A01979:279
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.
As his names are, so is his practise, full of many windings, full of much craft. It is an infinite task, a matter of impossibility to discover all his cunning stratagems and subtle devices. He hath old tricks, which long he hath used, because by long continued experience, he hath found that silly men are soon deceived with them, and that the harm of some cannot warn others: and yet doth he daily invent new upon new, ever shifting from one to another: if one will not serve, he hath another presently in a readiness. For divers persons, divers conditions, and dispositions, he hath divers temptations. Sometimes he playeth the part of a roaring ravenous Lion: sometimes of a crafty fawning Fox: sometimes appearing in his own shape, sometimes changing himself into an Angel of light, doing any thing for his advantage. Because the Apostle holdeth himself close to the metaphor taken from war, I will also follow it, and under it discover some few particular stratagems, leaving it to the particular meditation of others to find out other.
As his names are, so is his practise, full of many windings, full of much craft. It is an infinite taske, a matter of impossibility to discouer all his cunning straragems and subtill deuices. He hath old trickes, which long hee hath vsed, because by long continued experience, he hath found that silly men are soone deceiued with them, and that the harme of some cannot warne others: and yet doth he daily inuent new vpon new, euer shifting from one to another: if one will not serue, he hath another presently in a readinesse. For diuers persons, diuers conditions, and dispositions, he hath diuers temptations. Sometimes hee playeth the part of a roaring rauenous Lion: somtimes of a craftie fawning Fox: sometimes appearing in his owne shape, sometimes changing himselfe into an Angell of light, doing any thing for his aduantage. Because the Apostle holdeth himself close to the metaphor taken from warre, I will also follow it, and vnder it discouer some few particular stratagems, leauing it to the particular meditation of others to finde out other.
1. He can well tell how to marshal and set his army in array;1