If it break loose, as it will soon run riot, yet give no consent of the will to it. Though it hath defiled the memory, yet let it not defile the wiU. Though it be the first-born of the soul, yet let it not, as Reuben, ascend imto the father's bed — that is, our will, — and defile that which should be kept pure for the Spirit of Christ.f Resolve to act nothing upon it, but cross it before it moves to the execution and practice of anything. As in sickness, many times we imagine, by reason of the corruption of our taste, physic to be ill for us, and those meats which nourish the disease to be good, yet care of health makes us cross our own conceits, and take that which fancy abhors ; so if we would preserve sound spirits, we must conclude against groundless imagination, and resolve that whatsoever it suggests cannot be so, because it crosses the grounds both of religion and - reason. And when we find 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 om- spiritual condition ; and indeed, such is the incoherence, impertinency, and unreasonableness 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 the soul for the same, that it may be more wary for time to come. Whilst men are led
* Qu. 'grist?' — Ed.
t Bernard. Tlie following is the reference of Sibbes siipra: — 'Plane excla- mandum nobis est cum Sancto Jacobo atque dicendum Reuben primogenitus, &c. Ruboa enim et carnalis atque saiiguinea liujusmodi concupiscentia est, qua) tuno cubile nostrum ascendit, cum non solum memoriam fangit cogitatione, sed et ipsum voluntatis stratum ingrf'<litur, et jiolluit prava dilcctione. Bone autem primogenitus noster dicitur appetitus illo carnalis,' &c. &c. — Sermo de triplici genere cogitationum nostrarum. Edn. Antwerp, lOlG, p. 411. G.
THE soul's conflict. 183
with imagination, they work not according to right rules prescribed to men, but as other baser creatures, in whom phantasy is the chief ruling power ; and therefore, those whose will is guided by their fancies, Uve more like beasts than men.
We allow a horse to prance and skip in a pasture, which if he doth when he is once backed by the rider, we count him an um'uly and unbroken jade ; so howsoever in other creatures we allow liberty of fancy, yet we allow it not in man to frisk and rove at its pleasure, because in him it is to be bridled with reason.
6. Especially take heed of those cursed imaginations out of u-hich, as of mother roots, others spring forth ; as questioning God's 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 ourselves in any evil way, thoughts against the necessity of exact and circumspect walking with God, &c., Eph. v. 15. When these and such like principles of Satan's and the flesh's di\'inity take place in our hearts, they block up the soul against the entrance of soul-saving truths, and taint our whole conversation, which is either good or evil, as the prmciples are by which we are guided, and as oui* imagination is, which lets in all to the soul.
The Jews in Jeremiah's time were forestalled with vain imaginations against sound repentance, and therefore his counsel is, ' Wash thine heart, 0 Jerusalem ! how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee ? ' Jer. iv. 14.
7. Fancy will the better be kept within its due bounds, if tee consider the principal use thereof. Sense and imagination is properly to judge what is comfortable or uncomfortable, what is pleasing or displeasing to the out- ward man, not what is morally or spiritually good or ill ; and thus far by the laws of nature and civility we are bound to give fancy contentment both in ourselves and others, as not to speak or do anything uncomely, which may occasion a loathing or distaste in our converse with men ; and it is a matter of conscience to make our hves as comfortable as may be. As we are bound to love, so we are bound to use all helps that may make us lovely, and endear us into the good affections of others. As we are bound to give no ofience 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 fancy, whereof they can give but little reason ; and some are more careless in giving offence in this Idnd, than stands with that Christian circumspection and mutual respect which we owe one to another. The apostle's rule is of large extent, ' Whatsoever things are not only true, and honest, and just, but whatsoever things are lovely and of good report, &c., think of these things,' Phil. iv. 8. Yet our main care should be to manifest ourselves rather to men's consciences than to their imaginations.
8. It should be our wisdom, likemse, to place ourselves in the best con- reniency of all outward helps, which maij have a kind icorking upon our fancy; and to take heed to the contrary, as time, place, and objects, &c. There be good hours and good messengers of God's sending, golden opportunities wherein God uses to give a meeting to his children, and breatbes good thoughts into them. Even the wisest and hoHest men, as David and Solomon, &c., had no farther safety than they were careful of well-using all good advantages, and sequestering themselves from such objects as had a working power upon them. By suffering their souls to be led by their fancies, and their hearts to run after their eyes, they betrayed and robbed themselves of much grace and comfort, thereupon Solomon cries out wiih.