A85783:900
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
A TREATISE Of the whole Armour Of God. › Introduction › Chapter 8 › Section 1
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.
SECT. I.
First observe, Heaven is not won with good words and a fair Profession; Having done all. The doing Christian is the man that shall stand, when the empty boaster of his faith shall fall. The great talkers of Religion are oft the least doers. His Religion is in vain, whose Profession brings not letters testimonial from a holy life. Sacrifice without obedience is Sacrilege. ⟨p. 372⟩Such rob God of that which he makes most account of. A great Captain once smote one of his soldiers for railing at his enemy, saying, that he called him not to rail on him, but to fight against him and kill him. 'Tis not crying out upon the devil, and declaiming against sin in prayer or discourse, but fighting and mortifying it that God looks chiefly upon; such a one else doth but beat the air; there are no marks to be seen on his flesh and unmortified lusts that he hath fought. Paul was in earnest, he left a witness upon his body, made black and blew with strokes of mortification. It was not a little vapouring in sight of the Philistines that got David his wife, but shedding their blood: And is it so small a matter to be son to the King of Heaven, that thou thinkest to obtain it, without giving a real proof of thy zeal for God, and hatred to sin? Not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; this man (saith the Apostle) shall be blessed in his deed, James 1.25. Mark, not by his deed, but in his deed; he shall meet blessedness in that way of obedience he walks in. The empty Professor disappoints others, who seeing his leaves, expect fruit, but find none; and at last he disappoints himself; he thinks to reach heaven, but shall miss of it. Tertullian speaks of some that think, Satìs Deum habere, si cord & animo suspiciatur, licèt actu minus fiat: God hath enough (they think) if he be feared and reverenced in their hearts, though in their actions they show it not so much: and therefore they can sin, and believe in God, and fear him never the worse: This (saith he) is to play the Adulteress, and yet be chaste, to prepare poison for ones father, and yet be dutiful; but let such know, (saith the same father) that if they can sin and believe, God will pardon them with a contradiction also; he'll forgive them, but they shall be turned into hell for all that.