The sovereign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain itThe soveraign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain it

1. The Understanding naturally receives the notions of things by Phantasms that are still mixing in its Contemplations. While the Soul is confined to a Tabernacle of Flesh, it apprehends no Object without the precedent excitation of the Senses. From whence it is impossible, that a Person absolutely deprived of Sight from his Birth, should have an Idea of Light or Colours, or that is born deaf, should conceive what Sound is, the Sense never having imparted an account of it to them. And the Image of the Object is not immediately transmitted from the Sense to the Mind, but first to the Imagination, that prepares it for its view. And from hence the sensual Fancy is so predominant in swaying the Judgment, and inclining the Will. As those Councillors of state that have the Ear of the Prince, and are continually with him, by specious Informations, and disguising Truth, influence him to approve or reject Persons and Things according to the various Aspects given by them. The same Object propounded in a dark confused manner, weakly moves us, but varnished and beautified with lively and pleasant Colours by the Imagination, ⟨p. 169⟩is armed with such Power that ravishes the esteem of the Mind, and consent of the Will. Now Celestial Happiness being purely Spiritual, such as Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, nor entered into the Heart of Man to conceive, though some discoveries be made of it by Revelation, yet the Imagination makes such an obscure detracting Idea of it, that it affects no more, than a dead shadow drawn in some imperfect Lines of an exquisite Beauty: but when the Fancy is warned and enlivened by the presence of sensible Objects, it makes a vigorous impression of them upon the Mind, and that represents the Pictures of Pleasure as very lovely and delightful to the Will, which presently embraces them.

1. The Understanding naturally receives the notions of things by Phantasms that are still mixing in its Contemplations. While the Soul is confined to a Tabernacle of Flesh, it apprehends no Object without the precedent excitation of the Senses. From whence it is impossible, that a Person absolutely deprived of Sight from his Birth, should have an Idea of Light or Colours, or that is born deaf, should conceive what Sound is, the Sense never having imparted an account of it to them. And the Image of the Object is not immediately transmitted from the Sense to the Mind, but first to the Imagination, that prepares it for its view. And from hence the sensual Fancy is so predominant in sweying the Judgment, and inclining the Will. As those Councellors of state that have the Ear of the Prince, and are continually with him, by specious Informations, and disguising Truth, influence him to approve or reject Persons and Things according to the various Aspects given by them. The same Object propounded in a dark confused manner, weakly moves us, but varnisht and beautified with lively and pleasant Colours by the Imagsnation,