A85783:544
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.
Usually when a people have been ground with the oppression of some bloody Tyrant, they are apt enough to long for a change, and to listen to any overture that gives them hope of liberty, though reached by the hand of a stranger, who may prove as bad as the other, yet bondage is so grievous, that people desire to change, (as ⟨p. 219⟩sick men their beds) though they find little ease thereby. Why then should deliverance be unwelcome to you, sinners? Deliverance brought not by a stranger whom you need fear, what his design is upon you; but your near Kinsman in blood, who cannot mean you ill, but he must first hate his own flesh;1 and whoever did that? To be sure not he, who though he took part of our flesh, that he might have the right of being our Redeemer: yet would have no kindred with us in the sinfulness of our nature. And 'tis sin that makes us cruel, yea, to our own flesh.2 What can you expect from him but pure mercy, who is himself pure? They are the mercies of the wicked which are cruel. Believe it (Sirs) Christ counts it his honour, that he is a King of a willing people, and not of slaves. He comes to make you free, not to bring you into bondage; to make you Kings, not vassals. None give Christ an evil word, but those who never were his subjects. Enquire but of those who have tried both Satan's service and Christs; they are best able to resolve you what they are. You see when a soul comes over from Satan's quarters unto Christ, and has but once the experience of that sweetness which is in his service, there is no getting him back to his old drudgery, as they say of those, who come out of the North, (which is cold and poor) they like the warm South so well, they seldom or never go back more. What more dreadful to a gracious soul then to be delivered into the hands of Satan? or fall under the power of his lusts? It would choose rather to leap into a burning furnace, then be commanded by them. This is the great request a child of God makes, that he would rather whip him in his house, then turn him out of it to become a prey to Satan. O sinners, did you know (which you cannot till you come over to Christ and embrace him as your Lord & Saviour) what the privileges of Christs servants are, & what gentle usage Saints have at Christs hands, you would say those were the only happy men in the world, which stand continually before him.