A20752:428
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. 4 Secondly,1 the Lord sendeth afflictions to mortify in us the old man, the flesh and unregenerate part: now the flesh is not only in our body, but also in our soul and every part and faculty thereof, and therefore the Lord doth not afflict the body alone with outward calamities, but even the soul also with grief of mind and horror of conscience, with the weight of sin and sense of his wrath, to the end that our corruptions both in body and soul may be mortified, the old man with the lusts thereof crucified, and in the end fully abolished.2 And therefore doth the Lord break our hard and ⟨p. 162⟩stony hearts, therefore doth he plough and tear them up like fallow ground, to the end that the seed of his grace being sown in them may take root, fructify and bring forth a plentiful harvest of godliness, to his glory and our comfort. It is not therefore for want of love, that our heavenly father doth thus bruise us and even crush us in pieces; it is not because he will reject us and cast us of: but when we are truly humbled, when our hard hearts are softened, and our spirits broken and made contrite, then will he regard us and show his tender love and merciful kindness unto us as he hath graciously promised. Matth. 12.20. The bruised reed will he not break, 3and smoking flax shall he not quench. So Psal. 51.17. The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirit, a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt not despise. And the Prophet telleth us that our Saviour Christ was sent into the world to preach glad tidings unto the poor, to bind up the broken hearted, &c. to comfort all that mourn, 4to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness &c. as it is Esa. 61.1.2.3.