A85783:491
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.
Secondly, the Spirituality of their nature. The weakness of man is from his flesh: his soul made for great enterprises, but weighed down with a lump of flesh, is forced to row with a strength suitable to its weak Partner; but now the devils being Angels have no such incumbrance, no fumes from a fleshly part to cloud their understanding, which is clear and piercing; no clog at their heel to retard their motion, which for swiftness is set out by the wind and flame of fire. Yea, being spiritual they ⟨p. 198⟩cannot be resisted with carnal force, fire and sword hurt not them. The Angel which appeared to Manoah, went up in the fire that consumed the sacrifice, though such hath been the dotage, and is at this day of superstitious ones, that they think to charm the devil with their carnal exorcisms; hence the Romish Relics, Cross, holy water, yea, and among the Jews themselves in corrupter times, who thought by their phylacteries and Circumcision, to scare away the devil, which made some of them expound that, Cant. 3.8. of Circumcision, Every man hath his sword on his thigh, because of fear in the night. By sword on the thigh, they expound Circumcision, which they will vainly have given as a charm against evil spirits that affright them in the night. But alas, the devil cares for none of these, no, not for an Ordinance of God, when by fleshly confidence we make it a spell: he hath been often bound with these fetters and chains, (as is said of him in the Gospel) and the chains have been plucked asunder by him, neither could any man thus tame him. He esteems, as Job saith of the Leviathan, iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. It must be a stronger then the strong man must bind him, and none stronger but God the Father of spirits. The devil lost indeed by his fall much of his power, in relation to that holy and happy estate in which he was created, but not his natural abilities, he is an Angel still, and hath an Angels power.
Secondly, the Spirituality of their nature. The weaknesse of man is from his flesh: his soule made for great enterprizes, but weighed down with a lump of flesh, is forced to rowe with a strength suitable to its weak Partner; but now the devils being Angels have no such incumbrance, no sumes from a fleshly part to cloud their understanding, which is clear and piercing; no clog at their heele to retard their motion, which for swiftnesse is set out by the winde and flame of fire. Yea, being spiritual they