A20752:956
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. XXXVIII. Satan's tentations objecting to the weak christian unrepentancie and hardness of heart answered.
CHAP. XXXVIII. Sathans tentations obiecting to the weake christian vnrepentancie and hardnesse of heart answered.
§ Sect. 1 And so much for answering that general temptation of Satan,1 whereby he laboureth to rob and deprive the poor humbled sinner of all the hope and comfort which he might reap in applying unto himself the gracious promises and sweet comforts contained in the gospel, by persuading him that he is not effectually called. Wherewith if he cannot prevail he descendeth from the general to the particulars, and having as it were a far off discharged his shot of dangerous temptations without inflicting desired hurt and destruction, he approacheth nearer, and fighteth against the poor christian with handy blows, that thereby he may beat him down into deep desperation. Let it be granted will be say that thou are called, yet it followeth not hereof that thou art elected and shalt be saved; for Christ Jesus himself hath said that many are called but few are chosen and why mayest not thou be in the greater number; neither is the calling thou speakest of sufficient to make a christian, unless it be accompanied with unfeigned repentance and a lively faith. And the promises of the gospel wherein thou vainly hopest are not made unto all those who are called, but unto those who are endued with a true justifying faith, which is always joined with the fruit thereof, unfeigned repentance. But if thou examine thy self aright, thou shalt find that both these are wanting in thee, for to begin first with repentance which is most sensible and to be discerned with greatest ease if thou search thine hart without any affectionate partiality or vain conceit, thou shalt find that thou are altogether destitute thereof. For is not thy hart so obstinately hard, and so stubbornly rebellious, that thou canst not bewail thy sins ⟨p. 483⟩with any unfeigned sorrow, nor scarce with much straining force one tear, whereas for any worldly loss, or temporary affliction which indeed toucheth thee with true grief, thou canst without any difficulty weep more bitterly then the apostle Peter, and shed as many tears as Mary Magdalene.