their hidden folly and a theism) but the lives of people speak as much, in that particular choice which they make; Many there are who think it not only a vain but a dangerous thing to serve God, and a base thing to be awed with religious respects, they count the ways that Gods people take no better then madness, and that course which GOD takes in bringing men to heaven by a plain publishing of heavenly truths to be nothing but foolishness, and those people that regard it, are esteemed (as the Pharisees esteemed them that heard Christ) ignorant, base, and despicable pierce; Hence arise all those false pre•dice against the ways of holiness, ⟨p. 178⟩as they in the Acts were shy in entertaining the truth, because it was a way every where spoken against. The doctrine of 2the Cross, hath the cross always following it, which imagination counte• the most odious and bitter thing in the world.
ANd amongst all the faculties of the soule Most of the disquiet and 〈…〉 necessary 1trouble of our lives arises from the vanity and ill government of that power of the soule which we 〈…〉 imagination and opinion, bordering betweene the senses and our understanding; which is nothing else but a shallow apprehension of good or evill •en from the senses: Now because 〈…〉 good or evill things agree or disagree to the senses, and the life of sense is 〈…〉 us before the use of reason, and the delights of sense are present, and pleasing, and sutable to our natures: thereup• the imagination setteth a great price upon sensible good things; and the judgement it selfe since the fall, untill it hath an higher light and strength, yeeldeth to our imagination; hence it co• ⟨p. 177⟩to passe that the best things, if they bee attended with sensible inconveniences, as want, disgrace in the world, and such like, are misjudged for evill things; and the very worst things, if they bee attended with respect in the world and sensible contentments, are imagined to be the greatest good: which appeares not so much in mens words (because they are ashamed to discover their hidden folly and a theisme) but the lives of people speake as much, in that particular choise which they make; Many there are who thinke it not onely a vaine but a dangerous thing to serve God, and a base thing to bee awed with religious respects, they count the waies that Gods people take no better then madnesse, and that course which GOD takes in bringing men to heaven by a plaine publishing of heavenly truths to bee nothing but foolishnesse, and those people that regard it, are esteemed (as the Pharisees esteemed them that heard Christ) ignorant, base, and despicable pers•; Hence arise all those false pre•dice against the wayes of holinesse, ⟨p. 178⟩as they in the Acts were shy in entertaining the truth, because it was a way every where spoken against. The doctrine of 2the Crosse, hath the crosse alwayes following it, which imagination counte• the most odious and bitter thing in the world.
- 1Sinfulness and vanity seated in the imagination is a cause of much disquiet.Sinfulnes and vanity seated in the imagination is a cause of much disquiet.
- 2Act. 28. 22
