The Souls Conflict With Itself, Chapter 13

The Souls Conflict With Itself · Chapter 13

p. 176CAP. XIII.

Of imagination, sinne of it, and remedies for it.

§. 1.

ANd amongst all the faculties of the soule Most of the disquiet and … necessary Sinfulnes and vanity seated in the imagination is a cause of much disquiet.trouble of our lives arises from the vanity and ill government of that power of the soule which we … imagination and opinion, bordering betweene the senses and our understanding; which is nothing else but a shallow apprehension of good or evill …en from the senses: Now because … good or evill things agree or disagree to the senses, and the life of sense is … us before the use of reason, and the delights of sense are present, and pleasing, and sutable to our natures: thereup… the imagination setteth a great price upon sensible good things; and the judgement it selfe since the fall, untill it hath an higher light and strength, yeeldeth to our imagination; hence it co… p. 177to passe that the best things, if they bee attended with sensible inconveniences, as want, disgrace in the world, and such like, are misjudged for evill things; and the very worst things, if they bee attended with respect in the world and sensible contentments, are imagined to be the greatest good: which appeares not so much in mens words (because they are ashamed to discover their hidden folly and a theisme) but the lives of people speake as much, in that particular choise which they make; Many there are who thinke it not onelyonly a vaine but a dangerous thing to serve God, and a base thing to bee awed with religious respects, they count the waies that Gods people take no better then madnesse, and that course which GOD takes in bringing men to heaven by a plaine publishing of heavenly truths to bee nothing but foolishnesse, and those people that regard it, are esteemed (as the Pharisees esteemed them that heard Christ) ignorant, base, and despicable pers…; Hence arise all those false pre…dice against the wayes of holinesse, p. 178as they in the Acts were shy in entertaining the truth, because it was a way every where spoken against. The doctrine of Act. 28. 22Acts 28:22the Crosse, hath the crosse alwayes following it, which imagination counte… the most odious and bitter thing in the world.

This imagination of ours is become the seat of vanity, and thereupon of vexation to us, because it apprehend… greater happinesse in outward go…d things then there is, and a greater miserie in outward evill things then indeed there is, and when experience shewes us that there is not that good in those things which wee imagine to bee, but contrarily, we find much evill in them which wee never expected, hereupon the soule cannot but be troubled. The life of many men, and those not the meanest, is almost nothing else but a fancie; that which chiefly sets their wits a work, and takes up most of their time, is how to please their owne imagination, which setteth up an excellency within it selfe, in comparison of which it despiseth all true excellencie, and those p. 179things that are of most necessary consequence indeed. Hence springs ambition, and the vaine of being great in the world; hence comes an unmeasurable desire of abounding in those things which the world esteemes highly of, there is in us naturally a competition and desire of being equall or above others, in that which is generally thought to make us happy and esteemed amongst men; if wee bee not the onelyonly men yet wee will bee somebody in the world, some thing we will hauehave to bee highly esteemed for, wherein if we be crossed we count it the greatest misery that can befall us.

And which is worse, a corrupt desire of being great in the opinion of others, creepes into the profession of religion, if we live in those places wherein it brings credit or gaine; men will sacrifice their very lives for vaine glory: It is an evidence a man lives more to opinion and reputation of others, then to Conscience, when his griefe is more for being disappointed of that approbation which hee expects from men, then p. 180for his miscarriage towards GOD. It marres all in religion, when wee goe about heavenly things with earthly affections, and seeke not CHRIST i… Christ, but the world: What is Popery but an artificiall frame of me… braine to please mens imaginations by outward state and pompe of Cere… nies, like that golden image of Nebuch… nezar, wherein hee pleased himselfe so, that to have uniformity in worshipping the same, he compelled all …der paine of death to fall downe before it; Dan. 36.this makes superstitious persons alwaies cruell, because superstitious devises a… the brats of our owne imagination, which we strive for more, then for the purity of Gods worship; hence it is likewise that superstitious persons a… restlesse (as the woman of Samaria) i… their owne spirits, as having no bottome, but fancie in stead of faith.

§. 2.

Now the reason why imagi… How sinfull imaginatiōs work upon the soule.works so upon the soule, is, hee arise… stirres up the affections answerable … p. 181the good or ill which it apprehends, and our affections stirre the humors of the body, so that oftentimes both our soules and bodies are troubled hereby.

Things worke upon the soule in this order. 1. Some object is presented. 2. Then it is apprehended by imagination as good and pleasing, or as evill and hurtfull. 3. If good, the desire is …ried to it with delight: if evill, it is rejected with distast, and so our affections are stirred up sutably to our apprehension of the object. 4. Affections sti… up the spirits. 5. The spirits raise the humours, and so the whole man becomes moved and oftentimes …pered; this falleth out by reason of …e Sympathy betweene the soule and body whereby what offendeth one re…deth to the hurt of the other.

