A85783:877
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, we are obliged to provide for that day, as a suitable return for, and improvement of the opportunities and means, which God affords us for this very end. We cannot without shameful ingratitude to God, make waste of those helps God gives us in order to this great work. Every one would cry out upon him that should basely spend that money upon riot in prison, which was sent him to procure his deliverance out of prison; And do we not blush to bestow those talents upon our lusts and Satan? which God graciously indulgeth to deliver us from them, and his rage in a dying hour? what have we Bibles for, Ministers and preaching for? if we mean not to furnish our selves by them with armour for the evil day? In a word, ⟨p. 359⟩what is the intent of God in lengthening out our days, and continuing us some while here in the land of the living? was it that we might have time to revel or rather ravel out upon the pleasure of this vain world? Doth he give us our precious time to be employed in catching such butterflies as these earthly honours and riches are? It cannot be. Masters do not use (if wise) to set their servants about such work, as will not pay for the candle they borne in doing it. And truly nothing less then the glorifying of God, and saving our souls at last can be worth the precious time we spend here. The great God hath a greater. end then most think in this dispensation: If we would judge aright, we should take his own interpretation of his actions; and the Apostle Peter bids us, count that the long-suffering of the Lord is salvation, 2 Pet. 3.15. which plate he quotes out of Paul, (as to the sense, though not in the same form of words) which in Rom. 2.4. are these, Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? From both places we are taught what is the mind of God, and the language he speaks to us in by every moments patience, and inch of time that is granted to us. It is a space given for repentance.
Secondly, we are obliged to provide for that day, as a suitable return for, and improvement of the opportunities and meanes, which God affords us for this very end. We cannot without shameful ingratitude to God, make waste of those helps God gives us in order to this great work. Every one would cry out upon him that should basely spend that money upon riot in prison, which was sent him to procure his deliverance out of prison; And do we not blush to bestow those talents upon our lusts and Satan? which God graciously indulgeth to deliver us from them, and his rage in a dying houre? what have we Bibles for, Ministers and preaching for? if we mean not to furnish our selves by them with armour for the evil day? In a word,