A85783:833
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.
CHAP. IV. A word of counsel for the recovery of declining grace.
WE come now to give a few directions to the Christian, how to recover decaying grace.
Enquire faithfully into the cause of thy declining. The Christians armour decays two ways; either by violent battery, when the Christian is overcome by temptations to sin; or else by neglecting to furbish and scour it with the use of those means which are as oil, to keep it clean and bright. Now enquire, which of these have been the cause of thy decay. It is like both concur.
Enquire faithfully into the cause of thy declining. The Christians armour decays two wayes; either by violent bartery, when the Christian is overcome by temptations to sin; or else by neglecting to forbish and scoure it with the use of those means which are as oile, to keep it clean and bright. Now enquire, which of these have been the cause of thy decay. It is like both concurre.
First, if thy grace be weakened by any blow, given it by any sin committed by thee; there then lies a threefold duty upon thee towards the recovery of it.