Part 7

But though the Apprehensive Power do pause, The Motive Virtue then begins to move! Which in the heart below, doth Passions cause, Joy, Grief, and Fear, and Hope, and Hate, and Love

These Passions have a free commanding might, And divers actions in our life do breed; For all acts done without true Reason's light, Do from the Passion of the Sense proceed.

But sith the Brain doth lodge these powers of Sense, How makes it, in the Heart those passions spring? The mutual love, the kind intelligence 'Twixt heart and brain, this Sympathy doth bring.

From the kind heat, which in the heart doth reign, The spirits of Life do their beginning take! These spirits of Life ascending to the brain, When they come there, the spirits of Sense do make

These spirits of Sense in Phantasy's high court, Judge of the Forms of Objects, ill or well! And so, they send a good or ill report Down to the heart, where all Affections dwell.

If the report be good; it causeth love! And longing hope! and well assured joy! If it be ill; then doth it hatred move! And trembling fear! and vexing griefs annoy!

Yet were these natural affections good (For they which want them, blocks or devils be!); If Reason in her first perfection stood, That she might Nature's Passions rectify.

[Sidenote: The motion of Life.]

Besides, another Motive Power doth rise Out of the heart: from whose pure blood do spring The Vital Spirits, which born in arteries, Continual motion to all parts do bring.

[Sidenote: The local motion.]

This makes the pulses beat, and lungs respire, This holds the sinews, like a bridle's reins; And makes the body to advance, retire, To turn or stop, as she them slacks or strains!

Thus the Soul tunes the Body's instrument; These harmonies She makes with Life and Sense: The organs fit, are by the Body lent; But th'actions flow from the Soul's influence.

[Sidenote: The Intellectual Powers of the Soul.]

But now I have a Will, yet want a Wit, To express the workings of the Wit and Will; Which, though their root be to the body knit, Use not the Body, when they use their skill.

These powers the nature of the Soul declare, For to Man's Soul, these only proper be! For on the earth, no other wights there are, Which have these heavenly powers, but only

[Sidenote: The Wit or Understanding.]

The Wit (the pupil of the Soul's clear eye! And in Man's world, th'only shining star!) Looks in the Mirror of the Phantasy, Where all the gatherings of the senses are

From thence this Power, the Shapes of things abstracts, And them within her _Passive_ part receives; Which are enlightened by that part which _Acts_, And so the Forms of single things perceives.

But after, by discoursing to and fro, Anticipating, and comparing things; She doth all universal natures know, And all Effects into their Causes brings.

[Sidenote: Reason.]

[Sidenote: Understanding.]

When She rates things, and moves from ground to ground, The name of Reason, She obtains by this! But when, by reasons, She the truth hath found, And standeth fixt, She, Understanding is!

[Sidenote: Opinion.]

[Sidenote: Judgement.]

When her assent, She lightly doth incline To either part, She is Opinion light! But when She doth by principles define A certain truth, She hath true Judgement's sight.

And as from senses, Reason's work doth spring; So many reasons, Understanding gain: And many understandings, Knowledge bring, And by much knowledge, Wisdom we obtain

So, many stairs we must ascend upright, Ere we attain to Wisdom's high degree: So doth this earth eclipse our Reason's light, Which else (in instants) would like angels see.

Yet hath the Soul a dowry natural, And Sparks of Light some common things to see; Not being a blank, where nought is writ at all, But what the writer will, may written be.

For Nature, in man's heart her laws doth pen, Prescribing Truth to Wit! and Good to Will! Which do accuse, or else excuse all men, For every thought or practice, good or ill!

And yet these sparks grow almost infinite, Making the world and all therein, their food; As fire so spreads, as no place holdeth it, Being nourished still with new supplies of wood.

And though these sparks were almost quenched with sin, Yet they, whom that Just One hath justified, Have them increased, with Heavenly Light within! And, like the Widow's oil, still multiplied!

[Sidenote: The power of Will.]

And as this Wit should goodness truly know, We have a Wit which that true good should choose! Though Will do oft (when Wit, false Forms doth show) Take Ill, for Good; and Good, for Ill refuse.

[Sidenote: The relations betwixt Wit and Will.]

Will puts in practice what the Wit deviseth; The Will ever acts, and Wit contemplates still: And as from Wit the power of Wisdom riseth; All other virtues, daughters are of Will!

Will is the Prince! and Wit, the Councillor! Which doth for common good in council sit; And when Wit is resolved; Will lends her power To execute what is advised by Wit.

Wit is the Mind's Chief Judge! which doth control, Of Fancy's Court, the judgements false and vain! Will holds the royal sceptre in the Soul; And on the Passions of the Heart doth reign!

Will is as free as any Emperor, Nought can restrain her gentle liberty; No tyrant, nor no torment hath the power To make us will; when we unwilling be!

