A01979:2237
The whole-armour of GodThe vvhole-armor of God
The whole-armour of God: or A Christians spiritual furniture, to keep him safe from all the assaults of Satan First preached, and now the second time published and enlarged for the good of all such as well use it:whereunto is also added a treatise of the sin against the Holy Ghost. By William Gouge B.D. and preacher of Gods Word in Black Fryers London. ...The vvhole-armor of God: or A Christians spiritual furniture, to keepe him safe from all the assaults of Satan First preached, and now the second time published and enlarged for the good of all such as well vse it:whereunto is also added a treatise of the sinne against the Holy Ghost. By VVilliam Gouge B.D. and preacher of Gods Word in Blacke Fryers London. ...
London: printed by John Beale, 1619London: printed by Iohn Beale, 1619
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.
Further,1 many may be thankful for prosperity, but very few will be so for adversity. To be thankful for pain, sickness, penury, ignominy, imprisonment, loss of goods, loss of friends, with the like, is a rare matter. These things cause rather in most men murmuring, and repining against God. For few consider the blessed fruit that cometh from those things, neither think that they can be any blessings. These show how they walk by sense, and not by faith.
Further,1 many may be thankefull for prosperity, but very few will be so for aduersity. To bee thankefull for paine, sicknesse, penury, ignominy, imprisonment, losse of goods, losse of friends, with the like, is a rare matter. These things cause rather in most men murmuring, and repining against God. For few consider the blessed fruit that commeth from those things, neither thinke that they can be any blessings. These shew how they walke by sence, and not by faith.
- 14 Some not for adversity.4 Some not for aduersity.
Finally, among those who are thankful for such blessings as they enjoy,1 how few lift up the eyes of their faith further then the eyes of their body can reach? how few consider those good things which God hath promised for the time to come? how few can praise God for any⟨p. 418⟩ good thing, whereof they have not the present fruition? Most think it enough to praise God for such things as they have; they little consider that the matter of thanksgiving extendeth not only to benefits received, but also to benefits promised. These manifest little credence to the truth of Gods word: if they were fully resolved thereof, they would account Gods words to be very deeds.