A20752:969
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.
And hence it is that many of Gods children do grievously afflict their souls because they see these their corruptions and imperfections, and hereby often times are moved to think that they are destitute of faith, and of all saving graces of Gods sanctifying spirit, because though they use the ⟨p. 491⟩means ordained of God for the begetting and increasing of grace in them, yet they cannot perceive any fruit that cometh thereby, nor feel in their souls any true comfort or joy in these spiritual exercises. For example some complain that though they continually hear the word yet they feel no increase of any grace, no more knowledge, no more faith, no more zeal of Gods glory, no more mortification of their old corruptions, nor any reformation at all of their former sinful lives, and therefore they think that they hear the word of God without any profit, nay that the more they hear it the more wicked and rebellious they are; and that for this cause it were much better not to hear the word at all, for as much as it will but aggravate their sins and in crease their condemnation, for he that knoweth his masters will and doth it not, 1shall be beaten with many stripes.
And hence it is that many of Gods children doe grieously afflict their soules because they see these their corruptions and imperfections, and hereby often times are mooued to thinke that they are destitute of faith, and of all sauing graces of Gods sanctifying spirite, because though they vse the ⟨p. 491⟩meanes ordayned of God for the begetting and increasing of grace in them, yet they cannot perceiue any fruite that commeth thereby, nor feele in their soules any true comfort or ioy in these spirituall excercises. For example some complaine that though they continually heare the word yet they feele no increase of any grace, no more knowledge, no more faith, no more zeale of Gods glory, no more mortification of their old corruptions, nor any reformation at all of their former sinfull liues, and therefore they thinke that they heare the worde of God without any profit, nay that the more they heare it the more wicked and rebellious they are; and that for this cause it were much better not to heare the worde at all, for as much as it will but agrauate their sinnes and in crease their condemnation, for hee that knoweth his maisters will and doth it not,