A85783:716
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 10 › 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.
First, a mannerly pride, which comes forth in the habit and guise of humility, and that discovers it self, either at the souls first coming to Christ, and keeps him from closing with the promise, or afterward in the daily course of a Christians walking ⟨p. 291⟩with God, which keeps him from comfortable living on Christ.
First, a mannerly pride, which comes forth in the habit and guise of humility, and that discovers it self, either at the soules first coming to Christ, and keeps him from closing with the promise, or afterward in the daily course of a Christians walking ⟨p. 291⟩with God, which keeps him from comfortable living on Christ.
First, when a poor soul is staved off the promise by the sense of his own unworthiness and great unrighteousness; tell him of a pardon, alas, he is so wrapped up with the thoughts of his own vileness, that you cannot fasten it upon him. What, will God ever take such a toad as he is into his bosom, discount so many great abominations at once, and receive him into his favour, that hath been so long in rebellious arms against him? he cannot believe it, no, though he hears what Christ hath done and suffered for sin, he refuseth to be comforted. Little doth the soul think what a bitter root such thoughts spring from, thou thinkest thou doest well thus to declaim against thy self, and aggravate thy sins; indeed thou canst not paint them black enough, or entertain too low and base thoughts of thy self for them: But what wrong hath God and Christ done thee, that thou shouldest so unworthily reflect upon the mercy of the one, and merit of the other? Mayest thou not do this, and be tender of the good Name of God also? Is there no way to show thy sense of thy sin, except thou asperse thy Saviour? Canst thou not charge thy self, but thou must condemn God, and put Christ and his blood to shame before Satan, who triumphs more in this then all thy other sins? In a word, though thou like a wretch hast undone thy self, and damned thy soul by thy sins, yet art thou not willing God should have the glory of pardoning them, and Christ the honour of procuring the same? or art thou like him in the Gospel,