A85783:550
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.
He considered with himself what a starving condition he was in, his husks were poor meat, and yet he had not enough of them neither, and how easily he might mend his commons, if he had but grace to go home and humble himself to his Father. Now and not till now he goes: Resolve thus poor sinner to sit down and consider what thy state is, and what it might be, if thou wouldest but change the bondage of Satan for the sweet Government of Jesus Christ. First, ask thy soul, whether the devil can, after thou hast worn out thy miserable life herein his drudgery, prefer thee to a happy state in the other world, or so much as secure thee from a state of torment and woe? If he cannot, whether there be not one Jesus Christ, who is able and willing to do it? and if so, whether it be not bloody cruelty to thy precious soul, to stay any longer under the shadow of this bramble, when thou mayest make so blessed a change? A few of these thoughts abidingly laid home to thy soul, (may God striking in with them) shake the foundations of the devils prison, and make thee haste as fast from him, as one out of a house on fire about his ears.
He considered with himself what a starving condition he was in, his huskes were poor meat, and yet he had not enough of them neither, and how easily he might mend his commons, if he had but grace to go home and humble himself to his Father. Now and not till now he goes: Resolve thus poor sinner to sit down and consider what thy state is, and what it might be, if thou wouldest but change the bondage of Satan for the sweet Government of Jesus Christ. First, ask thy soule, whether the devil can, after thou hast worne out thy miserable life herein his drudg'ry, prefer thee to a happy state in the other world, or so much as secure thee from a state of torment and wo? If he cannot, whether there be not one Iesus Christ, who is able and willing to do it? and if so, whether it be not bloody cruelty to thy precious soul, to stay any longer under the shadow of this bramble, when thou mayest make so blessed a change? A few of these thoughts abidingly laid home to thy soule, (may God striking in with them) shake the foundations of the devils prison, and make thee haste as fast from him, as one out of a house on fire about his eares.