The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - XVI - Direction Second continued

Required reading
The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Branch Fifth of Division Second of Second General Part of Direction Second.

My summary

Now Gurnall explains what is meant by 'in high places'.

His doctrine is that the chief prize for which we wrestle against Satan is heavenly.

Gurnall then gives three uses:

(i) a word of reprrof to four sorts of person (those who are far from wrestling against Satan, who are Satan's instruments, who are negligent in labouring for heaven, who make a great bustle in religion);

(ii) try whether they be heavenly things or earthly thou chiefly pursuest;

(iii) is it heaven and all that is heavenly that Satan seeks to hinder us of? Let this provoke us the more earnestly to contend for them.

What grabbed me

Today's reading was not so much about the joys of heaven as about the hopelessness of worldly pleasures.

I liked this comment: 'What folly then is it to dandle this vain world in our affections, whose joy, like the child's laughter on the mother's knee, is sure to end in a cry at last, and [to] neglect heaven and heavenly things, which endure forever? O remember Dives stirring up his pillow, and composing himself to rest! —how he was called up with the tidings of death before he was warm in this his bed of ease, which God had made for him in flames; from whence we hear him roaring in the anguish of his conscience.'

A pursuit of pleasure in this world always ends with pain.

Next week's reading
Read First General Part of Direction Third.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.