A09466:215
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of…
A treatise tending unto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he may discern it, and persevere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set down in the page following.A treatise tending vnto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end. The points that are handled are set downe in the page following.
London: printed by R. Robinson for T. Gubbin, 1590
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.
LII.
Thus much of faith and the benefits1 that come by faith: Now followeth the spiritual exercise of a Christian in his manifold temptations, which are in this life inseparable companions of grace. The reason is, because the devil hateth Christ with a deadly hatred, and showeth this hatred in a continual persecution of his members: (as saint John saith) jthe Dragon was wroth with the Woman ⟨p. 89⟩and went and made war with the remnant of her seed, which kept the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now therefore as soon as Christ Jesus beginneth to show any token of his love to any man, the Devil contrariwise showeth forth his enmity, and stirs up his fellow champions the flesh and the world to war against him for his confusion. And furthermore the Lord in great wisdom permits temptations to the last end of a Christian mans life, kto try his faith, to purge him of sin, to humble him, and to make him depend of his majesty, to quicken and revive the graces of his spirit, which otherwise would be dead and decay.
Thus much of faith and the benefites1 that come by faith: Nowe followeth the spirituall exercise of a Christian in his manifolde temptations, which are in this life inseparable companions of grace. The reason is, because the diuell hateth Christ with a deadly hatred, and sheweth this hatred in a continuall persecution of his members: (as saint Iohn saith)