A20752:1232
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.
for so great strength thereof remained in him, that it forced him to abuse the law of God, taking occasion thereby to work in him all manner of concupiscence, and so in steed of killing sin did revive it in him, vers. 8, 9; that it made him to omit the good he would, and to do the evil that he hated, vers. 15.19; that it rebelled against the law of his mind, and led him captive to the law of sin, ver. 23; that he saw no possible means in himself to subdue utterly these corruptions, and therefore seeketh for help elsewhere, crying out, Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? v. 24.
for so great strength thereof remained in him, that it forced him to abuse the law of God, taking occasion thereby to work in him all manner of concupiscence, and so in steed of killing sinne did reuiue it in him, vers. 8, 9; that it made him to omit the good he would, and to do the euill that he hated, vers. 15.19; that it rebelled against the law of his minde, and led him captiue to the law of sinne, ver. 23; that he saw no possible meanes in himselfe to subdue vtterly these corruptions, and therefore seeketh for helpe elswhere, crying out, Wretehed man that I am, who shall deliuer me from the body of this death? v. 24.
§. Sect. 4 Seeing therefore this is the state of all Gods children,1 let not Satan persuade us that we are not yet sanctified, or that it is lost labour to go forward in this work, because of the great power of our corruptions and small measure of sanctification, which is stained also with manifold imperfections; but rather let the strength of our corruptions redouble our care and diligence that we may subdue them: and considering that there are divers degrees of holiness, let us as soon as we have ascended one step, never rest striving till we have ascended a higher, until at length we come to the top of perfection and the highest step of true holiness; according to the exhortation of the Apostle Apoc. 22.11. He that is righteous let him be righteous still,