A39675:1013
Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man
Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applied, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...
London: printed for Francis Tyton, 1685
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
This Internal way of speaking and Communication among Spirits, is much more noble, perfect, and excellent, than that which is in use among us by words and signs: and that in two respects, viz. in respect 1. Of clearness. in respect 2. Of dispatch and speed.
1. Spiritual Language is more clearly expressive of the mind and thoughts, than words, writings, or any other External signs can be. The greatest Masters of Language do often cloud their meaning for want of words fit and full enough to express it: truth suffers by the Poverty and Ambiguity of words: many Controversies are but mere strifes about words, and scufflings in the dark, by the mistakes of each others sense and meaning: few have the ability of putting ⟨p. 280⟩their own meanings into apt, proper, and full expressions; and if they can, yet others to whom they speak, want an answerable ability of understanding, and clearness of apprehension to receive it. If we could discern the true and natural sense of things, just as it is in the mind of the Speaker or Writer, How many Controversies would be thereby quickly ended?
1. Spiritual Language is more clearly expressive of the mind and thoughts, than words, writings, or any other External signs can be. The greatest Masters of Language do often cloud their meaning for want of words fit and full enough to express it: truth suffers by the Poverty and Ambiguity of words: many Controversies are but meer strifes about words, and scufflings in the dark, by the mistakes of each others sense and meaning: few have the ability of putting ⟨p. 280⟩their own meanings into apt, proper, and full expressions; and if they can, yet others to whom they speak, want an answerable ability of understanding, and clearness of apprehension to receive it. If we could discern the true and natural sense of things, just as it is in the mind of the Speaker or Writer, How many Controversies would be thereby quickly ended?