A85783:318
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
A TREATISE Of the whole Armour Of God. › Introduction › Chapter 7 › Section 1
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.
SECT. I.
1First, if thou wouldest be guarded from him as a Troubler, take heed of him as a seducer. The hast of Satan's hatchet, (with which he lies chopping at the root of the Christians comfort) is commonly made of the Christians wood: First, he tempts to sin, and then for it. Satan is but a creature, and cannot work without tools, he can indeed make much of a little, but not any thing of nothing (as we see in his assaulting of Christ, where he troubled himself to little purpose, because he came and found nothing in him. 2Though the devil throws the stone, yet 'tis the mud in us which roils our comforts. 'Twas in vain for the Philistines to fall on Samson till his lock was cut: take heed therefore of yielding to his enticing motions; these are the stumbling block, at which he hopes thou'lt break thy shins, and bruise thy conscience, which once done, let him alone to spin out the cure. Indeed a Saints flesh heals not so easily as others: drink not of the devils wassail, there is poison in the cup, his wine is a mocker, look not on it as it sparkles in the temptation; what thou drinkest down with sweetness, thou wilt be sure ⟨p. 129⟩to bring up again as gall and wormwood. Above all sins, take heed of presumptuous ones,3 thou art not out of the danger of such. Sad stories we have of Saints falls, and what follows? then, Take him Jailer, (saith God,) Deliver such a one unto Satan; and if a Saint be the Prisoner, and the devil the Keeper, you may guess how he shall be used. O how he will tear and rend thy conscience! Though that dreadful Ordinance is not used (as it should be) in the Church, yet Gods Court sits, and if he excommunicate a soul from his presence, he falls presently into Satan's clutches. Well, if through his subtlety thou hast been overtaken, take heed thou stayest not in the devils quarters: shake the viper off thy hand, ply thee to thy Chirurgeon: green wounds cure best, but if thou neglectest, and the wind get to it, thy conscience will soon fester.