A20752:943
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
Book 2 › Chapter 37: How we may know whether we be effectually called or no.
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.
§. Sect. 3 1The second means of our effectual calling is the softening of our hard hearts, when as the Lord taketh away our stony hearts, and giveth us hearts of flesh, as he promiseth Ezec. 11.19. And breaketh up these fallow grounds fit in themselves to bring forth no fruit but weeds and thistles, that so they may be prepared to receive the seed of his word, and be made fruitful in all grace. And thus our stubborn & rebellious hearts are softened when as we particularly apply unto our selves the doctrine of the law, whereby first we come to the knowing and acknowledging of our fins, original and actual. Secondly our hearts are pricked, and our consciences wounded by apprehending and applying to our guilty souls the curse of the law, the anger of God, and those fearful punishments prepared for the wicked. Thirdly seeing this our misery, and finding no means of our own how we may come out of this wretched estate, we are brought to despair of our own strength, righteousness ⟨p. 473⟩and satisfaction,, finding them of no virtue for our justification. By all which, being throughly humbled and cast down in our selves, the Lord by the preaching of the gospel doth reveal unto us a way how we may escape out of this miserable estate, by applying unto our selves Christ Jesus, and all his merits and obedience by a true and lively faith; after which the humbled sinner seeing his own wants and misery by the law, and perceiving that our saviour Christ is so rich in merits, that he can cansily supply all his defects, and so gracious and powerful that he can and will free him out of his wretchedness, he doth plainly discern that he standeth exceedingly in need of Christ Jesus and his righteousness. After which sense of his own wants there is begot in him an carnest and hungering desire to be made partaker of Jesus Christ his righteousness, merits, obedience, and of all those inestimable benefits which are purchased by them. And lastly he is moved to appeal from the sentence of the law, to the throne of grace, pleading not his own righteousness or satisfaction, but Christs merits and obedience.
§. Sect. 3 1The second meanes of our effectuall calling is the softening of our harde hartes, when as the Lorde taketh away our stonie hartes, and giueth vs hartes of flesh, as hee promiseth