PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Christian in Complete Armour
William Gurnall, 1617–1679 · 726,331 words · 834 reading sections
]\Q AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE
with a perfect heart, and witli a willing mind.' Though a king, lie did not put it off to his chaplains, but whetted it on him with his own lips. Neither was his (picen Bathsheba forgetful of her duty : her gracious counsel is upon record, Prov. xxxi. ; and that she may do it with the more seriousness and solemnity, we…
812 wordsSECTION 122]\Q AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE
Secondly, Yon deal vmrighteonsly with God, that train not up yonr children in the knowledge of God, because your children, if you be Christian parents, are God's children ; they stand in a federal relation to him, which the children of others do not ; and shall God's children be niu-turcd with the devil's educa- tion ?…
873 wordsSECTION 123118 AGAINST THE UULEUS OF THE
spirits to ihcir iiiinisters or others for counsel ; but the ignorant eoul feels no smart. If the minister stay till he sends for him to instruct him, he may sooner hear the bell go for him, than anj' messenger come for him ; you must seek them out, and not expect that they will come to you. These are a sort of people …
903 wordsSECTION 124118 AGAINST THE UULEUS OF THE
breasts, or having, draws it not forth to her child. There is a woe to the idol-shepherd, Zech. xi. ; such as have months, but speak not ; lips, but not to feed the people with knowledge. It shall be the people's sin, if they feed not when bread is before them ; but woe to us if we give them not meat in due season. O s…
876 wordsSECTION 125120 AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE
ala3 ! then he will throw their own words in their teeth, nad bid them depart from him, he desires not the knowledge of them. O sinners, you shall see, at last, God can better be without your company in heaven, than you could without his knowledge on earth : yet, yet it is day, draw your curtains, and behold Christ shi…
889 wordsSECTION 126DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD. JOJ
poor creature ! your life in the socket, and this candle of the Lord not set up and lighted in your understanding ; your body bowing to the dust, and nature tolling the passing bell, as it were, and you, like one going in the dark, know not whither death will lead you or leave yo\i. It is like, the infirmities of age m…
883 wordsSECTION 127122 AGAIXST THE RULERS OF THE
beginnings. God complains of Israel, tlu-y wore 'brutish in their knowledge,' Jer. X. 14. He doth not say brutish in their ignoranee ; had they sinned be- cause they did not know better, this would have excused a tanio ; but they did that which was brutish and unreasonable, as their worshipping graven images, notwithst…
859 wordsSECTION 128DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD. \0'^
■word of God is called a light unto our feet, not to our tongues, merely to talk of, but feet to walk by : endeavour for it, not that thou mayest spread thy own name, but celebrate God. As David promiseth, when he understands the pre- cepts of God, then he will talk of his wondrous works, he will trumpet the fame of th…
870 wordsSECTION 1291^)4 AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
FhrA, Look tliou art a wakeful heaver. Is it any wonder he should go away from the sermon no wiser than he came, that sleeps the greatest part of it away, or hears between sleeping and v.aking ? It must be in a dream siu"e, if God reveals anything of his mind to him. So indeed God did to the fathers of old ; but it was…
889 wordsSECTION 130AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS. 105
llie power and savour of tliem in his spirit, as when sugar is dissolved in wine, you cannot see it, but you may taste it ; when meat is eaten and digested, it is not to be found as it was received, but the man is cheered and strengthened by it, more able to walk and work than before, by which you may know it is not lo…
800 wordsSECTION 131\2Q AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
Secondly, The devils arc s])iritual substances, not qualities, or evil motions arising from us, as some have al)s\n-dly conceived. So the Sadducees, and otliers following tliem, deny any such being as an angel, good or evil ; but this is so fond a conceit, that we must both forfeit our reason, and deny the Scriptures t…
826 wordsSECTION 132\2Q AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
Fourthly, They are unwearied in their motions. When the light is over among men, the conqueror must sit down and breathe, and so loseth the chase, because not able to pursue it in time. Yea, some have given over their empires, as glutted with the blood of men, andweary of the work, when they cannot have their will as t…
857 wordsSECTION 133\2Q AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
willino;ly. Herbs and Howers shed not their seed til! ripe ; creatures pi'opagate not till of stature and age. What do those that tempt others, but dittiise their wicked opinions and practices, and as it were raise up seed to the devil, thereby to keep up the name of their infernal father in the world ? This shews sin …
889 wordsSECTION 134AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS. 1 2<)
here so diffident and modest, as to blush at some sins out of shame, and forbear the acting of others out of fear, when there thou slialt see thy case as desperate as the devil doth his, then thou wilt spit out thy blasphemies, with which thy nature is stuffed, with the same malice that he doth. The Indians have a con-…
907 wordsSECTION 135CHAPTER VII.
