A20752:393
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.
1And thus doth the devil fill men with presumption, and lull them asleep in carnal security to their utter destruction; and therefore it behooveth us to arm our selves against him, that we be not circumvented. And to this end let us consider that Gods love goeth not alone, neither is it idle in those whom he loveth: but as the first link of a chain draweth all the rest of the chain with it, so the love of God, which is the first cause of our salvation, is accompanied with all the other causes which are subordinate thereunto; for whom God loveth, them he electeth; whom he electeth, those in his good time he calleth; whom he effectually calleth, them he justifieth; and whom he justifieth, those he sanctifieth: if therefore we be not sanctified, we are not justified; if we are not justified, we are not called; if we are not called, we can have no assurance that we are elected, nor yet of Gods love and favour; and consequently whosoever live in their blind ignorance, in their infidelity, and wallow themselves in the filthy puddle of their sins, without any true sorrow for those which are past, or any good purpose of heart to forsake them in the time to come; they can have no assurance of Gods love, but are rather justly to fear least they are in the number of those whom the Lord hath eternally rejected, if they continue in this their miserable and desperate estate.
1And thus doth the diuell fill men with presumption, and lull them asleepe in carnal securitie to their vtter destruction; and therefore it behooueth vs to arme our selues against him, that we be not circumuented. And to this end let vs consider that Gods loue goeth not alone, neither is it idle in those whom he loueth: but as the first linke of a chaine draweth all the rest of the chaine with it, so the loue of God, which is the first cause of our saluation, is accompanied with all the other causes which are subordinate thereunto; for whom God loueth, them he electeth; whom he electeth, those in his good time he calleth; whom hee effectually calleth, them he iustifieth; and whom he iustifieth, those hee sanctifieth: if therefore we be not sanctified, we are not iustified; if wee are not iustified, we are not called; if we are not called, we can haue no assurance that wee are elected, nor yet of Gods loue and fauour; and consequently whosoeuer liue in their blind ignorance, in their infidelitie, and wallow themselues in the filthie puddle of their sinnes, without any true sorrow for those which are past, or any good purpose of heart to forsake them in the time to come; they can haue no assurance of Gods loue, but are rather iustly to feare least they are in the number of those whom the Lord hath eternally reiected, if they continue in this their miserable and desperate estate.