A85783:28
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.
EPHESIANS 6.10. Finally, my Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Paul was now in bonds, yet not so close kept as to be denied pen and paper: God (it seems) gave him some favour in the sight of his enemies: Paul was Nero's prisoner; Nero was much more Gods. And while God had work for Paul, he found him friends both in Court and prison. Let persecutors send the Saints to prison, God can provide a Keeper for their turn.
PAul was now in bonds, yet not so close kept as to be denied pen and paper: God (it seemes) gave him some favour in the sight of his enemies: Paul was Nero's prisoner; Nero was much more Gods. And while God had work for Paul, he found him friends both in Court and prison. Let persecutors send the Saints to prison, God can provide a Keeper for their turn.
But how doth this great Apostle spend his time in prison? not in publishing invectives against those, (though the worst of men) who had laid him in; a piece of zeal which the holy sufferers of those times were little acquainted with: Nor in politic counsels how he might wind himself out of his trouble, by sordid flattery of, or sinful compliance with the great ones of the times. Some would have used any pick-lock to have opened a passage ⟨p. 2⟩to their liberty, and not scrupled, (so escape they might) whether they got out at the door or window: But this holy man was not so fond of liberty or life, as to purchase them with the least hazard to the Gospel. He knew too much of another world, to bid so high for the enjoying of this, and therefore he is at a point what his enemies can do with him, well knowing he could go to heaven whether they would or no; No, the great care which lay upon him was for the Churches of Christ: as a faithful Steward he labours to set this House of God in order before his departure. We read of no dispatches sent to Court to procure his liberty, but many to the Churches to help them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free. There is no such way to be even with the devil and his instruments for all their spite against us, as by doing what good we can, wherever we become. The devil had as good have let Paul alone; for he no sooner comes into prison, but he falls a preaching, at which the gates of Satan's prison fly open, and poor sinners come forth. Happy for Onesimus that Paul was sent to Jail; God had an errand for Paul to do to him and others, which the devil never dreamed of. Nay, he doth not only preach in prison, but that he may do the devil all the mischief he can, he sends his Epistles to the Churches; that tasting his Spirit in his afflictions, and reading his faith, now ready to be offered up, they might much more be confirmed, amongst which Ephesus was not least in his thoughts, as you may perceive by his abode with them two years together,