That The Passions Of The Mind Are Assisted By Celestials...

CHAP. XII.

THAT THE PASSIONS OF THE MIND ARE ASSISTED BY CELESTIALS--AND THAT CONSTANCY OF MIND IS IN EVERY WORK NECESSARY.

THE passions of the mind are much helped, and are helpful, and become most powerful, by virtue of the heaven, as they agree with the heaven--either by any natural agreement, or voluntary election; for, as Ptolemy says, he who chuseth that which is the better, seems to differ nothing from him who hath this of Nature. It conduceth, therefore, very much for the receiving the benefit of the heavens, in any work, if we shall, by the heaven, make ourselves suitable to it in our thoughts, affections, imaginations, elections, deliberations, contemplations, and the like. For such like passions vehemently stir up our spirit to their likeness, and suddenly expose us, and our's, to the superior significators of such like passions; and also, by reason of their dignity and nearness to the superiors, do partake more of the celestials than any material things; for our mind can, through imaginations or reason by a kind of imitation, be so conformed to any star, as suddenly to be filled with the virtues of that star, as if we were a proper receptacle of the influence thereof. Now the contemplating mind, as it withdraws itself from all sense, imagination, nature, and deliberation, and calls itself back to things separated, effects divers things by faith, which is a firm adhesion, a fixed intention, and vehement application of the worker or receiver to him that co-operates in any thing, and gives power to the work which we intend to do. So that there is

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made, as it were, in us the image of the virtue to be received, and the thing to be done in us, or by us. We must, therefore, in every work and application of things, affect vehemently, imagine, hope, and believe strongly, for that will be a great help. And it is verified amongst physicians, that a strong belief, and an undoubted hope, and love towards the physician, conduce much to health, yea more sometimes than the medicine itself; for the same that the efficacy and virtue of the medicine works, the same doth the strong imagination of the physician work, being able to change the qualities of the body of the sick, especially when the patient places much confidence in the physician, by that means disposing himself for the receiving the virtue of the physician, and physic. Therefore, he that works in magic must be of a constant belief, be credulous, and not at all doubt of the obtaining of the effect; for as a firm and strong belief doth work wonderful things, although it be in false works--so distrust and doubting doth dissipate and break the virtue of the mind of the worker, which is the medium betwixt both extremes; whence it happens that he is frustrated of the desired influence of the superiors, which could not be enjoined and united to our labours without a firm and solid virtue of our mind.