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…

¹WE have spoken briefly of the deceits of the flesh which respect our persons and estates; and now we are to speak of the other which concern certain duties which God requireth; the which are of two sorts, the first respect the withstanding, subduing and mortifying of our sins; the other the exercise and practise of virtuous actions. Concerning sin, God requireth two things of us; the first that we should not commit or fall into it; the second that being fallen we should not securely live and lye in it, but rise out of it by unfeigned repentance. Against both which the flesh opposeth, using many policies and deceits first to draw us to the committing of sin, and having committed it to continue in it without repentance. To the former purpose it useth divers deceits. As first it putteth upon the foul face of sin a fair visor, & dresseth this filthy strumpet in the habit of virtue; it adorneth it with borrowed ornaments, and beautifieth it with false colours; in titling wicked vices, with virtuous names, •s though it would commend nothing unto us, but what God himself commandeth. Thus that we may embrace and live in it, the flesh graceth superstition with the name of devotion, doubting and infidelity, with the name of humility, security and presumption, it calleth faith and affiance in God; Choler and unjust anger, zeal for Gods glory; lust it termeth love, drunkenness good fellowship, prodigality, bounty and munificence, and base niggardliness and covetousness good husbandry and frugality. And having thus marshalled and ranged these foul vices in the rank of virtues, and beautified them with these false and borrowed colours, it doth further authorize them ⟨p. 115⟩by testimonies of Scriptures, and not only offereth them to our choice as things indifferent, or tolerable, but presseth them upon us as profitable and necessary. Which policy of the flesh if we would defeat, we must first labour to be enlightened with the knowledge of Gods truth, and with the inward illumination of Gods Spirit, that so we may discern between virtue and vice, good and evil, which are easily confounded and mistaken the one for the other in the dark night of ignorance, and through the natural blindness of our minds.

¹WE haue spoken briefely of the deceipts of the flesh which respect our persons and estates; and now we are to speake of the other which concerne certaine duties which God requireth; the which are of two sorts, the first respect the withstanding, subduing and mortifying of our sinnes; the other the exercise and practise of vertuous actions. Concerning sinne, God requireth two things of vs; the first that we should not commit or fall into it; the second that being fallen wee should not securely liue and lye in it, but rise out of it by vnfained repentance. Against both which the flesh opposeth, vsing many policies and deceipts first to draw vs to the committing of sinne, and hauing committed it to continue in it without repentance. To the former purpose it vseth diuers deceipts. As first it putteth vpon the foule face of sin a faire vizard, & dresseth this filthy strumpet in the habite of vertue; it adorneth it with borrowed ornaments, and beautifieth it with false colours; in titling wicked vices, with vertuous names, s though it would commend nothing vnto vs, but what God himselfe commandeth. Thus that wee may imbrace and liue in it, the flesh graceth superstition with the name of deuotion, doubting and infidelitie, with the name of humilitie, securitie and presumption, it calleth faith and affiance in God; Choller and vniust anger, zeale for Gods glory; lust it tearmeth loue, drunkennesse good fellowship, prodigalitie, bounty and munificence, and base niggardlinesse and couetousnesse good husbandry and frugalitie. And hauing thus marshalled and raunged these foule vices in the ranke of vertues, and beautified them with these false and borrowed colours, it doth further authorize them