A85783:122
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 3
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, in agonies of conscience that arise from the greatness of thy sins, fly for refuge into the Almighty power of God. Truly Sirs, when a mans sins are displayed in all their bloody colours, and spread forth in their killing aggravations, and the eye of conscience awakened to behold them through the multiplying, or magnifying glass of a temptation, they must needs surprise the creature with horror and amazement; till the soul can say with the Prophet: for all this huge host, There is yet more with me then against me. One Almighty is more then many Mighties. All these mighty sins and devils, make not one Almighty sin, or an Almighty devil. Oppose to all the hideous charges brought against thee by them this only attribute. As the French Ambassador once silenced the Spaniards pride in repeating his Masters many titles, with one that drowned them all. God himself, Hosea 11.9. when he had aggravated his peoples sins to the height, then to show what a God can do, breaks out into a sweet promise: I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, and why not? I am God, and not man. I will show the Almightiness of my mercy. Something like our usual phrase; when a child or a woman strikes us, I am a man, and not a child, or woman, therefore I will not strike again. The very considering God to be God, supposeth him Almighty to pardon as well as to avenge, and this is some relief; But then to consider it is Almighty power in bond and Covenant to pardon, this is more; As none can bind God but himself, so none can break the bond himself makes: and are they not his own words, that he will abundantly pardon? Isa. 55. he will multiply to pardon, as if he had said, I'll drop mercy with your sin, and spend all I have, rather then let it be said my good is overcome of your evil. It fares with the gracious soul in this case as with a Captain, that yields ⟨p. 40⟩his Castle upon gracious terms of having his life spared, and he safely conveyed to his house, there to be settled peaceably in his estate and possessions, for all which he hath the Generals hand and Seal, on which he marcheth forth; but the rude soldiers assault him, and put him in fear of his life, he appeals to the General, (whose honour now is engaged for him) and is presently relieved, and his enemies punished: