PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Christian in Complete Armour
William Gurnall, 1617–1679 · 726,331 words · 834 reading sections
416 AND YOUR FEET SHOD WITH
endure temptation. True, indeed ; but for thy comfort, Cliristian, He that leads thee into this temptation stands ready to lielj) thee through it ; therefore, ver. 5, there is a gracious*/ (jiiis set up; ' if any of you (/. e., you sufferers cliiefly) lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberall}', …
898 wordsSECTION 422THE PREPARATION OP THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. 4J'7
fully to this ; every morning leave thyself and waj^s in God's hand, as the phrase is, Psa. x. 14 ; and at night look again how well God hath looked to his trust, and sleep not till thou hast affected thy heart with his faithfulness, and laid a stronger charge on thy heart to trust itself again in God's keeping in the …
896 wordsSECTION 423418 AND YOUR FEET SHOD WITH
world. ' If a man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honoui-, sanctified and meet for his master's use, and prepared unto every good work,' 2 Tim. ii. 21. O that we knew the heaven that is in a mortified soul! one that is crucified to the world, and lusts of it ! He hath the advantage of any other in d…
860 wordsSECTION 424THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. 429
Psa. xlvii. 8 : ' Thou hast pvit gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep.' This same peace with God, enjoyed in the conscience, redounds to the comfort of the body. Now David can sleep sweetly, when he lies on a hard bed ; what here he …
930 wordsSECTION 425420 ^N^ YOUR FEET SHOD WITH
speed, and sends them to Jerusalem, there to staj' privately, and not go into the field, or openly contest with tlie angry world, till they received the strength and succour which the Spirit in his comforts should bring with him. By all which it doth abundantly appear, how powerful tliis gospel-peace is to enable the s…
920 wordsSECTION 426THE PREPAKATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. 40^
First, This peace, where it is felt, makes the Christian unconquerable in his faith. Nothing is too hard for such a one to believe, that carries a pardon in his conscience, and hath his peace with God sealed to him. Moses was to meet with many dithculties in that great work of conducting Israel out of Egypt, towards Ca…
842 wordsSECTION 427^.£2 AND YOUR FEET SHOD WITH
Tliirdly, This peace enjoj'ed in the Cliristian's bosom hath a sweet influence on his self-denial ; a grace so necessary to sufl'ering, that Cluist lays the cross, as I may so say, upon the biick of this grace : ' Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me,' Mark viii. 34. …
933 wordsSECTION 428THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE. 4^3
husband, though it be to a prison ; how much more will a gracious soul bid adieu to these, yea, life itself, to go to Christ, especially when he hath sent the Comforter into his bosom, to cheer him in the solitariness of the way with his sweet company ! A fourth suffering grace, which the sweet sense of this gospel-pe…
875 wordsSECTION 429A24 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
Secondly, What shall we think of tliose that are great pretenders to this peace, yet cannot think with any patience of sutiering from God or for God ? Certainly, so far as the creature is acquainted with this peace, and hath the true sense of God's love in Christ lying warm at his heart, he cannot hut find pro- portion…
879 wordsSECTION 430ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 425
quent or negligent in his communion with God, should long be owner of much peace or comfort that is true. What if thou dost not pour water of presump- tuous sins into the lamp of thy joy, to quench it ? it is enough, if thou dost not pour oil of duty to feed and maintain it. Thou art murderer to thy com- fort by starvi…
765 wordsSECTION 43142(3 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH,
justifying faith ; but doginatical faith doth not infer justifying faith. Justifying faith cannot be without a dogmatical ; it implies it, as the rational soul in man doth the sensitive. But the dogmatical may be without the justifying, as the sen- sitive soul in the beast is without the rational. Judas knew the Script…
928 wordsSECTION 432ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 407
of fiiith to lie in assurance, we should not only offend against the generation of God's children, but against the God and Father of these children, for at one clap we turn the greater number of those children he hath here on earth out of doors; yea, we are cruel to those that he is most tender of, and make sad the hea…
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No church without his blood, Acts xx. 28 : 'The church of God, which he hath purchased with his blood :' E latere Christi moricntiii ex f Hit ecdesia. The church is taken out of dying Jesus's side, as Eve out of sleeping Adam's. Clmst did not redeem and save poor soids by sitting in majesty on liis heavenly throne, but…
885 wordsSECTION 434Section III. — Quest. 3. Why is faith compared to a shield? — j4ns. For a double resemblance there is between this grace and that piece of armour.