And we see conceived troubles have the same effect upon us, as true. Iacob was as much troubled with the imagination of his sonnes death, as if hee had been dead indeed; imagination though it bee an empty windy thing, yet it hath reall effects. Supertious persons p. 182are as much troubled for negle… ing any voluntarie service of ma… i… vention, as if they had offended agai… the direct commandement of God: … superstition breeds false feares, and … feare brings true vexation; it tr… formes God to an Idoll, imagining li… to be pleased with whatsoever ple… our selves, when as wee take it ill … those who are under us should take … rection from themselves, and not fr… us, in that which may content us. … perstition is very busie, but all in v… in vaine they worship mee saith God, … how can it choose but vexe and … Matt. 15. 9Matt 15:9quiet men, when they shall take a gr… deale of paines in vaine, and whi… worse, to displease most in that wh… in they thinke to please most. Go… blasteth all devised service with … demand, Who required these thing… Esay 1. 12.Isa 1:12your hands? It were better for … aske our selves this question be… hand, Who acquired this? Why doe … trouble our selves about that which we … have no thanke for? Wee should not bring God downe to our owne imag… nations, p. 183but raise our imaginations up to God.

Now imagination hurteth us, 1. By false representations. 2. By preventing reason, and so usurping a censure of things, before our judgements try them, whereas the office of imaginati… is to minister matter to our understanding to worke upon, and not to leade it, much lesse misleade it in any thing. 3. By forging matter out of it selfe without ground; the imaginarie grievances of our lives are more then the reall. 4. As it is an ill instrument of the understanding to devise vanity and mischiefe.

§. 3.

The way to cure this malady in us, The 1. remedy for hurtfull imaginations.is 1. To labour to bring these risings of our soules into the obedience of Gods truth and Spirit; for imagination of it selfe, if ungoverned, is a wilde, and a ranging thing; it wrongs not onelyonly 2. Cor. 10. 5.2 Cor 10:5the frame of Gods worke in us, setting the baser part of a man above the high…r, but it wrongs likewise the worke p. 184of God in the creatures and every thing else, for it shapes things as it selfe pleaseth, it maketh evill good, if it pleaseth the senses, and good evill, if it be d… gerous and distastfull to the out… man; which cannot but breed an … quiet and an unsetled soule. As if … were a god, it can tell good and evill at its pleasure, it sets up and pulls do… the price of what it listeth: By rea… of the distemper of imagination, the life of many is little else but a dream; Many good men are in a long dreame of … sery, and many bad men in as long… dreame of happinesse, till the ti… awaking come, and all because they … too much led by appearances; and as i… a dreame men are deluded with … joyes, and false feares: So here; wi… cannot but breed an unquiet and … unsetled soule, therefore it is neces… that God by his word and spirit sh… erect a government in our hea… … captivate and order this licentious … culty.

2. Likewise it is good to pre… 2reall things to the soule, as the … p. 185riches, and true misery of a Christian, the true honour and dishonour, true beauty and deformity, the true noblenesse and debasement of the soule; What ever is in the world, are but Shadowes of things in comparison of those true realties which Religion affords; and why should wee vexe our selves about a vaine shadow?Psal. 39. 6.Ps 39:6

The Holy Ghost to prevent further mischiefe by these outward things, gives a dangerous report of them, calling them vanity, unrighteous Mammon, Luke 15. 9. Pro. 23. 5.Luke 15:9Prov 23:5entertaine riches, thornes, yea nothing; because though they be not so in themselves, yet, our imagination over-valuing them, they prove so to us upon triall; Now knowledge that is bought by triall is often deere bought, and therefore God would have us prevent this by a right conceit of things before hand, least trusting to vanity wee vanish our selves, and trusting to nothing wee become nothing our selves, and which is worse, worse then nothing.

3. Oppose serious consideration, against 3vaine imagination, and because p. 186our imagination is prone to raise false objects, and thereby false conceits, and discourses in us; Our best way herein is to propound true objects for the minde to worke upon; as, 1. to consider the greatnesse and goodnesse of Almighty God, and his love to us in Christ. 2, the joyes of heaven, and the torments of hell. 3. the last and strict day of accou…. 4. The vanity of all earthly things. 5. The uncertainty of our lives, &c. From the meditation of these truthes, the soule wil be prepared to have rig… conceits of things, and to discourse upon true grounds of them, and thinke with it selfe, that if these things be so i… deed, then I must frame my life sutable to these principles; hence arise true affections in the soule, true feare of God, true love and desire after the best things, &c. The way to expell …ind o… of our bodies, is to take some wholesome nourishment, and the way to expell windy fancies from the soule, is … feed upon serious truthes.

4. Moreover, to the well ordering of this unruly faculty, it is necessary p. 187that our nature it selfe should be changed, for as men are so they imagine, as the treasure of the heart is, such is that Mat. 12. 35. Ma'a mens, maltis animus.Matt 12:35which comes from it; An evill heart cannot thinke well: before the heart be changed our judgment is depraved in regard of our last end, we seeke our happinesse where it is not to be found. Wickednesse 1 Sam. 24. 13.1 Sam 24:13comes from the wicked as the Proverb is. If wee had as large and as quick apprehensions as Sathan himselfe, yet if the rellish of our wil & affections be not changed, they will set the imagination a worke, to deuise satisfaction to themselves. For there is a mutuall working and refluxe betwixt the will and the imagination; the imagination stirres up the will, and as the will is affected so imagination worketh.