his design in a siege : and darest thou venture to go into the fiehl upon his quarrel against (iod .' O earth, treiul)le thou at the presence of tlie Lord. Tiiis bloody Joab sets tliee where never any came oft' alive. () stand not where God's bullets fly ; throw down thy arms, or thou art a dead man. Whatever others do…
806 wordsSECTION 136CHAPTER VII.
lieart to lodge tliese guests, and bid them welcome ? It is like thou wouldst not be seen to walk in the street with such companj', not violently break open thy neighbour's house to murder or rob him ; but canst thou not, under thy own roof, in the withdrawing room of thy soul, let thy thoughts hold up an unclean lust,…
886 wordsSECTION 137Y^L^ AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS. «,
yet Lord,' the heart of such a one cries, as Austin confessed of himself. Sin is as truly tlie offspring of the soul, as cliildren are of our bodies, and it finds as much favour in our eyes, yea, more; for the sinner can slay a son to save a sin alive, Micah vi. 7 ; and of all sins, none are more cherished than these h…
875 wordsSECTION 138AC.AINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS. 133
rence of them, and cliide thy soul sharply for so much as holding conference with them, of which nought can come but dishonour to God, and mischief to thy own soid ; and stir up thy heart to mourn for the evil neighhoiu-hood of them, and by this thou shalt give a testimony of thy faithfulness to God. When David mourned…
809 wordsSECTION 139134 AGAINST SPIRITUAL V/ICKEDNKSS.
the heart in cares and fears ; for carnal pride in beauty, riches, honour, there is a spiritual pride of gifts, graces, &c. Now Satan ui an especial manner assaults the Christian with such as these ; it wouh) require a larger discourse than I can allow, to run over the several kinds of them ; I shall of many j)ick out …
872 wordsSECTION 140134 AGAINST SPIRITUAL V/ICKEDNKSS.
wonder if it be so troublesome a neighbour to truth. O sirs ! what a sweet silence and peace was there among Christians a dozen years ago ! Methinks the looking back to those blessed days in this respect, (though they had also in another way their troubles, yet not so uncomfortable, because that storm united, this scat…
870 wordsSECTION 141136 AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKKDNESS.
Secondly, Ply the work of mortification : crucify the flesh daily. Heresy, though a spiritual sin, yet by the apostle reckoned among the deeds of the flesh. Gal. V. 20; because it is occasioned by fleshly motives, and noiu-ishcd by carnal food and fuel. Never any turned heretic, but flesh was at the bottom ; either the…
809 wordsSECTION 142AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS. 137
clieat, cozen, oppress ; and what mean they ? Oh, it is to get an estate to main- tain their pride. Otliers fawn and flatter, lie, dissemble, and for what? to help pride up some mount of honour. Again, it maketh use of that which is good ; it can work with God's own tools, his ordinances, by which the Holy Spirit advan…
853 wordsSECTION 14313S AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
enthrone himself tlian Christ, in tlie opinion and hearts of his hearers. Pride earries the man aloft to be admired for the height of his parts and notions, and will not sutler him to stoop so low as to speak of })lain truths, or, if he does, not plainly ; he must have some line lace, though on a plain stuff"; such a o…
882 wordsSECTION 14413S AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
ever ? Lord, thou knowest I love thee. Truly, Christian, thou hast the better part ; thou little thinkest what a mercy may be wrapped up even in the meanest of thy gifts, or what temptations their gifts expose them to, which, God, for aught I know, may in mercy deny thee. Joseph's coat made him finer than his brethren,…
868 wordsSECTION 145140 AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
humility. Our gannents cover the shame of our bodies, humiHty tlie beauty of the soul ; and as a tender body cannot live without clothes, so neitiier can grace without this clothing of humility. It kills the spirit of praise : when thou shouldst bless God, thou art applauding thyself. It destroys Christian love, and st…
