Chap. XI. CH A i>. X!. f)irellions to px: t!Je doice arig/jt. The danger froni (l;t Senjet and t/;e Fancy,_ oj l'erverting our CIJoice. The power of Fancy conjidered. T7,e camal ajje8wns are the worft Counfe/lors. The SenJes amd Carnal AjfeEiions are U>lcapable of apprehending Spiritual thi1zgs ; they are deceit(ttl and l>e~y >lflnterous and clamorotiS. The getieral example of Mm is corruptil>e of our Judgments about tvorldly things. 'Tis foolifh to be direEied by the Multitude in a11 a/fair of Eternal moment. Tbe U>liVerfal ]udgment of rvorldly Men int/Jtir /aft jerious Hours, isconjiderdte, and to be beliel>ed. I Shail now come to the DireB:ions how to fix otir Choice aright. . This is a matter of everlalting Confequence; it therefore beco~es us with the moll: intenfe application of Mmd to confider It, and accordmg to the advice of W1fd6m, to kup the Heart with all diligence;. for out of it are the ijfues of Life. Indeed the choice were not ddlicult between lying Vanities and fubltantial Bleffednefs; if uncorrupted Reafon had the fuperiour fway: but in this lapfed ll:.ate of Nature, the ~~~r~r~~~~~o~:~li~~~-ar~e~ef;:d~~~i~~~:p~~~e~~~~~IT!ti~~n~;i~ ~e~:' f~;,\~ r;.~ ducer prevails by fair Temptations. This will be evident by refleB:ing upon the frame andcompofitionofMan, ~sheconfirts.of Sp_mt, Soul•nd Body1 and the mannerof his aB:ing. The Spmt IS the mteHe8:1ve d~fcernmg Faculty, t~e. Seat of Reafon, capable to compare and judg of the quahttesof thmgs, and forefee thetr 1fTues. The Body mcludes tire lower Faculties, the Senfes, Fancy and Paffions, that are converfant about prefent things. The Soul is the Will, the principle of EleB:ion, in the midll:. of the other, as the Centre to which all their Addreffes flow. Now upon the propofal of the fpiritual and carnal Good in order to Choice, the Will is to be direB:ed by the Mind, and by its own Authority to rule the lower Paffions. But alas! the Mind has Jolt its primitive Light ~~n;Ju;~l;~d;:;1~f:~~~~tr!r~6;FI:~~a;~Jstr.u~lt~~r~~o~~r~;;~ite;i:":o~~~ tarily fubordinate,and ioOaved by the Senfitive. From hence it is, that in the competition, Heaven with all its Glory is defpifed, and the prefent World embrac'd. To open this moreparticularly, confider: '· The Senfes can only tall:.e and enjoy grolfer dreggy Pleafures. co:~ei;~ear·~~r:i~;to~~~e~~de~~~ ~~~i::~~~sf~~;~~0Pf~r~I~.is g$~·!~; ~~~~r!~~~[; by the praClice of * Areti«r aPainter, recorded with infamy, who being often imployed .,. F~agitio in~ to paint the GoddefTes to befet in the Pagan Temples, alway_s ~rew their PiB:ures by the ~~7~0~';::,1. Faces an_d Complexio_nsof hiS Harlots, that the ObJects of Ius 1mpure Love might have ,.,mo.efta.- Venerauon, and a DIVImty attnbuted to them, under the Ttties, and pretence of Miner. gram., ~obul ;~'Id~Ja~:~, ~:~~[;~b~~hby 0~:~ ~~~eg~~;~~~pi~~rt{et~~3fsh:n:-piri~~1s d~~~~tpe~~ E~:~~:~ t~Abi':tli~~:~ ~~~g~i~~~~~~;~0~e~3~t~ ti~ b:g~e~~bl~1 ~;~~~~' br~~i~a~~~ufr~~~ ;:~;!~~::: place it in their Hearts, and facrifice all their Thoughts, AffeB:ions, and Service t~ it. The Fancy is very powerful in Men upon a double account. 1. The Underll:.anding naturally receives the Notions of Things by Pliantafms that are flill mixing in its Contemplations. While the Soul is confined to a Tabernacle of Flefh it apprehends oo Obje8: without the precedent excitation of the Senfes. From when.; · it is impoffible, that a Perfon abfolutely deprived of Sight from h!s Birth, fhould have an Idea of Light, or Colours; or that IS born deaf, fl1ould conceiVe what Sound is; the Senfe never havmg Imparted an account of It to them. And the Image of the ObjeB: is not Immediately tranfmitted from the Senfe to the Mind, but firlt to the Imagination }~::/;~':~~~ i~~~~~~~ie,::;d in~l~~i:;0t~e1~~~. th~t~~~r:1c~:7.u~r,f~l~~~~~~~~n~a~ the Ear of lhePrince, and are continually ~t~xh~m, by fpecious Informations, ~J,;
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