A85783:592
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.
Secondly, when thy end is right set, then thou must be constant in thy endeavour after it. The mysteries of Christ are not learnt in a day. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord, Hos. 6.3. Some are in a good mood (may be) and they will look into the Bible, and read a chapter or two, and away they go for a week, and never practise it more; like some boys if at School one day truant all the week after: is it any wonder such thrive not in knowledge? It is a good speech of Bernard, Tantum distat studium à lectione, quantum amicitia ab hospitio, socialis affectio à fortuit â salutation. The study of the Word, and the reading of it differs as much, as the friendship of such who every day converse lovingly together, doth from the acquaintance one hath with a stranger at an Inn, or whom he salutes as he passeth by in the street. If you will get knowledge indeed, you must not only salute the Word now and then, but walk with it, and enter into daily converse with it. The three men (who were indeed Angels) that stood by Abraham, as he sat at his Tent-door, were reserved, and strange, till Abraham invited them into his Tent, and entertained them friendly; and then Christ who was one among them (as appears by the Name Jehovah given him in several verses, and also by what he promised he would do for Sarah, ver. 10. not what God would do, which if a created Angel he would) begins to discover himself to Abraham, and reveal his secrets to him. That soul above others shall be acquainted with the secrets of God in his Word, that doth not slightly read the Word, and as it were complement with it, at his tent-door, ⟨p. 246⟩but desires more intimacy with it, and therefore entertains it within his soul by frequent meditating of it. David compares the Word for sweetness to the honey and the honey-comb. Indeed it is so full, that at first reading some sweetness will now and then drop from it, but he that doth not press it by meditation, leaves the most behind.
Secondly, when thy end is right set, then thou must be constant in thy endeavour after it. The mysteries of Christ are not learnt in a day. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord, Hos. 6.3. Some are in a good mood (may be) and they will look into the Bible, and read a chapter or two, and away they go for a week, and never practise it more; like some boyes if at School one day truant all the week after: is it any wonder such thrive not in knowledge? It is a good speech of Bernard, Tantum distat studium à lectione, quantum amicitia ab hospitio, socialis affectio à fortuit â salutatione. The study of the Word, and the reading of it differs as much, as the friendship of such who every day converse lovingly together, doth from the acquaintance one hath with a stranger at an Inne, or whom he salutes as he passeth by in the street. If you will get knowledge indeed, you must not onely salute the Word now and then, but walk with it, and enter into daily converse with it. The three men (who were indeed Angels) that stood by Abraham, as he sat at his Tent-door, were reserved, and strange, till Abraham invited them into his Tent, and entertain'd them friendly; and then Christ who was one among them (as appears by the Name Jehovah given him in several verses, and also by what he promised he would do for Sarah, ver. 10. not what God would do, which if a created Angel he would) begins to discover himself to Abraham, and reveale his secrets to him. That soul above others shall be acquainted with the secrets of God in his Word, that doth not slightly read the Word, and as it were complement with it, at his tent-doore,