A85783:223
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 5 › 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.
SECT. 3.
Use. 1 This falls heavy on their heads, who are so far from exercising grace, that they walk in the exercise of their lusts, their hearts are like a glass-house, the fire is never out, the shop-windows never shut, they are always at work, hammering some wicked project or other, upon the anvil of their hearts; there are some who give full scope to their lusts, what their wretched hearts will, they shall have; they cocker their lusts as some their children, deny them nothing, who (as it is recorded of David to Adonijah) do not so much as say to their souls, Why doest thou so? why art thou so proud, so covetous, so profane? They spend their days in making provision for these guests: as at some Inns, the house never cools, but as one guest goes out, another comes in, as one lust is served, another is calling for attendance; as some exercise grace more then others, so there are greater traders in sin, that set more a work then others, and return more wrath in a day then others in a month; Happy are such (in comparison of these) who are chained up by Gods restraint upon their outward man or inward, that they cannot drive on so furiously as these, who by health of body, power and greatness in place, riches and treasures in their coffers, numbness and dedolency in their consciences, are hurried on to fill up the measure of their sins. We read of the Assyrian, that he enlarged his heart as hell, stretching out his desires as men do their bags that are ⟨p. 88⟩thrack't full with money to hold more, Hab. 2.5. Thus the adulterer, as if his body were not quick enough to execute the commands of his lust, stirs it up by sending forth his amorous glances, which come home laden with adultery, blows up this fire with unchaste sonnets and belly-cheer, proper fuel for the devils kitchen; and the malicious man, who that he may lose no time from his lust, is a tearing his neighbour in pieces as he lies on his bed, cannot sleep unless some such bloody sacrifice be offered to his ravening lust. O how may this shame the Saints: how oft is your zeal so hot, that you cannot sleep till your hearts have been in heaven, as you are on your beds, and there pacified with the sight of your dear Saviour, and some embraces of love from him?