hath, to God his maker, though he hath not the grace vohintarily to make these over to God by promise and covenant. Bnt the great God is so absolute a Sovereign, that none can make a law to bind him but himself: till he be pleased to pass an act of grace, of his own good-will, to give this, or do that good thing, to an…
929 wordsSECTION 4354,30 ABOA^E ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
Section III. — Quest. 3. Why is faith compared to a shield? — j4ns. For a double resemblance there is between this grace and that piece of armour. First, The shield is not for the defence of any particular part of the bod)-, as almost all the other pieces are : helmet fitted for the head ; plate designed for the breas…
853 wordsSECTION 436ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH, 4.3 [
tions and acquaintance. Wilt thou, saitli Satan, yield to snch hard terms as these ? Now faith is the grace that doth the soul admirahle service at such a pinch as this. It is able to appease the tumult, which such a temptation may raise in the soul, and dismiss the rovite of all mutinous thoughts ; yea, to keep the Ki…
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allowed you in your endeavours after the otlier graces, because you are more strongly provoked and excited up to the getting and keeping this. The apostle would intend your care here, but not remit it there. Cannot we bid a soldier, above all parts of his body, to beware of a wound at his heart, but he must needs think…
837 wordsSECTION 438ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 433
man had ali-eady expressed some zeal for Christ, hi vindicating him, and speak- ing well of him to the head of the bitterest enemies he had on earth, for which he was now a sufferer at their hands. This was very commendable : but there is one thing that Christ prizeth above all this, and that is faith. This he inquires…
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Christian's ear, justifying patience, justifying repentance! and if they were concerned in tlie act of justification, as faith is, the name would as well become them as it doth faith itself But we find this appropriated to faith, and the rest hedged out from having to do in the act of justification, thougli included an…
881 wordsSECTION 440ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 4^5
jealous tliey have been of this, that for tlie prevention of all suspicion of such a foul act it hath been of old the custom of the greatest monarchs, that those who were their favourites, and admitted into the nearest attendance upon their own persons and queens, should be eunuchs ; such whose very disability of natur…
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didst scorn and hate ? Surely tliou hast heard some good news from heaven, that hath changed thy tlioughts of God, and turned the stream of thy love, which ran another way, into this happy channel. And who can be the mes- senger besides faith, that brings any good news from heaven to the soul ? It is faith that proclai…
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would have tlie whole tree fniitful, we think we do enough to water the root, knowing what the root sucks from the earth, it would soon disperse into the branches. Thus, that sap and fatness, faith, which is the radical grace, draws from Chiist, will be quickly diffused through the branches of the other graces, and tas…
886 wordsSECTION 443438 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
liis penury of grace and duty. And this it doth two ways. First, By laying claim to the fulness of that grace which is in Christ as its own. Why art thou dejected, O my soul, saith the Christian's faith, for thy weak grace? There is enough in Chi'ist, all fulness dwells in him ; it pleased the Father it should be so, a…
908 wordsSECTION 444ADOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. ^^J)
disappear, as stars do in a cloudy night. How often do we hear the Christian say in an hour of desertion and temptation, I know not whether I love God or not in sincerity. I dare not say I have any true godly sori'ow for sin. Indeed, I have thought formerly these graces had a being in me ; but now I am at a loss what t…
916 wordsSECTION 445440 AIJOVK ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
faith's liand rather than any other grace : Rom. xv. 13, ' The God of peace fill yon with all joy in believing.' It is observable, 1 Pet. i., to see how the apostle there doth as it were cross his hands, as once Jacol) did in blessing his son Joseph's children, and gives the pre-eminence to faith, attributing the Chris…
857 wordsSECTION 446ADOVE ALL, TAKIN-U THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 44I
use to Satan for the hurrying souls into other sins, called therefore ' an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from God,' lieb. iii. 12. The devil sets up this sin of unbelief, as a blind betwixt the sinner and God, that the shot which come from the threatening, and are levelled at the sinner's breast, may not be drea…
955 wordsSECTION 447442 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
promise of the gospel is this psalm of mercy, which God offers in his Son to law- condemned sinners; believing is reading this psalm of mercy : if thou believest not, and art damned, thou go\'st to hell rather for thy final unhelief,_ than any of thy other sins, for which a discharge is offered thee upon thy receiving …
