Of the powers of the soul.
First, We will discourse on the powers, I may call them the members of the soul; for, as the members of the body, being many, all go to the making up of the body, so these do go to the completing of the soul.
1. There is the understanding, which may be termed the head; because in that is placed the eye of the soul; and this is that by which the soul, discerns things that are presented to it, either by God or Satan; this is that by which a man conceives and apprehends things so deep and great that they cannot, by mouth, or tongue, or pen.
2. There is, also, belonging to the soul, the conscience, in which, I may say, is placed the Seat of Judgment; for, as by the understanding things are let into the soul, so by the conscience, the evil or good of such things are tried; especially when in the
3. Third place, there is the judgment, which is another part of this noble creature, has passed, by the light of the understanding, his verdict upon what is let into the soul.
4. There is, also, the fancy or imagination, another part of this great thing, the sou1: and a most curious thing this fancy is; it is that which presents to the man the idea, form, or figure of that, or any of those things, wherewith a man is either fascinated or taken, pleased or dissatisfied. And,
5. The mind, another part of the soul, is that unto which this fancy presented its things to be considered; because without the mind nothing is entertained in the soul.
6. There is the memory too, another part of the soul; and that may be called the register of the soul; for it is the memory that received and kept in remembrance what has passed, or has been done by the man, or attempted to be done unto him; and in this part of the soul, or from it, will be fed 'the worm that died not,' when men are cast into hell; also, from this memory will flow that peace at the day of judgment that saints shall have in their service for Christ in the world.
7. There are the affections too, which are, as I may call them, the hands and arms of the soul; for they are they that take hold of, receive, and embrace what is liked by the soul, and it is a hard thing to make the soul of a man cast from it what its affections cleave to and have embraced. Hence the affections are called for, when the apostle bids men 'seek the things above; set your affections upon them,' saith he (Col 3), or, as you have it in another place, 'Lay hold' of them; for the affections are as hands to the soul, and they by which it fastened upon things.
8. There is the will, which may be called the foot of the soul, because by that the soul, yea, the whole man, is carried hither and thither, or else held back and kept from moving.
These are the golden things of the soul, though, in carnal men, they are every one of them made use of in the service of sin and Satan. For the unbelieving are throughout impure, as is manifest, because their 'mind and conscience (two of the masterpieces of the soul) is defiled' (Titus 1:15). For if the most potent parts of the soul are engaged in their service, what, think you, do the more inferior do? But, I say, so it is the more is the pity; nor can help it. 'This work ceased forever,' unless the great God, who is overall, and that can save souls, shall himself take upon him to sanctify the soul, recover it, and persuade it to fall in love with another master.
But, I say, what is man without this soul, or wherein lies this preeminence over a beast? (Eccl 3:19-21). Nowhere that I know of; for both, as to man's body, go to one place, only the spirit or soul of a man goes upward—to wit, to God that gave it, to be by Him disposed of with respect to things to come, as they have been, and have done in this life, But,
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