Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	motion_n	spirit_n	vital_a	2,273	5	10.8790	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52536	A discourse upon the nature and faculties of man in several essayes with some considerations of humane life / by Tim. Nourse ...	Nourse, Timothy, d. 1699.	1686 (1686)	Wing N1418; ESTC R16136	165,226	400

its Kind ordaining also a seminal Power in each of them to propagate the same to new Ofsprings successively As soon as ever the Parts begin to be form'd by Nature this Animal and active Principle begins to exert its Heat and Force being lodged in the Heart as in the Centre of the Body from whence as the Vessels begin also to be form'd it distributes it self towards the extreme Regions communicating its Vital Heat by the Ministry of the Spirits which Spirits also are nothing but Particles of that Original and Ethereal Flame which is contracted and united in this Centre The boyling Heat which flows from the union of so many Spirits begets a Motion in the Heart to which the Arteries being fastned the same Pulse or Motion is communicated to them also and least the Spirits should be made too Volatile the wise Framer of Nature hath ordered the Blood to be their Vehicle being of a liquid and glutinous Substance and so most fit both to retain and to distribute them together with its self into the remoter parts of the Body all which is extreamly facilitated by the continual Operation of the Lungs whose Function 't is by attracting fresh Supplies of cool Air to refrigerate the Heart and to communicate thin and subtle Matter to make the Blood more florid and fluid Now because the Blood by reason of the great Volatility of the Spirits which are mix'd with it is continually wasting this Loss is repaired by Nutrition or a fresh supply of new Spirits from the Aliment we take in which after several percolations becomes Blood also and is then conveighed to the Heart and so into the Arteries where it becomes the Vehicle of Life and carries along with it new Spirits by undergoing the same Circulations of Nature Whosoever therefore shall duly weigh this Order and consider the Fabrick of each Part will easily be able to give a rational Account of Nutrition Respiration Motion Sensation with all the other Faculties belonging to a Sensitive or Animal Body Now because we observe in Man some Operations more refin'd and such as cannot be deriv'd from a meer Sensitive Nature we are taught to conclude that there is another Principle into which such Operations are resolv'd which we call a Rational Soul Indeed whosoever considers the curious Inventions of Wit the vast Comprehension and subtile Inferences of the Understanding the wonderful Sagacity and Prospect of Prudence the noble Endowments and Speculations of the Mind the quick Transitions and Successions of Thoughts together with the Bent and Subserviency of the Passions in relation to the Circumstances of humane Life I say whosoever thinks on these must readily conclude that the Spring from whence such Motions are deriv'd must be something more Celestial than that Etherial Spirit which gives Vigor to the Animal Faculties True it is the Rational Soul if I may speak it without a Solecisme is so incorporated into the Animal that it seems to have its Birth and Growth with it How doth Reason exert it self by little and little what Helps and Arts are there us'd to make the Flower open and shew it self to the World What Struglings and Conflicts are there betwixt the Animal Inclinations and the more masculine Dictates of Reason A sure Demonstration that they cannot proceed from one and the same immediate Impulse of Nature The Sense and Notions we have of Reputation of Justice of Commerce of Patience and Moderation with infinite other things relating to the moral Capacity have no analogy with the Actions and Sentiments of Beasts tho never so sagacious and well instructed what then shall we say of the Intellectual Operations and of the immense Capacity of the Mind But do we not see that some Men who have rational Souls and such as are reputed of as good Education as the best how they act upon the same Principles of Sense and Bestiality with other Creatures 'T is not therefore from Nature but from forreign and adventitious Helps that others make a different and more refin'd discovery of themselves 'T is true we find some Men acting at a very extravagant rate not only by following the Propensities of Sense but by transgressing even the Dictates of Nature in Beasts by their Ingratitude and Infidelity towards those they are obliged to nay sometimes in killing themselves either Gradually by Intemperance or more compendiously by the help of a Sword or of a never-failing Halter So far therefore is this Consideration from destroying my Assertion that it doth exceedingly confirm it since it establisheth that Liberty and Arbitrary Power of the Will which is incommunicable with Beasts and is one of the chiefest Prerogatives of a humane Soul The grand Instruments by which the Understanding works are Memory and Invention Now since these Faculties have their foundation in the sensitive Capacity as this Prop is withdrawn the Understanding must of Consequence be more clouded and obscure Nay tho the rational Faculties in or a little before the moment of Death seem totally extinguished because we are not sensible of any effects they make neither yet is this any Argument of the Souls mortality For when a man is profoundly asleep or what is almost as natural to some profoundly drunk their is a seeming extinction of all the rational Powers and yet for all this we find that where Nature is once deliver'd from such oppressions the Soul is the same in being as it was before As therefore the Reasonable Soul is in Nature and Operation distinguish'd from and transcendently superiour to the Animal so in the next place 't is very probable that it has not its Original from the course of Nature but from the immediate hand of God This was a great question heretofore betwixt St. Augustine and St. Hierome and was prosecuted by the later with so much heat as made him seem to transgress the bounds of Christian Charity But 't is not my business in this Discourse to make use of Theological Arguments or to interpose betwixt the Fathers in their Disputes they are at rest and let their works follow them Thus much is obvious to our Observation That in the Generation of Bruits we find every Animal does beget its like not only in specie or kind but in disposition and inclination of Nature Fighting Cocks will beget a race like themselves so will Dogs Horses c. and so constant and regular is Nature in those productions that it seldom or never varies but in the Generation of Man we oft-times experiment the contrary simple men are frepuently the Fathers of great Hero's and wise men may leave their Goods and Lands to their Sons without being able to Entail them upon the better part of their Possessions Solomon had a Rehoboam and an Achitophel may have an Ideot for his Son From whence it follows that such different dispositions must proceed from some Principle which lies not within the compass of Generation and the ordinary course of Nature 'T is true Education does

