iSo The fourth Sign PARTIII. feems to be the Reafon why Perfons that are under the Difeafe of Melancholy, are commonly fo vifibly and remarkably fubjea to the Suggeflions and Temptations of Satan: That being a Difeafe which peculiarly affeas the animal Spirits, and is attended with Weaknefs of that Part of the Body which is the Fountain of the animal Spirits, even the Brain, which is, p.s it were, the Seat of the Phantafy. 'Tis by ImpreDns made on the Brain, that any Ideas are excited in the Mind, by the Motion of the animal Spirits, or any Changes made in the Body. The Brain being thus weaken'd and difeafed, 'tis lefs under the Command of the higher Faculties of the Soul,and yields the more eafìly to extrinfick lmprefl'ions, and is over - power'd by the dif- order'd Motions of the animal Spirits ; and fo the Devil has greater Advantage to afee the Mind, byworking on the Imagination. And thus Satan, when he carts in thofe horrid Suggeftions into the Minds of many melancholly Perfons, in which they have noHand themfelves, he does it by exciting imaginary Ideas, either of fome dreadful Words or Sentences, or other horrid outward Ideas. And when he tempts other Perfons who are not melancholly, he does it by prefenting to the Imagination, in a lively and alluring Manner, the Objeas of their Lufts, or by exciting Ideas of Words, and fo by them exciting Thoughts ; or by promoting an Imagination of outward Anions, Events, Circumftances, &c. Innumerable are the Ways by which the Mind might be led on to all Kind of evil Thoughts, by exciting external Ideas in the Imagination. " diabolical Delufions of the Imagination, taken for the gra- " cious Operations of God's Spirit ? ---It is from hence that " many have pretended to Enthufiafins ;-- -They leave the Scriptures, and wholly attend to what they perceive and feel " within them ". Eurgef on original Sin, p. 369. [he great Turretine, fpeaking on that Q_ieftion, What is thePower Pays, " As to Bodies, there is no Doubt, but that " they can do a great deal upon allSorts of elementary and fub- ; lunary Bodies, to move them locally, and varioufly to agitate " them. 'Tis alto certain, that they can aa upon the exter- nal and internal Senfes, to excite them, or to bind them. ..c But as to the rational Soul it Pelf, they can do nothing im- " mediately upon that ; for to God alone, who knows and s fearches the Hearts, and who has them in his Hands, does " it alto appertain to bow and move them whetherfoever he s will. But Angels can aa upon the rational Soul, only me- ' diately, by _ Imaginations ". Theolog. Eiench. Loc. VII. weft. 7. If
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=