A85783:274
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.
First, affect not subtlety in contriving any sin. Some are wise to do evil, Jer. 4.22. Masters of this craft, who can as they lie on their beds, cast their wicked designs into an artificial method, showing a kind of devilish wit therein, as the Egyptians who dealt wisely (as they thought) with the Israelites and Jezebel, who had printed her bloody design in so fair a letter, that some might read her Saint while she was playing the devil. This is the black Art indeed, and will make the soul black as hell that practiseth it. It is not hard for any (though a fool) to learn. Be but wicked, and the devil will help thee to be witty; Come but a while to his school, and thou mayest soon be a cunning man. No sins speak a higher attainment in wickedness, then those which are the result of deliberate counsel and deep plottings. Creatures, as they go longer with their young, so their birth is more strong and perfect, as the Elephant above all others. The longer a sin is a forming and forging within, and the oftener ⟨p. 111⟩the head and heart meet about it, the completer the sin. Here are many litters of unformed sins in one, such I mean, that are conceived and cast forth in the hurry of an extemporary passion, such sudden acts show weakness, these other deep wickedness.
First, affect not subtilty in contriving any sin. Some are wise to do evil, Jer. 4.22. Masters of this craft, who can as they lie on their beds, cast their wicked designes into an artificial method, shewing a kinde of devillish wit therein, as the Egyptians who dealt wisely (as they thought) with the Israelites and Jezabel, who had printed her bloody design in so faire a letter, that some might reade her Saint while she was playing the devil. This is the black Art indeed, and will make the soul black as hell that practiseth it. It is not hard for any (though a fool) to learn. Be but wicked, and the devil will help thee to be witty; Come but a while to his school, and thou mayest soon be a cunning man. No sins speak a higher attainment in wickednesse, then those which are the result of deliberate counsel and deep plottings. Creatures, as they go longer with their young, so their birth is more strong and perfect, as the Elephant above all others. The longer a sin is a forming and forging within, and the oftner