A85783:654
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 8 › 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.
SECT. I.
First, he doth this in despite to God, against whom he cannot vent his malice at a higher rate then by corrupting his truth, which God hath so highly honoured, Psal. 138.2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name. Every creature bears the Name of God, but in his Word and truth therein contained 'tis writ at length, and therefore he is more choice of this, then of all his other works; he cares not much what becomes of the world and all in it, so he keeps his Word, and saves his truth. Ere long we shall see the world on a light flame, the heavens and earth shall pass away, but the Word of the Lord endures for ever. When God will, he can make more such worlds as this is, but he cannot make another truth, and therefore he will not lose one iota thereof. Satan knowing this, sets all his wits on work to deface this truth, and disfigure it by unsound doctrine. The Word is the glass in which we see God, and seeing him are changed into his likeness by his Spirit. If this glass be cracked, then our conceptions we have of God will mis-represent him unto us, whereas the Word in its native clearness sets him out in all his glory unto our eye.
First, he doth this in despite to God, against whom he cannot vent his malice at a higher rate then by corrupting his truth, which God hath so highly honoured, Psal. 138.2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name. Every creature bears the Name of God, but in his Word and truth therein contained 'tis writ at length, and therefore he is more choice of this, then of all his other works; he cares not much what becomes of the world and all in it, so he keeps his Word, and saves his truth. Ere long we shall see the world on a light flame, the heavens and earth shall passe away, but the Word of the Lord endures for ever. When God will, he can make more such worlds as this is, but he cannot make another truth, and therefore he will not lose one iota thereof. Satan knowing this, sets all his wits on work to deface this truth, and disfigure it by unsound doctrine. The Word is the glasse in which we see God, and seeing him are changed into his likenesse by his Spirit. If this glasse be crackt, then our conceptions we have of God will mis-repesent him unto us, whereas the Word in its native clearnesse sets him out in all his glory unto our eye.