A85783:158
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
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.
whereas the Christians knowledge, even when taken Prisoner by a temptation, pursues and brings back the soul as Abraham his Nephew, out of the enemies hands; which hints the third
Thirdly, the Christless state is a state of impotency, Rom. 5. When we were without strength, Christ came to die for the ungodly. What can a disarmed people that have not sword or gun do to shake off the yoke of a conquering enemy? Such a power hath Satan over the soul, Luke 11.21. he is called the strong man that keeps the soul as his Palace: If he hath no disturbance from heaven, he need fear no mutiny within; he keeps all in peace there. What the Spirit of God doth in a Saint, that in a manner doth Satan in a sinner. The Spirit fills ⟨p. 57⟩the heart of his with love, joy, holy desires, fears; so Satan fills the sinners heart with pride, lust, lying: Why hath Satan filled thy heart, saith Peter? And thus filled with Satan (as the drunkard with wine) he is not his own man, but Satan's slave.
Thirdly, the Christlesse state is a state of impotency, Rom. 5. When we were without strength, Christ came to die for the ungodly. What can a disarm'd people that have not sword or gun do to shake off the yoke of a conquering enemie? Such a power hath Satan over the soule, Luke 11.21. he is call'd the strong man that keeps the soule as his Palace: If he hath no disturbance from heaven, he need feare no mutiny within; he keeps all in peace there. What the Spirit of God doth in a Saint, that in a manner doth Satan in a sinner. The Spirit fills ⟨p. 57⟩