A85783:517
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 5 › 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.
SECT. II.
Secondly, the devils Empire is confined to place as well as time: he is the Ruler of this lower world, not of the heavenly. The highest the devil can go is the air, called the Prince thereof, as being the utmost marches of his Empire, he hath nothing to do with the upper world. Heaven fears no devil, and therefore ⟨p. 212⟩its gates stand always open; never durst this fiend look into that holy place since he was first expelled, but rangeth to and fro here below as a vagabond creature, excommunicated the presence of God, doing what mischief he can to Saints in their way to heaven; but is not this matter of great joy, that Satan hath no power there, where the Saints happiness lies? What hast thou (Christian) which thou needest value that is not there? Thy Christ is there, and if thou lovest him, thy heart also, which lives in the bosom of its beloved. Thy friends, and kindred in Christ are there, or expected; with whom thou shalt have a merry meeting in thy Fathers house, notwithstanding the snare on Tabor, the plots of Satan which lie in the way. O friends get a title to that Kingdom, and you are above the flight of this Kite. This made Job a happy man indeed, who when the devil had plundered him to his skin, and worried him almost out of that too, could then vouch Christ in the face of death and devils to be his Redeemer, whom he should with those eyes, that now stood full with brinish tears, behold, and that for himself as his own portion. It is sad with him indeed, who is robbed of all he is worth at once, but this can never be said of a Saint. The devil took away Jobs purse, (as I may say) which put him into some straits, but he had a God in Heaven that put him into stock again. Some spending money thou hast at present in thy purse, in the activity of thy faith, the evidence of thy son-ship, and comfort flowing from the same, enlargement in duty and the like, which Satan may for a time disturb, yea, deprive thee of but he cannot come to the rolls, to blot thy name out of the book of life; he cannot null thy faith, make void thy relation, dry up thy comfort in the Spring, though dam up the stream; nor hinder thee a happy issue of thy whole war with sin, though worst thee in a private skirmish; these all are kept in Heaven, among Gods own Crown-Jewels, who is said to keep us by his power through faith unto salvation.