A85783:940
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.
Thirdly, it wounds the Saints comfort to the heart, and lays their joy a bleeding.1 Paul saith, he did not [Greek or Hebrew], He did not dash the generous wine of Gods Word with the water of mans conceits No, he gave them pure Gospel. Truly, this principle of Saints falling from grace gives a sad dash to the sweet wine of the Promises; the soul-reviving comfort that sparkles in them, ariseth from the sure conveyance with which they are in Christ made over to believers to have and to hold for ever. Hence called the sure mercies of David, Acts 13.34. mercies that shall never fail: This, this indeed is wine that makes glad the heart of a Saint; though he may be whipped in the house when he sins, yet he shall not be turned out of doors. As God promised in the type to Davids seed, Psal. 89.33. Nevertheless, my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him▪ nor suffer my faithfulness to fail ▪ and, v. 36. His seed shall endure for ever. Could any thing separate the believer from the love of God in Christ, this would be as a hole at the bottom of his cup to leak out all his joy, he might then fear every temptation or affliction he meets would slay him, and so the wickeds curse would be the Saints portion. His ⟨p. 387⟩life would ever hang in doubt, before him, and the fearful expectation of his final miscarriage, which he sees may befall him, would eat up the joy of his present hope. Now how contrary such a frame of heart is to the spirit of adoption, and full assurance of hope, which the grace of the new Covenant gives, he that runs may read in the Word.
Thirdly, it wounds the Saints comfort to the heart, and layes their joy a bleeding.1 Paul saith, he did not 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, He did not dash the generous wine of Gods Word with the water of mans conceits No, he gave them pure Gospel. Truly, this principle of Saints falling from grace gives a sad dash to the sweet wine of the Promises; the soul-reviving comfort that sparkles in them, ariseth from the sure conveyance with which they are in Christ made over to believers to have and to hold for ever. Hence called the sure mercies of David,