A20752:935
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.
Nay assuredly he is immutable ever like himself one and the same most gracious, most merciful, & full of all goodness and compassion, towards all them that come unto him. And therefore if we turn from our sins by unfeigned repentance, we may assure our selves though they be never so many and grievous they shall be pardoned, and we received into Gods love and favour.
Nay assuredly he is immutable euer like himselfe one and the same most gratious, most merciful, & full of all goodnesse and compassion, towards all them that come vnto him. And therefore if we turne from our sinnes by vnfained repentance, wee may assure our selues though they be neuer so many and grieuous they shalbe pardoned, and we receaued into Gods loue and fauour.
§. Sect. 7 To these examples of whole multitudes,1 we may ad the examples of particular sinners, who have been received to mercy and obtained pardon, though their sins have been many and grievous, as Matthew, Zacheus, Levi, who were sinful Publicans that got their livings by pilling & polling, oppression and extortion, men so notoriously wicked, that Publicans and sinners are joined together, as though they were sinners by profession, and therefore as Synonima or divers words of one signification they interpret one another. And yet such was the riches of Gods mercy, that even these professed sinners were converted, and received remission of all their outrageous wickedness. The like may be ⟨p. 468⟩said of Mary Magdalene who though she had been a woman of lewd behaviour and loose life, though she were possessed of many devils, and commonly noted for an infamous and notorious sinner, yet upon her true repentance obtained the remission of her sins: and whilst she washed the feet of our saviour Christ with her tears, he purged and cleansed her body and soul from the filthy leprosy of sin with his own most precious blood, whilst she wiped them with the hairs of her head, he beautified and adorned her with the rich robe of his righteousness. Yea she was received into an high degree of favour with our saviour Christ, so as she had in some things the preeminence before his chief Apostles, for after Christs rising again he first vouchsafed her his presence, and used her as his messenger to certify the rest of his resurrection. So likewise the Apostle Paul before his calling was not only no lover but a bitter and fierce persecutor of the truth, and of all the professors thereof, imprisoning, stoning, and cruelly murdering the Saints of God; but behold and admire the wonderful mercy of God, even whilst his imbrued hands, were yet red with the blood of Gods faithful children, and whilst his heart was so full of burning rage, that he breathed out still threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, it pleased God wonderfully to convert him, to assure him of the remission of all these his horrible sins, and to make him of a bloody persecutor, a most excellent preacher of his Gospel, and of a ravenous devouring wolf, a most vigilant and painful shepherd.