A20752:433
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.
But it may be objected that our Saviour Christ suffered all this not for any sin that was in himself, for he did no sin, neither was their guile found in his mouth. 1. Pet. 2.22. but he was wounded for our transgressions, he was broken for our iniquities, as it is Esa. 53.5.1 And therefore considering that the Lord did thus hate sin, even when his dearly beloved son did take it upon him; how much more will he hate it in us?2 if he so severely punished his dear darling when he had taken the sins of others upon him, how fearful punishments are prepared for the sinners themselves? I answer, that indeed Christ who was just did suffer for us who were unjust, as it is 1. Pet. 3.18. and that sin is so odious to Gods eyes that rather then it should not be punished, he would punish it in his dearly beloved son; the consideration whereof should make us also to hate and fly from it as the greatest evil: but yet this should be so far of from discouraging us, or from making us doubt of Gods love, that nothing in the world doth more assure us thereof, no consolation can be imagined more comfortable, for what greater testimony of Gods love can be imagined, then that when we were strangers yea enemies to God,3 he should send his dear beloved son to die for us, to the end that by this means his justice might be satisfied, his wrath appeased, and we being received into grace & favour, might be made heirs of everlasting life? what greater assurance can we have that our sins are forgiven us then that they are already punished in Christ? it being against ⟨p. 166⟩the justice of God to punish the same sins twice? What stronger argument can be brought, to prove that we shall never be subject to Gods wrath, nor be cast away in his heavy displeasure; than that our Saviour hath borne his fathers anger, to the end he might reconcile us unto him? and therefore though our Saviour suffered these outward and inward afflictions, not as he was the dearly beloved son of God who was free from sin, but as he was our mediator, who had taken upon him our sins, to the end he might satisfy his fathers justice; yet seeing he endured these things in our stead, to the end we might be freed from them, hence ariseth unto every true christian sound comfort, and certain assurance of Gods love and goodness towards him.