A20752:871
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.
(that is, he shall inflict the like punishments in his just anger upon his rebellious people, which he exercised upon his wicked enemies the Philistines in mount Perazim, when as he overthrew them, by his servant David, and upon the Amorites in the valley of Gibeon when as he smote them with stones from heaven.) Where the Prophet maketh a twofold kind of Gods works, his proper and strange works. The proper work of God is to show mercy, and to spare or ⟨p. 426⟩forgive; his strange work is to be angry and to punish. And therefore whereas he calleth that the proper work of God, and this his strange work; he plainly teacheth that mercy, goodness & long suffering are according to the nature of the deity, but that to be angry is divers from Gods nature, Yea which is more he maketh it not his work, that is to say, he is angry that afterwards he may bring his work to pass, that is, that he may have mercy and preserve; for whilst (saith the Apostle) we are judged of the Lord, we are chastened that we should not be condemned with the world. 1. Cor. 11.32. And what do these things teach us, but that the nature of God is nothing else then goodness, 1mercy, love especially of men, patience, benignity, and most far and remote from all unjust severity, cruelty, tyranny, and pride. The which may minister unto every penitent sinner most sweet consolation; for when they see that God is angry by reason of their sins, & that he doth grievously afflict them, & even bring them as it were to the gates of hell, this must not make the to cast of all hope & to fall into utter desperation; but they must remember, that these are not the Lords proper works but strange unto him, which he doth to this end, that he may bring to pass his own proper works which are agreeable to his nature, that is, that he may again show unto us the glorious beams of his loving countenance in more full brightness, & bring us from death to life; from affliction to joy, from the gates of hell to the kingdom of heaven. According to that 1. Sam. 2.6. the Lord killeth, & maketh alive, he bringeth down unto hell, and bringeth up again.
(that is, he shall inflict the like punishments in his iust anger vpon his rebellious people, which hee exercised vpon his wicked enemies the Philistines in mount Perazim, when as he ouerthrewe them, by his seruant Dauid, and vpō the Amorites in the valley of Gibeon when as he smote them with stones from heauen.) Where the Prophet maketh a twofold kind of Gods workes, his proper and strange works. The proper worke of God is to shew mercy, and to spare or