A85783:934
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 5
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, the Spirit of God is given on purpose to prevent this; Christ left his mother with John, but his Saints with his Spirit, to tutor and keep them that they should not lose themselves in their journey to heaven. O how sweet is that place, Ezek. 36.27. I will put my Spirit in you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements and do them. He doth not say they shall have his Spirit, if they will walk in his statutes: no, his Spirit shall cause them to do it. But may be thou art afraid thou mayest grieve him, and so he in anger leave thee, and thou perish for want of his help and counsel. Answ. The Spirit of God is indeed sensible of unkindness, and upon a Saints sin, may withdraw in regard of present assistance, but never in regard of his care; as a mother may let her froward child go alone, till it get a knock, that may make it cry to be taken up again into her arms, but still her eye is on it that it shall not fall into mischief. The Spirit withdrew from Samson, and he fell into the Philistines hands, and this makes him cry to God, and the Spirit puts forth his strength in him again. Thus here, indeed the office of the Spirit is to abide for ever with the Saints, John 14.16. He shall send you another Comforter, that he may abide for ever with you.
First, the Spirit of God is given on purpose to prevent this; Christ left his mother with John, but his Saints with his Spirit, to tutour and keep them that they should not lose themselves in their journey to heaven. O how sweet is that place, Ezek. 36.27. I will put my Spirit in you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements and do them. He doth not say they shall have his Spirit, if they will walk in his statutes: no, his Spirit shall cause them to do it. But may be thou art afraid thou mayest grieve him, and so he in anger leave thee, and thou perish for want of his help and counsel. Answ. The Spirit of God is indeed sensible of unkindnesse, and upon a Saints sin, may withdraw in regard of present assistance, but never in regard of his care; as a mother may let her froward childe go alone, till it get a knock, that may make it cry to be taken up again into her armes, but still her eye is on it that it shall not fall into mischief. The Spirit withdrew from Samson, and he fell into the Philistines hands, and this makes him cry to God, and the Spirit puts forth his strength in him again. Thus here, indeed the office of the Spirit is to abide for ever with the Saints,