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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A37031 The art of memory a treatise useful for such as are to speak in publick / by Marius D'Assigny ... D'Assigny, Marius, 1643-1717. 1697 (1697) Wing D280; ESTC R22842 37,788 118

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seeing he hath caused all Visible Beings to be designed for the Good Assistance Pleasure Recreation Happiness and Glory of Man Therefore at the first forming of Adam the Sacred Trinity proceed with Deliberation and act together with an extraordinary Care and Consultation Let us make Man after our own Image Man bears both in Body and Soul a lively Resemblance of the Unity and Trinity and the Relation that our Almighty God has to this great World For as this universal Spirit gives Life and Motion to every Member and Part and supports the whole Fabrick by an over-ruling Providence and a comprehensive Spirit thus the Soul is the first and only Principle that actuates governs and moves the Microcosm the Body and every Sense and Member being in the whole and entire in every Part. In the Godhead there is a Unity that admits of no Division an Omnipotent Spirit not subject to the Infirmities of Separation or Partition And is not the Soul or Spirit of Man in this Excellency the Representation of his Heavenly Maker It is a Unity not to be divided nor cut in parts it discovers it self in the whole Body and by its Operations in every Member produceth differing Acts according to the Diversity of the Organs In the Godhead we are informed by the Sacred Pen-men that there is a Trinity of Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Likewise in the Soul of Man we find three remarkable and distinct Faculties the Understanding the Will and the Memory which tho they be three Abilities or Powers are but one Soul or Spirit Of this Resemblance between God and the Soul Seneca seems to be sensible when he inquires Epist 32. Quid aliud voces Animum nisi Deum in humano corpore hospitem And St. Austin in his Treatise of the Trinity expresly confirms the Truth of this great Mystery by this Parallel with the Soul of Man Man therefore being the living Image of his Creator participates in some measure of the Excellency of that Eternal Being Who in all his Proceedings in relation to this Creature expresseth a high Esteem of him and of his Immortal Spirit For him he seems to have raised beautified and adorned this great Fabrick of the World putting all things in Subjection under his Feet and made him as it were a visible God to govern dispose of and command all the Creatures that inhabit the four Elements For him he hath kindled so many Glorious Lights in the Firmament above sending down from thence the continual Expressions of his Kindness and Goodness to Man For him the World is maintain'd and the Omnipotent Hand of Divine Providence supports and continues all things entire for the Completion of that appointed Number of Mankind design'd for Happiness from the Beginning by the Divine Wisdom And since Man hath wilfully forsaken his Maker and join'd himself in Rebellion with the Apostate Spirits God's Mercy hath not totally rejected him nor debarred him from a Return but on the contrary he invites him back to himself with the greatest and most endearing Expressions of Love Kindness and Esteem The Divine Mercy values the Souls of Men at so high a rate that it hath given an infinite Price to redeem them and employs the Agency of an Omnipotent Spirit to sanctify and prepare them for the noble Purposes for which they are design'd If the Souls of Men had not been full of Excellency and of a great Value would the Eternal Wisdom suffer the Son of God to forsake his Glory and stoop so low to fetch them out of the Depths of Everlasting Misery Would he have joined himself to this Being and took upon him our Human Nature Would he have thought no Pains nor Suffering too great to purchase them to himself Would he have opened for them the Treasuries of Immortality to enrich them and commission'd his Holy Spirit to polish and purify them from the Remains of Corruption Would the Glories of the Heavenly Mansions be preparing to receive these Souls and the Blessed Spirits Above attend to conduct us in our Passage thither were there nothing in us worthy of so great Love Care Expence and Labour It plainly appears therefore by the actings of Divine Wisdom and the proceedings of the Spiritual Beings who in reason ought to be well acquainted with the real value of the Spirit of Man that it is of a Divine Excellency and far more worth than the whole World seeing they have no such regard for any created Being besides as for this visible Governour of the Universe If therefore Man's Soul is a Jewel of such extraordinary Worth if God and the Superiour Beings have for it so great an Esteem certainly Man should have no less for this better part of himself However it is a Madness to prostitute the Interest of the noblest Part to the Lusts Follies and Corruption of the vilest and prefer the deceitful momentary and counterfeit Satisfactions of the Body to the real and everlasting Advantages of the Soul A Weakness not excusable in a Rational Being And if the Abuse of so Divine a Part of our selves be Criminal the Neglect is Hainous Remember O Man that this Rich and Spiritual Jewel is by the Divine Wisdom committed to thy Care and recommended to thy Endeavours to be polished and fitted for the adorning the Heavenly Sanctuary above As there are divers Imperfections that belong to it in the present State which render it incapable of so high an Advancement and which must of necessity be first removed by our Religious Practices so there are several Ornaments Excellencies and Improvements requisite before it can expect so great an Honour It is not possible to leap from our vile and mean Condition of Sin and Corruption to the Enjoyment of the Presence of a Holy God without a due Preparation or in a moment of Time We are to draw near by degrees and labour to attain to those Endowments of the Mind that may predispose and recommend our Souls for the Heavenly State There is nothing created in a condition of an absolute Perfection but in a possibility to be advanced higher to be encreased enlarged and enriched with greater Perfections Chiefly the Intelligent Beings who have Abilities and Faculties granted to them for that very purpose by our wise Creator it is certainly their duty to answer this end of their Creation to study the Improvement of their Natures and labour in this Life to draw nearer to Perfection which tho it be not attainable till we be admitted to the Vision of our God nevertheless it is both our Duty and Interest to approach as near as we can to that Blessed State and prepare the Abilities of our Souls for that Glorious End And tho all Gifts Graces and Improvements of our Nature proceed from God as the Apostle affirms that is from the Assistance of his Holy Spirit and Divine Bounty from the Concurrence of his over-ruling Providence and apparent Benediction from the secret Actings of his Grace