A85783:186
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.
Secondly, such a one is deepest in condemnation. None sink so far into hell as those that come nearest heaven, because they fall from the greatest height. As it aggravates the torments of damned souls in this respect above devils, they had a cord of mercy thrown out to them, which devils had not: so by how much God by his Spirit waits on, pleads with, and by both gains on a soul more then others by so much such a one (if he perish) will find hell the hotter: these add to his sin, and the remembrance of his sin in hell thus accented will add to his torment. None will have such a sad parting from Christ, as those who went half-way with him, and then left him.
Secondly, such a one is deepest in condemnation. None sink so far into hell as those that come nearest heaven, because they fall from the greatest height. As it aggravates the torments of damned souls in this respect above devils, they had a cord of mercy thrown out to them, which devils had not: so by how much God by his Spirit waits on, pleads with, and by both gains on a soul more then others by so much such a one (if he perish) will finde hell the hotter: these adde to his sin, and the rememberance of his sin in hell thus accented will adde to his torment. None will have such a sad parting from Christ, as those who went half-way with him, and then left him.
Therefore (I beseech you) look to your armour, David would not fight in armour, he had not tried though it was a Kings; perhaps some thought him too nice: What? is not the Kings armour good enough for David? Thus many will say, Art thou so curious and precise? such a great man doth thus and thus, and hopes to come to heaven at last, and darest not thou venture thy soul in his armour? No, Christian, follow not the example of the greatest on earth; 'tis thy own soul thou venturest in battle, therefore thou canst not be too choice of thy armour. Bring thy heart to the Word, as the only touch-stone of thy grace and furniture; the Word (I told you) is the Tower of David, from whence thy armour must be fetched, if thou canst find this Tower-stamp on it, then 'tis of God, else not. Try it therefore by this one Scripture-stamp. Those weapons are mighty, which God gives his Saints to fight his battles withal,