The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - XXVI - Direction Fifth concluded

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

My summary

Today we finish the fifth direction by looking at the second reason why sincerity is compared to the soldier's belt.  

Gurnall teaches us that sincerity doth not only cover all our other infirmities, but is excellent, yea necessary, to establish the soul in, and strengthen it for, its whole Christian warfare.

The strength of sincerity is threefold.  It is:

(i) a preserving strength;

(ii) recovering strength;

(iii) a comforting strength.

What grabbed me

I found the conclusion to the section to be very helpful: 'Be not therefore so thoughtful about affliction, but be careful against hypocrisy. If the bed of affliction proves hard and uneasy to thee, it is thyself that brings with thee what makes it so. Approve thyself to God, and trust him who hath promised to be his saint's bed-maker in affliction, to make it soft and easy for thee. O what a cutting word will it be in a dying hour, when thou art crying, 'Lord, Lord, mercy on a poor creature,' to hear the Lord say, 'I know thee not.' It is not the voice of a sincere soul, but the voice of a hypocrite, that howls on his bed of sorrow. What then wilt thou do, when fallen into the hands of God, with whom thou hast juggled in thy profession, and never sincerely didst love? If that speech of Joseph was so confounding to the patriarchs—'I am Joseph your brother, who you sold into Egypt'—that they could not endure his presence, knowing their own guilt, how intolerable will it be to hear from God's own mouth such language in a time of distress. 'I am God whom you have mocked, abused, and sold away, for the enjoyments of your lusts; and do you now come to me? Have I anything for you but a hell to torment you in to all eternity?''

Sobering words!

Next week's reading
Commence Direction Sixth by reading up to, but not including, the Second Branch.

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