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

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

My summary

Today we continue Direction Seventh, 'And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace'.

Most of the reading is dedicated to a discussion of the third kind of peace: 'peace of love and unity'.  Gurnall teaches that the gospel:

(i) propounds powerful arguments for peace and unity;

(ii) takes away the cause of feud and enmity.

The use of this third peace is that it:

(i) helps us to think of the peace and love found among the wicked;

(ii) shows the sin of those who abuse the gospel to a contrary end;

(iii) exhorts all saints to nourish peace among themselves.

Then Gurnall briefly considers the peace of indemnity and service that the gospel brings.

What grabbed me

I liked the warning Gurnall gave about disunity and prayer: 'You cut off your trade with heaven at the throne of grace. You will be little in prayer to God, I warrant you, if much in squabbling with your brethren. It is impossible to go from wrangling to praying with a free spirit. And if you should be so bold as to knock at God's door, you are sure to have cold welcome. 'Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift,' Matt. 5:24. God will not have the incense of prayer put to such strange fire; nor will he eat of our leavened bread, taste of any performance soured with malice and bitterness of spirit.'

Our horizontal relationships with brethren have a profound effect our vertical relationship with God!

Next week's reading
Commence the First Doctrine of the Third General Part of Direction Seventh by reading up to the heading 'Use or Application'.

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