866 wordsSECTION 448442 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
confounded when thou producest thy faith, and hopest to save thyself with this, that thou believest on the Lord Jesus, but shalt have thy confidence rejected, and God tell thee to thy teeth, it is not faith, but a lie in thy right hand that thou hast got ; and therefore he will not accept the payment, though it be Chri…
886 wordsSECTION 449^,44 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
there is more hope of persuading him : of all fools, the conceited fool is the worst. Pride makes a man incapable of receiving counsel. Nebuchadnezzar's mind is said to be hardened in pride, Dan. v. 20. There is no reasoning with a proud man; he castles himself in his own opinion of himself, and there stands upon his d…
904 wordsSECTION 450ACOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 4.45
Ask some, whether evei' such a day or time of God's power came over their heads, to humble them for siu, drive them out of themselves, and draw them effectually unto Christ ; and they may answer you as those did Petei', when he asked whether they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed ; they said unto him, ' W…
901 wordsSECTION 451446 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
brought into a deep sense of them. Light in a direct beam heats not, nor doth knowledge swinmiing in the brain affect. Most under the gospel know that unbelief is a damning sin, and that there is no name to be saved by but the name of Christ ; yet how few of those know this convincingly, so as to apply this to their ow…
906 wordsSECTION 452ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 4,47
world of sin,' ver. 9, 'and of righteousness,' ver. 10. And this is as necessary an antecedent to faith as any of the former. Without this, the soul convinced of sin is more like to go to the gallows with Judas, or fall on the sword of the law, as the jailer attempted to do on his when lie thought his condition despe- …
845 wordsSECTION 453448 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
no more to faith, if ye be children of Belial, such whose necks do not freely stoop to this yoke of obedience. The devil himself may as soon pass for a believer as a disobedient soul. Other things he can shew, as much as you. Dost thou pretend to knowledge ? thou wilt not deny the devil to be a greater scholar than thy…
902 wordsSECTION 454448 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
prison is, when he is set at liberty, that he may visit his friends, and follow his calling. The only grievous thing to a lovhig soul is to be hindered in his obe- dience : this is that which makes such a one out of love with the woi-ld, and being in it, because it cumbers him in his work, and many times keeps him from…
936 wordsSECTION 455450 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH
first, ver. 16. 'Thy pound hath gained five,' saith another, ver. 18. Mark, not I have gained, but thy pound hath gained ten and five. Tliey do not applaud tliemselves, but ascribe both principal aiul increase to God ; thy talent hath gained : that is, tliy gifts and grace, through thy assistance and blessing, have gai…
852 wordsSECTION 456ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 45 1
on their beds, and assembling themselves for corn and wine,' Hosea vJi. 14. There is the cry of the creatiu'e, and the cry of the new creature. Every crea- tm-e hath a natural cry for that which suits their nature. Hence, Psa. cxiv. 7, ' The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat of God.' But give the l…
916 wordsSECTION 457452 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
duty, which he never inwardly liked ; whereas the sincere believer hath that in him which makes it impossible he should quite give over praying, except he should also cease believing: prayer is the very breath of faith; stop a man's breath, and where is he then ? It is true, tlie "believer, through his own negli- gence…
928 wordsSECTION 458ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 453
as the stream in a channel doth at a falling tide. When God took the deluge from the earth, he did not do it in a moment ; it is said, ' the waters returned from off the earth continually,' Gen. viii. 3 ; that is, it was falling water from day to day, till all was gone. Canst thou not find. Christian, that some of thy …
920 wordsSECTION 4594.54 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
thei-efore bid thee question the truth of tliy faith, for every fainting fit that comes over it, as to the good tilings of the promise foft tliis life. A man may, in a time of war, have some of his estate lie under the enemy's power for a time, and he so long have no profits from it ; but still he reckons it as his est…
879 wordsSECTION 460ABOVE ALL, TAKING THK SHIELD OV FAITH. 455
goes on hi the road he hath set out in for heaven. O remember, proud man, who thou art, and cease thy vam attempt. Art not thou of Adam's seed? Hast not thou traitor's blood in thy veins? If 'every month be stopped,' Rom. iii. 19, 20, how darest thou open thine ? If 'all the world is become guilty before God, that by t…
897 wordsSECTION 461CONTAINS A SECOND DIRECTION FOR THE OBTAINING FAITH.
