A20752:576
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. 2 Neither were they necessary for hypocrites and worldlings alone,1 but even for the deer children of God: who because they are partly flesh and partly spirit, therefore as they have need that the spiritual man should be comforted and their faith confirmed against diffidence and doubting, with the sweet promises of the Gospel; so had they need to have their unruly flesh curbed in, and restrained from falling into reckless security, by these admonitions and comminations. And because by reason of this division which is in our selves, we are ready as it were to mutiny, one part of our forces being ready to march cheerfully to the land of promise, the other to forsake the way, sometimes on the one side being ⟨p. 250⟩ready to turn back again, as utterly despairing of attaining to the end of our journey, when we consider the sons of Anakim our spiritual enemies, in respect of whose stature and strength we are but as grasshoppers, and the mighty oppositions which are made against our weak force; and sometimes to go on in a way which God hath not appointed, presuming upon our own strength and abilities. Therefore that we may keep the straight way without declining on either hand, God doth as it were hedge us in on both sides, to restrain us from wandering; on the one side with sweet promises, that we may not despair, but rely our selves on his strength and assistance; on the other side with sweet admonitions and fearful comminations, that we may not trust too much unto our own power, nor presume upon our own abilities: and by the means of the one, he doth as it were prick us forward in our journey, keeping us from once thinking of standing still, or returning again into Egypt; and by the other as with an hand he doth uphold us, when we are weary and ready to faint, having an eye to the crown of glory, and the garland of happiness, which is prepared for us at the end of our course, and race of christianity. And as a skilful pilot, when his ship is in a tempestuous and strait sea, in danger to run on the rocks or to sink in the sands, doth cast our anchor on both sides, or most carefully look unto the stern to keep it in an even course;
§. Sect. 2 Neither were they necessarie for hypocrits and worldlings alone,1 but euen for the deere children of God: who because they are partly flesh and partly spirit, therefore as they haue neede that the spirituall man should be comforted and their faith confirmed against diffidence and doubting, with the sweete promises of the Gospell; so had they neede to haue their vnruly flesh curbed in, and restrained from falling into retchlesse securitie, by these admonitions and comminations. And because by reason of this diuision which is in our selues, we are readie as it were to mutinie, one part of our forces being readie to march cheerefully to the land of promise, the other to forsake the way, sometimes on the one side being