A85783:676
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 9 › 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.
SECT. II.
Use 1 Doth Satan thus stir up Saints to this spiritual pride of gifts? first, here is a word to you that have mean gifts, yet truth of grace, be content with thy condition. Perhaps when thou hearest others, how enlargedly they pray, how able to discourse of the truths of God, and the like, thou art ready to go into a corner, and mourn to think how weak thy memory, how dull thy apprehension, how straitened thy spirit, hardly able (though in secret) to utter and express thy mind to God in prayer. O thou art ready to think those the happy men and women, and almost murmur at thy condition well, canst thou not say, though I have not words I hope I have faith, I cannot dispute for the truth, but I am willing to suffer for it; I cannot remember a Sermon, but I never hear the Word, but I hate sin and love Christ more then ever: Lord, thou knowest I love thee? Truly (Christian) thou hast the better part; thou little thinkest what ⟨p. 278⟩a mercy may be wrapped up even in the meanness of thy gifts, or what temptations their gifts expose them to, which God for ought I know may in mercy deny thee. Josephs coat made him finer then his brethren, but this caused all his trouble, this set the Archers a shooting their arrows into his side; thus great gifts lift a Saint up a little higher in the eyes of men, but it occasions many temptations which thou meetest not with, that art kept low, what with envy from their brethren, malice from Satan, and pride in their own hearts; I dare say, none find so hard a work to go to heaven as such, much ado to bear up against those waves and winds, while thou creepest along the shore under the wind to heaven. It is with such as with some great Lord of little estate, a meaner man oft hath money in his purse, when he hath none, and can l•nd his Lordship some at a need: great gifts and parts are titles of honour among men, but many such may come and borrow grace and comfort of a mean gifted brother; possibly the Preacher of his poor neighbour. O poor Christian, do not murmur or envy them, but rather pity and pray for them, they need it more then others his gifts are thine; thy grace is for thy self; thou art like a Merchant that hath his Factor goes to sea but he hath his Adventure without hazard brought home. Thou joinest with him in prayer, hast the help of his gifts, but not the temptation of his pride.