861 wordsSECTION 146AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS. \^,\
thee forth ; but it is pride to run before God speaks. Secondly, when called, earnestly implore Divine strength against this enemy ; shun not a duty for fear of pride ; thou mayest show it in the very seeming to escape it ; but go in the strength of God against it ; there is more hope of overcoming it by obedi- ence th…
891 wordsSECTION 1471^2 AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
Secondly, Thou wrongest thy brother, as thou sinnest against the law of love, which obligeth thee to rejoice in his good as thy own, yea, to prefer him in honour before thyself. Thou canst not love and envy the same person ; envy is as contrary to love, as the hectical feverish fire in the body is to the kindly heat of…
773 wordsSECTION 148AGAINST SPIRITUAL AVIC'KEDNESS. 143
he expects you should give him this, as the undovibted prerogative of liis place; and therefore to seek protection from any other, is, as it were, to set up another king: Judg. xix. 15, ' If indeed you anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust imder my shadow.' Tlieref'ore, when a soul puts his trust in any…
914 wordsSECTION 149J 44 AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
is weak, thj' patience almost spent; ply thee to the throne of grace, go with thy homer to the ordinances, and get some supplies. Now a soul conceited of his store hath another song, ' Soul, take thine ease, thou art richly laid up for many days.' Let the doiihting soid pray, thy faith is strong; let the weak lie at th…
906 wordsSECTION 150J 44 AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
salvation, Heb. vi. 9, but not procure it. This is Christ's work, not the work of grace. When Israel waited on the Lord at Mount Sinai, they had their bounds ; not a man must come up besides Moses to treat with God, no, not touch the Mount lest they die : thus all the graces of the Spirit wait on God, but none come up …
886 wordsSECTION 151146 AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
pardon from his gracious prince's liand : but here is one infinitely surpassing both ; a soul pining and jierishing in sin, and yet rejecting the mercy of God, and the helping hand of Christ to save him. Though Abigail did not tliink her- self wortliy to be David's wife, yet she thought David was worthy of her, and the…
891 wordsSECTION 152AGAINST SPIKITUAL WICKKDNESS. 147
some of tins spiritual pride working in thee ? O ! if thou coyldst pray without wandering, walk without limping, believe without wavering, then thou couldst rejoice and walk cheerfully. It seems, soul, thou stayest to bring the ground of thy comfort with thee, and not to receive it pm-ely from Christ. O how much better…
893 wordsSECTION 153AGAINST SPIKITUAL WICKKDNESS. 147
more to shew tlian thj'self, liave thrown away all and gone a begging to Christ. Read Paul's inventory, Phil, iii., what he had, what he did, yet all dross and loss : give him Christ, and take the rest who will. So Job, as holy a man as trod on earth, (God himself being witness,) yet saith, 'Though I were pei'fect, yet…
897 wordsSECTION 154THE THIRD KIND OF SPIRITUAL PRIDE, VIZ. PRIDE OF PRIVILEGES.
not lean to his own coniforts. As a ])hysician first bids liis patient cast off all others he hath tampered with, he asks what physic he hath had from them, takes oft' their plasters, and throws away their physic, and goes about the work de novo; so the Spirit, when he comes to comfort a poor soul, first persuades the …
840 wordsSECTION 155150 AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
jct in prison, for Christ,) ?ay, ' Such an liour it is as angels are not permiltecl to have, therefore God forgive me mine iinthankfulness.' Now, when Satan can- not scare a soul from pri&on, yet then he will laboin- to puff him np in prison; when he cannot make him pity himself, then he will flatter him till he prides…
897 wordsSECTION 156150 AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS.