When the law of God by the Spirit is so written in our hearts, that the law and our hearts become agreeable one to the other, then the soule is enclined and made plyable to every good thought: When the heart is once taught of God to love, it is the nature of this sweet affection (as the Apostle saith) to p. 188thinke no evill either of God or man, and not onelyonly so, but it carries the bent of 1 Cor. 13. 51 Cor 13:5the whole soule with it to good, so that we love God not onelyonly with all our heart, Mat. 22. 27Matt 22:27but with all our minde, that is, both with our understanding and imagination. Love is an affection full of inventions, and sets the wit a worke to devise good things; therefore our chiefe care should bee, that our hearts may be circumcised and purified so, as they may be filled with the love of God, and then we shall finde this duty not onelyonly easie but delightfull unto us. The Prophet healed the waters 2 Kings 2. 20.2 Kgs 2:20by casting salt into the spring, so the seasoning of the spring of our actions seasons all. And indeed what can bee expected from man whilest hee is vanity but vaine imaginations? What can w… looke for from a Viper but poyson? A man naturally is either weaving spid… Esay 59. 5.Isa 59:5webbs or hatching Cockatrices egges, th… is, his heart is exercised either in va… or mischiefe, for not onelyonly the frame … the heart, but what the heart frameth i… evill continually. A wicked man that i… Gen. 6. 5.Gen 6:5besotted with false conceits, will ad… p. 189of no good thoughts to enter.

5. Even when wee are good and devise 5.good things, yet there is still some sicknesse of fancie remaining in the best of us, whereby wee worke trouble to our selves, and therefore it is necessary we should labour to restraine and limit our fancie, and stop these waters at the beginning, giving no not the least way thereunto. If it begins to grow wanton, tame the wildnesse of it by fastning it to the crosse of Christ, whom wee have Zach. 12. 10.Zech 12:10pierced with our sinnes, and amongst other, with these sinnes of our spirits, who hath redeemed us from our vaine 1 Pet. 18.thoughts and conversations; set before it the consideration of the wrath of God, of death, and judgement, and the woefull estate of the damned, &c. and take it not off till thy heart bee taken off from straying from God; When it begins once to runne out to impertinencies, confine it to some certaine thing, and then upon examination wee shall finde it bring home some hony with it; otherwise it will bring us nothing but a sting from the bitter remembrance of p. 190our former misspent thoughts & time, which wee should redeeme and fill up, with things that most belong to our peace. Idlenesse is the houre of temptation, Luk. 19. 47Luke 19:47wherein Sathan joynes with our imagination, and sets it about his owne work, to grinde his greese, for the soule as a Mill either grinds that which is put into it, or else works upon it selfe. Imagination is the first wheele of the soule, and if that move amisse, it stirres all the inferiour wheeles amisse with it; It stirres it selfe, and other powers of the soule are stirred by its motion: and therefore the well ordering of this is of the greater consequence; For as the imagination conceiveth, so usually the judgement concludeth, the will chuseth, the affections are carried, and the members execute.

If it breake loose (as it will soone runne ryot) yet give no consent of the will to it; though it hath defiled the memory, yet let it not defile the will, though it be the first borne of the soule, yet let it not as Ruben ascend unto the fathers bed, that is, our will, and defile p. 191Bernard.that which should be kept pure for the spirit of Christ; resolve to act nothing upon it, but crosse it before it moves to the execution and practise of any thing: As in sicknesse, many times wee imagine (by reason of the corruption of our tast) Physick to be ill for us, and those meates which nourish the disease to be good, yet care of health makes us crosse our owne conceits, and take that which fancie abhorres: So if we would preserve sound spirits, wee must conclude against groundlesse imagination, and resolve that whatsoever it suggests cannot be so, because it crosses the grounds both of religion and reason: And when we finde imagination to deceive us in sensible things (as Melancholy persons are subject to mistake) we may well gather, that it will much more deceive us in our spirituall condition; And indeed such is the incoherence, impertinencie, and unreasonablenesse of imagination, that men are oft ashamed and angry with themselves afterwards for giving the least way to such thoughts; and it is good to chastise p. 192the soule for the same, that it may bee more wary for time to come; whilest men are led with imagination, they worke not according to right rules prescribed to men, but as other baser creatures, in whom phantasie is the chiefe ruling power, and therefore those whose will is guided by their fancies live more like beasts then men.

Wee allow a horse to praunce and skip in a pasture, which if hee doth when he is once backt by the rider, we count him an unruly and an unbroken jade, so howsoever in other creatures wee allow liberty of fancie, yet, wee allow it not in man to frisk and rove at its pleasure, because in him it is to bee bridled with reason.

6. Especially take heed of those cursed imaginations out of which as of mother 6.roots others spring forth; as questioning Gods Providence, and care of his children, his justice, his disregarding of what is done here below, &c. thoughts of putting off our amendment for time to come, and so blessing …r selves in an evill way; thoughts against p. 193the necessity of exact and circumspect walking with God, &c. When these Ephes. 5. 15Eph 5:15and such like principles of Satans and the fleshes divinitie take place in our hearts, they block up the soule against the entrance of soule-saving truths, and taint our whole conversation, which is either good or evill, as the principles are by which wee are guided, and as our imagination is, which lets in all to the soule.

