All kinds Quote by Jonathan Edwards
“So that it must be only by the imagination that Satan has access to the soul, to tempt and delude it, or suggest anything to it. And this seems to be the reason why persons that are under the disease of melancholy are commonly so visibly and remarkably subject to the suggestions and temptations of Satan... Innumerable are the ways by which the mind may be led on to all kind of evil thoughts, by the exciting of external ideas in the imagination.”
About This Quote
Source Sermon: "Satan and the Soul", 1741
The mind can be misled by imagination, allowing Satan to tempt and deceive, especially in melancholy.
In simple terms: Imagination can lead to evil thoughts, especially when sad.
Key Takeaway
Guard thoughts thoughts and recognize imagination’s influence.
Themes
spirituality
psychology
temptation
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
theological
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- spiritual counseling
- mental health support
Key Concepts
melancholy
imagination
spiritual warfare
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you distinguish imagination from reality?
- What practices protect against harmful thoughts?
A Different Perspective
Imagination alone cannot cause evil; external influences also matter.
![“(about William Blake) [Blake] said most of us mix up God and Satan. He said that what most people think is God is merely prudence, and the restrainer and inhibitor of energy, which results in fear and passivity and "imaginative death." And what we so often call "reason" and think is so fine, is…” quote by Brenda Ueland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/21d/brenda-ueland-3836_caution_about-william-blake-blake-said-most-of-u_3185108.jpg)
![“But it is doubtless true, and evident from [the] Scriptures, that the essence of all true religion lies in holy love; and that in this divine affection, and an habitual disposition to it, and that light which is the foundation of it, and those things which are the fruits of it, consists the whole…” quote by Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2fd/jonathan-edwards-770_affection_but-it-is-doubtless-true-and-evident-fro_82879.jpg)
