The Combat Between the Flesh and Spirit, Title page 1 – Errata
THE COMBATE BETWEEN THE FLESH and SPIRIT. AS ALSO The wofull with-drawing of the Spirit of God, with the Cauſes thereof: And walking in, and after the Spirit, together with the bleſſedneſſe thereof.
Being the ſumme and ſubſtance of XXVII. SERMONS: Preached a little before his death, by that faithfull ſervant of CHRIST, Mr. CHRISTOPHER LOVE, Late Miniſter of the Goſpel at Lawrence Jury LONDON.
To which is added The CHRISTIANS DIRECTORY Tending to direct him in the various conditions that God may caſt him into. In XV. Sermons.
Epheſ. 4.30.
Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are ſealed unto the day of redemption.
Res delicatula eſt Spiritu Dei, ità nos tractat ſicut tractatur. Tertull.
London, Printed by T R. & E. M. for John Rothwell, at the Fountain and Bear in Goldſmiths-row, in Cheapſide. 1654.
To the RIGHT WORSHIPFUL, My Worthy Friends, Mr. EDWARD BRADSHAW, Major of the City of CHESTER: AND Mrs. MARY BRADSHAW his wife.
Right Worſhipful and Honoured Friends,
I Shall crave your favour, to give you a ſhort account why I put this Treatiſe into your hands in this publick way. It is not that the works of this worthy Authour need any Patrociny, the gratefull acceptation which many of his books already publiſhed, have found with ſober and experienced Chriſtians; bears abundant teſtimony to the profitableneſſe and uſefulneſſe of his labours, and that his precious name, ſhall be had in everlaſting remembrance, and is ſtill unto thoſe that feare the Lord, a ſweet and precious oyntment: But indeed, the reaſon of this Dedication (beſides the publick expreſſion of my reſpects to you both) is the conſideration of that ſpecial intereſt you both have to any thing of Maſter Loves. Your intereſt, Sir, is undoubted to this Treatiſe, as having married his widow, whereby God hath made the ſolitary to dwell, and reſt in the houſe of her husband, and hath cauſed a mournful widow to forget her ſorrows. And your right (deare Miſtreſſe Bradſhaw) is very great to the works of this worthy man, as having had the honour for ſeveral yeeres to be the wife of this eminent ſervant and Ambaſſadour of Ieſus Chriſt.
And my hope is, that as your coming together in this dear relation, was the anſwer of many prayers: ſo you will in the ſtrength of prayers, ſtill comfortably live together, 1 Pet. 3.7.as heirs of the grace of life.
To help you forward in the wayes and practices of real godlineſſe, I commend unto your moſt ſerious peruſal this, and other uſeful and practical Treatiſes of this reverend Authour; which though it cannot be expected, that they ſhould come forth with that exactneſs and accompliſhment as they would have done, had the Authour lived to publiſh them himſelf; yet I do aſſure you, that theſe Sermons have been diligently compared with his own papers, and notes taken from his own mouth, by the pen of a ready and intelligent writer.
The world, … confeſſe, is now filled, even to ſatiety, and ſurfet with unprofitable Pamphlets, 2 Tim. 2.13.whereby many fooliſh queſtions and diſputes have ariſen, which do ingender ſtrifes; 2 Tim. 2.16.& many opinions have been vented which do increaſe unto more ungodlineſſe; but this book now preſented unto you, is plaine, practical, and ſpiritual, and will, I hope, be of great uſe unto Chriſtians, to help them to a right underſtanding of their ſpiritual eſtate. Theſe Sermons (as the date of them will ſhew) were preached by Mr. LOVE, but a few moneths before his impriſonment and death: his gracious heart it ſeemes, being to the last, much upon that great work, of advancing the power of Godlineſſe in the ſouls of his hearers; and therefore, I hope will be the more acceptable, as being ſome of the laſt and ripeſt fruit of his growing and improving Miniſtery. Theſe are the Sermons which he gave his conſent ſhould be publiſhed, and beſides all theſe conſiderations, they are the rather printed, becauſe ſo long expected, and earneſtly deſired by many, whoſe ſouls have cauſe to bleſſe God for Mr. LOVE'S faithful Miniſtery, to all eternity.
