A39675:906
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.
I have also the fullest assurance that can be, of the truth ⟨p. 256⟩of this following Narrative. A person yet living was greatly concerned about the welfare of his dear Father and Mother who were both shut up in London in the time of the great Contagion in 1665. Many Letters he sent to them, and many hearty prayers to Heaven for them. But about a fortnight before they were infected, he fell about break of day into this dream, That he was in a great Inn which was full of company, and being very desirous to find a private room, where he might seek God for his parents life, he went from room to room, but found company in them all; at last casting his eye into a little chamber which was empty, he went into it, locked the door, kneeled down by the outside of the bed, fixing his eyes upon the plastered wall within side the bed; and whilst he was vehemently begging of God the life of his Friends, there appeared upon the plaster of the wall before him the Sun and the Moon, shining in their full strength. The sight at first amazed and discomposed him so far, that he could not continue his Prayer, but kept his eye fixed upon the body of the Sun; at last a small line or ring of black no bigger than that of a Text pen circled the Sun, which increasing sensibly, eclipsed in a little time the whole Body of it, and turned it into a blackish colour; which done, the figure of the Sun was immediately changed into a perfect Death's head, and after a little while vanished quite away. The Moon still continued shining as before, but whilst he intently beheld it, it also darkened in like manner, and turned also into another Death's head, and vanished. This made so great an impression upon the beholder's mind, that he immediately awaked in confusion and perplexity of thoughts about his dream; and awakening his wife, related the particulars to her with much emotion and concernment; but how to apply it he could not presently tell, only he was satisfied that the dream was of an extraordinary nature. At last Joseph's dream came to his thoughts with the like Emblems, and their interpretation, which fully satisfied him that God had warned and prepared him thereby for a sudden parting with his dear Relations, which answerably fell out in the same order, his Father dying that day fortnight following, and his Mother just a month afterwards.
I have also the fullest assurance that can be, of the truth ⟨p. 256⟩