A85783:188
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.
they show as little love to Christ as others, when it is matter of cost, as to relieve a poor Saint, or maintain the Gospel, you may get more from a stranger, an enemy, then from a professing brother. O Christians, either vindicate the Name of Christ, whose Ensign you seem to march after, or throw away your seeming armour, by which you have drawn the eyes of the world upon you. If you will not, Christ himself will cashier you, and that with shame enough ere long. Never call that Armour of God, which defends thee not against the power of Satan. Take therefore the several pieces of your armour, and try them, as the soldier before he fights, will set his helmet or head-piece, as a mark at which he lets fly a brace of bullets, and as he finds them so will wear them or leave them; but be sure thou shootest Scripture-bullets. Thou boastest of a breast-plate of righteousness, ask thy soul, Didst thou ever in thy life perform a duty to please God, and not to accommodate thy self? Thou hast prayed often against thy sin, a great noise of these pieces have been heard coming from thee by others, as if there were some hot fight between thee and thy corruption, but canst thou indeed show one sin thou hast slain by all thy praying? Joseph was alive, though his coat was brought bloody to Jacob and so may thy sin be for all thy mortified look in duty, and out cry thou makest against them. If thou wouldest thus try every piece, thy credulous heart would not so easily be cheated with Satan's false ware.
they shew as little love to Christ as others, when it is matter of cost, as to relieve a poor Saint, or maintain the Gospel, you may get more from a stranger, an enemie, then from a professing brother. O Christians, either vindicate the Name of Christ, whose Ensign you seem to march after, or throw away your seeming armour, by which you have drawn the eyes of the world upon you. If you will not, Christ himself will cashiere you, and that with shame enough ere long. Never call that Armour of God, which defends thee not against the power of Satan. Take therefore the several pieces of your armour, and try them, as the souldier before he fights, will set his helmet or head-piece, as a mark at which he lets flie a brace of bullets, and as he findes them so will weare them or leave them; but be sure thou shootest Scripture-bullets. Thou boastest of a breast-plate of righteousnesse, ask thy soul, Didst thou ever in thy life perform a duty to please God, and not to accommodate thy self? Thou hast prayed often against thy sin, a great noise of these pieces have been heard coming from thee by others, as if there were some hot fight between thee and thy corruption, but canst thou indeed shew one sin thou hast slain by all thy praying? Joseph was alive, though his coat was brought bloody to Jacob and so may thy sin be for all thy mortified look in duty, and out cry thou makest against them. If thou wouldest thus try every piece, thy credulous heart would not so easily be cheated with Satans false ware.