A85783:614
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 6 › Section 1
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.
First, as spirits they are of vast intellectual abilities. Sorry man, while in this dark prison of the body, hath not light enough to know what Angelical perfections are; that they excel in knowledge all other creatures we know, because as Spirits they come nearest by Creation to the Nature of God that made them; the heavens are not lift higher from the earth, then Angels by knowledge from man, while on earth. Man by Art hath learned to take the height of the stars of heaven, but where is he that can tell how far in knowledge Angels exceed man? 'Tis true, they have lost much of that knowledge they had, even all their knowledge as holy Angels, what now they know of God hath lost its savour, and they have no power to use it for their own good. What Jude saith of wicked men, may be said of them; What they know naturally in these things they corrupt themselves. They know the holiness of God, but love him not for it, as the Elect Angels do, and themselves by Creation did. They know the evil of sin, and love it not the less; but though they are such fools for themselves, yet have subtlety too much for all the Saints on Earth, if we had not a God to play our game for us.
First, as spirits they are of vast intellectual abilities. Sorry man, while in this dark prison of the body, hath not light enough to know what Angelical perfections are; that they excel in knowledge all other creatures we know, because as Spirits they come nearest by Creation to the Nature of God that made them; the heavens are not lift higher from the earth, then Angels by knowledge from man, while on earth. Man by Art hath leatn't to take the height of the stars of heaven, but where is he that can tell how far in knowledge Angels exceed man? 'Tis true, they have lost much of that knowledge they had, even all their knowledge as holy Angels, what now they know of God hath lost its savour, and they have no power to use it for their own good. What Jude saith of wicked men, may be said of them; What they know naturally in these things they corrupt themselves. They know the holinesse of God, but love him not for it, as the Elect Angels do, and themselves by Creation did. They know the evil of sin, and love it not the lesse; but though they are such fooles for themselves, yet have subtilty too much for all the Saints on Earth, if we had not a God to play our game for us.