A20752:671
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. 8 Sixthly, the tempter will object that we still die, and therefore are not redeemed and delivered out of the bondage of death.1 To which we may answer, that Gods just sentence once denounced could not be revoked, Gen. 3.19, Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return; and therefore the Apostle saith Heb. 9.27, It is appointed unto all men that they shall once die. But as ⟨p. 305⟩Ahasuerus, 2though he could not revoke the sentence of death against the Jews after it was once pronounced, because it was a decree of the Medes and Persians which might not be altered; yet at Hesters suite sent out another decree, whereby he armed and strengthened the Jews against their enemies, to the end they might resist, overcome, and destroy them: so the Lord having pronounced the sentence of death against all the sons of Adam, could not revoke his decree and sentence, as being far more unchangeable than the decree of the Medes and Persians, yet at the suite of our Saviour Christ he made another decree, whereby we might be armed against our enemy death, and overcome him. So that now though we die, yet are we not subject unto death, neither shall we be held under the dominion thereof; though we are not wholly exempted from death, yet now the nature thereof is quite altered; for heretofore it was unconquerable, but now easily overcome; heretofore it was a curse for sin, but now turned into an exceeding blessing, as deriving unto us many benefits: for first it freeth us from all our afflictions, with which in this life we are so much molested; it delivereth us from the irksome company of profane wicked men, who grieve the very souls of the righteous, and make them to cry out with David; Woe is me that I remain in Meshech, and dwell in the tents of Kedar; 3it wholly freeth us from sin, and purgeth away those corruptions which in this life cleave so fast unto us; so that though heretofore there was great amity between sin and death, for sin was the only cause which enlarged deaths dominions, and made all the world to become his tributaries, yet now they are at odds, and death now is the means, to free us out of sins thraldom and utterly to destroy it. And thus hath the Viper sin, bred a young one which eateth out it own belly; for sin brought forth death, and death destroyed sin: