A85783:174
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.
But if Conscience will not be thus taken off, then they labour to divert their thoughts, by striking up the loud music of carnal delights, that the noise of one may drown the other, or with Cain, they will go from the presence of the Lord, and come no more at those Ordinances which make their head ache, and hinder the rest of their raving consciences. If yet the ghost haunts ⟨p. 64⟩them, then they labour to pacify it, with some good work or other, which they set against their bad; their alms and charity in their old age, must expiate the oppression and violence of their former days: as if this little frankincense were enough to air and take away the plague of Gods curse, which is in their ill gotten goods. Thus poor creatures catch at any sorry covering, which will not so much as hide their shame, much less choke the bullet of Gods wrath, when God shall fire upon them; this must he Armour of Gods appointing. Adam was naked for all his fig-leaves,1 while God taught him to make coats of skins, covertly (as some think) shadowing out Christ the true Lamb of God, whose righteousness alone was appointed by him to cover our shame, and arm our naked souls from the sight and stroke of his justice.
But if Conscience will not be thus taken off, then they labour to divert their thoughts, by striking up the loud musick of carnal delights, that the noise of one may drown the other, or with Cain, they will go from the presence of the Lord, and come no more at those Ordinances which make their head ake, and hinder the rest of their raving consciences. If yet the ghost haunts ⟨p. 64⟩them, then they labour to pacifie it, with some good work or other, which they set against their bad; their almes and charity in their old age, must expiate the oppression and violence of their former dayes: as if this little frankincense were enough to aire and take away the plague of Gods curse, which is in their ill gotten goods. Thus poor creatures catch at any sorry covering, which will not so much as hide their shame, much lesse choak the bullet of Gods wrath, when God shall fire upon them; this must he Armour of Gods appointing. Adam was naked for all his fig-leaves,1