December 14, 2017

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

Required reading
The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Direction Eight by reading 'the section entitled Faith's First Quenching Power' of Division Second of Second General Part.


My summary
Today we continue on with 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)


Last week we examined Satan's fiery dart of pleasing temptation.

Now we begin Satan's fiery darts of affrighting temptations.  Satan frightens the believer with:
(i) thoughts of atheism;
(ii) thoughts of blasphemy;
(iii) thoughts of despair;

The first two are in today's reading - despair is reserved for next week.

Thus, firstly, we learn that faith conquers the dart of atheism by its superiority to reason.

Secondly, Gurnall teaches us that faith quenches Satan's dart of blasphemy, particularly as Satan tries:
(i) to set the saint to defaming God;
(ii) to force unwelcome guests (blasphemous temptations) upon the Christian.

What grabbed me
I enjoyed the clear affirmation that faith in the Word is the foundation of the Christian's life, not reason: 

'Question. But, may some say, is there no use of reason in such principles as this which are within its sphere? May I not make use of my reason to confirm me in this truth that there is a God? 

Answer. It is beyond all doubt that there is [use of reason]. Wherefore else did God set up such a light if not to guide us? But it must keep its own place, and that is to follow faith, not to be the ground of it, or to give law and measure to it. Our faith must not depend on our reason, but our reason on faith. I am not to believe what the word saith merely because it jumps with my reason, but believe my reason because it is suitable to the word. The more perfect is to rule the less. Now the light of the word—which faith follows—is more clear or sure than reason is or can be; for therefore it was written, because man's natural light was so defective. Thou readest in the word there is a God, and that he made the world. Thy eye of reason sees this also. But thou layest the stress of thy faith on the word, not on thy reason. And so of other truths. The carpenter lays his rule to the timber, and by his eye sees it to be right or crooked; yet, it is not the eye but the rule that is the measure —without which his eye might fail him. All that I shall say more to such as are annoyed with atheistical injections is this, fix thy faith strongly on the word, by which you shall be able to overcome this Goliath, and when thou art more free and composed, and the storm is over, thou shalt do well to back thy faith what thou canst with thy reason. Let the word, like David's stone in the sling of faith, first prostrate the temptation; and then, as he used Goliath's sword to cut off his head, so mayest thou with more ease and safety make use of thy reason to complete the victory over these atheistical suggestions.'

Van Til would be proud!

Next week's readingConclude Direction Eight.

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



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