The Iewes in Ieremies time were fore-stalled with vaine imaginations against sound repentance, and therefore Ier. 4. 14.Jer 4:14his counsell is, Wash thine heart O Ierusalem, how long shall vaine thoughts lodge within thee?

7. Fancie will the better bee kept within its due bounds, if wee consider 7.the principall use thereof; Sense and imagination is properly to judge what is comfortable or uncomfortable, what is pleasing or displeasing to the outward man, (not what is morally or spiritually good or ill) and thus farre by the lawes of nature and civility wee are bound to give fancie contentment both p. 194in our selves and others, as not to speake or do any thing uncomely, which may occasion a loathing or distast in our converse with men: and it is a matter of conscience to make our lives as comfortable as may bee; as wee are bound to love, so wee are bound to use all helps that may make us lovely, and indeare us into the good affections of others: As wee are bound to give no offence to the conscience of another, so to no power or faculty either of the outward or inward man of another: Some are taken off in their affection by a fancie, whereof they can give but little reason; and some are more carelesse in giving offence in this kind, then stands with that Christian circumspection and mutuall respect which wee owe one to another; The Apostles rule is of large extent, Whatsoever things are not onelyonly true, and honest, and just, but whatsoever Phil. 4. 8.Phil 4:8things are lovely, and of good report, &c. thinke of these things. Yet our maine care should bee to manifest our selves rather to mens consciences then to their imaginations.

p. 1958. It should be our wisedome likewise to place our selves in the best conveniency 8.of all outward helps which may have a kinde working upon our fancie; and to take heed of the contrary, as time, place, and objects, &c. There bee good houres, and good messengers of Gods sending, golden opportunities, wherein God uses to give a meeting to his children, & breathes good thoughts into them. Even the wisest and holiest men, (as David and Solomon, &c.) had no further safety then they were carefull of well using all good advantages, and sequestring themselves from such objects as had a working power upon them; by suffering their soules to bee led by their fancies, and their hearts to runne after their eyes, they betrayed and robbed themselves of much grace and comfort, thereupon Solomon cries out with griefe and shame from his own experience, Vanitie of vanities, &c. Eccles. 1. 2.Eccl 1:2Fancy will take fire before wee bee aware. Little things are seeds of great matters; Iob knew this, and therefore made a covenant with his eyes. But a fooles p. 196Iob 31. 1.Job 31:1eyes are in the corners of the earth, saith Solomon.Pro. 17. 24.Prov 17:24

Sometimes the ministring of some Praeclara cogitatio.excellent thought from what we heare or see, proves a great advantage of spirituall good to the soule: Whilest Saint Austen out of curiosity delighted to heare the eloquence of St. Ambrose, hee was taken with the matter it selfe, sweetly sliding together with the words into his heart. Of later times, whilest Galeaceus Caracciolus an Italian Marquesse, and Nephew to Pope Paul 5. Beza in his life.was hearing Peter Martyr reading upon 1. Corinths and shewing the deceiveablenesse of mans judgement in spirituall things, and the efficacy of divine truth in those that belong unto God, and further using a similitude to this purpose; If a man be walking afar off, and see people dancing together, and heare no noise of the musicke, hee judges them fooles and out of th… wits; but when hee comes neerer and heares the musicke, and sees that e… rie motion is exactly done by art; Now he changes his minde, and is … p. 197taken up with the sweet agreement of the gesture, and the musicke, that he is not onelyonly delighted therewith, but desirous to joine himselfe in the number; so it falls out (saith hee) with men; Whilest they looke upon the outward carriage and conversation of Gods people, and see it differing from others, they thinke them fooles, but when they looke more narrowly into their courses, and see a gracious harmony betwixt their lives and the word of God, then they beginne to be in love with the beauty of holinesse, and joyne in conformity of holy obedience with those they scorned before. This Similitude wrought so with this Noble-man, that he began from that time forward to set his mind to the studie of heavenly things.

One seasonable truth falling upon a prepared heart, hath oftentimes a sweet and strong operation; Luther confesseth that having heard a grave Divine Staupicius say, that that is kinde repentance which begins from the love of God, ever after that time the practise p. 198of repentance was sweeter to him. This speech of his likewise tooke well with Luther, that in doubts of predestination, we should beginne from the wounds Doctrinae praedestinationis incipit a vulneribus Christi.of Christ, that is, from the sense of Gods love to us in Christ, wee should arise to the grace given us in election before the world was.2. Tim. 1. 92 Tim 1:9

The putting of lively colours upon common truths hath oft a strong working both upon the fancy, and our will and affections: the spirit is refreshed with fresh things, or old truths refreshed; this made the Preacher seeke to Eccles. 12. 10.Eccl 12:10finde out pleasing and acceptable words; and our Saviour CHRISTS maner of teaching was, by a lively representati… to mens fancies, to teach them heavenly truths in an earthly sensible manner; and indeed what doe wee see or heare but will yeeld matter to a holy heart to raise it selfe higher?

