A39675:148
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.
(2.) It hath a political power over the faculties and passions of the Soul, not by way of absolute command, but by way of suasion, and insinuation. Thus it can oft times persuade the understanding and thoughts to lay by this or that subject, and apply themselves to to the study of another. It can bridle, and restrain the Affections and Passions, but yet it hath no absolute command over the inner, as it hath over the outward man: Its weakness and inability to govern the inner man, appears in two things more especially remarkable, viz. 1. It cannot with all its power and skill command and fetch off the thoughts from some subjects which are set on, at some times with extraordinary weight upon the Soul. However the thoughts may obsequiously follow its beck at some times, yea, for the most part; yet there are Cases and Seasons, in which its authority and persuasions cannot disengage one thought, as (1.) when God hath to do with the Soul in the work of Conversion. When he convinceth of sin and danger, and sets a mans evils in order before his eyes: These are terrible representations, and fain would the carnal will disengage the thoughts from such sad subjects, and strives by all manner of persuasions and diversions so to do; but all to no purpose. Psal. 51. v. 3. My sin is ever before me. The thoughts are sixth, and there is no removing of them. It may give them a little interruption, but they return with the more impetuous violence. And instead of gaining them off, they at last (or rather, God by them) gains over the Will also. (2.) When Satan hath to do with the Soul in the way of Temptation, and hellish Suggestion. Look as the Carnal will opposed it self to the thoughts in the former case to no purpose; so the sanctified Will opposes it self to them in this case, oft-times with as little effect or success, as he that opposeth his weak ⟨p. 27⟩breath to the strong Current of a mighty River. Well were it, if the Sanctified Will were now the master of the Fantasy, and could control the thoughts of the heart; but like a mad horse, the Fancy takes the Bit in its Teeth, and runs whither it pleaseth; the Will cannot govern it. Think quite anoth•• way, saith the Will: turn thy thoughts to other things; but much the near, the Soul turneth a deaf ear to its Counsels. 2. It cannot quiet and compose a raging Conscience, and reduce it at its pleasure to Rest and Peace.