A20752:811
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. 5 Fifthly,1 the longer we live in our sins and defer our conversion unto God, the more are our understandings darkened, our wills perverted, our affections more corrupted, our harts hardened, and our consciences seared, & all the powers and faculties of our bodies and souls are more and more disabled; for as the longer that sickness hath continued, the more it weakeneth the body & maketh it unfit for any work or action, so the longer sin which is the sickness of the soul hath seized on us, the more unable we are to shake it off, and the weaker it maketh us to perform any good actions. When men at first fall into unusual sins, their consciences check them, and they fear least the Lord will pour upon them his heavy judgements, but when they have committed the same sins again and again, and yet are not punished, then like thieves who having escaped after one robbery committed, are ready to commit another, so they having not tasted of Gods judgements threatened, think that they shall never be inflicted on them, and therefore are ready to sin again; until by long custom in sinning their hearts are hardened and their consciences seared as it were with a hot iron, so as no•e without any check or remorse, yea with all pleasure and delight they cannot commit those sins, which in former times they would have trembled, to have entertained into their secrets thoughts.
§. Sect. 5 Fiftly,1 the longer we liue in our sins and deferre our cō uersion vnto God, the more are our vnderstandings darkned, our wils peruerted, our affections more corrupted, our harts hardned, and our consciences seared, & all the powers and faculties of our bodies and soules are more and more disabled; for as the longer that sicknesse hath continued, the more it weakneth the body & maketh it vnfit for any worke or actiō, so the longer sinne which is the sicknesse of the soule hath seased on vs, the more vnable we are to shake it off, and the weaker it maketh vs to performe any good actions. When men at first fall into vnusuall sinnes, their consciences checke them, and they feare least the Lord will poure vpon them his heauie iudgements, but when they haue committed the same sinnes againe and againe, and yet are not punished, then like theeues who hauing escaped after one robberie committed, are ready to commit another, so they hauing not tasted of Gods iudgements threatned, thinke that they shall neuer be inflicted on them, and therefore are readie to sinne againe; vntill by long custome in sinning their hearts are hardned and their consciences seared as it were with a hote iron, so as noe without any checke or remorse, yea with all pleasure and delight they cannot commit those sinnes, which in former times they would haue trembled, to haue entertained into their secrets thoughts.