A85783:580
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.
Fourthly, a Minister may be accessary to the ignorance of his people, when through the scandal of his life he prejudiced his doctrine, as a Cook, who by his nastiness makes others afraid to eat what comes out of his foul fingers; Or when through his supercilious carriage, his poor people dare not come to him. He that will do any good in the Ministers calling, must be as careful as the Fisher, that he doth nothing to scare souls away from him, but all to allure and invite, that they may be tolled within the compass of his net.
Fourthly, a Minister may be accessary to the ignorance of his people, when through the scandal of his life he prejudiced his doctrine, as a Cook, who by his nastiness makes others afraid to eat what comes out of his foule fingers; Or when through his supercilious carriage, his poor people dare not come to him. He that will do any good in the Ministers calling, must be as careful as the Fisher, that he doth nothing to scare soules away from him, but all to allure and invite, that they may be toll'd within the compasse of his net.
Use. 3 Is the ignorant soul such a slave to Satan? Let this stir you up that are ignorant from your seats of sloth, whereon like the blind Egyptians you sit in darkness, speedily come out of this darkness, or resolve to go down to utter darkness. The covering of Hamans face did tell him, that he should not stay in the Kings presence. If thou livest in ignorance, it shows thou art ⟨p. 231⟩in Gods black bill; he puts this cover before their eyes in wrath, whom he means to turn off into hell, 2 Cor. 4. If our Gospel be hid, it is to those that perish. In one place sinners are threatened, they shall die without knowledge; in another place,1 they shall die in their sins,