A85783:431
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 2 › Section 2
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.
Use. 1 First, Is man but frail flesh? let this humble thee, O man, in all thy excellency, flesh is but one remove from filth and corruption: thy soul is the salt that keeps thee sweet, or else thou wouldest stink above ground. Is it thy beauty thou pridest in? flesh is grass, but beauty is the vanity of this vanity. This goodliness is like the flower, which lasts not so long as the grass, appears in its month, and is gone, yea, like the beauty of the flower, which fades while the flower stands. How soon will times plough make furrows in thy face, yea, one fit of an Ague so change thy countenance, as shall make thy doting lovers afraid to look on thee? Is it strength? alas, it is an arm of flesh, which withers oft in the stretching forth; ere long thy blood which is now warm, will freeze in thy veins; thy Spring crowned with May-buds, will tread on Decembers heel; thy marrow dry in thy bones, thy sinews shrink, thy legs bow under the weight of thy body, thy eye-strings crack, thy tongue not able to call ⟨p. 176⟩for help; yea, thy heart with thy fl•sh shall fail; and now thou, who art such a giant, take a turn if thou canst in thy chamber, yea, raise but thy head from thy pillow if thou art able, or call back thy breath, which is making haste to be gone out of thy nostrils, never to return more; and darest thou glory in that which so soon may be prostrate?
Ʋse. 1 First, Is man but fraile flesh? let this humble thee, O man, in all thy excellency, flesh is but one remove from filth and corruption: thy soule is the salt that keeps thee sweet, or else thou wouldest stink above ground. Is it thy beauty thou pridest in? flesh is grasse, but beauty is the vanity of this vanity. This goodlinesse is like the flower, which lasts not so long as the grasse, appears in its moneth, and is gone, yea, like the beauty of the flower, which fades while the flower stands. How soon will times plough make furrowes in thy face, yea, one fit of an Ague so change thy countenance, as shall make thy doting lovers afraid to look on thee? Is it strength? alas, it is an arme of flesh, which withers oft in the stretching forth; ere long thy blood which is now warm, will freeze in thy veines; thy Spring crown'd with May-buds, will tread on Decembers heel; thy marrow dry in thy bones, thy sinews shrink, thy legs bow under the weight of thy body, thy eye-strings crack, thy tongue not able to call ⟨p. 176⟩