A20756:312
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.
Of Peter who believing in his Lord and Master, so rested upon his word and power that he walked towards ⟨p. 214⟩him on the waters, but sunk into the water, after he had first sunk through doubting and unbelief, when he saw 1a boisterous blast of wind threatening a storm and therefore was reproved for his doubting. So the father of the possessed child crieth out, I believe, Lord help thou mine unbelief. But most notably doeth this appear in the example 2of those great worthies Job and David; for for the former we shall see him sometime complaining as a man 3utterly desperate, cursing the day of his nativity, and challenging God as his enemy, and at another time professing 4his faith and assurance of salvation, and resolving that though God should kill him yet he would still trust in him. And for the other we shall see him in the book of the Psalms one while as it were a man utterly rejected of God and forsaken, and soon after as it were riding in triumph after victory, and even glorying in the strength of his faith and confidence in God. Whereby it appeareth that there is in every man regenerate a notable conflict between faith and unbelief, whereof it cometh to pass, that Gods dearest children may oftentimes not only be foiled with diffidence and doubting, but also in some grievous temptations may fall into some despair of Gods mercy and love towards them; the which notwithstanding differeth from that despair which is in the wicked and reprobate, in that theirs is total and final, whereas the faithful lye in it only for a time, whilst the violence of the temptation pressed upon them by the devil and the flesh last, and is not total, seeing their faith even in the greatest brunt fighteth and striveth against it, and in the end getteth the upper hand. Contrariwise our faith is sometime assaulted with presumption, whereby the flesh moveth us falsely to apply the promises and to presume of Gods love & our own salvation, for though these do potentially belong to all the faithful, yet they cannot actually be applied unto them, so long as they live and lye securely in some known sins without repentance, especially those promises which concern temporary benefits which are present pledges and