A85783:816
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.
Secondly, Take heed thou thinkest not grace decays, because thy comfort withdraws. The influence of the Sun comes where the light of it is not to be found, yea, is mighty, as appears in those mines of gold and silver, which are concocted by the same. And so may the actings of grace be vigorous in thee, when least under the shines of his countenance. Did ever faith triumph more then in our Saviour, crying, My God, my God; here faith was at its meridian, when it was midnight in respect of joy. Possibly thou comest from an Ordinance, and bringest not home with thee those sheaves of comfort thou usest to do, and therefore conclude grace acted not in thee as formerly. Truly if thou hast nothing else to go by, thou mayest wrong the grace of God in thee exceedingly. Because thy comfort ⟨p. 343⟩is extrinsical to thy duty, a boon which God may give or not, yea, doth give to the weak, and deny to the strong. The traveller may go as fast, and rid as much ground, when the Sun doth not shine, as when it doth; though (indeed he goes not so merrily on his journey) nay, sometimes he makes the more hast; the warm Sun makes him sometime to lie down and loiter, but when dark and cold he puts on with more speed. Some graces thrive best (like some flowers) in the shade, such as humility, dependence on God, &c,
Secondly, Take heed thou thinkest not grace decayes, because thy comfort withdrawes. The influence of the Sun comes where the light of it is not to be found, yea, is mighty, as appears in those mines of gold and silver, which are concocted by the same. And so may the actings of grace be vigourous in thee, when least under the shines of his countenance. Did ever faith triumph more then in our Saviour, crying, My God, my God; here faith was at its meridian, when it was midnight in respect of joy. Possibly thou comest from an Ordinance, and bringest not home with thee those sheaves of comfort thou usest to do, and therefore conclude grace acted not in thee as formerly. Truly if thou hast nothing else to go by, thou mayest wrong the grace of God in thee exceedingly. Because thy comfort ⟨p. 343⟩is extrinsecal to thy duty, a boon which God may give or not, yea, doth give to the weak, and deny to the strong. The traveller may go as fast, and rid as much ground, when the Sun doth not shine, as when it doth; though (indeed he goes not so merrily on his journey) nay, somtimes he makes the more hast; the warm Sun makes him sometime to lie down and loyter, but when dark and cold he puts on with more speed. Some graces thrive best (like some flowers) in the shade, such as humility, dependance on God, &c,