A20752:543
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. 9 Now our sanctification doth principally consist in a love of righteousness,1 and a true hatred of sin; from whence proceedeth an earnest desire, and hearty endeavour of forsaking that which is evil, and of cleaving unto that which is good: and for the better effecting hereof, a careful study of mortifying the flesh and the lusts thereof, and painful diligence in using all good means whereby the spirit may be strengthened, and the gifts and graces thereof increased, that so we may not be so prone to fall into that sin which we hate, nor so backward in embracing and following that righteousness and holiness which we love. And this is the sanctification which is an inseparable fruit and effect of Gods election in ⟨p. 231⟩all his children,2 which though it be the last in nature and next unto salvation it self, for first God electeth, and those whom he hath elected, in his good time he calleth, and whom he calleth those he justifieth, and lastly, whom he justifieth those he sanctifieth and saveth; yet when we are to gather assurance of our election, we are not to observe this order, but to begin where the Lord endeth, and so ascend from the lowest degree till we come to the highest. For as it is a foolish thing for a man, to think that he can leap to the top of an high ladder at the first step, and therefore every one beginneth with the lowest, and so ascendeth step by step till he come to the highest: so it is a foolish thing for a man to imagine, that he can leap into heaven, and there search the unsearchable counsels of God, and so know whether he is elected or no; but we must begin at the lowest step, namely our sanctification which being attained unto, we may ascend a step higher in our assurance, namely that we are justified, and so to the next, that we are effectually called, and lastly to the highest that we are elected. Otherwise if we curiously dive into the bottomless secrets of Gods counsels, we shall be drowned and overwhelmed; if we approach unto this unapproachable light, the eye of our understanding will be dazzled, yea stark blinded; if we presume to understand beyond sobriety, we shall by the just judgement of God be infatuated, and thrust our selves into an endless labyrinth, out of which we shall never find way, wanting the line of Gods word to guide us.