A85783:245
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.
Secondly, when the Saint is beset with some great affliction, This is as some blind lane or solitary place, fit for this thief to call for his purse in. An expert Captain first labours to make a breach in the wall, and then falls on instorming the City. Satan first got power from God to weaken Job in his estate, children, health and other comforts he had, and now tempts him to impatience, and what not? he lets Christ fast forty days before he comes, and then he falls to his work; as an army stays till a Castle be pinched for provision within, and then sends a parley, never more likely to be embraced then in such a strait. A temptation comes strong when the way to relief seems to lie through the sin that Satan is wooing to; when one is poor and Satan comes, What wilt starve rather then step over the hedge and steal for thy supply? this is enough to put flesh and blood to the stand.
Secondly, when the Saint is beset with some great affliction, This is as some blinde lane or solitary place, fit for this thief to call for his purse in. An expert Captain first labours to make a breach in the wall, and then falls on instorming the City. Satan first got power from God to weaken Job in his estate, children, health and other comforts he had, and now tempts him to impatience, and what not? he lets Christ fast fourty dayes before he comes, and then he falls to his work; as an army stayes till a Castle be pinch't for provision within, and then sends a parley, never more likely to be embraced then in such a strait. A temptation comes strong when the way to relief seems to lie through the sin that Satan is wooing to; when one is poor and Satan comes, What wilt starve rather then step over the hedge and steal for thy supply? this is enough to put flesh and blood to the stand.
Thirdly, when the Christian is about some notable enterprise for Gods glory, then Satan will lie like a Serpent in the way, an Adder in the path, that biteth his horse-heels, so that his Rider shall fall backward. Thus he stood at Joshua's right hand to resist him. The right hand is the working hand, and his standing there implies his desire to hinder him in his enterprise. Indeed the devil was never friend to Temple-work, and therefore that work is so long a doing. What a handsome excuse doth he help the Jews unto, The time is not come: Gods time was come,