A85783:103
The Christian in Complete Armour
The Christian in complete armour. Or, A treatise of the saints war against the Devil, wherein a discovery is made of that grand enemy of God and his people, in his policies, power, seat of his empire, wickedness, and chief design he hath against the saints. A magazine opened: from whence the Christian is furnished with spiritual arms for the battle, helped on with his armour, and taught the use of his weapon, together with the happy issue of the whole war. The first part. / By William Gurnall, Minister of the Gospel in Lavenham. Imprimatur, Edmund Calamy.The Christian in compleat armour. Or, A treatise of the saints war against the Devil, wherein a discovery is made of that grand enemy of God and his people, in his policies, power, seat of his empire, wickednesse, and chiefe designe he hath against the saints. A magazin open'd: from whence the Christian is furnished with spiritual armes for the battel, help't on with his armour, and taught the use of his weapon, together with the happy issue of the whole warre. The first part. / By William Gurnall, Minister of the Gospel in Lavenham. Imprimatur, Edmund Calamy.
London: printed for Ralph Smith, 1655
A TREATISE Of the whole Armour Of God. › Introduction › Chapter 4 › Section 1
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.
First, God loves the believer as the birth of his everlasting counsel, when a soul believes, then Gods eternal purpose and counsel concerning him, (whom he chose in Christ before the foundation of the world, and with whom his thoughts went so long big) brings forth. And how must God needs love that creature, whom he carried so long in the womb of his eternal purpose? This goodly Fabric of heaven and earth had not been built, but as a stage whereon he would in time act what he decreed in heaven of old, concerning the saving of thee, and a few more his Elect; and therefore according to the same rate of delight, with which God pleased and entertained himself in the thoughts of this before the world was, must he needs rejoice over the soul now believing, with love and complacency unconceivable; and God having brought his counsel thus far towards its issue, surely will raise all the power he hath, rather then be disappointed of his glory, within a few steps of home; I mean, his whole design in the believers salvation; The Lord who hath chosen his Saints,1 (as Christ prays for Joshua their representative will rebuke Satan and all their enemies.
First, God loves the believer as the birth of his everlasting counsel, when a soul believes, then Gods eternal purpose and counsel concerning him, (whom he chose in Christ before the foundation of the world, and with whom his thoughts went so long big) brings forth. And how must God needs love that creature, whom he carried so long in the wombe of his eternal purpose? This goodly Fabrick of heaven and earth had not been built, but as a stage whereon he would in time act what he decreed in heaven of old, concerning the saving of thee, and a few more his Elect; and therefore according to the same rate of delight, with which God pleased and entertained himself in the thoughts of this before the world was, must he needs rejoyce over the soule now believing, with love and complacency unconceivable; and God having brought his counsel thus far towards its issue, surely will raise all the power he hath, rather then be disappointed of his glory, within a few steps of home; I mean, his whole design in the believers salvation; The Lord who hath chosen his Saints,1 (as Christ prayes for Joshua their representative will rebuke Satan and all their enemies.