A85783:237
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.
To begin with the first, the Saints enemy, the devil described by his wiles [Greek or Hebrew], properly the methods of Satan, [Greek or Hebrew] of [Greek or Hebrew], which signifies, that Art and order one observes in handling a point; we say such a one is methodical; Now because it shows ingenuity and acuteness of wit so to compose a discourse, therefore it is transferred to express the subtlety of Satan in laying of his plots and stratagems, in his warlike preparations against the Christian. Indeed, the expert soldier hath his order as well as the scholar, there is method in forming of an army, as well as framing an argument. The Note which lies before us is,
To begin with the first, the Saints enemy, the devil described by his wiles 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, properly the methods of Satan, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 of 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, which signifies, that Art and order one observes in handling a point; we say such a one is methodical; Now because it shews ingenuity and acutenesse of wit so to compose a discourse, therefore it is transferr'd to expresse the subtilty of Satan in laying of his plots and stratagems, in his warlike preparations against the Christian. Indeed, the expert souldier hath his order as well as the scholar, there is method in forming of an army, as well as framing an argument. The Note which lies before us is,
1The devil is a very subtle enemy. The Christian is endangered most by his policy and craft; he is called the old Serpent. The serpent? subtle above other creatures, an old Serpent above other serpents; Satan was too crafty for man in his perfection, much more now in his maimed estate, having never recovered that first ⟨p. 93⟩crack he got in his understanding by the fall of Adam. And as man hath lost, so Satan hath gained more and more experience; he lost his wisdom indeed as soon as he became a devil, but ever since he hath increased his craft; though he hath not wisdom enough to do himself good, yet subtlety enough to do others hurt. God shows us where his strength lies, when he promiseth he will bruise the head of the Serpent; his head crushed and he dies presently. Now in handling this Point of Satan's subtlety, we shall consider him in his two main designs, and therein show you his wiles and policies. His first main design is to draw into sin. The second is to accuse, vex and trouble the Saint for sin. First, let us consider the devil as a tempter to sin, and there he shows his wily subtlety in three things.