A39675:1118
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.
But it is a third sort of fear which doth you all the mischief, a fear springing in gracious Souls out of the weakness of their Graces, and the strength of their unmortified affections. A fear arising partly out of the darkness of our minds, and partly out of the sensuality and earthliness of our hearts; this fear is that which so convulseth our Souls when death is near and embitters our lives, even whilst it is at a distance. He that hath been over-heated in his affections to this World, and over-cooled by diversions and temptations, neglects and intermissions, to that World; cannot choose but give an unwilling shrug, if not a frightful screech at the appearance of death.
But it is a third sort of fear which doth you all the mischief, a fear springing in gracious Souls out of the weakness of their Graces, and the strength of their unmortified affections. A fear arising partly out of the darkness of our minds, and partly out of the sensuality and earthlyness of our hearts; this fear is that which so convulseth our Souls when death is near and imbitters our lives, even whilst it is at a distance. He that hath been over-heated in his affections to this World, and over-cooled by diversions and temptations, neglects and intermissions, to that World; cannot chuse but give an unwilling shrug, if not a frightful screech at the appearance of death.
And this being the sad case of too many, good and upright Souls for the main; and there being so few even amongst serious Christians that have attained to that courage and complacence in the thoughts of death which the Apostle speaks of, 2 Cor. 5.8. to be both confident and willing rather to be absent from the Body, and to be present with the Lord; I will from this discourse furnish them with some special assistance therein. But withal, I must tell you upon what great disadvantages I am here to dispute with your fears, so strong is the current of natural and vicious fear, that except a special hand of God back and set on the Arguments that shall be urged, they will be as easily swept away before it, as so many Straws by a rapid Torrent; nor will it be to any more purpose to oppose my breath to them, than to the Tides and Waves of the Sea.