A16577:66
A fruitful treatise and full of heavenly consolation against the fear of death Whereunto…A frutefull treatise and ful of heauenly consolation against the feare of death Wherunto…
A fruitful treatise and full of heavenly consolation against the fear of death Whereunto are annexed certain sweet meditations of the kingdom of Christ, of life everlasting, and of the blessed state & felicity of the same. Gathered by that holy martyr of God, John Bradford.A frutefull treatise and ful of heauenly consolation against the feare of death Wherunto are annexed certeine sweet meditations of the kingdom of Christ, of life euerlasting, and of the blessed state & felicitie of the same. Gathered by that holy marter of God, Iohn Bradford.
London : Perused corrected & augmented according to the original, & imprinted in Fletestrete near to saint Dunstons Churche by William Powell, ca. 1564London : Perused corrected & augmented according to the originall, & imprinted in Fletestrete neere to saint Dunstons Churche by William Powell, ca. 1564
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
One man therefore with is regenerate, well may be called always just, and always sinful: just in respect of Gods seed, and his regeneration: sinful in respect of Satan's seed & his first birth. Betwixt these two men therefore, there is continual conflict & war most deadly. The flesh and old man by reason of his birth that is perfect, doth often for a time, prevail against the new man (being but as a child in comparison) and that in such sort, as not only other, but even ⟨image 46⟩the children of God themselves think that they be nothing else but old, and that the spirit & seed of God is lost and gone away, 1where yet notwithstanding the the truth is otherwise, the spirit and the seed of god at the length appearing again, and dispelling away the clouds, which cover the sun of gods seed from shining, as the clouds in the air do the corporal sun: so that some times a man cannot tell by any sense, that there is any sun, the clouds and winds so hiding it from our sight: Even so our cecity or blindness and corrupt affections 2do often shadow the sight of Gods seed in Gods children, as though they were plain reprobates, whereof it cometh, that they praying according to their ⟨image 46⟩sense, but not according to the truth, desire of god to give them again his spirit, as though they had lost it & he had taken it away. Which thing God never doth in deed, although he make us to think so for a time: for always he holdeth his hand under his children in their faults, that they lie not still as other do which are not regenerate. And this is the difference betwixt Gods Children which are regenerate, and elect before all times in Christ, & the wicked cast aways, that the elect lie not still continually in their sin as do the wicked, but at the length do return again by reason of gods seed, which is in them hid as a sparkle of fire in the ashes: as we may see in Peter, David, Paul, Mary Magdalene
One man therfore wich is regenerate, well may bee called alwaies iust, and alwaies sinfull: iust in respect of Gods seed, and his regeneration: sinfull in respect of Satans seed & his firste birth. Betwixt these two men therfore, there is continuall conflicte & warre most deadly. The flesh and olde man by reason of his birth that is perfect, doth often for a time, preuaile againste ye new man (being but as a child in comparison) and that in suche sorte, as not onely other, but euē