We should make our fancie serviceable to us in spirituall things, and take advantage by any pleasure, or profit, or honour which it presents our thoughts withall, to thinke thus with our selves, p. 199What is this to the true honour, and to those induring pleasures, &c. And seeing God hath condescended to represent heavenly things to us under earthly termes, wee should follow Gods dealing herein: God represents heaven to us, under the terme of a banquet, and Luk. 10. 32Luke 10:32of a kingdome, &c. our union with Christ under the terme of a mariage, yea Christ himselfe, under the name of whatsoever is lovely or comfortable in heaven or earth. So the Lord sets out Hell to us by whatsoever is terrible or tormenting. Here is a large field for our imagination to walke in, not onelyonly without hurt, but with a great deale of spirituall gaine; If the wrath of a King bee as the roaring of a Lion, what is the wrath of the King of Kings? If fire bee so terrible, what is hell fire? If a darke dungeon bee so lothsome, what is that eternall dungeon of darkenesse? If a feast bee so pleasing, what is the continuall feast of a good conscience? If the meeting of friends be so comfortable, Pro. 15. 15Prov 15:15what will our meeting together in heaven be? The Scripture by such like p. 200termes would help our faith and fancie both at once; a sanctified fancie will make every creature a ladder to heaven. And because childhood and youth are ages of fancie, therefore it is a good way to instill into the hearts of children betimes, the loving of good, and the sh… ning of evill, by such like representations as agree with their fancies, as to ha…e hell under the representation of fire and darknesse, &c. Whilest the soule is joyned with the body, it hath not onelyonly a necessary but a holy use of imagination, and of sensible things whereupon our imagination worketh; what is the …e of the Sacraments, but to help our s…les by our senses, and our faith by imagination; as the soule receives much …rt from imagination, so it may have much good thereby.

But yet it ought not to invent or devise what is good and true in religion, here fancy must yeeld to faith, and faith to divine revelation; the things we beleeve are such, as neither eye hath se…e 1 Cor. 2. 9.1 Cor 2:9nor eare heard, neither came into the heart of man by imagination stirred up from p. 201any thing which we have seene or heard; they are above not onelyonly imagination, but reason it selfe, in men and Angels: But after God hath revealed spirituall truthes, and faith hath apprehended them, then imagination hath use while the soule is joyned with the body, to colour divine truthes, and make lightsome what faith beleeves; for instance, it doth not devise either heaven or hell, but when God hath revealed them to us, our fancy hath a fitnesse of enlarging our conceits of them, even by resemblance from things in nature, and that without danger; because the joyes of heaven, and the torments of hell are so great, that all the representations which nature affords us, fall short of them.

Imagination hath likewise some use in religion, by putting cases to the soule, as when we are tempted to any unruly action, we should think with our selves, what would I doe if some holy grave person whom I much reverence should behold me? Whereupon the soule may easily ascend higher; God sees me, and p. 202my owne conscience is ready to witnesse against me, &c.

It helps us also in taking benefit by the example of other men; Good things are best learned, by others expressing of them to our view; the very sight often, (nay the very thought) of Est atiquid quod ex magno viro vel tacente proficias.a good man doth good, as representing to our soules some good thing which we affect; which makes Histories and the lively Characters and expressions of vertues and vices usefull to us. The sight, yea the very reading of the suffering of the Martyrs hath wrought such a hatred of that persecuting Church, as hath done marvellous good; the sight of justice executed upon malefactors, works a greater hatred of sinne in men then naked precepts can doe; So outward pompe & state in the world, doth further that awefull respect due to authority, &c.

Lastly, it would much availe for the well ordering of our thoughts, to set 9.our soules in order every morning, and to strengthen and perfume our spirits with some gracious meditations, especially p. 203of the chiefe end and scope wherefore we live here, and how every thing we doe, or befalls us, may be reduced and ordered to further the maine. The end of a Christian is glorious, and the oft thoughts of it will raise and enlarge the soule, and set it on worke to study how to make all things serviceable thereunto. It is a thing to be lamented that a Christian borne for heaven, having the price of his high calling set before him, and matters of that weight and excellencie to exercise his heart upon, should be taken up with trifles, and fill both his head and heart with vanity and nothing, as all earthly things will prove ere long; and yet if many mens thoughts and discourses were distilled, they are so fr…thy that they would hardly yeeld one drop of true comfort.

§. 4.

Oh but (say some) thoughts & imaginations are free, and we shall not be Object.accountable for them.

This is a false plea, for God hath a Answ. Imaginations and thoughts not free.soveraignty over the whole soule, and p. 204his law bindes the whole inward and outward man; as wee desire our whole man should be saved by Christ, so wee must yeeld up the whole man to be governed by him; and it is the effect of the dispensation of the Gospell, accompanied with the Spirit, to captivate whatsoever is in man unto Christ, and to bring downe all high towring imaginations 2 Cor. 10. 52 Cor 10:5that exalt themselves against Gods Spirit. There is a divinity in the word of God powerfully unfolded, which will convince our soules of the sinfulne sof naturall imaginations, as we see in the Ideot, Corinth. 14. who seeing himselfe laid open before himselfe, cryed out, that God was in the speaker.1 Cor. 14. 25.1 Cor 14:25

