A85783:51
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
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.
Fourthly, the Christian must trust in a withdrawing God, Isa. 50, v. 10. Let him that walks in darkness, and sees no light, trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. This requires a holy boldness of faith indeed to venture into Gods presence, as Esther into Ahasuerus, when no smile is to be seen on his face, no golden sceptre of the promise perceived by the soul, as held forth to embolden it to come near, then to press in with this noble resolution; If I perish, I perish. Nay more, to trust not only in a withdrawing but a killing God;1 not when his love is hid, but when his wrath breaks forth: Now for a soul to make its approaches to God by a recumbency of faith, while God seems ⟨p. 9⟩to fire upon it, and shoot his frowns like envenomed arrows into it. This is hard work, and will try the Christians metal to purpose. Yet such a masculine spirit we find in that poor woman of Canaan, who takes up the bullets Christ shot at her, and with an humble boldness of faith sends them back again in her prayer.
Fourthly, the Christian must trust in a withdrawing God, Isa. 50, v. 10. Let him that walks in darknesse, and sees no light, trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. This requires a holy boldnesse of faith indeed to venture into Gods presence, as Esther into Ahashuerus, when no smile is to be seen on his face, no golden scepter of the promise perceived by the soule, as held forth to embolden it to come near, then to presse in with this noble resolution; If I perish, I perish. Nay more, to trust not only in a withdrawing but a killing God;1 not when his love is hid, but when his wrath breakes forth: Now for a soule to make its approaches to God by a recumbency of faith, while God seemes ⟨p. 9⟩to fire upon it, and shoot his frownes like envenomed arrowes into it. This is hard work, and will trie the Christians mettal to purpose. Yet such a masculine spirit we finde in that poore woman of Canaan, who takes up the bullets Christ shot at her, and with an humble boldnesse of faith sends them back again in her prayer.