A85783:923
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 4
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.
First, such want a principle of divine life to draw strength from Christ to persevere them in their course. That by which the gracious soul it self perseveres is the continual supply it receives from Christ; as the arm and foot is kept alive in the body by those vital spirits which they receive from the heart; I live, (saith Paul) yet not I, but Christ in me; that is, I live but at Christs cost, he holds as my soul, so my grace in life: Now the carnal person wanting this union, must needs waste and consume in time. He hath no root to stand on. A carcass when once it begins to rot, never recovers, but every day grows worse till it runs all into putrefaction, no salve or plaster will do it good: but where there is a principle of life, there when a member is wounded nature sends supplies of spirits, and helps to work with the salve for a cure. There is the same difference between a gracious person and an ungracious; see them opposed in this respect. Prov. 14.17. The righteous man falls seven times a day, and riseth; but the wicked falleth into mischief: that is, in falling he falls further, and hath no power to recover himself. When ⟨p. 379⟩Cain sinned, see how he falls further and further like a stone down a hill, never stays till he comes to the bottom of despair; from envying his brother to malice, from malice to murder, from murder to impudent lying, and brazen-faced boldness to God himself, and from that to despair; so true is that, 2 Tim. 3 13. Evil men shall wax worse and worse. But now when a Saint falls, he riseth, because when he falls he hath a principle of life to cry out to Christ, and such an interest in Christ as stirs him up to help; Lord, save me, said Peter, (when he began to sink) and presently Christs hand is put forth, he chides him for his unbelief, but he helps him.
First, such want a principle of divine life to draw strength from Christ to persevere them in their course. That by which the gracious soule it self perseveres is the continual supply it receives from Christ; as the arme and foot is kept alive in the body by those vital spirits which they receive from the heart; I live, (saith Paul) yet not I, but Christ in me; that is, I live but at Christs cost, he holds as my soul, so my grace in life: Now the carnal person wanting this union, must needs waste and consume in time. He hath no root to stand on. A carcase when once it begins to rot, never recovers, but every day grows worse till it runs all into putrefaction, no salve or plaister will do it good: but where there is a principle of life, there when a member is wounded nature sends supplies of spirits, and helps to work with the salve for a cure. There is the same difference between a gracious person and an ungracious; see them opposed in this respect.