There ought to be in man a conformity to the truth and goodnesse of things, or else 1. wee shall wrong o… owne soules with false apprehensions, 1.and 2. the creature, by putting a fashion upon it otherwise then God hath 2.made, and 3. we shall wrong God himselfe the Author of goodnesse, who cannot 3have his true glory but from a right apprehension of things as they art; p. 205what a wrong is it to men when wee shall take up false prejudices against them without ground? and so suffer our conceits to be invenomed against them by unjust suspitions, and by this meanes deprive our selves of all that good which we might receive by them; for our nature is apt to judge, and accept of things as the persons are, and not of persons according to the things themselves: this faculty exercises a tyrannie in the soule, setting up and pulling downe whom it will. Iob judged his friends altogether vaine, because they Job 27. 12.Job 27:12went upon a vaine imagination and discourse judging him to bee an hypocrite, which could not but adde much to his affliction: when men take a toy in their head against a person or place, they are ready to reason as hee did, Can any good Ioh 6. 46.John 6:46come out of Nazareth?

It is an indignity for men to be led with …urmizes and probabilities, and so to passe a rash judgement upon persons and things: Oftentimes falshood hath a fairer glosse of probability then truth, …d vices goe masqued under the appearance p. 206of vertue, whereupon seeming likenesse breeds a mistake of one thing Similitude mater errorum.for another; and Sathan oftentimes casts a mist before our imagination, that so wee might have a mishapen conceit of things; by a spirit of elusion he makes worldly things appeare bigger to us, and spirituall things lesser then indeed they are; and so by sophisticating of things our affections come to be missed. Imagination is the wombe, and Sathan the father of all monstrous conceptions and disordered lusts, which are well called deceitfull lusts, and lusts of ignorance, foolish Eph. 4. 22. 1 Tim. 6. 9.Eph 4:221 Tim 6:9and noysome lusts, because they both spring from errour and folly, and lead unto it.

We see even in Religion it selfe, how the world (together with the helpe of the God of the world) is led away, if not to worship images, yet to worship the image of their owne fancie; And where the truth is most professed, yet people are prone to fancie to themselves such a breadth of Religion, as will altogether leave them comfortlesse, when things shall appeare in their true colours; they p. 207will conceit to embrace truth without hatred of the world, and Christ without his crosse, and a godly life without persecution, they would pull a rose without pricks; Which though it may stand with their owne base ends for a while, yet will not hold out in times of change, when sicknesse of body and trouble of minde shall come; Empty conceits are too weake to encounter with reall griefes.

Some thinke Orthodoxe and right opinions to bee a plea for a loose life, whereas there is no ill course of life but springs from some false opinion. God will not onelyonly call us to an account how we have beleeved, disputed and reasoned, &c. but how we have lived. Our care therefore should be to build our profession not on seeming appearances, but upon sound grounds, that the gates of hell cannot prevaile against. The hearts of many are so vaine, that they delight to be blowne up with flattery, because they would have their imagination pleased (yea even when they cannot but know themselves abused,) and p. 208are grieved to have their windy bladder pricked, and so to bee put out of their conceited happinesse. Others out of a tediousnesse in serious and setled thoughts entertaine every thing as it is offered to them at the first blush, and suffer their imaginations to carry them presently thereunto without further judging of it: the will naturally loves variety and change, and our imagination doth it service herein, as not delighting to fixe long upon any thing; hereupon men are contented both in religion, and in common life to bee misled with prejudices upon shallow grounds. Whence it is that the best things and persons suffer much in the world, the power and practise of Religion is hated under odious names, and so condemned before it is understood; Whence wee see a necessity of getting spirituall Eye salve, for without true knowledge the heart cannot be good.Prov. 19. 2.Prov 19:2

It is just with God that those who take liberty in their thoughts should bee given up to their owne imaginations, to delight in them, and to be out of conceit p. 209with the best things, and so to reape the fruit of their owne waies; Nay, even the best of Gods people, if they take liberty herein, God will let loose their imagination upon themselves, and suffer them to bee intangled and vexed with their owne hearts; Those that give way to their imaginations, shew what their actions should be, if they dared; for if they forbeare doing evill out of conscience, they should as well forbeare imagining evill; for both are alike open to God and hatefull to him; and therefore oft where there is no conscience of the thought, God gives men up to the deed. The greatest, and hardest worke of a Christian is least in sight, which is the well ordering of his heart; some buildings have most workmanship under ground; it is our spirits that God who is a Spirit hath most Ioh. 4. 24.John 4:24communion withall; and the lesse freedome wee take to sinne here, the more argument of our sincerity, because there is no lawes to binde the inner man but the law of the spirit of grace, whereby wee are a law to our p. 210selves. A good Christian begins his repentance where his sinne begins, in his thoughts, which are the next issue of his heart. God counts it an honour when wee regard his all-seeing eye so much, as that wee will not take liberty to our selves in that which is offensive to him, no not in our hearts, wherein no creature can hinder us; It is an argument that the Spirit hath set up a kingdome and order in our hearts, when our spirits rise within us against any thing that lifts it selfe up against goodnesse.

§. 5.

