A85783:184
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.
Must the souls armour be of Gods make?1 be exhorted then to look narrowly, whether the armour ye wear, be the workmanship of God or no. There is abundance of false ware put off now adays: little good armour worn by the multitude of Professors: 'tis Satan's after-game he plays, if he cannot please the sinner with his naked state of profaneness; then to put him off with something like grace, some slighty stuff, that shall neither do him good, nor Satan hurt; thus many like children, ⟨p. 68⟩that cry for a knife or dagger, and are pleased as well with a bone knife, and wooden dagger, as with the best of all? so they have some armour, it matters not what. Pray they must, but little care how it be performed: Believe in God? yes, they hope they are not infidels: but what it is, how they come by it, or whether it will hold in an evil-day, this never was put to the question in their hearts. Thus thousands perish with a vain conceit, they are armed against Satan, death and judgment, when they are miserable and naked, yea, worse on it then those who are more naked, (those I mean) who have not a rag of civility, to hide their shame from the worlds eye; and that in a double respect.
Must the soules armour be of Gods make?1 be exhorted then to look narrowly, whether the armour ye weare, be the workmanship of God or no. There is abundance of false ware put off now adayes: little good armour worne by the multitude of Professours: 'tis Satans after-game he playes, if he cannot please the sinner with his naked state of prophanenesse; then to put him off with something like grace, some slighty stuffe, that shall neither do him good, nor Satan hurt; thus many like children, ⟨p. 68⟩that cry for a knife or dagger, and are pleas'd as well with a bone knife, and wooden dagger, as with the best of all? so they have some armour, it matters not what. Pray they must, but little care how it be performed: Beleeve in God? yes, they hope they are not infidels: but what it is, how they come by it, or whether it will hold in an evil-day, this never was put to the question in their hearts. Thus thousands perish with a vain conceit, they are arm'd against Satan, death and judgment, when they are miserable and naked, yea, worse on it then those who are more naked, (those I mean) who have not a rag of civility, to hide their shame from the worlds eye; and that in a double respect.