A85783:410
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 1 › Section 4
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, be very careful of giving thine enemy hand-hold. Wrestlers strive to fasten upon some part or other, which gives them advantage more easily to throw their adversary; to prevent which, they used, First, to lay aside their garments. Secondly, to anoint their bodies. For the first, Christian, labour to put off the old man which is most personal, that corruption, which David calls his own iniquity, Psal. 18.23. This is the skirt which Satan lays hold of, observe what it is, and mortify it daily, then Satan will retreat with shame, when he sees the head of that enemy upon the wall, which should have betrayed thee into his hands. Secondly, the Roman wrestlers used to anoint their bodies; so do thou, bathe thy soul with the frequent meditation of Christs love. Satan will find little welcome, where Christs love dwells, love will kindle love, and that will be as a wall of fire to keep off Satan, it will make thee disdain the offer of a sin, and as oil supple thy joints, and make ⟨p. 169⟩agile to offend thy enemy. Think how Christ wrestled in thy quarrel, sin, hell and wrath had all come full mouth upon thee, had not he coped with them in the way. And canst thou find in thy heart to requite his love, by betraying his glory into the hands of sin, by cowardice or treachery: say not thou lovest him, so long as thou canst lay those sins in thy bosom, which plucked his heart out of his bosom. It were strange if a child should keep, and delight to use no other knife, but that wherewith his father was stabbed.
Secondly, be very careful of giving thine enemy hand-hold. Wrestlers strive to fasten upon some part or other, which gives them advantage more easily to throw their adversary; to prevent which, they used, First, to lay aside their garments. Secondly, to anoint their bodies. For the first, Christian, labour to put off the old man which is most personal, that corruption, which David calls his own iniquity, Psal. 18.23. This is the skirt which Satan layes hold of, observe what it is, and mortifie it daily, then Satan will retreat with shame, when he sees the head of that enemy upon the wall, which should have betrayed thee into his hands. Secondly, the Romane wrestlers used to anoint their bodies; so do thou, bathe thy soul with the frequent meditation of Christs love. Satan will finde little welcome, where Christs love dwells, love will kindle love, and that will be as a wall of fire to keep off Satan, it will make thee disdain the offer of a sinne, and as oile supple thy joynts, and make