A20752:667
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. 6 Fourthly,1 the tempter may object to the weak conscience which laboureth under the burden of sin, that our Saviour Christ hath not redeemed us from the anger of God due for sin, seeing we still see his frowning countenance, and apprehend the scorching heat of his wrath inflamed against us: but let all know, that if they truly believe in Christ, and only rely themselves upon this their mediator, if their sins past grieve them, and they purpose for the time to come, to labour that they may forsake them; then they are reconciled unto God by Christ, and in him he is become their loving and gracious father,2 as the Apostle telleth us, Col. 1.20.21. Let not such therefore be discouraged, if God seem to frown upon them for a time, for he will not frown for ever, nor always retain his anger, as the Psalmist speaketh, Psalm. 103.9. Nay,3 in truth he is not angry with us at all as a Judge to punish, but as a Father to correct and amend us: and if we will speak properly, he always loveth and delighteth in us; for as he is well pleased with Christ our head, so is he always well pleased with us in him, as being members of his body: notwithstanding as a tender Father when his Son offendeth, maketh semblance as though his wrath were kindled, to the end that he may be careful in the time to come, to avoid the like fault, and to amend; so the Lord who is our gracious Father, seemeth oftentimes to be grievously displeased with ⟨p. 302⟩his children when they have sinned against him, hiding from them his amiable loving countenance, and showing nothing but signs of wrath, not that he hath in truth cast them out of his love and favour; for he never falleth out with those whom Christ hath reconciled unto him, neither can he cease to love the members of Christ, nor Christs members cease to be his members after they are once ingrafted into his body by his holy spirit and a lively faith: only like a wise father he frowneth upon them and seemeth angry, to make them in the time to come forsake their sins, whereby they have incurred his displeasure.