A85783:314
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.
Thirdly, such who father their sins upon the Saints, thus Ahab calls the Prophet the Troubler of Israel, when it was himself and his fathers house. What a grief was it, think you to Moses his spirit, for the Israelites to lay the blood of those that died in the wilderness at his door? whereas (God knows) he was their constant Bail, when at any time Gods hand was up to destroy them: and this is the charge which the best of Gods servants in this crooked generation of ours lie under: We may thank them (say the profane) for all our late miseries in the Nation: we were well enough till they would reform us. O for shame, blame not the good Physic that was administered, but the corrupt body of the Nation that could not bear it.
Thirdly, such who father their sins upon the Saints, thus Ahab calls the Prophet the Troubler of Israel, when it was himself and his fathers house. What a grief was it, think you to Moses his spirit, for the Israelites to lay the blood of those that died in the wildernesse at his door? whereas (God knows) he was their constant Baile, when at any time Gods hand was up to destroy them: and this is the charge which the best of Gods servants in this crooked generation of ours lie under: We may thank them (say the profane) for all our late miseries in the Nation: we were well enough till they would reforme us. O for shame, blame not the good Physick that was administred, but the corrupt body of the Nation that could not bear it.
Fourthly, such as will themselves sin, merely to trouble the Saints spirit. Thus Rabshakeh blasphemed, and when desired to speak in another language, he goes on the more to grieve them. Sometimes you shall have a profane wretch (knowing one to be conscientious, and cannot brook to hear the Name of God taken in vain, or the ways of God flouted,) will on purpose fall upon such discourse as shall grate his chaste ears, and trouble his gracious ⟨p. 127⟩spirit, such a one strikes father and child at one blow, think it not enough to dishonour God, except the Saint stands by to see and hear the wrong done to his heavenly Father.