A85783:695
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.
First, when thou enviest the gifts of thy brethren, thou takest upon thee to teach God, what he shall give, and to whom; as if the great God should take counsel or ask leave of thee before he dispenseth his gifts, and darest thou stand to thy own envious thoughts with this interpretation? such a one thou findest Christ himself give, Matth. 20.15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? as if Christ had said, what hath any to do to cavil at my disposure of what is not theirs but mine to give?
Secondly, thou malignest the goodness of God. It troubles thee, it seems, that God hath a heart to do good to any besides thy self: thy eye is evil because his is good. Wouldest not thou have God be good? you had as good speak out and say, you would not have him God, he can as soon cease to be God as to be good.
Secondly, thou malignest the goodnesse of God. It troubles thee, it seems, that God hath a heart to do good to any besides thy selfe: thy eye is evil because his is good. Wouldest not thou have God be good? you had as good speak out and say, you would not have him God, he can assoon cease to be God as to be good.
Thirdly, thou art an enemy to the glory of God, as thou defacest that which should set it forth. Every gift is a ray of divine excellency; and as all the beams declare the glory of the Sun, so all the gifts God imparts declare the glory of God: Now envy labours to deface and fully the representations of God; it hath ever something to disparage the excellency of another withal. God showed Miriam her sin by her punishment, she went to bespatter Moses, that shone so eminently with the gifts and graces of God, and God spits in her face,