A85783:96
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 4 › 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, I shall prove that the Almighty Power of God is engaged for the Christians defence, with the grounds of it. Secondly, why the Christian should strongly act his faith on this.
First, the Almighty Power of God is engaged for the Saints defence; God brought Israel out of Egypt with an high hand, but did he set them down on the other side the Red-sea, to find and force their way to Canaan, by their own policy or power? When he had opened the iron gate of their house of bondage, and brought them into the open fields, did he vanish as the Angel from Peter, when out of prison? No, as a man carries his son, so the Lord bare them in all the way they went, Deut. 1.31. This doth lively set forth the Saints march to heaven: God brings a soul out of spiritual Egypt by his converting grace, that is the day of his power, wherein he makes the soul willing to come out of Satan's clutches. Now when the Saint is upon his march, all the country riseth upon him. How shall this poor creature pass the pikes, and get safely by all his enemies borders? God himself enfolds him in the arm of his everlasting strength. We are kept by the Power of God through faith unto salvation, 1 Pet. 1.5. The Power of God is that shoulder, on which Christ carries his sheep home, rejoicing all the way he goes,