A85783:205
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
A TREATISE Of the whole Armour Of God. › Introduction › Chapter 4 › Section 3
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.
First, because grace is subject to decays, and therefore ever needs completing, as in an army especially which often engageth in battle, their arms are battered and broken, one man hath his helmet bent, another his sword gapped, a third his pistol unfixed; and therefore recruits are ever necessary. In one temptation the Christian hath his helmet of hope beaten off his head, in another his patience hard put to it. The Christian had need have an Armourers shop at hand to make up his loss, and that speedily, for Satan is most like to fall on, when the Christian is least prepared to receive his charge; Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to sift you; he knew they were at that time weakly provided, (Christ their Captain now to be taken from the head of their troop, discontents among themselves, striving who should be greatest, and their recruits of stronger grace, which the Spirit was to bring, not yet come.) Now he hath a design to surprise them: and therefore Christ carefully to prevent him, promiseth speedily to dispatch his Spirit for their supply, and in the mean time sends them to Jerusalem, to stand as it were in a body in their joint supplications,1 upon their guard, while he comes to their relief, showing us in the weakness of our graces what to do, and whither to go for supply.
First, because grace is subject to decayes, and therefore ever needs compleating, as in an army especially which often engageth in battel, their armes are batter'd and broken, one man hath his helmet bent, another his sword gap't, a third his pistol unfix't; and therefore recruits are ever necessary. In one temptation the Christian hath his helmet of hope beaten off his head, in another his patience hard put to it. The Christian had need have an Armourers shop at hand to make up his losse, and that speedily, for Satan is most like to fall on, when the Christian is least prepared to receive his charge; Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to sift you; he knew they were at that time weakly provided, (Christ their Captain now to be taken from the head of their troop, discontents among themselves, striving who should be greatest, and their recruits of stronger grace, which the Spirit was to bring, not yet come.) Now he hath a design to surprise them: and therefore Christ carefully to prevent him, promiseth speedily to dispatch his Spirit for their supply, and in the mean time sends them to Jerusalem, to stand as it were in a body in their joynt supplications,