A85783:487
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 4 › Section 1
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.
First, in his names; Secondly, his nature; Thirdly, his number; Fourthly, his order and unity; Lastly, the mighty works that are attributed to him.
First, for the first, he hath names of great power called the strong man, Luke. 11.21. so strong that he keeps his house in peace in defiance of all the sons of Adam, none on earth being able to cope with this giant: Christ must come from Heaven to destroy him and his works, or the field is lost. He is called the ⟨p. 197⟩roaring lion, which beast commands the whole forrest; If he roars all tremble, yea, in such a manner, as Pliny relates, that he goes amongst them, and they stand exanimated while he chooseth his prey without resistance; such a lion is Satan, who leads sinners captive at his will, 2 Tim. 3.26. He takes them alive, as the word is, as the Fowler the bird, which with a little scrap is enticed into the net; or as the Conqueror his cowardly enemy, who has no heart to fight, but yields without contest. Such cowards the devil finds sinners, he no sooner appears in a motion, but they yield; They are but a very few noble spirits and those are the children of the most High God, who dare valiantly oppose him, and in striving against sin resist to blood. He is called the great red dragon, who with his tail, wicked men his instruments, sweeps down the third part of the stars of Heaven. The Prince of the power of the air, because as a Prince can muster his subjects, and draw them into the field for his service, so the devil can raise the posse coeli aërii. In a word, he is called the God of this world, 2 Cor. 4.4. because sinners give him a God-like worship, fear him as the Saints do God himself.
First, for the first, he hath names of great power called the strong man, Luke. 11.21. so strong that he keeps his house in peace in defiance of all the sons of Adam, none on earth being able to cope with this giant: Christ must come from Heaven to destroy him and his works, or the field is lost. He is call'd the