A85783:648
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 7 › Section 2
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, whether that which thy heart is thinking on be good or evil. If evil and wicked, such as are proud, unclean, distrustful thoughts, show thy abhorrency of them, and chide thy soul sharply for so much as holding conference with them, of which nought can come, but dishonour to God, and mischief to thy own soul, and stir up thy heart to mourn for the evil neighbour-hood of them, and by this thou shalt give a testimony of thy faithfulness to God. When David mourned for Abner, all Israel 'tis said understood that day, that it was not of the King to stay Abner: Thy mourning for them will show these thoughts are not so much of thee, as of Satan.
First, whether that which thy heart is thinking on be good or evil. If evil and wicked, such as are proud, unclean, distrustful thoughts, shew thy abhorrency of them, and chide thy soul sharply for so much as holding conference with them, of which nought can come, but dishonour to God, and mischief to thy own soul, and stirre up thy heart to mourn for the evil neighbour-hood of them, and by this thou shalt give a testimony of thy faithfulnesse to God. When David mourn'd for Abner, all Israel 'tis said understood that day, that it was not of the King to stay Abner: Thy mourning for them will shew these thoughts are not so much of thee, as of Satan.
Secondly, if they be not broadly wicked, enquire whether they be not empty, frothy, vain imaginations, that have no subserviency to the glory of God, thy own good or others; and if so, leave not till thou hast made thy self apprehensive of Satan's design on thee in them; though such are not for thy purpose, yet they are for his, they serve his turn to keep thee from better. All the water is lost that runs beside the mill, and all thy ⟨p. 266⟩thoughts are waste which help thee not to do Gods work withal in thy general or particular calling. The Bee will not sit on a flower where no honey can be sucked, neither should the Christian. Why sittest thou here idle (thou shouldest say to thy soul) when thou hast so much to do for God and thy soul, and so little time to dispatch it in?