A85783:371
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 9 › 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.
Secondly, God doth thus to pour the greater shame upon Satan, who is the great make-bate between God and the soul. How is the man ashamed that hath stirred up variance between husband and wife, father and son, to see the breach made up, and all set themselves against him? It went ill on Christs side, when Herod and Pilate were made friends, and can it go well with Satan to see all well between God and his children? If Esther be in favour, Haman her enemy shall have his face covered. Indeed, this covers Satan's face with shame, to see a poor Saint even now his prisoner, whom he had leave to rob and plunder, tempt and disquiet, now sitting in the Sun-shine of Gods love, while he like a ravening Lion takes on for the loss of his prey.
Secondly, God doth thus to poure the greater shame upon Satan, who is the great make-bate between God and the soule. How is the man ashamed that hath stirr'd up variance between husband and wife, father and son, to see the breach made up, and all set themselves against him? It went ill on Christs side, when Herod and Pilate were made friends, and can it go well with Satan to see all well between God and his children? If Esther be in favour, Haman her enemy shall have his face covered. Indeed, this covers Satans face with shame, to see a poor Saint even now his prisoner, whom he had leave to rob and plunder, tempt and disquiet, now sitting in the Sun-shine of Gods love, while he like a ravening Lion takes on for the losse of his prey.
Secondly, Satan's aim is to weaken the Saints faith on God, and cool his love to God, but befooled in both; for, first God turns their temptations, yea, their falls, to the further establishment of their faith, which (like the tree) stands stronger for its shaking, or like the Giant Antaeus, who in his wrestling with Hercules is feigned to get strength by every fall to the ground. False faith indeed once foiled, seldom comes on again; but true faith riseth and fights more valiantly, as we see in Peter and other Scripture-examples. Temptation to faith is as fire to gold, 1 Pet. 1.7