A85783:346
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.
CHAP. IX. An Account is given, how the All-wise God doth out-wit the devil in his tempting of Saints to sin, wherein are laid down the ends Satan propounds, and how he is prevented in them all, with the gracious issue that God puts to these his temptations.
Quest. But how doth God defeat Satan, and out-wit his wiles in tempting his Saints?
Answ. This God doth by accomplishing his own gracious ends for the good and comfort of his people out of those temptations from which Satan designs their ruin, this is the noblest kind of Conquest, to beat back the devils weapon to the wounding of his own head, yea, to cut it off with the devils own sword; thus God sets the devil to catch the devil, and lays, as it were, his own counsels under Satan's wings, and makes him hatch them. Thus the Patriarchs helped to fulfil Josephs dream, while they are thinking to rid their hands of him. To instance in a few particulars.
Answ. This God doth by accomplishing his own gracious ends for the good and comfort of his people out of those temptations from which Satan designes their ruine, this is the noblest kinde of Conquest, to beat back the devils weapon to the wounding of his own head, yea, to cut it off with the devils own sword; thus God sets the devil to catch the devil, and layes, as it were, his own counsels under Satans wings, and makes him hatch them. Thus the Patriarchs help't to fulfil Josephs dream, while they are thinking to rid their hands of him. To instance in a few particulars.