A20752:684
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 In the next place let us consider,1 the parts of our effectual calling; the first is our separation from the world, of which in former time we were citizens and true members, that from henceforth we should be of Gods household and family: for naturally we are mere worldlings, dead in our sins, and to every good work reprobate, living without God and serving Satan, the world and the corrupt lusts of our flesh, until it please the Lord to make choice of us among many other, calling and separating us from this corrupt mass of mankind, that he may make us subjects, first of his kingdom of grace, and afterwards of his kingdom of glory. Of this our Saviour speaketh Joh. 15.19.2 If you were of the world, the world would love his own; but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. And the Apostle saith that after our calling and conversion,3 we are no more strangers and foreigners, but citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. Now the Lord maketh this choice of us before others, ⟨p. 311⟩not for any respect of worthiness or excellency in us more then in them, but of his mere mercy, undeserved grace,4 and free good will; neither doth he therefore entertain us into his Church and family, because we are already, or because he knoweth we will be hereafter holy and righteous; but having freely called us without any our deserts, he doth also of his own undeserved love give us his holy spirit, whereby we are purged from our corruptions, sanctified and raised up from the death of sin to newness of life; so that our holiness is not a cause of our calling, but Gods election and calling is a cause of our holiness. And this appeareth both by testimonies of Scripture and examples. For the first, the Lord professeth,5