PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Christian in Complete Armour
William Gurnall, 1617–1679 · 726,331 words · 834 reading sections
716 WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
distemper, be sure, at thy return to the duty, that thou chargest this lionie upou thyself with shame and sorrow. This is the only way to stay God from com- mencing a suit against thee ; ' If we judge oiuselves we shall not be judged,' 1 Cor. xi. 31. If we do not, then God will do himself justice. Indeed, thou canst no…
904 wordsSECTION 722WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION. 727
I tell yoii, that he will avenge them speedily.' What greater security can the lieart of a saint desire, more than the word of a faithful God? Yet how few are to be found, after all their praying for deliverance, that can entirely wait for the same ! ' Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on th…
842 wordsSECTION 723WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION. 727
the Son to engage himself in our recovery, who were fallen by forfeiture into the hands of Divine justice : so that mercy is the only plea thou, who art a siinier, canst make with God. TIiou may est with man insist upon thy desert; thus Jacob claimed his wages at Labau's hand ; but when he hath to do with God, he chang…
897 wordsSECTION 724A THREE-FOLD DISSIMILITUDE TO BE MADE IN OUR REQUESTS.
Sometimes God is found in tliis diit}', and sometimes in tliat, on purpose to keep up the credit of all. Foiu'thly, Our requests for both must be spiced with thanksgiving : ' Let yoiir requests be made known with thanksgiving,' Phil. iv. 6; and, 1 Thess, v. 18, 'In everything give thanks.' Art thou praying for the love…
856 wordsSECTION 725>^0Q WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
of Clirist's family in the world ; a third would be a greater man in the world, and for what ? — may be, that, having more power, he may take the fuller revenge on liis enemies, who now are out of his reach ; and others that bring not their sacrifice with so evil a mind, yet look no higher than their carnal contentment…
903 wordsSECTION 726WITH ALT, PRAYER AXD SUPPLICATION. 70}
Christian's freight, but liis ballast, and therefore are to be desired to poise, not load the vessel ; they are not his portion, but his spending-nioney in his journey ; and no wise traveller desires to carry moi-c money about him than will defray his expenses. CHAPTER LIII. OF DEPRECATORY TRAYER. The second branch …
871 wordsSECTION 727Y22 AVITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
by his pardoning mercy, to ease the trouljled spirit of a mourning penitent. It is one rule lie gives his servants in their practice upon their spiritual patients, to beware of making too gi"eat evacuations in the souls of poor sinners by excessive humiliation, lest thereby the spirits of their faith be too much weaken…
896 wordsSECTION 728HOW TO DEPRECATE THE DEFILING POWER OF SIN.
he might be just, and tlie justifier of hhn which believeth in Jesus,' Rom, iii. 26, So that to desire God to forgive thee thy sin without the intervening of Christ's satisfaction, is to desire God to be unjust, and pardon thee with the loss of his own honour. Lastly, Take no denial in this thy request, but pray for i…
850 wordsSECTION 729-^24 WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
li. 9, 10. He desires water to purity his heart, as well as blood to pacify his conscience. Now, in thy requests, observe these particulars : First, 15e sui-e thou come witji a deep abhorrence of tliyself for that sin which cleaves to thee. This is called knowing the plague of a man's own heart, 1 Kings viii. 38, when …
902 wordsSECTION 730WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION. 7^5
pray against thy lust, hath bid thee shun the occasions of it ; ' Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house, lest thou give thine honour unto others,' Prov. v. 8 ; that is, lest thou be enticed by the occasion. Thus Joseph, that he might not be drawn to lie with his mistress, would not stay a…
925 wordsSECTION 731HOW TO DEPRECATE THE EVIL OF SUFFERING.
aiul, through him, with all believers. O how many prayers against sin are lost, for want of well understanding this grand notion of the gospel ! A great cry is made by many of their sins to God, and victory over them pretended to be desired ; yet they live, and grow stronger every day ; — what is the reason ? Alas ! th…
849 wordsSECTION 732WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION. 7^7
mine eiioniy ; shoot tliy darts, iny breast is open to receive them, but let them not be envenomed arrows, headed with thy pimitive justice. Without the sting, all sufFei-ing is innocent and liarmless ; but if the creature does fear (though without just cause) that they are shot out of justice's bow, then they drink up…
882 wordsSECTION 733WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION. 7^7
ment of the damned doth not only amount to, hut heyond expression exceeds them all : as in heaven there is no workll}'^ cheer, yet a feast, — no silks and satins, yet all glorious robes, and, indeed, that which is infinitely of more value, and worth than the most precious things the earth can boast of; so the great mis…
927 wordsSECTION 734CHAPTER LVI.
