A85783:685
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 3
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. III.
Quest. But how would you direct us against this?
Answ. Arguments you have had before; I shall only therefore point to two or three doors, where your enemy comes forth upon you, and surely the very sight thereof, if thou beest loyal to Christ, will stir thee up to fall upon it.
Answ. Arguments you have had before; I shall only therefore point to two or three doors, where your enemy comes forth upon you, and surely the very sight thereof, if thou beest loyal to Christ, will stirre thee up to fall upon it.
First, pride discovers it self in dwelling upon the thoughts of our gifts, with a secret kind of content to see our own face, till at last we fall in love with it. We read of some whose eyes are full of the adulteress, and cannot cease from sin; a proud heart is full of himself, his own abilities cast their shadow before him, they are in his eye wherever he goes, the great subject and ⟨p. 281⟩theme of his thoughts is what he is, and what he hath above others, applauding himself as Bernard confesseth, that (when one would think he had little leisure for such thoughts) even in preaching, pride would be whispering in his ear Been fecisti Bernard, O well done Bernard. Now have a care (Christian) of chatting with such company. Run from such thoughts as from a Bear. If the devil can get thee to stand on this pinnacle, while he presents thee with the glory of thy spiritual attainments and endowments for thee to gaze on them, thy weak head wll soon turn round in pride: and therefore labour to keep the sense of thy own infirmities lively in thy soul to divert the temptation. As those who are subject to some kind of fits, carry about them things proper for the disease, that when the fit is coming, (which oft is occasioned with a sweet perfume) they may use them for their help. Sweet scents are not more dangerous for them, then any thing that may applaud thee is to thy soul: Have a care therefore not only of wearing such thoughts in thy own bosom, but also of sitting by others, that bring the sweet sent of thy perfections to thee by their flattery.