A20752:535
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.
Neither are these effects bare signs only of our election, but also manifest seals which by their plain impression, do evidently assure us thereof: so that though we do not directly and immediately know Gods election, predestination, and eternal decree of our salvation in God himself, electing predestinating, ⟨p. 226⟩and decreeing that we shall be saved, yet we may plainly see apparent seals and impressions hereof in our selves, lively resembling that which is secret in Gods hidden counsel; and as we not seeing the seal which maketh the impression, do easily discern the form, fashion, and quantity thereof by the print which it hath made; so we not seeing Gods secret decree of predestination, may notwithstanding attain to the evident knowledge thereof, by that impression which it maketh in us.
Neither are these effects bare signes onely of our election, but also manifest seales which by their plaine impression, doe euidently assure vs thereof: so that though we doe not directly and immediatly know Gods election, predestination, and eternall decree of our saluation in God himselfe, electing predestinating, ⟨p. 226⟩and decreeing that we shall be saued, yet we may plainely see apparant seales and impressions hereof in our selues, liuely resembling that which is secret in Gods hidden councell; and as we not seeing the seale which maketh the impression, doe easily discerne the forme, fashion, and quantitie thereof by the print which it hath made; so wee not seeing Gods secret decree of predestination, may notwithstanding attaine to the euedent knowledge thereof, by that impression which it maketh in vs.
This also may further be illustrated by a familiar similitude; namely, as the sun shining upon us with his bright beams, doth imprint as it were in our eyes the image of his light, whereby we see the sun and the light thereof (the beams of the sun which are cast upon us, being reflected back again to the sun it self;) so the foreknowledge of God whereby he hath decreed that we shall be saved before all eternity, is secret in it self, so that we cannot see not understand it directly, but yet whilst God doth acknowledge us for his elect, he doth express the image and form of this his foreknowledge in those whom he hath elected, whereby we do also acknowledge him our gracious God who hath elected us; and so it cometh to pass that by the true knowledge of God, which is communicated unto us, whereby we acknowledge him for our God and father, we also know his foreknowledge, whereby he knoweth and acknowledgeth us for his sons and children. For first God knoweth us, and then by the light of this knowledge communicated unto us, he enlighteneth our hearts with the true knowledge of himself, as the sun first enlighteneth our eyes, and by this light we see the sun it self. And this our Saviour Christ intimateth,