A20756:440
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.
And so a Christian may loose the fruits of his chief graces, which are the delight and comfort of his life and being, and yet those essential, radical and fundamental virtues ever remaining, he continueth still a Christian and the child of God; and these preserving his life and being, will recover and restore the other to their former or greater perfection, so that when he dyeth he shall be richer in all spiritual grace, then he ever was in the whole course of his life. Neither can grace and virtue more decay in the faithful and regenerate, then sin and corruption in the wicked and unregenerate, in whom there may be some intermissions or temporary surceasing in respect of the acts of sin and practise of wickedness, though they be habitually as corrupt as ever they were, and the more they are for carnal and worldly respects restrained from the committing of sin, the more in their longing desires, hearts and affections they abhor and cleave unto it; for so also there may be some interruptions in the practise of godliness, and some surceasing of the acts and operations of Gods saving graces, and yet the graces themselves do not dye and perish, and in these intermissions the sound Christian hath restless longings after the sense and feeling of renewed graces, and shows as much fervency of affection and entireness of love towards them by his bitter mourning for their absence, as he formerly did by his joy and rejoicing in their presence and his comfortable fruition of their sweet society.
And so a Christian may loose the fruites of his chiefe graces, which are the delight and comfort of his life and being, and yet those essentiall, radicall and fundamentall vertues euer remaining, he continueth still a Christian and the childe of God; and these preseruing his life and being, will recouer and restore the other to their former or greater perfection, so that when hee dyeth hee shall be richer in all spirituall grace, then he euer was in the whole course of his life. Neither can grace and vertue more decay in the faithfull and regenerate, then sinne and corruption in the wicked and vnregenerate, in whom there may be some intermissions or temporary surceasing in respect of the actes of sinne and practise of wickednesse, though they be habitually as corrupt as euer they were, and the more they are for carnall and worldly respects restrained from the committing of sin, the more in their longing desires, hearts and affections they adhoore and cleaue vnto it; for so also there may be some interruptions in the practise of godlinesse, and some surceasing of the actes and operations of Gods sauing graces, and yet the graces themselues doe not dye and perish, and in these intermissions the sound Christian hath restlesse longings after the sense and feeling of renewed graces, and shewes as much feruency of affection and entirenesse of loue towards them by his bitter mourning for their absence, as he formerly did by his ioy and reioycing in their presence and his comfortable fruition of their sweete societie.