Here you will meet with antidotes againſt that curſed opinion, which under pretence of advancing the Spirit, undervalueth both the Scripture and Ordinances of Chriſt, fathering their moſt blaſphemous, and Atheiſtical Tenets upon the holy Spirit of truth, God bleſſed for ever. Here you will finde what a woful thing it is, when Gods Spirit withdrawes his preſence and influence from the Ordinances; Oh that Profeſſors may be hereby warned not to grieve the Spirit, nor quench the Spirit, leſt he withdraw from the ſoul, and ſo leave it without life, grace, and comfort.
Here you may alſo learne, how precious and powerfull the influence of the holy Ghoſt is, when he is pleaſed by his preſence to make Ordinances effectual; Cant. 4.16.let this therefore be your prayer, Awake O north-winde, and come thou ſouth, blow upon my garden, that the ſpices thereof may flow out: let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleaſant fruits.
Here you will finde comfortable directions to walk in the Spirit, …nd how to follow the guidance of the holy Ghoſt, who is able to lead you into all truth.
Laſtly, here you will ſee notably deſcribed that contrariety which is between Fleſh and Spirit. Every Chriſtians heart (like Rebecca's womb) having two contrary parties ſtrugling in it; but our comfort is, The elder ſhall ſerve the younger; corruption like the houſe of Saul, ſhall by degrees grow weaker; and grace like that of David's, ſtronger and ſtronger. I will conclude with hearty prayers to God for you both, that by the conſciencious reading of this book, you may gain much ſoul-advantage, and be built up in your moſt holy faith; and live many happy dayes together, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the holy Ghoſt. Act. 9.31.This is the unfeigned deſire of
Your affectionate Friend and ſervant in the Lord, William Taylor. London, Jan. 25. 1653.
To THE Reader.
THe Reverend Author of this enſuing Treatiſe (our worthy good friend) committed unto us the care of ſuch his Works, as might be judged fit for publick uſe. And although our occaſions have not allowed us leaſure to peruſe the ſeveral pieces which have been already publiſhed (upon the peruſal of ſome of our Brethren) yet with humble thankfulneſſe unto God, we heartily rejoyce in that acceptance with ſucceſſe, which they have found in the hearts of ſober ſavoury Chriſtians. This Treatiſe (which was the matter of ſome of his laſt Sermons) had more of the Authors heart and approbation (as he teſtified unto two of us, not many days before his death) then any other of his Works. And truly, the effects of this diſcourſe (the happie iſſue of his ſpiritual combate) were admirably evident upon his own heart, in the ſparkling influences of Gods holy Spirit, whereby he was extraordinarily elevated above all ſublunary comforts, or croſſes; loves, or ſorrows; hopes, or feares, when his known death drew very nigh: for though he was a man very full of affections, and of ſingular tenderneſſe towards his dearly-beloved wife and children: yet he had not onelyonly conquered ſuch ſinful diſtempers, as too frequently prevaile wofully amongſt common Profeſſors of Religion, but had alſo in ſuch meaſure got above natural exorbitances; that having by Faith and Prayer, put his neareſt Relations into the boſome of his God and father, he went to the Block without any expreſſion of perplexity. Oh that his experience might encourage both the endeavours and hopes of other Chriſtians to attaine the like gracious frame of heart, which would tend much to the credit of the Goſpel; for this end we commend thee in the uſe of this Book, (and all other holy helps) unto the bleſſing of the Almighty, deſiring thy prayers.
Thy Friends and Servants in Chriſt,
EDM. CALAMY.
SIM. ASHE.
JER. WHITAKER.
January 26. 1653.
ERRATA.
In the Chriſtian Directory, in p. 56. l. 28. …ot out—one grace hindered and interrupted another,—in p. 57 l. 12. after ſinfull, read, one grace doeh not juſtle out another therefore.