acquaintance with God in this? Surely not. Thirdly, Hell is a state wherein the damned can never actually satisfy God's justice ; for their debt being infi- nite, and they but finite, they will ever be paying, but the last farthing can never be paid, which is the only reason they lie for ever in ])rison. But Christ, th…
840 wordsSECTION 735CHAPTER LVI.
Tlie ready way to fetch a curse from heaven on thyself is to imprecate one sin- fully upon another, Psa. cix. 17, 18 : ' As he loved cursing, so let it come imto him ; as he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garments, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his hones.' Moses, I suppose,…
860 wordsSECTION 736CHAPTER LVI.
glorious name upon them. When Julian the Apostate was slain, (and confessed at whose hand he received his fatal blow,) then Libanius, his scoffing sophister, had his question, What is the carpenter's Son now doing? (which a little before he had put to a Christian, in derision of liis Saviour,) thrown into his teeth to …
892 wordsSECTION 737732 WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.' Never was any design carried on with more zeal and passionate desire to effect it, than this ; one would think that God had said enough to Balaam at first, to make him sick of his enterprise; Numb. xxii. 12, ' Thou sh…
831 wordsSECTION 738732 WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
worthy of praise for the least, because it is more than he owes us. Secondly, these common, ordinary mercies are many. Thus David enhanceth the mercies of this kind, — ' O God, how great is the sum of them ! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand ; when I wake, I am still with thee,' Psa. cxxxix.…
881 wordsSECTION 739734 WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
faithful promise. When a bill of exchange is paid at sight, it shews the merchant to be a man of credit and ability. By the joy thou takest \ip, and the thankfulness thou layest out for wliat the bare promise tells thee thou shalt at death receive, thou glorifiest the truth of (Jod, who is the promiser. Fourthly, There…
858 wordsSECTION 740WITH ALL PRAYKR AND SUPPLICATION. 735
usest his name to procui'e thy admission, (because conscious of thine own un- worthiness to receive what thou askest :) but when thou praisest God, thy errand being to give, thou expectest to be made welcome ; for he that brings a present, shall surely find the door open. Yes, if thy gift were suitable to the great God…
895 wordsSECTION 74173G WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
but must be sallying forth in the praises of God. In heaven wc shall have nothing to do but to behold the face of (Ind, and seeing him, we shall love him ; loving him, we shall praise him ; and praising, we shall sing and rejoice. Love and thankfulness are like the symbolical qualities of the elements, easily resolved …
823 wordsSECTION 74273G WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
greatness of their strait, — ' This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him ont of all his troubles. O taste and see that the Lord is good I' Psa. xxxiv. G, 8. So, Psa. cxxxvi. 23, ' Who remembered us in om- low estate; for his mercy endureth for ever.' Indeed, this must needs raise high thoughts of the m…
903 wordsSECTION 7433 B
moment,' saith Solomon, Prov. xii. 19. Something drops from a liar within awhile that discovers his falsehood; the tongue that lies in praising God, is thus for a moment ; he can curse God with that tongue to-morrow witli which he praiseth him to-day. Section II. — Eighthly, Thou must not only continue, but grow in th…
817 wordsSECTION 7443 B
reflects tlioso glorious attributes which (loci puts forth in liis mercies. Thus God sees his face in a true glass, wliich the thankful soul holds up while he praiscth liini ; whereas an imthankful heart, like a broken glass, disligiu'cs the beautiful face of God, by conceiving such low thoughts as are unworthy of his …
861 wordsSECTION 745A KEPUOOF TO THE UNGRATEFUL WORLD.
on Israel to use strangers kindly, is, to rcnioniber they were once so, Dent, xxiii. 'I. Hast thou, after h)ng lying in the (lungeon of spiritual darkness and trouhles of. conscience, had thy head lifted up with the comforts of the Spirit, and received into the presence of God, as Pharaoh's hutler was to his prince's c…
846 wordsSECTION 746A KEPUOOF TO THE UNGRATEFUL WORLD.
