A20752:833
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.
let not him who is turned unto God from his wicked ways fear Gods justice, for it is fully satisfied in Christ and therefore it shall never attach him, neither let him who continueth in his sins without repentance hope in Gods mercy for it doth not belong unto him, nor yet in the sweet promises of the Gospel which though they be never so general, yet are they always to be restrained to the condition of the covenant of grace, faith, and repentance. And this is manifest in the places before alleged which worldly men so much abuse to nourish in them carnal security; for whereas the Lord saith Ezech. 33.11. That he will not the death of a sinner, he addeth in the next words, but that he turn from his way and live, so that the Lord speaketh not of all sinners but of those who turn unto him from their wicked ways. So our saviour Christ saith Math. 9.13, that he came not to call the righteous, that is those who are just & righteous in their own conceits, but sinners to repentance, so that whosoever are called unto Christ that in him they may have salvation are called also to repentance. And Math. 11.28. our saviour doth not call all sinners unto him without difference, but those ⟨p. 405⟩only who are weary and heavy laden, that is who find their sins irksome and grievous unto them, and desire nothing more then to be freed of this unsupportable burden. And the Apostle Paul likewise 1. Tim. 2.4. doth not say simply that God would have all men to be saved, but that he would also […] have them come to the knowledge of the truth, that is to the knowing, acknowledging, & believing of the principles of Christian religion concerning God, themselves, and the work of redemption wrought by Christ. Let therefore no carnal secure man take occasion to presume upon Gods mercy in regard of the sweet and gracious promises of the Gospel, for unless they turn unto God from their evil ways and truly repent them of their sins, unless they are weary and heavy laden, desiring nothing more then to be eased of their heavy burden; unless they come out of their blind ignorance and attain to the knowledge of the truth, the gracious promises of the Gospel do not appertain unto them.