A20752:1207
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. 5 Secondly,1 let us call to our remembrance his innumerable benefits, which are the undoubted signs of his love towards us. First he hath elected us unto eternal life that we should be holy. Seeing therefore he hath made special choice of us amongst many who are rejected, therefore let us exceed others in a holy care of serving him, and avoiding those things which are displeasing in his sight; he also hath created us to the end we should worship and serve him our Lord ⟨p. 612⟩and Creator:2 and therefore seeing we have our being from him, let us in all our actions seek his glory and avoid sin, whereby he is dishonoured. Yea he hath not made us the vilest of his creatures, but reasonable men according to his own image and likeness, and therefore let us not deface this glorious workmanship with the filthy spots of sin. He hath redeemed us out of the cruel bondage of our spiritual enemies, by giving his son to be the price of our redemption, and therefore seeing we are bought with a price so inestimable, let us not wilfully again make our selves the bondslaves of sin and Satan,3 but glorify our redeemer in our bodies and in our souls, serving him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives. He hath effectually called us and selected us out of the corrupt mass of mankind, and therefore let us walk worthy our vocation, 4for God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness. He hath freely justified us, imputing unto us Christs righteousness, and pardoning all our sins, both in respect of the guilt and punishment; and therefore being made free from sin, let us no longer live therein, but now become the servants of righteousness; and seeing he hath forgiven much, let us also love much, labouring to manifest our love by the fruits of holy obedience.5 He hath reconciled us unto himself in his son, and therefore let us not by our sins make him our enemy, nor again build up this wall of separation which Christ our Saviour hath broken down.