We shall conclude this head with a double application. First, How few, alas, can we iind so ingenuous as to praise the great Lord of this world's manor, for all the mercies they hold of hiui ! Some are such brutes, that, like swine, their nose is nailed to the trough in which they feed ; they have not the use of their …
850 wordsSECTION 747Y4Q WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION.
and notliing so terrible as liis wnitli when it takes fire. Be, therefore, in the fear of God, stirred up to bethink yourselves what to do. It is the trick, they say, of insane persons, to spite their dearest friends most ; but what madness is it in thee to fly in the face of God with thy sins, who hath done more for t…
848 wordsSECTION 748WHAT IT IS TO PRAY IN THE SPIRIT.
husband, friend, &c. God is his own liappiness, and admits you to enjoy him. O, what lionour is this, for the subject to drink in his prince's cup ! Psa. xxxvi. 8 : ' Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.' And all this is not the purchase of your sweat and blood; the feast is paid for by another; on…
903 wordsSECTION 749744 ^^ '"'^^^ SPIRIT.
WHAT IT IS TO PRAY IN THE SPIRIT. What is it to pray in the Spirit ? Interpreters comprehend in this phrase, both the spirit of the person praying and the Spirit of God, by which our spirits are fitted for, and actuated in prayer. That is a prayer in the Spirit winch, by the help of the Holy Spirit, is performed with …
805 wordsSECTION 750IN THE SPIRIT. 745
Section I. — First, Because without this, it is not a reasonable service, for we know not what we do. God calls for your reasonable service, Rom. xii. 1, which some oppose to the legal sacrifices which they offered up ; in the gospel we are to offer ourselves. The soul and spirit of a man is the man. Why did not God la…
780 wordsSECTION 75174G ^^ "^^^^ SPIRIT.
children, to be set, one at the right, and the other at the left hand of Christ in his kingdom. God never gave us leave thus to indite our own prayers, by the dictate of our private spirit, but hath bound us up to ask only what he hath promised to give. Fourthly, A knowledge of the manner how wc are to pi'ay, in whose …
837 wordsSECTION 752IN THK SPIRIT. 747
he 'laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him,' Dan. vi. 1-1. When the spirit of a man is set about a work, he will do it to purpose : ' If thou slialt seek the Lord with all thy heart and with all thy soul,' Deut. iv. 29 ; that is, fervently. This consists not in a violent agitation of the bodily spirits …
928 wordsSECTION 753748 ^^ '^^^^ SPIRIT.
of him, wliich iievei' came from him ! Lay not your dead prayers by his side ; the lively prayer is his, the dead thine own. 'The living, the living, they shall praise him.' The glorious angels, who, for their zeal, are called sera])hini, and a flame of fire, these he chooseth to minister to him in heaven ; and the sai…
876 wordsSECTION 754SOME ARGUMENTS TO ENKINDLE OUR ZEAL IN PRAYER.
thoughts, while his eyes seem fixed on heaven ; can he be fervent ? Can the affections be true, and the mind inattentive? Fervency unites the soul, and gathers in the thoughts to the work in hand; it will not suffer diversions, but answers all foreign thoughts, as Nehemiah did them that would have called him off from b…
818 wordsSECTION 755SOMETHING BY WAY OF HELP, TO RAISE OUR AFFECTIONS IN PRAYER.
Section II. — God deserves the prime and strength of thy .soul shoukl be bestowed on him in thy prayers. First, he gave tliee the powers of thy soul, and all thy affections. Such thou art, as thou wert in the idea of the Divine mind. Now, may not thy Maker call for that which was his gift? He that made the inanimate be…
890 wordsSECTION 756IN THE SPIRIT. 751
But how may we get tliis fervency of spirit in prayer? If tlioii hast it not, Christian, another question must precede this. How thou, who art at present in a state of spiritual death, mayest have Hfe? There must be life in the soul, before there can be life in the duty. All the rugs in the upholsterer's shop will not …
884 wordsSECTION 757^52 ^^ "T^^ SPIRIT.
