A85783:853
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.
which cannot be recompensed by the world, nor enjoyed with it. Only this goodness there is in this evil, that it is short, our life is but an evil day, it will not last long; and sure it was mercy that God hath abridged so much of the term of mans life in these last days, wherein so much of Christ and Heaven are discovered, that it would have put the Saints patience hard to it, to have known so much of the upper worlds glory, and then be kept so long from it, as the Fathers in the first age were. O comfort one another (Christians) with this; though your life be evil with troubles, yet 'tis short; a few steps, and you are out of the rain. There is great difference between a Saint in regard of the evils he meets with, and the wicked; as two travellers riding contrary ways, (both taken in the rain and wet) but one rides from the rain, and so is soon out of the shower; but the other rides into the rainy corner, the further he goes, the worse he is. The Saint he meets with troubles as well as the wicked, but he is soon out of the shower; when death comes he has fair weather: but the wicked the further he goes the worse; what he meets with here, is but a few drops, the great storm is the last. The pouring out of Gods wrath shall be in hell, where all the deeps of horror are opened, both from above of Gods righteous ⟨p. 351⟩fury, and from beneath of their own accusing and tormenting consciences.
which cannot be recompenced by the world, nor enjoyed with it. Only this goodnesse there is in this evil, that it is short, our life is but an evil day, it will not last long; and sure it was mercy that God hath abridged so much of the terme of mans life in these last dayes, wherein so much of Christ and Heaven are discovered, that it would have put the Saints patience hard to it, to have known so much of the upper worlds glory, and then be kept so long from it, as the Fathers in the first age were. O comfort one another (Christians) with this; though your life be evil with troubles, yet 'tis short; a few steps, and you are out of the raine. There is great difference between a Saint in regard of the evils he meets with, and the wicked; as two travellers riding contrary wayes, (both taken in the rain and wet) but one rides from the raine, and so is soon out of the showre; but the other rides into the rainy corner, the further he goes, the worse he is. The Saint he meets with troubles as well as the wicked, but he is soon out of the showre; when death comes he has faire weather: but the wicked the further he goes the worse; what he meets with here, is but a few drops, the great storme is the last. The pouring out of Gods wrath shall be in hell, where all the deeps of horrour are opened, both from above of Gods righteous