A85783:762
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 12 › Section 4
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, it reproves those who are Satan's instruments, to rob souls of what is heavenly. Among thieves there are some ye call Setters, who enquire where a booty is to be had, which when they have found, and know such a one travels with a charge about him, then they employ some other to rob him, and are themselves not seen in the business. The devil is the grand Setter, he observes the Christian how he walks, what place and company he frequents, what grace or heavenly treasure he carries in his bosom; which when he hath done, he hath his instruments for the purpose to execute his design. Thus he considered the admirable graces of Job, and casts about how he might best rob him of his heavenly treasure: and who but his wife and friends must do this for him? (well knowing that his tale would receive credit from their mouths.) O friends, ask your consciences, whether you have not done the devil some service of this kind in your days. Possibly you have a child or servant who once looked heaven-ward, but your brow-beating of them scared them back, and now (may be) they are as carnal as you would have them: or possibly thy wife before acquainted with thee, was full of life in the ways of God, but since she hath been transplanted into thy cold soil, what by thy frothy speeches and unsavoury conversation, at best thy worldliness and formality, she is now both decayed in her graces, and a loser in her comforts. O man, what an indictment will be brought against thee for this at Gods bar? you would come off better, were it for robbing one of his money and jewels, then of his graces and comforts.
Secondly, it reproves those who are Satans instruments, to rob soules of what is heavenly. Among thieves there are some ye call Setters, who enquire where a booty is to be had, which when they have found, and know such a one travels with a charge about him, then they employ some other to rob him, and are themselves not seen in the businesse. The devil is the grand Setter, he observes the Christian how he walks, what place and company he frequents, what grace or heavenly treasure he carries in his bosome; which when he hath done, he hath his instruments for the purpose to execute his designe. Thus he considered the admirable graces of Job, and casts about how he might best rob him of his heavenly treasure: and who but his wife and friends must do this for him? (well knowing that his tale would receive credit from their mouths.) O friends, ask your consciences, whether you have not done the devil some service of this kinde in your dayes. Possibly you have a childe or servant who once look't heaven-ward, but your brow-beating of them scared them back, and now (may be) they are as carnal as you would have them: or possibly thy wife before acquainted with thee, was full of life in the wayes of God, but since she hath been transplanted into thy cold soile, what by thy frothy speeches and unsavoury conversation, at best thy worldlinesse and formality, she is now both decayed in her graces, and a loser in her comforts. O man, what an enditement will be brought against thee for this at Gods bar? you would come off better, were it for robbing one of his money and jewels, then of his graces and comforts.