A85783:901
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 2
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. II.
Secondly, Observe,1 that such is the mercy of God in Christ to his children, that he accepts their weak endeavours, (joined with sincerity and perseverance in his service) as if they were full obedience, and therefore they are here said to have done all. O who would not serve such a Lord! you hear servants sometimes complain of their Masters to be so rigid and strict, that they can never please them, no, not when they do their utmost: But this cannot be charged upon God. Be but so faithful as to do thy best, and God is so gracious that he will pardon thy worst. David knew this Gospel-indulgence, when he said, Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments, Psal. 119.6. [Greek or Hebrew], when my eye is to all thy Commandments. The Traveller hath his eye on or towards the place he is going, though he be yet short of it; there he would be, and is putting on all he can to reach it; So stands the Saints heart to all the Commands of God, he presseth on to come nearer and nearer to full obedience: such a soul shall never be put to shame. But woe to those that cover their sloth with the name of infirmity, yea, that spend their zeal and strength in the pursuit of the world or their lusts, and then think to make all up when charged therewith. That it is their infirmity, and they can serve God no better. These do by God as those two did by their Prince, (Francis the first of France) who cut off their right hand one for another, and then made it an excuse they were lame, and so could not serve in his Galleys, for which they were sent to the Gallows. Thus many will be found at last to have disabled themselves, by refusing that help the Spirit hath offered to them, yea, wasted what they had given them, and so shall be rewarded for hypocrites as they are. God knows how to distinguish between the sincerity of a Saint in the midst of his infirmities, and the shifts of a false heart. But we will wave these, and briefly speak to four points which lie clear in the words.