A85783:533
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 3
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 Naturally. There is a noxious quality in sin offensive to the understanding, which is to the soul what the eye and palate are to the body; It discerns of things, and distinguisheth true from false, as the eye white from black: It trieth words as the mouth tasteth meats. Now as there are some things bad for the sight, and others bad for the palate vitiating it, so that it shall not know sweet from bitter; so here sin besots the creature, and makes it injudicious, that he who could see such a practice absurd and base in others before, when once he hath drunk of this enchanting cup himself, (as one that hath for done his understanding) is mad of it himself, not able now to see the evil of it, or use his reason against it. Thus Saul before he had debauched his conscience, thinks the Witch worthy of death; but after he had trodden his conscience hard with other foul sins, goes to ask counsel of one himself.
First Naturally. There is a noxious quality in sin offensive to the understanding, which is to the soule what the eye and palate are to the body; It discernes of things, and distinguisheth true from false, as the eye white from black: It tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meats. Now as there are some things bad for the sight, and others bad for the palate vitiating it, so that it shall not know sweet from bitter; so here sin besots the creature, and makes it injudicious, that he who could see such a practice absurd and base in others before, when once he hath drunk of this inchanting cup himself, (as one that hath for done his understanding) is mad of it himself, not able now to see the evil of it, or use his reason against it. Thus Saul before he had debauch't his conscience, thinks the Witch worthy of death; but after he had trodden his conscience hard with other foule sins, goes to ask counsel of one himself.
Again, sin brings darkness judiciously; such have been threatened, whose ear God hath been trying to open and instruct, and have run out of Gods school into the devils, by rebelling against light, that they shall die without knowledge, Job 36.10, 12