A85783:434
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 3 Thirdly, fear not man, he is but flesh. This was Davids resolve, Ps. 56.4. I will not fear what flesh can do unto me; thou needest not thou oughtest not to fear. Thou needest not. What, not such a ⟨p. 177⟩great man, not such a number of men, who have the keys of all the prisons at their girdle, who can kill or save alive, no, not these, only look they be thy enemies for Righteousness sake. Take heed thou makest not the least child thine enemy, by offering wrong to him, God will right the wicked even upon the Saint. If he offends, he shall find no shelter under Gods wing for his sin. This made Jerome complain that the Christians sins made the arms of those barbarous Nations which invaded Christendom victorious: Nostris peccatis fortes sunt barbari. But if mans wrath finds thee in Gods way, and his fury take fire at thy holiness, thou needest not fear, though thy life be the prey he hunts for. Flesh can only wound flesh, he may kill thee, but not hurt thee, why shouldest thou fear to be stripped of that which thou hast resigned already to Christ? 'tis the first lesson thou learnest, if a Christian, to deny thy self, take up thy cross, and follow thy Master; so that the enemy comes too late; thou hast no life to lose, because thou hast given it already to Christ, nor can man take away that without Gods leave; all thou hast is ensured; and though God hath not promised thee immunity from suffering in this kind, yet he hath undertaken to bear thy loss, yea, to pay thee a hundred fold, and thou shalt not stay for it till another world. Again, thou oughtest not to fear flesh. Our Saviour, Mat. 10. thrice in the compass of six verses, commands us not to fear man; if thy heart quails at him, how wilt thou behave thy self in the list against Satan, whose little finger is heavier then mans loins? The Romans had arma praelusoria; weapons rebated or cudgels, which they were tried at before they came to the sharp. If thou canst not bear a bruise in thy flesh from mans cudgel and blunt weapon, what wilt thou do when thou shalt have Satan's sword in thy side? God counts himself reproached when his children fear a sorry man; therefore we are bid, Sanctify the Lord, and not to fear their fear. Now if thou wouldest not fear man who is but flesh; Labour,
Ʋse 3 Thirdly, feare not man, he is but flesh. This was Davids resolv,