A20752:986
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.
§. Sect. 5 Lastly, whereas our spiritual enemy taketh occasion altogether to discourage us from undertaking these spiritual exercises1 because therein we bewray notable corruptions and cannot though we strive never so much perform them as we ought, let us in no case yield unto this tentation, but strongly arm our selves against it; and to this end let us consider that if Satan can persuade us to desist from performing those duties altogether which we cannot perform as we ought, but with great weakness, corruption, and imperfection, we shall do nothing at all which God requireth of us, for example the Lord commandeth us to love him with all our hearts, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, which duty of love we perform with great weakness and exceeding coldly; but because we can not do it as God requireth and as we ought, shall we not therefore do it at all? God forbid. So the Lord commandeth us to trust and to put our whole affiance in him, but we are ready to rest and rely upon the arm of flesh and inferior means, either in whole or at least in part, and when they fail us, our trust in God is very weak and mingled with much diffidence and doubting, but shall we therefore put no affiance in God, all because we cannot do it so perfectly as God requireth? be it far from us. So in the very like manner the Lord expressly chargeth and commandeth us to call upon his holy name, which duty oftentimes we perform coldly and negligently, having our minds carried away with wandering thoughts and worldly imaginations, but shall satan working upon our own corruption therefore persuade us altogether to desist from this holy exercise? no, in no case let us not yield to this temptation. For it is not left unto us ⟨p. 502⟩at our own choice as a thing indifferent to pray or not to pray, but it is a notable part of Gods worship and service, and a singular duty which the Lord expressly enjoineth us to perform, whereunto he hath adjoined most comfortable promises which depend not upon our worthiness, and the excellency of our prayers, but on his own free mercy and goodness, and the merits and intercession of our Saviour Christ.2 So Psal. 50.15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, so will I deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me. And