A20752:411
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. 3 Thirdly,1 as we are elected before all times, so were we in time redeemed freely, and without respect of our own worthiness, of the mere mercy and love of God; although our Saviour Christ payed the full price of our redemption unto God his father for us: and this appeareth, Ephes. 1.7. By whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of ⟨p. 151⟩sins, according to his rich grace. 8. Whereby he hath been abundant towards us in all wisdom and understanding. So that our redemption was not free unto our Saviour Christ, for it cost him the inestimable price of his most precious blood; but it was free unto us, without any respect of our works and worthiness. For we were like desperate debtors, deeply engaged unto God, and not able to pay the least farthing; and therefore were cast into the prison of everlasting death, there to be detained till we had discharged the whole debt: which being impossible unto us, it pleased our Saviour Christ of his mere pity and free goodwill to become our surety, and to make full satisfaction to his father, even to the least mite, that so we might be released and set free. We were all of us miserable captives, held in the thraldom of sin, Satan and death, unable to deserve in any measure to be set at liberty; for we were the children of wrath, who were not sick only, but even dead in our sins,2 as it is Eph. 2.1.5 But our Saviour Christ of his undeserved love did pay the price of our redemption, and set us out of our captivity, quickening and raising us up from sin to newness of life; as the Apostle setteth it down Eph. 2.3. And you were by nature the children of wrath as well as others. 34. But God which is rich in mercy, through his great love wherewith he loved us, 5. Even when we were dead by sins, hath quickened us together in Christ, by whose grace ye are saved, 6. And hath raised us up together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 7. That he might show in ages to come the exceeding riches of his grace, through his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. So that there is no worthiness in our selves which the Lord respected, for we were all alike the children of wrath, and dead in our sins; but only of his free mercy and great love, he hath redeemed us by Christ.