yet carries the Cause must be acknowledg'd to be a Person of singular Abilities and such a one was Pericles who Labour'd always under much Confusion when he began to speak in Publick fearing lest any Impropriety of Phrase might slip or any word be misplac'd and yet Pericles was one of the most absolute Orators Athens ever produc'd At this day the greatest Preachers beyond Sea are in greatest dread when they are to Preach before a Convent of Nuns for such Religious Women being generally Persons of an Ingenuous Education and employing much of their time in Reading become mighty Criticks of Language and according to the humour of their Sex stand more upon the Delicacies and Punctilio's of Words with Elegancy of Expression than upon pertinent and solid Notions Fear as it is the most Slavish so is it the most Commanding Passion of the Soul Hope as I said before does raise it self upon the prospect of Fruition and Rewards but Fear 's encite us upon the apprehension of loss and pain Now the apprehensions of Pain being far more quick and lasting than those of Reward for Good is scarce perceivable in the very Fruition it follows Naturally that Men are far more apt to be byassed by the former than by the later 'T is painful to endure 't will deprive you of Liberty and of all Worldly Enjoyments 't will destroy your Health Life are Motives far more pathetick and prevailing than to say it 't will make you Rich 't is Reputable 't will make your Name famous to Posterity And upon this account I am perswaded that the Gallows makes more Men honest than all the Moral Lectures or Considerations of Credit and Fortune whatsoever where a good Action may Entitle a Man to certain loss some there are indeed but not many of that Metal who will Embrace the later for the Reputation which attends the former Fear which is destitute of all Hope turns to Desperation and here the Necessity does many times put Men upon very extraordinary and hazardous Attempts 'T is not safe therefore to force an Adversary to the Walls There is scarce an Animal so fearful but will turn again when all ways of flight are stopt and the bitings of dying Creatures we know are not without Venom CHAP. XVI Of Joy and Sorrow AS Hope and Fear follow Desire and Aversion so Joy and Sorrow follow Hope and Fear all the former Passions of which I have hitherto discours'd seem to fix in these two as the ultimate Scope and Consummation of all their Motions Joy therefore is nothing but a diffusion or dilatation of the Spirits upon the fruition of what it did hope for and desire as Sorrow is a Contraction or Fixedness of the same Spirits upon the arrival of something for which Nature hath a Fear and Aversion This is very visible from the Circumstances of those who are affected with these Passions And first for Joy we see it is express'd by a cheerfulness and vivacity of Countenance by suddain and pleasing Vibrations of the Eyes by a readiness in a Tongue to deliver the Thoughts of the Heart but strangled in the Utterance by too great an Inundation of tenderness In short the Body is lightsome the Heart gay and the whole Man seems to be nothing but Soul and Exultation 'T is true such vehement and suddain Alterations of Nature as these are not usual nor are they without danger sometimes 'T is known how Sophocles contending with another of his own Profession in an Argument of Tragedy was in great suspense and fear of the Event but at length the Victory being adjudg'd to him by the Applause and Cries of the whole Theatre he died immediately with joy Such was the Fate of a Young Woman lately in France who after many Difficulties at last obtain'd her Parents consent of Marrying one she had a long time Lov'd but being to sign the Instrument of Contract she had no sooner writ the first Letter of her Name but with Excess of Joy she immediately swounded nor could she ever be recall'd to Life again Effects of this kind are not rare and of which the Reason's this Joy as I said before is nothing but a diffussion of the Spirits so strong and vehement indeed that it seems to carry away the Soul with it and endeavours to break as it were the Prison of the Body By this means the Heart which is the Seat of the Vital Spirits and the Centre of Life is left abandon'd and destitute of strength so that the Spirits not being able suddainly to recollect themselves and to return to their former Station there follows presently a deficiency of Heart which concludes sometimes in a total Expiration Great Joy is uncapable of Moderation especially in Persons of weak Capacities for People in these Circumstances give themselves all the Liberty in the World Their Joy many times overflows with such fond Repetitons and with such a perpetual Torrent of Babble and Impertinence as shews sufficiently that the Mind is in some Disorder and besides it self To suddain and exuberant Joy there many times succeeds great Pensiveness by reason of great Expence and Perspiration of the Spirits which do accompany it like the Heart from whence it springs as it has its Diastole or dilative Faculty so has it its Systole or Time for Contraction There is another sort of Joy which is more sedate and consequently more lasting and such is that which results from a a reflection upon the courses of a Virtuous life This kind of Delight is more Natural to Religious and Persons who are addicted to Contemplation and generally to all those who confine their Appetite within the narrow Limits of Retreat not but that I believe Men of Business are capable of them such as were Seneca Boethius and some others Nay the benefit which the Publick reaps from their Actions cannot but augment their Content Nevertheless Morally speaking as the great Temptations which lie before their Eyes whether of Corruption or of Ambition will not suffer them to use the Means so where they are Men of Integrity the great hurry and distraction which attends their Life will not suffer them to collect the fruits of those delights I am now discoursing of For as for Honour Command Riches and the like they do not belong to the Blessings of the Mind but of Fortune and are found more frequently to be the Rewards of those who trouble the Government than of others who really endeavour to serve it Sorrow or Dolour is an Affection which as to its Moral Nature is nothing but an act of the Mind reflecting upon some Evil as already happen'd beyond Remedy and this may be either upon the account of some Good we are actually depriv'd of or of some Evil we actually suffer But if we consider this Passion as to its Natural Cause the Notion we have of it is this The resentment of the Mind for any loss especially when there is no Prospect of Releif begets Languor