The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - XXXVI - Direction Seventh continued

Required reading
The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue the Second General Part of Direction Seventh by reading up to the heading 'Third kind of peace'.

My summary

Today we continue Direction Seventh, 'And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace' by looking at uses of the second of peace, which we saw last week is peace of conscience.  

Firstly, Gurnall shows us that the peace of conscience from the gospel reproves three sorts of persons:

(i) papists who deny the peace of conscience;

(ii) those who frame very unlovely images in their own foolish imaginations of the gospel;

(iii) those that think to heal their consciences with other than gospel balm.

Secondly, Gurnall gives characters by which peace of conscience can be known.  It is known by:

(i) the vessel it is poured into, which is a broken heart;

(ii) being obtained in a gospel way, that is a way of obedience and duty;

(iii) its strengthening and restorative effects;

(iv) its strong comfort of the soul.

What grabbed me

I was encouraged by the reminder that peace of conscience strengthens the believer: 'Gospel peace in the conscience is strengthening and restorative. It makes the Christian strong to fight against sin and Satan. The Christian is revived, and finds his strength come, upon a little tasting of this honey; but O what a slaughter doth he make of his spiritual enemies, when he hath a full meal of this honey, a deep draught of this wine! now he goes like a giant refreshed with wine into the field against them. No lust can stand before him. It makes him strong to work. O how Paul laid about him for Christ! He 'laboured more abundantly than they all.' The good man remembered what a wretch he once was, and what mercy he had obtained; the sense of this love of God lay so glowing at his heart, that it infired him with a zeal for God above his fellow apostles.'

Peace from God promotes zeal for God!

Next week's readingConclude the Second General Part of Direction Seventh.

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