A20752:992
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.
Against both which tentations it behooveth the humbled sinner to arm himself that he may repel them when they are suggested; and to this purpose that he may prove his repentance true and unfeigned, he is to take a true search of his own heart and conscience, and to examine his repentance according to some undoubted signs which may serve as touchstones to discover whether it be true and unfeigned, or dissembled & hypocritical. The first undoubted sign of unfeigned repentance is when we can observe in our selves the several degrees or parts thereof as they have been wrought in us by Gods spirit, for from the enumeration of all the parts we may conclude that we have the whole. The first degree is that by the law we come to the knowledge, and acknowledgement that we are heinous and grievous sinners ⟨p. 505⟩who have broken & transgressed all Gods commandments. Secondly from this knowledge & acknowledgement of our sins proceedeth a true sense and feeling of them and the punishments due unto them, and an apprehension and applying to our selves the anger of God, the curse of the law, and eternal condemnation due unto us for our sins. Thirdly from this sense of our miserable estate there ariseth in our consciences fear and horror of being overtaken and overwhelmed of those judgments of God, and fearful punishments which hang over our heads for our sins. Fourthly from this fear and anguish of mind proceedeth sorrow and bitter grief, because we have thus heinously sinned, and made our selves obnoxious to all these evils; and also in the same respects a true hatred of sin which still hangeth upon us, and an earnest desire to be freed from it. Fifthly,1 this hatred of sin and desire to be freed from it, maketh us earnestly to seek and inquire after some means whereby we may attain unto our desires, that being freed from all those fearful evils which oppress our consciences with the weight of them, we may obtain Gods love and favour and the assurance of our salvation. Sixthly, thus inquiring and searching we find by the preaching of the Gospel, that our gracious God hath sent his son into the world, to the end that he might save and deliver us out of this miserable estate if we believe in him, and also hath commanded us to believe.
Against both which tentations it behooueth the humbled sinner to arme himselfe that he may repell them when they are suggested; and to this purpose that hee may proue his repentance true and vnfained, hee is to take a true search of his owne heart and conscience, and to examine his repentance according to some vndoubted signes which may serue as touchstones to discouer whether it be true and vnfained, or dissembled & hypocriticall. The first vndoubted signe of vnfained repentance is when wee can obserue in our selues the seuerall degrees or partes thereof as they haue beene wrought in vs by Gods spirit, for from the enumeration of all the parts we may conclude that wee haue the whole. The first degree is that by the law we come to the knowledg, and acknowledgment that we are haynous and greeuous sinners