deny and rcbuko, slie yet makes her appronclies nearer and nearer, gathering argiuneuts from liis very denials; and Christ tells us what kept up her spirit undaunted, 'O woman, great is thy faith ?' Maybe it proceeds from some distaste thou hast given to the Holy Spirit, who alone can blow up thy alfections ; then no w…
835 wordsSECTION 758IX 'JHK SI'IRIT. 753
stands so much upon sincerity in prayer, seeing the lip of trnth is so prized even among men ; nature hath taught men to commend their words to others, by laying their hands on their breasts, as an assurance, that what they say is true, which the penitent Publican it is likely aimed at, Luke xviii. 13, he ' smote upon …
822 wordsSECTION 759'754 IN THE SPIRIT.
at tlie same time have his own heart cold and idle ; therefore he doth not count he prays well, except he finds his own ati'ections drawn out in the duty. Whereas the hypocrite, if he come off the duty with the applause of others in the external performance, is well pleased. Secondly, When thou joinest with another tha…
877 wordsSECTION 760THE ACCEPTABLE PRAYER IS THAT WHICH IS IN THE SPIRIT.
Annnias and Sapphira. Secondly, It is a great folly. Who but a fool can think to blind the eyes of the Almighty? Canst thou cover the sun with thy hand, that it shall not shine? As unable art thou to hide thy secret designs, so that the great God should not see them. It is impossible to deceive God ; but thou deceivest…
866 wordsSECTION 7617.^50 IN TTIE SPIRIT.
parrot : but to say Clirist is Lord bclievinglv, with thouglits and atfections com- porting with the greatness and sweetness thereof, requires the Spirit of (lod to be in his heart. Now it is not the bare naming of C"ln-ist in prayer, and saying, For the Lord's sake, that procures our welcome with God ; but saying it i…
914 wordsSECTION 762IN THK SPIRIT. 757
acts of the new creature, and flow from a spirit of grace infused into tlie soul, from which follows this spirit of supplication, Zech. xii. 10. Secondly, As habitual grace is required to sanctify the person, so actual grace to assist him as often as he prays. The Spirit of God may dwell in a soul by his habitual grace…
845 wordsSECTION 7631758 ^'^' "^^^ SPIRIT.
this respect, for ' he maketh intercession for the saints according to t)ie will of God,' ver. 27 ; that is, he so holds the reins of their affections, that they keep tlieir due order. He b)' his secret whispers instructs thon, when to let out their affections full speed, and when to take them up again. Just as the spi…
847 wordsSECTION 764IN THE SPIRIT. '759
muster. Truly, thus the Holy Spirit is often moving in the consciences and afl'ections of carnal creatures, counselling, rehuking, and exciting them ; so that, upon his suggestions, some warm affections are raised in them to that which is good, but presently all is quashed and comes to nothing, and the Spirit driven aw…
910 wordsSECTION 765- AN EXHORTATION TO THOSE THAT WANT THE SPIRIT OF GRACE.
him which way he sliould go. Inquire, therefore,- whether the Spirit of God (loth thus detennine thy soul in its actings and motions. Now, you know which is the Spirit's walk. Re is the Spirit of truth, and leads into truth : the word of God is the road he keeps : if thou walkest not by this rule, he is not thy guide. …
899 wordsSECTION 766- AN EXHORTATION TO THOSE THAT WANT THE SPIRIT OF GRACE.
Section II. — First, Labour to be deeply sensible of thy deplorable state while without the Spirit; an unsavoury creature thou art, unable for any duty, incapable of any comfort. The Sjiirit is often in Scriptvn-e compared to water, rain, and dew ; now, as the earth is barren, and can bring forth no fruit without these…
866 wordsSECTION 767>^Q2 WATCHING THEREUNTO.
