Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...

§. 2.

But yet we cannot imagine these Communications be∣twixt them to be by words formed by such instruments and Organs of Speech as we now use, for they are bodiless Be∣ings: words and articulate sounds are fitted to the use and service of embodied Spirits. It is therefore probable, that they conveigh and communicate their minds to one another, as the blessed Angels do:* 1.1 not with Tongues of flesh, (though we read of the Tongues of Angels, 1 Cor. 13.1.) but in a way somewhat analogous to this, though much more noble and excellent. For look, as the Scripture stiles the most excel∣lent food, Angels food: so the most excellent Speech, or most eloquent Tongues, Angels Tongues. The purest Rhe∣torick that ever flowed from the lips of the most charming Orator, is but babling, to the Language of Angels, or of Spirits made perfect.

When Paul was rapt into the third Heaven, where he was admitted to the sight, and hearing of this blessed Assem∣bly, it's said he heard 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, words unspeakable, Spi∣ritual Language, such as his Tongue neither could, or ought to utter: such as none but heavenly Inhabitants can speak: and Dan. 8.13. I heard (saith Daniel) one Saint speaking, and another Saint said unto that certain Saint that spake, &c. He heard the enquiries of the Angels, desiring to know the My∣stery from the Mouth of Christ. A Language they have, but not like ours.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ce••••tat Ange∣los linguas non hab••••e; est au∣tem in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ali∣q••••d 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 linguis, per quod con∣ce••tas sibi mu∣•••• tradunt. Lights.