Many flatter themselves, from an impossibility of ruling their imaginations, Object.and are ready to lay all upon infirmity and naturall weaknesse, &c.

But such must know that if wee bee sound Christians, the Spirit of GOD Answ. Not impossible to …ule the imagination, and how.will enable us to doe all things (Evangelically) that we are called unto, if we give way without checke to the motions thereof; where the Spirit is, it is such a light, as discovers not onelyonly dunghills, but motes themselves, even p. 211light and flying imaginations, and abaseth the soule for them, and by degrees purgeth them out; and if they presse (as they are as busie as flies in Summer) yet a good heart will not owne them, nor allow himselfe in them, but casts them off, as hot water doth the scumme, or as the stomacke doth that which is noisome unto it, they finde not that entertainement here which they have in carnall hearts, where the scumme soakes in; which are stewes of uncleane thoughts, shambles of cruell and bloody thoughts, Exchanges and shops of vaine thoughts, a very forge and mynt of false, politicke, and undermining thoughts, yea often a little hell of confused and blacke imaginations. There is nothing that more moveth a godly man to renew his interest every day in the perfect righteousnesse and obedience of his Saviour, then these sinfull stirrings of his soule, when hee findes something in himselfe alwayes inticing and drawing away his heart from God, and intermingling it selfe with his best performances. Even good p. 212thoughts are troublesome if they come unseasonably, and weaken our exact performance of duty.

§. 6.

But here some misconceits must be Misconceits about imagination, to be avoided.taken heed of.

1. As wee must take heed that wee account not our imaginations to be religion; So we must not account true religion, 1.and the power of godlinesse to bee a matter of imagination onelyonly; as if holy men troubled themselves more then needs, when they stand upon religion and conscience, seeking to approve themselves to God in all things, and indeavouring (so farre as frailty will permit) to avoid all appearances of evill. Many men 1. Thess. 5 22.1 Thess 5:22are so serious in vanities, and reall in trifles, that they count all, which dote not upon such outward excellencies as they doe (because the Spirit of GOD hath revealed to them things of a higher nature) to be fantasticks and humorous people, and so impute the worke of the spirit to the flesh, Gods worke to Satan, which comes neare unto blasphemy: p. 213they imagine good men to be led with vaine conceits, but good men know them to bee so led. Not onelyonly St. Paul, but CHRIST himselfe, were counted besides Act. 26. 24.Acts 26:24themselves, when they were earnest for God and the soules of his people. But there is enough in Religion to beare up the soule against all imputations laid upon it: the true children of Mat. 11. 19Matt 11:19wisedome are alwayes able to justifie their Mother, and the conscionable practise of holy duties is founded upon such solid grounds as shall hold out when heaven and earth shall vanish.

2. Wee must know that as there is 2.great danger in false conceits of the way to heaven, when we make it broader than it is, (for by this meanes wee are like men going over a bridge, who thinke it broader then it is, but being deceived by some shadow, sinck downe, and are suddenly drowned; So men mistaking the strait way to life, and trusting to the shadow of their owne imagination, fall into the bottomlesse pit of hell before they are aware. In like manner the danger is great in making p. 214the way to heaven narrower then indeed it is, by weake and superstitious imaginations, making more sinnes than God hath made. The Wisemans counsell is that we should not make our selves over wicked, nor bee foolisher than Eccles. 7. 17.Eccl 7:17we are, by devising more sinnes in our imagination, than we are guilty of.

It is good in this respect, to know our Christian liberty, which being one of the fruits of Christs death, we cannot neglect the same, without much wrong not onelyonly to our selves, but to the rich bounty and goodnesse of God. So that the due rules of limitation bee observed, from authority, piety, sobriety, needlesse offence of others, &c. we may with better leave use all those comforts which God hath given to refresh us in the way to heaven, then refuse them; the care of the outward man bindes conscience so farre, as that wee should neglect nothing which may helpe us in a cheerefull serving of GOD, in our places, and tend to the due honour of our bodies which are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and companions with our p. 2151. Cor. 3. 16, 17.1 Cor 3:161 Cor 3:17soules in all performances. So that under this pretence wee take not too much liberty to satisfie the lusts of the body. Intemperate use of the creatures is the nurse of all passions: because our spirits which are the soules instruments, are hereby inflamed and disturbed; it is no wonder to see an intemperate man transported into any passion.

3. Some out of their high and ayery 3.imaginations (and out of their iron and flintie Philosophy) will needs thinke outward good and ill, together with the affections of griefe and delight stirred up thereby, to bee but opinions and conceits of good and evill onelyonly, not true and really so founded in nature, but taken up of our selves: But though our fancy be ready to conceit a greater hurt in outward evils then indeed there is (as in poverty, paine of body, death of friends, &c.) yet wee must not deny them to bee evills: that wormewood is bitter, it is not a conceit onelyonly, but the nature of the thing it selfe, yet to abstaine from it altogether for the bitternesse p. 216thereof is a hurtfull conceit. That honey is sweet, it is not a conceit onelyonly, but the naturall quality of it is so, yet out of a taste of the sweetnesse, to think wee cannot take too much of it, is a mis… ceit paid home with loathsome bitternesse. Outward good and outward evill and the affections of delight and sorr… rising thence, are naturally so, and depend not upon our opinion. This were to offer violence to nature, and to take man out of man, as if hee were not flesh but steele; Universall experience from the sensiblenesse of our nature in any outward grievance, is sufficient to dam… this conceit.

