The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - XVII - Direction Third commenced

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

My summary

Today Gurnall begins to expound the words: 'Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.' (Eph 6:13)

He starts with 'Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God', and observes:

(i) why the apostle renews so soon the same exhortation (and what truths ministers ought often to preach);

(ii) that the best of saints are subject to decline in their graces and why we are to seek a recovery of them.

What grabbed me

I appreciated the encouragement to see a sense of corruption as a sign of grace: 'Christian, do not judge grace to be fallen weaker, because thy sense of corruption is grown stronger. This oft lies at the bottom of poor souls' complaints in this case. O they never felt pride, hypocrisy, and other corruptions, so haunt them as now. None knows how they are vexed with these and the like, besides themselves. Now let me ask thee who makest this sad moan, whether thou dost not think these corruptions were in thee before thou didst thus feel them? how oft hast thou prayed as formally, and not been troubled? how oft hast thou stood chatting with the same lusts, and thy soul hath not been laid low before the Lord with such abasement of thyself as now? Deal faithfully between God and thy soul, and tell not a lie for God by bearing false witness against thyself. If it be thus, thou hast rather a comfortable sign of grace 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 [are] so full of complaints of their own hearts as such; the least sin goes now to their very souls, which makes them think viler of themselves than ever. But it is not the increase of sin in them, but the advance of their love to Christ, makes them judge so. When the sun shines with some power, and the year gets up, we observe, though we may have frosts and snow, yet they do not lie long, but are soon dissolved by the sun. O it is a sweet sign that the love of Christ shines with [such] a force upon thy soul, that no corruptions can lie long in thy bosom, but they melt into sorrow and bitter complaints. That is the decaying soul, where sin lies bound up and frozen, [where] little sense of or sorrow for it appears.'

It is far better to have a sense of sin than no sense of sin!

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

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