A20752:1065
The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems…The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems…
The Christian warfare wherein is first generally showed the malice, power and politic stratagems of the spiritual enemies of our salvation, Satan and his assistants the world and the flesh, with the means also whereby the Christian may withstand and defeat them : and afterwards more specially their particular temptations, against the several causes and means of our salvation, whereby on the one side they allure us to security and presumption, and on the other side, draw us to doubting and desperation, are expressed and answered : written especially for their sakes who are exercised in the spiritual conflict of temptations, and are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sense of their sins / by I. Downame ...The Christian warfare wherein is first generally shewed the malice, power and politike stratagems of the spirituall ennemies of our saluation, Sathan and his assistants the world and the flesh, with the meanes also whereby the Christian may vvithstand and defeate them : and afterwards more speciallie their particvlar temptatiions, against the seuerall causes and meanes of our saluation, whereby on the one side they allure vs to security and presumption, and on the other side, draw vs to doubting and desperation, are expressed and answered : written especially for their sakes who are exercised in the spirituall conflict of temptations, and are afflicted in conscience in the sight and sense of their sinnes / by I. Dovvname ...
London: printed for Cuthbert Burby, 1604
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.
but now with all care and conscience I will gather it up as a most precious balm, and with the hand of faith apply it to those grisly gashes, and deep wounds which sin hath made in my soul and conscience, and with this spiritual laver I will wash my polluted soul till it be throughly purged from all uncleanness. And seeing I have deprived my soul of that inherent righteousness wherewith it was endued by creation, now I will apply thereunto a far more excellent righteousness by the hand of faith, even the righteousness of Jesus Christ God and man, wherewith being adorned I may boldly offer my self into the presence of my heavenly father & receive the blessing of everlasting happiness.
but now with all care and conscience I will gather it vp as a most precious balme, and with the hand of faith apply it to those greisly gashes, and deepe woundes which sinne hath made in my soule and conscience, and with this spirituall lauer I will washe my poluted soule till it bee throughly purged from all vncleanesse. And seeing I haue depriued my soule of that inherent righteousnesse wherewith it was indued by creation, now I will apply thereunto a farre more excellent righteousnesse by the hand of faith, euen the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ God and man, wherewith being adorned I may boldly offer my selfe into the presence of my heauēly father & receiue the blessing of euerlasting happines.
§. Sect. 6 Lastly we are to consider that as desperation is a sin in it own nature most grievous,1 so also it is unto our selves most pernicious, for whereas other sins make us worthy of the torments of hell and eternal condemnation, this as it above all the rest entitleth us unto the right of this hellish inheritance, so also it entereth us into the most certain and present possession thereof even whilst we live upon the earth. For what are the torments of a despairing conscience but the flashings of hell fire? and what are their blasphemies which they utter against God, and their impatient cursings of their accursed selves, but the yelling cries of damned souls? And therefore if we would not cast our selves into the jaws of hell, if we would not whilst we live begin to die an everlasting death, let us in no case suffer our selves to be plunged with the violence of Satan's tentations into this bottomless pit of utter desperation.