[Sidenote: The intellectual Memory.]

To these high powers, a Storehouse doth pertain; Where they, all Arts and general reasons lay! Which in the Soul (even after death!) remain, And no Lethean flood can wash away!

This is the Soul! and those, her virtues be! Which, though they have their sundry proper ends, And one exceeds another in degree; Yet each on other mutually depends.

Our Wit is given, Almighty GOD to know! Our Will is given to love Him, being known! But GOD could not be _known_ to us below, But by His works, which through the Sense are shown.

And as the Wit doth reap the fruits of Sense; So doth the Quick'ning Power, the Senses feed! Thus while they do their sundry gifts dispense, The best, the service of the least doth need!

Even so, the King, his magistrates do serve; Yet Commons feed both magistrate and King! The Commons' peace, the magistrates preserve By borrowed power, which from the Prince doth spring.

The Quickening Power would _be_, and so would rest! The Sense would not _be_ only, be _be well_! But Wit's ambition longeth to _be best_! For it desires in endless bliss, to dwell.

And these three Powers, three sorts of men do make. For some, like plants, their veins do only fill; And some, like beasts, their senses' pleasure take, And some, like angels, do contemplate still.

Therefore the fables turned some men to flowers, And others, did with brutish forms invest; And did of others, make celestial powers Like angels! which still travail, yet still rest!

Yet these three Powers are not three Souls but one, As one and two are both contained in three; Three being one number by itself alone. A shadow of the blessed Trinity!

[Sidenote: An acclamation.]

O what is Man! (Great Maker of mankind!) That Thou to him so great respect dost bear! That Thou adorn'st him with so bright a Mind! Mak'st him a king! and even an angel's peer!

O what a lively life! what heavenly power! What spreading virtue! what a sparkling fire! How great! how plentiful! how rich a dower! Dost Thou, within this dying flesh inspire!

Thou leav'st Thy Print in other works of Thine! But Thy whole Image, Thou, in Man hast writ! There cannot be a creature more divine; Except, (like Thee!) it should be infinite.

But it exceeds Man's thought, to think how high GOD hath raised Man, since GOD, a man became: The angels do admire this mystery, And are astonished when they view the same!

[Sidenote: That the Soul is immortal, and cannot die.]

Nor hath He given these blessings for a day, Nor made them on the Body's life depend, The Soul, though made in Time, survives for Aye; And though it hath beginning, sees no end!

Her only end, in never-ending bliss; Which is, th'eternal face of GOD to see: Who Last of Ends and First of Causes is, And to do this, She must Eternal be!

How senseless then, and dead a Soul hath he, Which thinks his soul doth with his body die: Or thinks not so, but so would have it be, That he might sin with more security!

For though these light and vicious persons say, "Our Soul is but a smoke! or airy blast! Which, during life, doth in our nostrils play; And when we die, doth turn to wind at last!"

Although they say, "Come, let us eat, and drink! Our life is but a spark, which quickly dies!" Though thus they _say_, they know not what to _think_, But in their minds, ten thousand doubts arise.

Therefore no heretics desire to spread Their light opinions, like these Epicures; For so their staggering thoughts are comforted, And other men's assent, their doubt assures.

Yet though these men against their conscience strive, There are some sparkles in their flinty breasts, Which cannot be extinct, but still revive, That (though they would) they cannot, quite be beasts!

But whoso makes a Mirror of his Mind; And doth, with patience, view himself therein; His Soul's _eternity_ shall clearly find, Though th'other beauties be defaced with sin.

[Sidenote: 1 _Reason_. Drawn from the Desire of Knowledge.]

First, In man's mind, we find an appetite To Learn and Know the Truth of everything: Which is connatural, and born with it; And from the essence of the Soul doth spring.

With this Desire, She hath a native Might, To find out every truth, if She had time Th'innumerable effects to sort aright; And, by degrees, from cause to cause to climb!

But since our life so fast away doth slide! (As doth a hungry eagle through the wind, Or as a ship transported with the tide; Which in their passage, leave no print behind.)

Of which swift little time, so much we spend, While some few things, we, through the Sense, do strain; That our short race of life is at an end, Ere we, the Principles of Skill attain:

Or GOD (which to vain ends, hath nothing done) In vain, this Appetite and Power hath given; Or else our knowledge, which is here begun, Hereafter must be perfected in heaven.

GOD never gave a Power to one whole Kind; But most of that Kind did use the same! Most eyes have perfect sight! though some be blind; Most legs can nimbly run! though some be lame.

But in this life, _no_ Soul, the Truth can know So perfectly, as it hath power to do! If then perfection be not found below, A higher place must make her mount thereto.

[Sidenote: 2 _Reason_. Drawn from the motion of the Soul.]