The way to comfort a man in griefe, is not to tell him that it is onelyonly a conceit of evill, and no evill indeed that he suffers; this kinde of learning will not downe with him, as being contrary to his present feeling; but the way is, to yeeld unto him that there is cause of grieving, though not of ever-grieving, and to shew him grounds of comfort stronger then the griefe he suffers. We should weigh the degrees of evill in a p. 217right ballance, and not suffer fancie to make them greater then they are; So as that for obtaining the greatest outward good, or avoiding the greatest outward ill of suffering, wee should give way to the least evill of sinne. This is but a policy of the flesh to take away the sensiblenesse of evill, that so those cheeks of conscience and repentance for Sinne, which is oft occasioned thereby, might be taken away; that so men may goe on enjoying a stupid happinesse, never laying any thing to heart, nor afflicting their soules, untill their consciences awaken in the place of the damned, and then they feele that griefe re…ne upon them for ever, which they laboured to put away when it might have beene seasonable to them.

§. 7.

I have stood the longer upon this, This a very pertinent doctrine, and why.because Sathan and his instruments by bewitching the imagination with false appearances, misleadeth not onelyonly the world, but troubleth the peace of men taken out of the world, whose estate is p. 218laid up safe in Christ, who (notwithstanding) passe their few dayes here in an uncomfortable, wearisome, and unnecessary sadnesse of spirit, being kept in ignorance of their happy condition by Sathans jugling and their own mistakes, and so come to heaven before they are aware. Some againe passe their dayes in a golden dreame, and drop into hell before they thinke of it; but it is farre better to dreame of ill, and when wee awake to finde it but a dreame, then to dreame of some great good, and when we awake to finde the contrary.

As the distemper of the fancie disturbing Laesa phantasia.the act of reason, oftentimes breeds madnesse in regard of civill conversation; So it breeds likewise spirituall madnesse, carrying men to those things, which if they were in their right wits they would utterly abhorre; therefore wee cannot have too much care upon what wee fixe our thoughts; And what a glorious discovery is there of the excellencies of Religion that would even ravish an Angell, which may raise up, exercise, & fill our hearts? p. 219We see our fancie hath so great a force in naturall conceptions, that it oft sets a marke and impression upon that which is conceived in the wombe. So likewise strong and holy conceits of things (having a divine vertue accompanying of them,) transforme the soule, and breed spirituall impressions answerable to our spirituall apprehensions. It would prevent many crosses, if we would conceive of things as they are; When trouble of minde, or sicknesse of body, and death it selfe commeth, what will remaine of all that greatnesse which filled our fancies before? then we can judge soberly, and speake gravely of things. The best way of happinesse, is not to multiply honours or riches, &c. but to cure our conceits of things, and then we cannot be very much cast downe with any thing befalls us here.

Therefore when any thing is presented to our soules, which wee see is ready to worke upon us; wee should aske of our selves, upon what ground wee entertaine such a conceit, whether we shall have the same judgement p. 220after we have yeelded to it as now wee have? and whether wee will have the same judgement of it in sicknesse and death, and at the day of reckoning as we have for the present? That which is of it selfe evill, is alwayes so at one time as well as another; if the time will come, when wee shall thinke those things to be vaine, which now we are so eagerly set upon, as if there were some great good in them; Why should wee not thinke so of them now, when as the reforming of our judgement may doe us good, rather then to be led on with a pleasing error untill that time, wherein the sight of our error will fill our hearts with horror and shame, without hope of ever changing our condition.

Here therefore is a speciall use of these Soliloquies, to awake the soule, and to stirre up reason cast asleepe by Sathans charmes, that so scattering the clouds through which things seeme otherwise then they are, wee may discerne and judge of things according to their true and constant nature; Demand of thy soule, Shall I alwayes bee p. 221of this minde? Will not the time come when this will prove bitternesse in the end? Shall I redeeme a short contentment, with lasting sorrow? Is my judge of my minde? Will not a time come when all things shall appeare as they are? Is this according to the rule, &c?

To conclude therfore, whereas there Divers principles of mans actions.be divers principles of mens actions, as 1. naturall inclination, inclining us to some courses more then others, 2. custome, 1.which is another nature in us, 2.3. imagination, apprehending things upon 3.shallow grounds; from whence springs affectation, whereby wee desire glory in things above our own strength and measure, and make shew of that, the truth whereof is wanting in us, 4. true judgement, discerning the true reasons 4.of things. 5. Faith, which is a spirituall 5.principle planted in the soule, apprehending things above reason, and raising us up to conceive of all things as GOD hath discovered them. Now a sound Christian should not bee lightly led with those first common grounds of naturall inclination, custome, opinion, &c. p. 222but by judgement inlightned, advanced, and guided by faith. And wee must take heed we suffer not things to passe suddenly from imagination to affection, without asking advice of our judgement, and faith in the way, whose office is, to weigh things in Gods ballance, and therupon to accept, or refuse them.