Armatura Dei, or, A preparation for suffering in an evil day showing how Christians…Armatura Dei, or, A preparation for suffering in an evil day shewing how Christians…

1. Love to Christ stands in an high Valuation ⟨p. 74⟩of him; it esteems him altogether precious: Precious in his Person, being Immanuel, God and man in one; precious in his atoning sufferings, which (being by his Deity elevated into a kind of infinity) were enough to pay for the sin of a World; precious in his holy words; his Mysteries being heights, his Commands rectitude, his Promises Grace: precious in the rich Treasures of Grace, which are in him, and everflowing out towards Believers: He that thus esteems of him will be ready to suffer for him. To leave his atoning sufferings is to run into Hell; to leave his words is to run into all Error; to leave his Treasures of Grace is to run into Spiritual Poverty: And how can we leave him? To adhere to his Atonement is peace and comfort; to adhere to his Words is to keep the way of life; to adhere to his Treasures of Grace, is to have continual influences of grace from him: And how can we choose but adhere to him? St. Paul counted all things dross and dung for him, Phil. 3.8. St. Cyprian, in his Exhortation to Martyrdom, gives this as one rule, that we should nihil Christo praeponere, prefer nothing before Christ. To esteem any thing better then him, is the way to turn Apostate; but to esteem him better then ⟨p. 75⟩all, is the way to stand in a day of Trial.

1. Love to Christ stands in an high Valuation ⟨p. 74⟩of him; it esteems him altogether pretious: Pretious in his Person, being Immanuel, God and man in one; pretious in his atoning sufferings, which (being by his Deity elevated into a kind of infinity) were enough to pay for the sin of a World; pretious in his holy words; his Mysteries being heights, his Commands rectitude, his Promises Grace: pretious in the rich Treasures of Grace, which are in him, and everflowing out towards Believers: He that thus esteems of him will be ready to suffer for him. To leave his atoning sufferings is to run into Hell; to leave his words is to run into all Error; to leave his Treasures of Grace is to run into Spiritual Poverty: And how can we leave him? To adhere to his Atonement is peace and comfort; to adhere to his Words is to keep the way of life; to adhere to his Treasures of Grace, is to have continual influences of grace from him: And how can we chuse but adhere to him? St. Paul counted all things dross and dung for him,