A20752:365
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.
True it is indeed that God bestoweth his spirit and the graces thereof upon some of his children in greater measure, and upon some in less, even as the first fruits may be a greater or lesser handful, and the earnest is sometimes a penny, and sometimes a shilling, sometimes more and sometimes less; but yet the greatest measure which any receive, is but as an handful of the first fruits, and an earnest penny in respect of the main sum and full measure, which the Lord hath hereby assured us that he will bestow upon us in his kingdom: and he that hath received the least earnest, hath as full and perfect assurance of the whole bargain, which God hath covenanted to make good unto us, as he who hath received the greatest, according to the nature of an earnest, to which the measure of grace here received is compared.
True it is indeede that God bestoweth his spirit and the graces thereof vpon some of his children in greater measure, and vpon some in lesse, euen as the first fruites may be a greater or lesser handfull, and the earnest is sometimes a peny, and sometimes a shilling, sometimes more and sometimes lesse; but yet the greatest measure which any receiue, is but as an handfull of the first fruites, and an earnest peny in respect of the maine summe and full measure, which the Lord hath hereby assured vs that he wil bestow vpon vs in his kingdom: and hee that hath receiued the least earnest, hath as full and perfect assurance of the whole bargaine, which God hath couenanted to make good vnto vs, as he who hath receiued the greatest, according to the nature of an earnest, to which the measure of grace here receiued is compared.
But wherein doth this measure of grace and chief perfection of a Christian consist in this life? Surely, not in their works, for they are all imperfect, and so full of corruptions that they are odious in Gods sight, being considered in themselves, and examined by the rule of his exact justice; neither in their inherent righteousness, and begun sanctification, for when they are at the holiest they are polluted with the relics of original corruption, which bring forth the fruits ⟨p. 123⟩