A85783:328
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 3
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.
God oft comes betimes, before gross sins have deflowered the soul, and steals into the creatures bosom without much noise. In such a case Satan doth but abuse thee when he sends thee on this errand; you may know the Sun is up, though you did not observe when it rose. Again, what will become of thee (saith Satan) if God should bring thee into such an affliction on trial, when thou must burn or turn, or when all thy outward estate shall be rent from thee, no meal in the barrel, no money in the purse; darest thou have so good an opinion of thy self, as to think that thy faith will hold out in ⟨p. 132⟩such an hour of temptation? It thou hast but half an eye, Christian, thou mayest see what Satan drives at: this is an ensnaring question; by the fear of future troubles he labours to bring thee into a neglect of thy present duty, and indispose thee also for such a stare whenever it falls. If a man hath much business to do on the morrow, 'tis his wisdom to discharge his mind thereof, (when composing to sleep) lest the thoughts thereof break his rest, and make him the more unfit in the morning. The less rest the soul hath in God and his promise concerning future events, the less strength it will find to bear them when the pinch comes. When therefore thou art molested with such fears, pacify thy heart with these three plain Conclusions.
God oft comes betimes, before grosse sins have deflowered the soule, and steals into the creatures bosome without much noise. In such a case Satan doth but abuse thee when he sends thee on this errand; you may know the Sun is up, though you did not observe when it rose. Again, what will become of thee (saith Satan) if God should bring thee into such an affliction on trial, when thou must burn or turn, or when all thy outward estate shall be rent from thee, no meal in the barrel, no money in the purse; darest thou have so good an opinion of thy selfe, as to think that thy faith will hold out in ⟨p. 132⟩such an houre of temptation? It thou hast but half an eye, Christian, thou mayest see what Satan drives at: this is an ensnaring question; by the feare of future troubles he labours to bring thee into a neglect of thy present duty, and indispose thee also for such a stare whenever it falls. If a man hath much businesse to do on the morrow, 'tis his wisdom to discharge his minde thereof, (when composing to sleep) lest the thoughts thereof break his rest, and make him the more unfit in the morning. The lesse rest the soule hath in God and his promise concerning future events, the lesse strength it will finde to beare them when the pinch comes. When therefore thou art molested with such feares, pacifie thy heart with these three plain Conclusions.