A85783:69
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 2 › 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.
Secondly, he would so express his mercy and love to them, as might rebound back to him, in the highest advance of his own glory possible: Now how becoming this is to both, that ⟨p. 19⟩Saints should have all their ability for every step they take in the way to heaven, will soon appear.
Secondly, he would so expresse his mercy and love to them, as might rebound back to him, in the highest advance of his own glory possible: Now how becoming this is to both, that ⟨p. 19⟩Saints should have all their ability for every step they take in the way to heaven, will soon appear.
First, this way of communicating strength to Saints gives a double accent to Gods love and mercy.
First, it distils a sweetness into all the believer hath or doth, when he finds any comfort in his bosom, any enlargement of heart in duty, any support under temptations: To consider whence came all these, what friend sends them in? they come not from my own cistern, or any creatures? O 'tis my God that hath been here, and left this sweet perfume of comfort behind him in my bosom, my God, that hath (unawares to me) filled my sails with the gales of his Spirit, and brought me off the flats of my own deadness, where I lay a ground. O 'tis his sweet Spirit that held my head, stayed my heart in such an affliction and temptation, or else I had gone away in a fainting fit of unbelief. How can this choose but endear God to a gracious soul? his succours coming so immediately from heaven, which would, be lost, if the Christian had any strength to help himself, (though this stock of strength came at first from God) Which, think you, speaks more love and condescent; for a Prince to give a pension to a Favourite, on which he may live by his own care, or for this Prince to take the chief care upon himself, and come from day to day to this mans house, and look into his Cupboard, and see what provision he hath, what expense he is at, and so constantly to provide for the man from time to time? Possibly some proud spirit, that likes to be his own man, or loves his means better then his Prince, would prefer the former, but one that is ambitious to have the heart and love of his Prince, would be ravished with the latter. Thus God doth with his Saints, the great God comes and looks into their Cupboard, and sees how they are laid in, and sends in accordingly, as he finds them. Your heavenly Father knows you have need of these things, and you shall have them. He knows you need strength to pray, hear, suffer for him, and in ipsâ horâ dabitur.