A20752:1192
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.
§. Sect. 3 And thus have I showed what our mortification is,1 which as it is a work most hard, so also most necessary: the difficulty appeareth by the name which is borrowed from the practise of Chirurgeons, who before they cut off any member, do first mortify it, that after they may take it away with ⟨p. 605⟩less sense of pain. And this is implied by our Saviour Christ, whereas he enjoineth us, if our right hand or eye offend us, to cut it off and pluck it out: and plainly expressed by the Apostle Paul Col. 3.5. Mortify therefore your members which are in the earth, fornication, uncleanness, 2the inordinate affection, evil concupiscence and covetousness, &c. where calling these sins by the name of members, he intimateth thus much, that they are as dear unto us as the members of our body, and also that it is as unpleasant and painful unto us to forsake our natural corruptions, as to be deprived of the hand, eye, or foot. But though this work be most hard, yet it is most necessary; for the best things that are in the flesh and unregenerate part, even the wisdom thereof is death and enmity against God, 3because it is not subject to the law of God, neither in deed can be, Rom. 8.6, 7. neither can we do any thing pleasing unto God so long as we are in the flesh, as it is verse 8. Lastly, if we live after the flesh, we shall dye, even the everlasting death of body and soul; but if we mortify the deeds of the body by the spirit we shall live, even the life of holiness and righteousness upon earth, and the life of glory and eternal happiness in Gods kingdom. And therefore if it be necessary to be in amity with God, whose loving kindness is better than life; 4or to perform obedience unto the law of God, or to do any thing pleasing in his sight, or to escape death and damnation, or to enjoy life and eternal salvation, then is it also necessary to mortify the flesh and the lusts thereof, how hard and unpleasant soever this work seemeth unto us. So that the difficulty must not discourage us, but rather double our diligence; and because it is a pain intolerable to part with our sins, so long as they remain like lively members of the body of our flesh, therefore as Chirurgeons (to make the pain tolerable to the patient) do first use means to mortify the member which they purpose to cut off;