A20752:257
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.
Now this our watchfulness is partly of the body, and partly of the soul. The bodily watching is the abstaining from natural sleep, to the end that we may give our selves unto ⟨p. 68⟩prayer;1 when as with David we water our couch with tears, Psal. 6.6. and call upon God not only in the day, but in the night also, as it is Psal. 88.1. And when as even at midnight we rouse up our selves to give thanks unto God for his mercy and benefits,2 as it is Psal. 119.62. The watchfulness of the soul is when as we do not sleep in our sins, being rocked in the cradle of carnal security, but shake off our drowsiness by unfeigned repentance, rising up to newness of life. And to this watchfulness the Apostle exhorteth us Eph. 5.14. Awake thou that sleepest, 3and stand up from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light, &c. for we are dead in our sins, till Christ by his spirit mortify them and revive us,4 raising us up to newness of life, as it is Eph. 2.1. Though therefore we take our rest and sleep in that measure which nature requireth,5 yet let us not sleep as do other, (to wit, in carnal security) but let us watch and be sober, as it is 1. Thess. 5.6. because in this respect it is time that we should arise from sleep, for the dark night of ignorance is past; and the bright sun-shine day of the Gospel is come,