A85783:803
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
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, he wrongs God, and that in a high degree, because God reckons upon more honour to be paid him in by his Saints grace, then by all other talents which his creatures have to trade with in the world. He can in some sense better bear the open sins of the world, then the decays of his Saints graces; they by abusing their talents rob him but of his oil, flax and wool: But the Christian by the other, bereaves him of the glory which should be paid him from his faith, zeal, patience, self-denial, sincerity and the rest. Suppose a Master should trust one servant with his money, and another with his child to be looked to; would he not be more displeased to see his dear child hurt, or almost killed by the negligence of the one, then his money stolen by the carelessness of the other? Grace is the new creature, the birth of the Spirit, when this comes to any harm by the Christians careless walking it must needs go nearer the heart of God, then the wrong he hath from the world, who are trusted with nothing like this.
First, he wrongs God, and that in a high degree, because God reckons upon more honour to be paid him in by his Saints grace, then by all other talents which his creatures have to trade with in the world. He can in some sense better bear the open sins of the world, then the decayes of his Saints graces; they by abusing their talents rob him but of his oyle, flaxe and wool: But the Christian by the other, bereaves him of the glory which should be paid him from his faith, zeal, patience, self-denial, sincerity and the rest. Suppose a Master should trust one servant with his mony, and another with his child to be look't to; would he not be more displeased to see his dear childe hurt, or almost kill'd by the negligence of the one, then his money stollen by the carelesnesse of the other? Grace is the new creature, the birth of the Spirit, when this comes to any harme by the Christians carelesse walking it must needs go nearer the heart of God, then the wrong he hath from the world, who are trusted with nothing like this.
Secondly, he that declines in grace, and labours not to repair it, he wrongs his brethren who have a share in one another's grace;