A85783:564
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 4
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.
Thirdly, ignorance shuts out the means of recovery. Friends and Ministers, yea, Christ himself stands without, and cannot help the creature, as such threatenings and promises, all of no use; he fears not the one, he desires not the other, because he knows neither: Heaven-way cannot be found in the dark, and therefore the first thing God doth, is to spring in with a light, and let the creature know where he is, and what the way is to get out of his prison-house, without which all attempts to escape are in vain. There is some shimmering light in all, Non dantur purae tenebrae, I think, is good Divinity as well as Philosophy: and this night-light may discover many sins, produce inward prickings of conscience for them, yea, stir up the creature to step aside, rather then drown in such broad waters. There are some sins so cruel and costly, that the most prostrate soul may in time be weary of their service for low ends: but what will all this come to, if the creature be not acquainted with Christ the true way to God, faith and repentance the only way to Christ? such a one after all this bustle, in stead of making an escape from Satan, will run full into his mouth another way. There are some ways, which at first seem right to the traveller; yet wind about so insensibly, that when a man hath gone far, and thinks himself near home, he is carried back to the place from whence he set forth. This will befall every soul ignorant of Christ, and the way of life through him; after many years travel, as they think, towards heaven by their good meanings, blind devotions and reformation, when they shall expect to be within sight of heaven, they shall find themselves even where they were at first, as very slaves to Satan as ever.
Thirdly, ignorance shuts out the means of recovery. Friends and Ministers, yea, Christ himself stands without, and cannot help the creature, as such threatenings and promises, all of no use; he feares not the one, he desires not the other, because he knows neither: Heaven-way cannot be found in the dark, and therefore the first thing God doth, is to spring in with a light, and let the creature know where he is, and what the way is to get out of his prison-house, without which all attempts to escape are in vain. There is some shimmering light in all, Non dantur purae tenebrae, I think, is good Divinity as well as Philosophy: and this night-light may discover many sins, produce inward prickings of conscience for them, yea, stir up the creature to step aside, rather then drown in such broad waters. There are some sins so cruel and costly, that the most prostrate soul may in time be weary of their service for low ends: but what will all this come to, if the creature be not acquainted with Christ the true way to God, faith and repentance the only way to Christ? such a one after all this busle, in stead of making an escape from Satan, will run full into his mouth another way. There are some wayes, which at first seem right to the traveller; yet winde about so insensibly, that when a man hath gone far, and thinks himself near home, he is carried back to the place from whence he set forth. This will befall every soule ignorant of Christ, and the way of life through him; after many yeares travel, as they think, towards heaven by their good meanings, blinde devotions and reformation, when they shall expect to be within sight of heaven, they shall finde themselves even where they were at first, as very slaves to Satan as ever.