Blueridge Believer
Puritan Board Professor
William Gurnall -- The Christian in Complete Armour
How uncomely a sight is it to see, a bold sinner
and a fearful saint, one resolved to be wicked,
and a Christian wavering in his holy course; to
see guilt put innocence to flight, and hell keep
the field, impudently braving it with displayed
banners of open profaneness; [to see] saints
hide their colours for shame, or run from them
for fear, who should rather wrap themselves in
them, and die upon the place, than thus betray
the glorious name of God, which is called upon
by them to the scorn of the uncircumcised. Take
heart therefore, O ye saints, and be strong; your
cause is good, God himself espouseth your
quarrel, who hath appointed you his own Son,
General of the field, called 'the Captain of our
salvation,' Heb. 2:10. He shall lead you on with
courage, and bring you off with honour. He lived
and died for you; he will live and die with you; for
mercy and tenderness to his soldiers, none like
him. Trajan, it is said, rent his clothes to bind up
his soldiers' wounds: Christ poured out his blood
as balm to heal his saints' wounds; tears off his
flesh to bind them up. For prowess, none to
compare with him: he never turned his head
from danger: no, not when hell's malice and
heaven's justice appeared in field against him;
knowing all that should come upon him, [he]
went forth and said, 'Whom seek ye?' John 18:4.
For success insuperable: he never lost battle
even when he lost his life: he won the field,
carrying the spoils thereof in the triumphant
chariot of his ascension, to heaven with him:
where he makes an open show of them to the
unspeakable joy of saints and angels. You
march in the midst of gallant spirits, your fellowsoldiers
every one the son of a Prince. Behold,
some, enduring with you here below a great
flight of afflictions and temptation, take heaven
by storm and force. Others you may see after
many assaults, repulses, and rallyings of their
faith and patience, got upon the walls of heaven,
conquerors, from whence they do, as it were,
look down, and call you, their fellow-brethren on
earth, to march up the hill after them, crying
aloud: 'Fall on, and the city is your own, as now
it is ours, who for a few days' conflict are now
crowned with heaven's glory.....
THE CHRISTIAN IN COMPLETE ARMOUR, WILLIAM GURNALL
How uncomely a sight is it to see, a bold sinner
and a fearful saint, one resolved to be wicked,
and a Christian wavering in his holy course; to
see guilt put innocence to flight, and hell keep
the field, impudently braving it with displayed
banners of open profaneness; [to see] saints
hide their colours for shame, or run from them
for fear, who should rather wrap themselves in
them, and die upon the place, than thus betray
the glorious name of God, which is called upon
by them to the scorn of the uncircumcised. Take
heart therefore, O ye saints, and be strong; your
cause is good, God himself espouseth your
quarrel, who hath appointed you his own Son,
General of the field, called 'the Captain of our
salvation,' Heb. 2:10. He shall lead you on with
courage, and bring you off with honour. He lived
and died for you; he will live and die with you; for
mercy and tenderness to his soldiers, none like
him. Trajan, it is said, rent his clothes to bind up
his soldiers' wounds: Christ poured out his blood
as balm to heal his saints' wounds; tears off his
flesh to bind them up. For prowess, none to
compare with him: he never turned his head
from danger: no, not when hell's malice and
heaven's justice appeared in field against him;
knowing all that should come upon him, [he]
went forth and said, 'Whom seek ye?' John 18:4.
For success insuperable: he never lost battle
even when he lost his life: he won the field,
carrying the spoils thereof in the triumphant
chariot of his ascension, to heaven with him:
where he makes an open show of them to the
unspeakable joy of saints and angels. You
march in the midst of gallant spirits, your fellowsoldiers
every one the son of a Prince. Behold,
some, enduring with you here below a great
flight of afflictions and temptation, take heaven
by storm and force. Others you may see after
many assaults, repulses, and rallyings of their
faith and patience, got upon the walls of heaven,
conquerors, from whence they do, as it were,
look down, and call you, their fellow-brethren on
earth, to march up the hill after them, crying
aloud: 'Fall on, and the city is your own, as now
it is ours, who for a few days' conflict are now
crowned with heaven's glory.....
THE CHRISTIAN IN COMPLETE ARMOUR, WILLIAM GURNALL
