A85783:238
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.
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.
1The devil is a very subtile enemy. The Christian is endangered most by his policy and craft; he is call'd the old Serpent. The serpent? subtil 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 wisdome indeed assoon as he became a devil, but ever since he hath increast his craft; though he hath not wisdom enough to do himself good, yet subtilty enough to do others hurt. God shewes us where his strength lies, when he promiseth he will bruise the head of the Serpent; his head crush't and he dies presently. Now in handling this Point of Satans subtilty, we shall consider him in his two main designes, and therein shew 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 sinne. First, let us consider the devil as a tempter to sin, and there he shews his wily subtilty in three things.