A85783:377
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.
those royal garments of salvation, that make him so admired of men and Angels? but the celebration of all his Attributes, according to what every one hath done towards their salvation. Now wisdom being that which the creature chiefly glories in, (and chosen by Satan for his first bait, who made Eve believe she should be like God in knowledge and wisdom) therefore God, to give Satan the more shameful fall, gives him leave to use his wits and wiles in tempting and troubling his children, in which lies his great advantage over the Saints, that so the way to his own Throne (where his Wisdom shall at last, as well as his mercy sit in all its Royalty) may be paved with the sculls (as I may so speak) of devils.
those royal garments of salvation, that make him so admired of men and Angels? but the celebration of all his Attributes, according to what every one hath done towards their salvation. Now wisdom being that which the creature chiefly glories in, (and chosen by Satan for his first bait, who made Eve believe she should be like God in knowledge and wisdome) therefore God, to give Satan the more shameful fall, gives him leave to use his wits and wiles in tempting and troubling his children, in which lies his great advantage over the Saints, that so the way to his own Throne (where his Wisdome shall at last, as well as his mercy sit in all its Royalty) may be paved with the sculls (as I may so speak) of devils.
Use 2 Secondly, this gives a strong cordial to our fainting faith, in the behalf of the Church of Christ. If all the devils wits and wiles will not serve him to overcome one single soldier in Christs Camp, much less shall he ever ruin the whole Army. These are days of great confusions in the Christian world, and the chief fear of a gracious heart is for the Ark, lest that should fall into the enemies hand, (and when this Palladium is taken, the City of God (his Church,) be trod under the feet of pride,) I confess Satan seems to get ground daily; he hath strangely wriggled into the bosoms and principles of many, who by the fame of their Profession and zeal, had obtained in the opinion of others, to be reckoned among the chief of Christs Worthies in their generation. He hath sadly corrupted the truths of Christ, brought a dis-esteem on Ordinances, (that by this, and as a judgment for this, the womb of the Gospel is become in a great measure barren, and her children which hang upon her breasts,