these motions, and thou shalt liave more of" his company. • Fifthly, Converse with the saints that have the Spirit of God in them. Tliey that would learn a foreiirn lanjjuage, associate with men of tlie coimtry wiiose natural tongue it is. Would.^t thou have God, and learn to speak heaven's language.' associate with th…
868 wordsSECTION 768WATCHING THEREUNTO. 7()3
' sleep on ;' take your rest, and see what will come of it. Indeed, they soon saw it to their sorrow, for they all presently fell into that very temptation which their Master had so seasonahly warned them against, and this awoke them to purpose. Thirdly, By priding ourselves in and with the assistance he gives. Pride i…
796 wordsSECTION 769WATCHING THEREUNTO. 7()3
treading in his steps, 2 Cor. vi. 5, ' In watchings and fastings.' Many a sweet spiritual entertainment holy David's devout soul got in the night, when others lay asleep in their bed : ' My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, —when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night- watches,…
914 wordsSECTION 770AVATCHING TIIRUEUNTO. 7(35
ofs})irit in prayer! It creeps insensibly upon tlie soul, as sleep doth upon the body, the heart is gone before the Christian is well aware of it. The more need, therefore, is there to watch against it. Thirdly, Because Satan is so watcliful against prayer, therefore it behoves the Christian to watch rnito prayer. Wher…
862 wordsSECTION 771WHEREIN THE CHRISTIAN'S WATCH IS SET FOR HIM ABOUT PRAYER.
Section II. — He must watch in prayer. It is not enough to watch the cliild that he goes to school, but the master's eye must watch him in school. Tliou dost well to take care of thyself before prayer, but wilt thou now leave it at the school-door ? Truly then all thy former care is to little purpose. First, Tliou must…
863 wordsSECTION 772WHEREIN THE CHRISTIAN'S WATCH IS SET FOR HIM ABOUT PRAYER.
Section I. — First, Harhour not any known sin in thy bosom. Sin hath two contrary effects on the conscience ; either it fills the conscience with horror, or benumbs and stupifies it; the latter is the more common. Suifer the devil to anoint thy temples with this opium, and thou art in danger to fall into the sleeping d…
795 wordsSECTION 773768 WATCHING THEREUNTO.
ments, as if it were as easy to put off the world as to change their clothes ; but the world hath found those places commonly to have proved, not houses to pray in, but dens to draw their prey into. It is more likely that those who are pam- pered with sloth and fulness of bread, should be eaten up with luxury and sensu…
900 wordsSECTION 774768 WATCHING THEREUNTO.
men cannot hinder death's coming unto them. Thou art ricli, — will this excuse thee ? Rich men, indeed, can get others to serve for them here, when their prince calls them forth to war; but there is no discharge in this war. Solomon tells us, thou must personally do this. Thou art strong and lusty, thou canst not say, …
939 wordsSECTION 775Y70 WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE.
and shillings that he idly spends, nor considers the loss wliich follows upon his daily negligence ; whereas would he coniit what in this way was lost, he might find that it amounts to more than the other. Thus the Christian sometimes is troubled for one great sin into which he hath fallen, but withal, he observes not …
807 wordsSECTION 776WITH ALL PEHSEVERANCE. 771
all difficulties be conquered, and the thing at last be accomplished. It is used foi" the diligence and labour of dogs, that follow the chase, till at last they get the game pursued : it is applied also to lacqueys, that with great labour run after their masters, and are at their hand in a journey. In Scripture it is f…
887 wordsSECTION 777772 WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE.
that they might, but ought. It is, indeed, a high privilege to us, and a great condescension in the high God, to give us leave thus to lie at his door, and to suffer oiu" prayers to be ever sounding in his ears. We should not like to have beggars knocking day and night at our doors ; but so infinitely good is God, that…
906 wordsSECTION 778WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE. 773
intense, and so he tastesmore sweetness in the mercy ; also, because such mercies give disappointment to the Christian's many fears : when God tarries, we are prone to question whether he will come or no. ' Will the Lord cast off for ever? and v.'ill he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his …
913 wordsSECTION 779WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE. 773
door, Psa. xl. 1 : ' I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined nnto me, and heard my cry ;' in the Hebrew, 'in waiting I waited :' that is, I staid wait- ing long, ancl at last he came. But David was a favourite ; may others expect to succeed as well as he did ? see ver. 3 : ' Many shall see it, and fear, and sh…
890 wordsSECTION 780WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE. 775
imaginary defect which he supposeth to be in God. Now the causes from which this fainting in prayer proceed, are all evil and bitter. Lastly, As it is foolish and evil, so it is of dangerous consequence to ourselves to faint, and cease to pray. First, It is the ready way to bring some stinging affliction upon us. Art t…
901 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical work by William Gurnall, 1617–1679. OCR from an original historical scan hosted by Internet Archive; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.