applause, it may be, and rear up a monument to thy honour in the opinions of men ; thou dost no more in this case than a soldier, who for the name of valour will venture into the mouth of danger and death ; only thou shewest thy pride under a religious disguise ; yet that helps it not, but makes it the worse. If thou w…
898 wordsSECTION 157SHEWETH WHAT TUE PRIZE IS, WHICH BELIEVERS WRESTLE AGAINST THESE PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS, SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESSES FOR,
or power to preserve those impressions of joy, and comfortable apprehensions of God's favour on our spirit, which sometimes we find; as God's presence brings those, so when he goes he carries thorn away with him, as the setting sun doth the day. We would laugh heartily at him who, when the sim shines in at his window, …
771 wordsSECTION 158SHEWETH WHAT TUE PRIZE IS, WHICH BELIEVERS WRESTLE AGAINST THESE PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS, SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESSES FOR,
apostle mtended to set out the advantage of place wliicli this our enemy, by being above us, hath of us. Indeed this way most intei-pretei-s go ; yet some, both ancient and modern, read the words, not. In heavenly places, but ' In heavenly things.' En tois epnuraniois, saith fficumenius, is as much as if the apostle ha…
871 wordsSECTION 159J 54 ^^ HIGH PLACES; OK,
except they would let liiin thrust out their right ej'es, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel ; and to see how it was entertained, read 1 Sam. xi. 6. The face is not so deformed that hath lost its eye, as the soul is that losclh its holi- ness ; and no peace to be expected at Satan's hands, except he may deprive …
888 wordsSECTION 160IN HEAVENLY THINGS. 155
that company is not for him, that will neither give nor take this. What should a merchant do where there is no buying nor selling ? Every one labours, as his calling is, to seat himself where ti'ade is quickest, and he is like to have most takings. The Christian, where he may choose, takes such in relations near to him…
888 wordsSECTION 161]^Q IN HIGH PLACES; OR,
Christ take it to be thus used, when he comes on such a gracious embassy ? May he not say to tliee, as once he did to those officers sent to attack him, ' Do you come out against me as a thief, with swords and staves?' If he be a thief, it is only in this, that he would steal your sins from you, and leave heaven in the…
893 wordsSECTION 162IN UKAVKXLY TIIINCS. 157
whereby they deceive others, and most of all themselves ; such may be the world's saints, but devils in Christ's account. Have not I chosen twelve, and one of you is a devil ? And truly, of all devils, none so bad as the professing devil, the preaching, praying devil. O sirs, be plain-hearted ; religion is as tender as…
880 wordsSECTION 163158 IN HIGH PLACES; OR,
his eye, is ruled by heaven's kuv ; he dares not stej) out of heaven's road to take up a crown, as we see in David's carriage towards Saul. Indeed, in so doing, he should cross himself in his own grand design, which is the glory of God, and the happiness of his own soul in enjoying of him; upon these very terms the ser…
940 wordsSECTION 164IN HEAVENLY THINGS. 159
Thirdly, The Christian is heavenly in his keeping of earthly things. The same heavenly law which he went by in getting, he observes in holding them. As he dares not say he will be rich and honourable in the world, but if God will ; so neither that he will hold what he hath, he only keeps them until his heavenly Father …
838 wordsSECTION 165IN HEAVENLY THINGS. 159
wallow in the dung and orduie of his carnal pleasures, and wish himself for ever shut up with his swill in the hog's sty of this dunghill eartli, rather than leave these to dwell in heaven's palace, and be admitted to no meaner plea- sures tlian what God himself with his saints enjoys. It were even just if (iod gave su…
897 wordsSECTION 166IN IIEAVEXLY THINGS. 161
a wild-goose chase after that whicli Imth decfivecl them at last. But now for heaven and the things of heaven, there is such a clear and certain rule laid down, that if we will but take the counsel of the word, we can neither mistake the way, nor in that way miscaiTy of the end. ' As many as walk by this i"ule, peace b…
929 wordsSECTION 167](52 WHEREFORE TAKE UNTO VOU
birds, tlicy hop up and down, now on tliis liedge, and anon upon that, none can call them his own: rich to-day, and poor to-morrow ; in health when we lie down, and arrested with ])angs of death hefore midniijht. Joyful ])arents, one while solacing ourselves with the liopes of our hudding j)osterity, and may be ere lon…
913 wordsSECTION 168THE WHOLE ARMOUR OI' GDI). IQ.S
be escaped, if thou wouldst turn thy hack on the creature, and face about for heaven. Labour to get Christ, and through him hopes of heaven ; and thou takest the right road to content, thou shalt see it before thee, and enjoy the prospect of it as thou goest, yea, find that every step thou drawest nearer and nearer to …
923 wordsSECTION 169THE REASON WHY THE APOSTLE RENEWS THE SAME EXHORTATION ; AND ALSO WHAT TRUTHS MINISTERS ARE OFTEN TO PREACH TO THEIR PEOPLE.
