A20752:375
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. 8 Lastly,1 that I may fit the similitude to the spiritual conflict whereof we speak. If we have an earnest desire of overcoming our spiritual enemies, and withstanding their temptations, whereby they labour to draw us to sin: we may be assured we are Christs soldiers, how weakly soever we fight when we come to the encounter. For though a soldier through sickness be so enfeebled that he cannot weld his weapon against the enemy: yet if he march forward, and show a courageous heart and earnest desire to overcome, it will hereby plainly appear that he is faithful to his Captain, and therefore he shall receive his pay, though at the first onset his limbs should faint under him. And so if through sin we have our spiritual man so weakened, that he is ready to faint at the first encounter with our spiritual enemies, yet if we march under Christs standard, and fight the battles of the Lord of hosts, having an earnest desire even above our strength to overcome our enemies, surely Christ our grand Captain will acknowledge us for his soldiers, and will give us our pay, even a crown of victory: and seeing his power is omnipotent and his love incomprehensible, we may make sure account that if in the fight we receive a foil, he will stand over us to defend us with the shield of his providence and raise us up again; yea if we be taken prisoners and led away captive by sin and Satan, he will rescue and deliver us. There is no discredit accreweth to a soldier by receiving wounds, or by being by unresistable violence taken prisoner; nay rather it argueth his valour, and showeth that the invincible courage of his mind doth far surpass the weak force ⟨p. 130⟩of his body; but rather hereby is a soldier disgraced, if either he dare not march into the field, or being entered the battle doth shamefully flee away, or cowardly yield unto the enemy: so in this spiritual warfare it is no dishonour to receive foils and wounds of our spiritual enemies, for the most valiant soldiers that ever fought the Lords battles, have sustained the like: nay if in the fight they be taken prisoners, yet so they resist to the uttermost of their power, and show an earnest desire to be out of the captivity of sin and Satan, this is acceptable to their captain Christ, and he will in pity and compassion restore them to liberty.
§. Sect. 8 Lastly,1