A20752:554
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 The third sign of those who are elected and adopted to be the children of God,1 is, when as their hearts are somewhat weaned from the world, and seated in heaven minding the things that are above; and when their tongues being set a work by the heart, do gladly entertain godly and religious conferences; for there as the treasure is, there will the heart be also, and with whatsoever the heart is affected, the tongue is delighted. ⟨p. 237⟩Now that these holy meditations and religious discourses are signs of the child of God, hereby it plainly appeareth; in that they cannot possibly proceed from our corrupt nature, to which they are irksome and tedious, but from the spirit of God dwelling in us, and guiding and directing us in our thoughts and words; and whosoever are thus led with the spirit of God, they are the sons of God, as it is Rom. 8.14.2 He that is right heir to a royal kingdom and not yet possessed thereof, is never weary of thinking on it, nor glutted with such discourses as tend to the extolling the riches and glory which there attend him, or show the means whereby he may be assured to come into speedy and peaceable possession of his right: and so those who are elected by God, and adopted to be the heirs of his everlasting kingdom of glory, are never satisfied in meditating and speaking of the riches and joys of this heavenly inheritance, or of the means whereby they may be assured undoubtedly to obtain it; whereas those who have no such interest nor hopes, think and talk of these things with loathsome weariness, as being matters not concerning them; and therefore when such thoughts come into their minds, they vanish as suddenly as a flash of lightning, and when they are present at any spiritual discourses the time seemeth long, and they sit upon thorns until they be ended; and they remain dumb as though they were tongue-tied, unless they take occasion to interrupt such holy conferences, and to divert them to some worldly affairs.
§. Sect. 3 The third signe of those who are elected and adopted to be the children of God,1