The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - XLIII - Direction Eight continued

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

My summary

Today we continue Direction Eight: 'Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.' (Eph. 6:16)

Gurnall examines the exhortation to unbelievers to obtain 'the shield of faith' by giving five directions:

(i) Labour to get thy heart convinced of, and affected with, thy unbelief.;

(ii) Take heed of resisting or opposing his help to the Spirit of God, when he offers his help to the work.;

(iii) Lift up thy cry aloud in prayer to God for faith.;

(iv) Converse much with the promises, and be frequently pondering them in thy musing thoughts;

(v) Press and urge thy soul home with that strong obligation that lies on thee, a poor humbled sinner, to believe.

What grabbed me

I liked the encouragement to go to God in prayer: 'Go, poor soul, to prayer for faith. I do not fear a chiding for sending such customers to God's door. He that sends us to call sinners home unto him, cannot be angry to hear thee call upon him. He is not so thronged with such suitors as that he can find in his heart to send them away with a denial that come with this request in their mouths. Christ complains that sinners 'will not come unto him that they may have eternal life;' and dost thou think he will let any complain of him, that they desire to come, and he is unwilling they should? Cheer up thy heart, poor creature, and knock boldly; thou hast a friend in God's own bosom that will procure thy welcome. He that could, without any prayer made to him, give Christ for thee, will not be unwilling, now thou so earnestly prayest, to give faith unto thee. When thou prayest God to give, he commands thee to do. 'And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ,' I John 3:23. So that, in praying for faith, thou prayest that his will may be done by thee; yea, that part of his will which above all he desires should be done— called therefore with an emphasis 'the work of God.' 'This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent,' John 6:29. As if Christ had said, 'If ye do not this, ye do nothing for God;' and surely Christ knew his Father's mind best. O how welcome must that prayer be to God which falls in with his chiefest design.'

If you are to have faith, you must go to the one who grants faith!

Next week's readingContinue Direction Eight by reading Branch Fourth of First General Part.

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