Again, how can She but immortal be? When with the motions of both Will and Wit, She still aspireth to Eternity, And never rests, till she attain to it.

Water in conduit pipes can rise no higher Than the well head, from whence it first doth spring! Then since to eternal GOD, She doth aspire; She cannot be but an eternal thing.

"All moving things to other things do move Of the same kind," which shows their natures such; So earth falls down, and fire doth mount above, Till both their proper Elements do touch.

[Sidenote: The soul compared to a river.]

And as the moisture which the thirsty earth Sucks from the sea, to fill her empty veins; From out her womb at last doth take a birth, And runs, a Nymph! along the grassy plains:

Long doth she stay, as loath to leave the land, From whose soft side, she first did issue make: She tastes all places! turns to every hand! Her flow'ry banks unwilling to forsake:

Yet Nature, so her streams doth lead and carry, As that her course doth make no final stay Till she, herself unto the Ocean marry; Within whose watry bosom first she lay.

Even so the Soul, which in this earthy mould, The Spirit of GOD doth secretly infuse; Because, at first, She doth the earth behold, And only this material world She views!

At first, our Mother Earth, She holdeth dear! And doth embrace the World, and worldly things! She flies close by the ground, and hovers here! And mounts not up with her celestial wings!

Yet, under heaven, She cannot light on ought, That with her heavenly nature doth agree: She cannot rest! She cannot fix her thought! She cannot in this world contented be!

For who did ever yet in Honour, Wealth, Or Pleasure of the Sense, contentment find? Who ever ceased to _wish_, when he had Health? Or having Wisdom, was not _vext in mind_?

Then as a bee, which among weeds doth fall, Which seem sweet flowers, with lustre fresh and gay; She lights on that! and this! and tasteth all; But pleased with none, doth rise and soar away!

So, when the Soul finds here no true content, And, like NOAH'S dove, can no sure footing take; She doth return from whence She first was sent, And flies to Him, that first her wings did make!

Wit seeking Truth, from Cause to Cause ascends; And never rests, till it the First attain; Will seeking Good, finds many middle Ends, But never stays, till it the Last do gain.

Now, GOD, the Truth! and First of Causes is! GOD is the Last Good End! which lasteth still: Being _Alpha_ and _Omega_ named for this, _Alpha_ to Wit! _Omega_ to the Will!

Since then, her heavenly kind She doth bewray, In that to GOD, She doth directly move: And on no mortal thing can make her stay; She cannot be from hence, but from _above_.

And yet this First True Cause and Last Good End, She cannot hear so _well_, and _truly_ see; For this perfection, She must yet attend, Till to her Maker, She espousèd be.

As a King's daughter, being in person sought Of divers Princes, which do neighbour near; On none of them can fix a constant thought, Though she to all do lend a gentle ear.

Yet can she love a foreign Emperor! Whom, of great worth and power, she hears to be; If she be wooed but by Ambassador; Or but his letters, or his picture see.

For well she knows, that when she shall be brought Into the kingdom, where her Spouse doth reign; Her eyes shall see what she conceived in thought, Himself! his State! his glory! and his train!

So while the virgin Soul on earth doth stay She wooed and tempted is, ten thousand ways, By these great Powers, which on the earth bear sway; The WISDOM OF THE WORLD, WEALTH, PLEASURE, PRAISE.

With these, sometime, She doth her time beguile. These do, by fits, her Phantasy possess, But She distastes them all, within a while; And in the sweetest, finds a tediousness:

But if, upon the world's Almighty King, She once do fix her humble loving thought; Which, by his Picture drawn in everything, And sacred Messages, her love hath sought,

Of Him, She thinks She cannot think too much. This honey tasted, still is ever sweet; The pleasure of her ravished thought is such, As almost here, She, with her bliss doth meet.

But when in heaven, She shall His Essence see, This is her Sovereign Good! and Perfect Bliss! Her longings, wishings, hopes, all finished be! Her joys are full! her motions rest in this!

There, is She crowned with Garlands of Content, There, doth She manna eat, and nectar drink, That Presence doth such high delights present, As never tongue could speak, nor heart could think!

[Sidenote: 3 _Reason._ From contempt of death in the better sort of spirits.]

For this! the better Souls do oft despise The body's death, and do it oft desire; For when on ground, the burdened balance lies; The empty part is lifted up the higher!

But if the body's death, the Soul should kill? Then death must needs _against her nature_ be; And were it so, all Souls would fly it still, "For Nature hates, and shuns her contrary."

For all things else, which Nature makes to be; Their Being to preserve, are chiefly taught! For though some things desire a change to see, "Yet never thing did long to turn to _nought_!"

