The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - XXIX - Direction Sixth continued

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

My summary

Today we continue Direction Sixth: 'and having on the breastplate of righteousness'.

Gurnall's third branch is to lay down ten directions by way of counsel and help to all those that desire to maintain the power of holiness and righteousness in their daily walking.  We are told to:

(i) get a good foundation laid;

(ii) keep thine eye on the right rule thou art to walk by;

(iii) propound a right end to thyself;

(iv) look often on the perfect pattern, which Christ hath given thee;

(v) walk dependingly on God;

(vi) look to thy company;

(vii) get some Christian friend to be thy faithful monitor;

(viii) think about your dying hour;

(ix) improve the covenant of grace for thy assistance;

(x) fortify thyself against discouragements of Satan.

What grabbed me

I enjoyed the direction to consider my dying hour: 'Be often seriously thinking how holily and righteously you will, in a dyinghour, wish you had lived. They who now think it matters not much what language drivels from them, what company they walk in, what they busy their time about, how they comport with God in his worship, and with man in their dealings, but live at large, and care not much which end goes foremost, yea wonder at the niceness and zeal of others, as if there were no pace would carry them to heaven but the gallop; when once death comes so near as to be known by its own grim face, and not to report of others, when these poor creatures see they must in earnest into another world, without any delay, and their naked souls must return to 'God who gave them,' to hear what interpretation he will put upon the course and tenor of their walking, and accordingly to pass an irrevocable sentence of life or death upon them, now their thoughts will begin to change, and take up other notions of a righteous and holy life than ever they had before.'

Considering your death certainly puts things into perspective!

Next week's reading
Read the Application of Direction Sixth.

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