In secret place where once I stood
Close by the Banks of Lacrim flood,
I heard two sisters reason on
Things that are past and things to come.
One Flesh was call'd, who had her eye
On worldly wealth and vanity;
The other Spirit, who did rear
Her thoughts unto a higher sphere.
"Sister," quoth Flesh, "what liv'st thou on
Nothing but Meditation?
Doth Contemplation feed thee so
Regardlessly to let earth go?
Can Speculation satisfy
Notion without Reality?
Dost dream of things beyond the Moon
And dost thou hope to dwell there soon?
Hast treasures there laid up in store
The Flesh is questioning the Spirit’s faith throughout the poem, but, in these two lines, the Flesh does so by implying that the Spirit’s faith is unfounded and nonsensical.  This is done in two ways: 
 1) The Flesh uses “Speculation” in reference to faith, which indicates that the Spirit’s beliefs have no merit. 
 2) “Notion without Reality” furthers this implication by stating directly that reality is not present in the Spirit’s faith.  It also implies that what the Spirit believes in is not real or realistic. 
 Bradstreet’s use of layered rhetoric (questioning and implying) represents not only a deep questioning of faith; it also indicates a desire by the Flesh to draw or tempt the Spirit away from its faith.  This places the Flesh in the role of tempter, putting it in opposition with the Spirit, which accounts for the Spirit later referencing the Flesh as a rival.
Flesh and the Spirit The