Secondly, ' Having done all, to stand ;' that is, both able to fight, and able to conquer. As for the first general, 'the exhortation,' we shall wave it as to the substance of it, being the same with what we have handled, ver. 11. Only there are two observables which we shall lightly touch. The one from the repetition …
819 wordsSECTION 170THE BEST OF SAINTS SUBJECT TO DECLINE IN THEIR GRACES, AND WHY WE ARE TO ENDEAVOUR A RECOVERY OF DECAYS IN GRACE.
Secondly, Those truths are oft to be preached, which ministers observe to be most undermined by Satan or his instruments in the judgments or lives of their people. The preacher must read and study his people as diligently as any book in his study; and as he finds them, dispense like a faithful steward imto them. Paul t…
840 wordsSECTION 171THE BEST OF SAINTS SUBJECT TO DECLINE IN THEIR GRACES, AND WHY WE ARE TO ENDEAVOUR A RECOVERY OF DECAYS IN GRACE.
The second observable in tbe exhortation is taken from the verb which the apostle iisetli, analamhanefe, which signilies not only to take, but to take again, or recover a thing which we have lost, or reassunic a thing which for the present we have left. Now the apostle writing to the saints at Ephesus, who (at least ma…
867 wordsSECTION 172THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD. 1(^7
Thirdly, The Christian wrongs himself in not endeavouring to repair his broken armour, and recover his declining grace. By this he loses the evidence of his inheritance, or at least so blots it, that it cannot be so clearly perceived by him. A declining Christian must needs be a doubting Christian, because the common s…
781 wordsSECTION 173THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD. 1(^7
growing, than decaying. Sin cannot be on the getting hand, if the sense of sin grow quick. This is the concomitant of a thriving soul ; none so full of complaints of their own hearts as such; the least sin goes now to their very souls, which makes them think worse of themselves than ever : but it is not the increase of…
884 wordsSECTION 174THE WHOLE ARMOUK OF GOD. |()9
Thirdly, When the arguments prevailing most with thee to resist temptations to sin, or to mourn for sin committed, are more carnal and less evangelical than formerly. May be thou rememberest when thy love to Christ would have spit lire on the face of Satmi, tempting thee to such a sin, but now that holy fire is so abat…
906 wordsSECTION 175A WORD OF COUNSEL FOR THE RECOVERY OF DECLINING GR^CE.
Secondly, When thy diligence in thy particular calling is more selfish. Pos- sibly thou hast wrought in thy shop, and sat close at thy study, in obedience to the command chiefly ; thy carnal interests have swaj-ed but little with thee ; but now thou tradest more for thyself, and less for God. Oh, have a care of this ! …
701 wordsSECTION 176THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD. 1 7 J
Thirdly, Back both these with a daily endeavour to mortify those lusts which most prevail over thy grace. Weeds cannot thrive and the flowers also ; when grace doth not act vigorously and freely, conclude it is oppressed with some contrary lust, which weighs down its spirits, and makes them lumpish ; even as superfluou…
884 wordsSECTION 177172 THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND
this new coin, hot out of the mint of God's bounty, ancient mercies will come crowding in upon thee, and call for a ])lace in thy thoughts, and tell thee what God liath done for thee, months and years ago ; and, indeed, old debts should not be paid last; give them. Christian, all a hearing one time or another, and tlio…
881 wordsSECTION 178THE WORDS OPENED, AND WHAT IS MEANT BY THE EVIL DAY.
of saints? Where are two or three to be found that can agree to walk together? Those that could formerly pray together, cannot sit together at their Father's table, can hardly pray one with or one for another ; the breath of one Chris- tian is strange to another, that once lay in his bosom. ' This is a lamentation, and…
906 wordsSECTION 179174 THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND
Secondly, Others take the phrase in a more restrained sense, to denote those particular seasons of our life, wherein more especially we meet with afflictions and suflerings. Beza reads it, tempore adverso, in the time of our adversity. Though our whole life be evil, if compared with heaven's blissful state ; our cleare…
831 wordsSECTION 180IN THE EVIL DAV. 1 75
First, As it is grievous to sense. In Scripture, evil is oft put in contradistinc- tion to joy and comfort: ' we look for peace, and behold no good.' A merry heart is called a good heart; a sad spirit, an evil spirit; because nature hath an abhorrency to all that opposeth its joy, and this every affliction doth more or…
808 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.