Again, as the guilt remains, so the power of those lusts remains, so long as thou art an unbeliever, however they may disappear in the outward act. Thy heart is not emptied of one sin, but the vent stopped by restraining grace. A bottle full of wine, close stopped, shews no more what it hath in it, than one that is emp…
908 wordsSECTION 462ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 4,57
Secondly, Take heed of resisting or opposing the Spirit of God, when he offers his help to the work. If ever thou believest, he must enable thee ; take heed of opposing him. Master workmen love not to be controlled. Now, two ways the Spirit of God may be opjjosed. First, when the creature waits not on the Spirit, where…
835 wordsSECTION 463458 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
were bidden shall taste of my supper.' They were but once invited, and for their first denial this ciuse clapped upon their heads. It is not said, they shall never come where the supper stands on the board, but they shall never taste. Many sit under the ordinances, where Christ in prospel dishes is set forth admirably,…
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desires, whereby thovi art, in hearing the word, often sallying forth in such like breathings as these : O that Christ was mine ! Shall I ever be the happy soul whom God will pardon and save ? Yea, possibly, in the heat of thy affections, thou art cursing thy lusts and Satan, who have held thee so long from Christ, and…
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means whereby he may obtain grace, and receive faith. ' Prayer is the soul's motion Godward,' says Baxter, ' and to say an unbeliever should not pray, is to say he should not turn to God, who yet saith to the wicked, Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. Desire is the soul of prayer,'…
938 wordsSECTION 466ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 461
justl}' kindled in God's heart against liim ; so he hath also that enmity which the heart of the creature is filled with against God : and paid for a new stock of grace, wherewith his hankrupt creature may again set up : so that, poor so\il, when thou gocst to pray for faith, look up unto Christ, as having a bank of gr…
901 wordsSECTION 4674(52 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
place tliyself here awhile, and it were strange if the Spirit should not shake some fruit from one branch or another into tliy lap. Thou knowest not, hut as Isaac met his bride when he went into the fields to meditate, so thou mayest meet thy beloved, while walking by thy meditations in this garden of the promises. Se…
926 wordsSECTION 468ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 4(33
promise, than infinite mercy, poAver, and faithfulness can see discharged. ' Be still, and know that I am God,' Psa. xlvi. 10 ; of this psalm Luther would say in times of great confusion in the church, ' Let us sing tlie forty -sixth psalm in spite of the devil and all his instruments.' And this clause of it, poor lumi…
863 wordsSECTION 4694(34 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
beauty besides himself, yet it is not in these, but in Christ, who is his by faith, that he blesseth himself. Tlie beUever, he can say, through mercy, that he hath a heart beautified with those heavenly graces, to which the heathen's mock virtues, and the proud self justiciary's mock graces also, are no more to be comp…
927 wordsSECTION 470ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 465
home again empty,' Ruth i. 21. And happy for them that they are come to their stomachs in this life, before this food be tai^en off the table, never more to be set on. He that taught Christians to pray for their daily bread, did suppose they had need of it ; and surely he did not mean only or chiefly corporeal bread, w…
916 wordsSECTION 4712 1£
neighbours, in whose company we are ahiiost every day. It were a rare way to secure our faith, yea, to advance it and all our other graces, would we, in our dailv course, labour to do all our actions, as in obedience to the command, so in faith on tlie promise. But, alas ! how many enterprises are undertaken M-hcre fai…
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content with what they have. A spark is sooner smothered than a flame ; a drop is easier drank up and dried than a river. The stronger thy faith is, the safer tliy faith is from the enemy's assaults. The intelligence which an enemy liath of a castle being weakly provided for a siege, is enough to bring him against it, …
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thoughts, as not knowing whether thou niaycst venture to cast anchor on it or no? Because thou liast lost the sense of his love, does thj' eye of faith fail tliee also, tliat tliou liast lost the sight of his mercy and truth in the promise ? Surely the eye of fnitli is weak, or else it would read the promise without th…
897 wordsSECTION 474ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 4,(39
of the affliction, but approbation of divine appointment? If the latter, thy faith is strong. First, It shews God hath a throne in thy heart; thou reverencest his authority, and ownest his sovereignty, or else thou wouldst not acquiesce in his orders. ' I was dumb, because thou didst it,' Psa. xxxix. 9. If the blow had…
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with which it courted them as well as others, aiwl go with a merry heart through the deepest of them all : here is glorious faith indeed ! It is not praising of heaven, and wishing we were there, hut a cheei'ful abandoning the dearest pleasures, and embracing the greatest sufferings of the world, (when called to the sa…
900 wordsSECTION 476CHAPTER XL
subject cloth a heavy tax, with a deep sigh, to tliink how much he parts with, but as freely as a child would present his father with an apj)le of that orchard which he holds by gift from him ; indeed, the child, when young, is very servile and selfish, forbearing what his father forbids for fear of the rod, and doing …
859 wordsSECTION 47747'2 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
thou dost; hast thou had no vision, not extraordinary, of an angel, or inunediato revelation, but ordinary, of the Spirit of God, I mean, in his Avord and ordi- nances, encouraging thee from those characters which are in the Scripture given of faith, and the conformity thy f lith hath to them, to take and own thy faith…
879 wordsSECTION 47847'2 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.
him acknowledging his folly, ver. 10, * And I said, This is my infirmity.' This I may thank thee for, O my unbelief, thou enemy of God and my soul : thou wilt be puzzling me with needless fears, and make me think and speak so unworthily of my God. This proved there was faith at the bottom of his . unbelief. Secondly, …
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with every sincere soul under doubtings ; lie dares no more sit down contented in that iniresolved condition, than one who thinks he smells fire in his house dares settle himself to sleep till he hath looked in every room and corner, and satisfied himself that all is safe, lest he should be waked witii the fire about h…
917 wordsSECTION 480ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH. 475
Lord calls for it, Benjamin shall not go ; his life is bound up in it, and if God will have it from him, he must take it by force, for there is no hope of gaining his consent. If this is the true picture of thy faith, and temper of thy soul, then verily thou blessest thyself in an idol, and mistakest a bold face for a …
866 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.