Of HEAVEN. Chap. XI. guiung Truth, inAucnce him to approve or rejeCt Pcrfons and Things according to the various AfpeCts gi1·en by them. The fame ObjeCt propounded in a dark confufed manner weak:y moves us; but v~rnifht and beautified with lively and pleafant Colours by eh; ImagJDatton, i.s armed With fuel~ Power _chat ra~101es the dl~~m of the Mind, and con. femof the Wdl. Now Celefhal Happmefs bemg purely Spmtual, fuch as Eye bath not jem, nor Ear lmtrd, nor entred mto the Heart of Mav to conceive, tho fome difcoverics be m•dc of . it by Revelation, yet the Imagination makes fuch an obfcure detraEting Idea Of It , that i t afle8:s no more, than a dead Shadow drawn 10 fame Imperfect Lines of an cxquiGte Beauty. llut when the Fancy is warmed and enlivened by the prefenceof fenft hlc OhjeEts, it mal<es a vigorous impreffion of them upon the Mind, and that reprefents the Pictures ot Plcafurc as very lovely and delightful to the Will, which prefently illlbracc:s them. 2. The Fancy has a marvellous force up_im the fenotive Appetite, that eagerly defires what" reprefcmcd as pleafanr, tho the enhghtned Mmd fees through the Temptation , and !wows 'ri s a mere Dream, that brings neither folid nor durable Joy. One In a Feve; is plcafcd by imagining Foumains and Streams, tho he !mows that imaginary Waters cannot quench IllS Tludt, nor afford the leafl real Refrefl1ment. Now the fenfitive Ap· petite bein!\ infiam'd by the Fancy, imparts a contagious Fire to the Will; and that induces tbe Mu1d, either to concur with it, and palliate the deceit, and to JUdg favourab)f a:cording to its Jndina~ions, ot makes it Oac~ or re:nifs in its Office,. diverting the 1. houghts from what tmghtcomroul the Appetite; or tf the Under!\and10g !EIIcomracliEts, ye t 'tis in fo cold and fpeculative a manner, that the Law of the Members rebel~ ,againfl the Superior Light, and is too flrong for the Law of tbe Mind, and that Saying is \'Crrlied, - Pideo meliora probOq; ,Deteriora [equor. I fee what is WOJ;thy to be chofen, but (lllrfue what is to be abhorr'd. Thus miferably wealc are the r~fiona~ guiding Powers in Man fince his Fall, thus imperious and violent the Q\Utifh Faculties. In fhort, lUufion and Concupifcence are the principal Caufes why the mol\. noble and divine Good is undervalued and re1eEted in comparifon of inferior tranfitory Van iries. 0 the cheap Damnation of beguiled Souls! A Mefs of Pottage was nwre val uable to Efau, than the Birth-right that had annext to it the Regal and Prie!\!y Dignity. Unwife and unhappy Wretches! tlw follow lying Vanities, and forfolu their ownMercies. , Thus I have briefly fet down the Procefs of Mens foolifh choice in this degenerate ;r~~fre cf:o?c~ ~}'"t~· :":CI~&t;,it/; Ml~~~nf~~~~~~~t l~~g~~;aig~:;::~ ~~i~~! ~p~~~~r :~ obeying his Heavenly Commiffion, conferr'd not wtth jlejh and blood; we mu!l not in this matter of infinite importance, attend, 1. To the Suggeflionsand Deores of the Senfes and carnal Appetites, which arc the wor!l Counfellors, as being uncapable of judging what is our proper Happinefs, deceitful and importunate. (I.) They are uncapable of apprehending Spiritual Eternal Things, which alone bring true and compleat fatrsfa/Jion to the Soul, and cannot look forward to the end of !inful Pleafures, and ballance the terrible Evils they leave at parting, with the flight vanifhingcontcnt that fprings from their.Prefence. Therefore as b!ind Perfqns lay hold on things they feel, fo the fenouve Facultres, that are bhnd a.nd brutr~J, adhere to grofs ptcfent enjoyments, n·ot underfl:andmg the pure fpotlefs Felrcrty that IS to come, and defpr. ling what they do not underfl:and. Now who would in an Aflair upon which his All depends, advifew!th Child.ren and Fools, whofe Judgment of things is without .counfcl, their Counfel wrthout Drfcourfe, thell' Dtfcourfe wtthout Reafon? There ISnothmg r~101~ contrary to the order of Nature, than for Men that !hould alfea with Judgment, to )Udg by their AlfeEtions. L ( 2.) The Carnal Apr<:t~te with its .Lu!ls are very dec.citf~l, a Party within holding cor·. refpondence with our Spmtual Enemies, the Armtes of evil Angels, fo achve an? alliduous in confpiring and accomplifhing the Damnation of Men. The Devil m Scrrpcure rs called the Tempter by way of eminence, who manages and rmproves all Temptatrons; and his pemicious Delign is by the ObjeEts of Senfe, ordered andmade more allurmg and killing by his various Arts, to engage the AlfeClions into a comphance,_ and fo to gam the '-V ill, Now our great danger is not fo much from Satan the Enemy Wtthout, as fr~ .. ~~~
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