A39675:1693
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.) The first stirrings and motions of the Spirit upon mens hearts do then become a season of Salvation to them, when they are accompanied with spiritual, fervent, and frequent prayer: so it was with Paul, Acts 9.11. Behold, he prayeth. It's a good sign when Souls get alone, and affect privacy and retirement to pour out their fears, sorrows, and requests to God. It is in the Espousals of a Soul to Christ, as it is in other Marriages; a third person may make the motion, and bring the Parties together, but they only, betwixt themselves, must conclude and agree the matter. Prayer is the first breath which the new Creature draws in, and the last (ordinarily) it breaths out in this world. This nourishes and maturates those weak and tender first motions after God, and brings them to some consistence and fixedness in the Soul.
(3.) Then do those motions of the Spirit on mens hearts make a season of Salvation to them, when they remain and settle in the heart, and are in them per modum quietis, by way of rest and abode, following the man from place to place, from day to day; so that whatever unpleasing diversions the necessities and incumbrances of this world at any time give, yet still they return again upon the heart, and will not vanish, or suffer any long suspension: but in others who lose their blessed advantage and season, it's quite contrary, Jam. 1.23, 24. They are as one that seeth his natural face in a glass, and goeth away, and forgetteth what manner of man he was: he sees some spot on his face, or disorder in his band, which he purposeth to correct, but one occurrence or another chops in, and he forgets what he saw in the glass, and so goes all the day with his spot upon him. This was an evanid light purpose, which came to nothing for want of a present execution: just so it is with many in reference to their great concerns; but if the impression abide in its strength, if it return, and follow the Soul, and will not let it be quiet, it's like then to prosper and prove the time of Mercy indeed to such Souls.