If then, by death, the Soul were quenchèd quite, She could not thus against her nature run! Since every senseless thing, by Nature's light, Doth _preservation_ seek! _destruction_ shun!

Nor could the world's best spirits so much err, (If Death took all!) that they should _all_ agree, Before this life, their Honour to prefer! For what is praise, to things that nothing be?

Again, if by the body's prop, She stand? If on the body's life, her life depend? As MELEAGER's on the fatal brand! The body's good, She only would intend!

We should not find her half so brave and bold, To lead it to the wars, and to the seas! To make it suffer watchings! hunger! cold! When it might feed with plenty! rest with ease!

Doubtless, _all_ Souls have a surviving thought; Therefore of Death, we think with quiet mind; But if we think of being _turned to nought_, A trembling horror in our Souls we find!

[Sidenote: 4. _Reason._ From the fear of death in the wicked souls.]

And as the better spirit, when She doth bear A scorn of death, doth shew She cannot die; So when the wicked Soul, Death's face doth fear, Even then, She proves her own eternity!

For, when Death's form appears, She feareth not An utter quenching or extinguishment! She would be glad to meet with such a lot! That so She might all future ill prevent.

But She doth doubt what after may befall, For Nature's law accuseth her within, And saith, "'Tis true, that is affirmed by all, That after death, there is a pain for sin!"

Then She, which hath been hoodwinked from her birth, Doth first herself within Death's Mirror see; And when her body doth return to earth, She first takes care, how She alone shall be.

Whoever sees these irreligious men, With burden of a sickness, weak and faint; But hears them talking of religion then, And vowing of their souls to every saint?

When was there ever cursed atheist brought Unto the gibbet, but he did adore That blessed Power! which he had set at nought, Scorned, and blasphemed, all his life before?

These light vain persons, still are drunk and mad, With surfeitings and pleasures of their youth; But, at their deaths, they are fresh! sober! sad! Then, they discern! and then, they speak the truth!

If then, all souls, both good and bad, do teach With general voice, that souls can never die; 'Tis not Man's flattering Gloss, but Nature's Speech, Which, like GOD's Oracle, can never lie.

[Sidenote: 5. _Reason._ From the general desire of Immortality.]

Hence, springs that _universal_ strong desire, Which all men have, of Immortality: Not some few spirits unto this thought aspire, But all men's minds in this, united be.

Then this desire of Nature is not vain! "She covets not impossibilities!" "Fond thoughts may fall into some idle brain; But one Assent of All, is ever true!"

From hence, that general care and study springs, That _launching_ and _progression_ of the Mind, Which all men have, so much of Future things, As they no joy, do in the Present find.

From this desire, that main Desire proceeds, Which all men have, surviving Fame to gain; By tombs, by books, by memorable deeds; For She that this desires, doth still remain.

Hence, lastly, springs Care of Posterities! For things, their kind would everlasting make! Hence is it, that old men do plant young trees, The fruit whereof, another age shall take!

If we these rules unto ourselves apply, And view them by reflection of the mind; All these True Notes of Immortality, In our hearts' tables, we shall written find!

[Sidenote: 6. _Reason._ From the very doubt and disputation of immortality.]

And though some impious wits do questions move, And doubt "if souls immortal be or no?" That _doubt_, their immortality doth prove! Because they seem immortal things to know.

For he which reasons, on both parts doth bring, Doth some things mortal, some immortal call; Now if himself were but a mortal thing; He could not judge immortal things, _at all_!

For when we judge, our Minds we Mirrors make, And as those glasses, which material be, Forms of material things do only take (For Thoughts or Minds in them, we cannot see);

So when we GOD and Angels do conceive, And think of Truth (which is eternal too), Then do our Minds, immortal Forms receive, Which if they mortal were, they could not do.

And as if beasts conceived what Reason were, And that conception should distinctly shew; They should the name of _reasonable_ bear (For without Reason, none could reason know).

So when the Soul mounts with so high a wing, As of eternal things, She _doubts_ can move, She, proofs of her eternity doth bring; Even when She strives the contrary to prove.

For even the _thought_ of Immortality, Being an act done without the body's aid, Shews, that herself alone could move, and be, Although the body in the grave were laid.

And if herself She can so lively move, And never need a foreign help to take, Then must her motion everlasting prove, "Because her self She never can forsake."

[Sidenote: That the Soul cannot be destroyed.]

"But though Corruption cannot touch the Mind, By any cause, that from itself may spring; Some Outward Cause, Fate hath perhaps designed, Which to the Soul, may utter quenching bring?"

[Sidenote: Her Cause ceaseth not.]

"Perhaps her Cause may cease, and She may die!" GOD is her Cause! His WORD, her Maker was! Which shall stand fixed for all eternity! When heaven and earth shall like a shadow pass.

[Sidenote: She hath no contrary.]