A20752:863
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.
CHAP. XXXII. Of Satan tentations which he useth against those which are called, to bring them to despair.
CHAP. XXXII. Of Sathan tentations which he vseth against those which are called, to bring them to despaire.
§. Sect. 1 And so much concerning those tentations of Satan,1 wherewith he assaulteth them who are not yet effectually called, to the end that he may keep them from turning unto God by unfeigned repentance, and coming unto Christ by a true and lively faith: now we are to speak of those tentations which he useth against those who are called. And first, when as he perceiveth that he can no longer blind them with ignorance, nor keep them still in carnal worldliness & presumptuous security, when as he seeth that they are resolved no longer to defer their repentance and coming unto Christ by a true faith, neither can be persuaded to content themselves, with such faith and repentance as are false and counterfeit; then, and not before he appeareth in his own likeness, and showeth himself a devil indeed; for then he ⟨p. 422⟩accuseth them of their manifold and outrageous sins, where in they have long continued, then he telleth them of their sins past and present corruptions, whereby they are ready to fall into the like again, then he revealeth unto them their sins of ignorance, and calleth to their remembrance those sins which they have committed against their knowledge and conscience, then will he aggravate their sins which in themselves are but too too heinous, and set before them the justice of God, the fearful threatenings and terrible curse of the law, the wrath of God and the intolerable and eternal torments of hell fire, which by their sins they have justly deserved; all which terrible sights being in one view represented to their already timorous thoughts, he taketh occasion of them all, to move them to distrust of Gods mercies and Christs merits, and so to plunge them into utter desperation. Wouldest thou now vile wretch (will he say) turn unto God hoping to be received to grace and mercy? why assure thy self it is too late, for are not thy sins in number numberless, and in their quality and nature most heinous and outrageous; and hast thou not continued in this thy rebellion against God a long time, refusing to come unto him though he hath often called, and carelessly neglecting all the means of thy salvation, when thy God hath graciously offered them unto thee?