A20756:125
The conflict between the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The…The conflict betvveene the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The…
The conflict between the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The Christian warfare wherein is described the nature of these combatants, the malice and power of the flesh and fleshly lusts, with the means whereby we may subdue and overcome them. By John Downame Bachelor in Divinity, and preacher of Gods Word.The conflict betvveene the flesh and the spirit. Or the last part of The Christian warfare wherein is described the nature of these combatants, the malice and power of the flesh and fleshly lusts, with the meanes whereby we may subdue and ouercome them. By Iohn Dovvname Batchelar in Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods Word.
London: printed by William Jones, 1618London: printed by William Iones, 1618
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
1And as it is the cause of all evil of sin, so consequently of the evil of punishment: for this is the running and fretting Leprosy which hath monstrously defiled the whole man; and defaced that glorious image of God in which we were created, turning our spiritual wisdom, into folly and ignorance, and our created holiness and righteousness into all injustice and hellish impiety. Yea this flesh and fleshly lusts do not only deface the image of God, but even the image of a man, whilst they take away from him his reason and understanding, and so all difference between him and a beast, for through the sinful concupiscence of the corrupt flesh, man turning away from his Creator to the creatures, looseth not only the image of God, but even the image of himself, and hath the image of the creatures imprinted upon him. And hereof it is that man, Gods most excellent workmanship, is so monstrously deformed, and so horribly abased, that he is become in his natural condition vile and ugly in the sight of God and his holy Angels; yea even a terror and shame to himself, if once the Lord open his eyes and give him a sight of his naked deformities. As we may see in the example of Adam, who being made the most beautiful and glorious of the creatures, was so misshapen and deformed with these sinful lusts, that he could not endure the sight of himself, but as he did run into the bushes to hide his deformities from the eyes of God, so if it had been possible he would have hid himself from himself, and therefore for want of a better covering, made him breeches of Fig-leaves to cover his nakedness. Thus also Job, when by the light of Gods presence he came to a sight of his own corruptions, he was vile and base in his own eyes, abhorred himself, and repented of his ⟨p. 64⟩2sins in dust and ashes. So that nothing maketh us more vile and base then the flesh and carnal lusts, even as contrariwise nothing more intituleth us to honour and dignity, then to be cleansed from this natural filth, and to be adorned with holiness, whereof it is that the Apostle matcheth these two together, for having exhorted us to purge our selves from the sin of uncleanness, he wisheth us in the 3next place to possess our vessels in sanctification & honour.