A85783:863
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.
Thirdly, it behoves every one to provide for this evil day.
First of the first branch, the day of affliction, especially death is an evil day. Here we must show how affliction is evil, and how not.
First of the first branch, the day of affliction, especially death is an evil day. Here we must shew how affliction is evil, and how not.
First, it is not morally or intrinsically evil, if it were evil in this sense; First, God could not be the author of it; his nature is so pure, that no such evil can come from him, any more then the Suns light can make night. But this evil of affliction he voucheth for his own act, Against this family do I devise an evil, Mic. 3.2. yea more, he impropriates it so to himself, as that he will not have us think any can do us evil beside himself. 'Tis the Prerogative he glories in, that there is no evil in the City, but it is of his doing, Amos 3.6. And well it is for the Saints that their crosses are all made in heaven, they would not else be so fitted to their backs as they are. But for the evil of sin, he disowns it with a strict charge, that we lay not this brat, which is begotten by Satan upon our impure hearts, at his ⟨p. 353⟩door. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man, James 1.13.