A20752:839
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.
And with this tentation Satan deludeth, and destroyeth, innumerable men in these our days, and therefore it behooveth ⟨p. 409⟩every man, to prepare himself for this encounter. And to this end we are to know that the mercy of God, and merits of Christ, dot• not belong unto those who thus slubber over their repentance; neither doth Christ Jesus call unto him such as slightly sorrow for their sins, and think the burden of them light, and easy to be borne, but such as labour, and are heavy loaden. as appeareth Matth. 11.28. Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy loaden, and I will ease you. In which words our saviour Christ plainly showeth whom he calleth to the participation of the work of redemption wrought by him, and what measure of repentance he requireth of them; for the first word [Greek or Hebrew] signifieth such as labour until they be weary, and the other word [Greek or Hebrew] signifieth such as are heavy laden with a burden unsupportable and therefore, being grievously pressed therewith, they desire nothing more, then to be case of it, for [Greek or Hebrew] from which this word is derived properly signifieth the burden of a ship, and is taken metaphorically for any thing which is very troublesome and grievous. So that by joining these two together our saviour evidently declareth whom he calleth, and inviteth unto him. Namely those only who known, acknowledge, and feel, that their sins are an intolerable heavy burden, and being exceedingly vexed with them, most earnestly desire to be eased, and released of them, and to this purpose flee unto Christ by a true and lively faith finding themselves destitute of all means whereby they may otherwise be eased and relieved.
And with this tentation Sathan deludeth, and destroyeth, innumerable men in these our dayes, and therefore it behooueth ⟨p. 409⟩euery man, to prepare himselfe for this incounter. And to this ende we are to know that the mercy of God, and merits of Christ, dot• not belong vnto those who thus slubber ouer their repentance; neither doth Christ Iesus call vnto him such as slightly sorrow for their sinnes, and thinke the burthen of them light, and easie to bee borne, but such as labour, and are heauie loaden. as appeareth