The Soul's Conflict with Itself

If it break loose (as it will soon run riot) yet give no consent of the will to it; though it hath defiled the memory, yet let it not defile the will, though it be the first borne of the soul, yet let it not as Reuben ascend unto the fathers bed, that is, our will, and defile ⟨p. 191⟩¹that which should be kept pure for the spirit of Christ; resolve to act nothing upon it, but cross it before it moves to the execution and practise of any thing: As in sickness, many times we imagine (by reason of the corruption of our taste) Physic to be ill for us, and those meats which nourish the disease to be good, yet care of health makes us cross our own conceits, and take that which fancy abhors: So if we would preserve sound spirits, we must conclude against groundless imagination, and resolve that whatsoever it suggests cannot be so, because it crosses the grounds both of religion and reason: And when we find imagination to deceive us in sensible things (as Melancholy persons are subject to mistake) we may well gather, that it will much more deceive us in our spiritual condition; And indeed such is the incoherence, impertinency, and unreasonableness of imagination, that men are oft ashamed and angry with themselves afterwards for giving the least way to such thoughts; and it is good to chastise ⟨p. 192⟩the soul for the same, that it may be more wary for time to come; whilst men are led with imagination, they work not according to right rules prescribed to men, but as other baser creatures, in whom fantasy is the chief ruling power, and therefore those whose will is guided by their fancies live more like beasts then men.

If it breake loose (as it will soone runne ryot) yet give no consent of the will to it; though it hath defiled the memory, yet let it not defile the will, though it be the first borne of the soule, yet let it not as Ruben ascend unto the fathers bed, that is, our will, and defile ⟨p. 191⟩¹that which should be kept pure for the spirit of Christ; resolve to act nothing upon it, but crosse it before it moves to the execution and practise of any thing: As in sicknesse, many times wee imagine (by reason of the corruption of our tast) Physick to be ill for us, and those meates which nourish the disease to be good, yet care of health makes us crosse our owne conceits, and take that which fancie abhorres: So if we would preserve sound spirits, wee must conclude against groundlesse imagination, and resolve that whatsoever it suggests cannot be so, because it crosses the grounds both of religion and reason: And when we finde imagination to deceive us in sensible things (as Melancholy persons are subject to mistake) we may well gather, that it will much more deceive us in our spirituall condition; And indeed such is the incoherence, impertinencie, and unreasonablenesse of imagination, that men are oft ashamed and angry with themselves afterwards for giving the least way to such thoughts; and it is good to chastise