A85783:84
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.
1. That it should be the Christians great care and endeavour in all temptations and trials, to strengthen his faith on the Almighty Power of God.
2. The Christians duty and care is not only to believe that God is Almighty, but strongly by faith to rest on this Almighty Power of God, as engaged for his help and succour in all his trials and temptations.
1First, it should be the Christians great care in all temptations and trials, to strengthen his faith on the Almighty Power of God. When God holds forth himself as an object of the souls trust and confidence in any great strait or undertaking; commonly this attribute of his Almighty power is presented in the promise, as the surest hold fast for faith to lay hold on; as a Father in rugged way, gives his child his arm to lay hold by, so doth God usually reach forth his Almighty power for his Saints, to exercise their faith on. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose faith God tried above most of his Saints before or since, for not one of those great things which were promised to them, did they live to see performed in their days; and how doth God make known himself to them for their support, but by displaying this Attribute? Exod. 6.3. I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by the Name of God Almighty. This was all they had to keep house with all their days: with which they lived comfortably, and died triumphantly, bequeathing the promise to their children, not doubting (because God Almighty had promised) of the performance. Thus, Isa. 26. where great mercies are promised to Judah, and a Song penned before-hand to be sung on that gaudy day of their salvation: yet because there was a sharp Winter of Captivity to come between the Promise, and the Spring-time of the promise; therefore to keep their faith alive in this space, the Prophet calls them up to act