The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - LIII - Direction Nine continued

Required readingThe Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the First and Second Points of Improvement of the Third General Part of Direction Ninth.

My summary

Now Gurnall begins his third general part which consists of applications of the doctrine of helmet of salvation, to those who have it and those who do not.  

To apply his text, he seeks to give us four points of improvement.

For his first point of improvement, Gurnall challenges the reader to consider whether he has the helmet of hope on his head or not.

For the second point of improvement, Gurnall exhorts believers who have the helmet of hope to:

(i) be thankful for this unspeakable gift;

(ii) live up to your hopes.

What grabbed me

I loved the encouragement to live as one who has the hope of salvation: 'Thou hast not, Christian, a weightier argument to knock down all temptations to sin, nor a more honourable way to get the victory of them, than by setting thy hope to grapple with them. I confess it is well when this enemy is worsted, what hand soever he falls by; though it be the fear of hell that clubs it down in the lives of men, it is better than not at all. Yet I must tell you, that as the Israelites' state was poor and servile, when they were fain to borrow the Philistines' grindstone 'to sharpen every man his axe and mattock,' I Sam. 13:20, so it speaks the Christian to be in no very good state as to his spiritual affairs when he is fain to use the wicked man's argument to keep him from sinning, and nothing will set an edge upon his spirit to cut through temptation, but what the uncircumcised world themselves use. Thou, Christian, art of a nobler spirit, and more refined temper than these, I trow. And as we have a finer stone to sharpen a razor with that we use for a butcher's knife, so, certainly, a more spiritual and ingenuous argument would become thee better, to make thee keen and sharp against sin, than what prevails with the worst of men sometimes to forbear at least acting their wickedness. Go thou, Christian, to thy hope, and while the slavish sinner scares and terrifies himself from his lust with fire and brimstone, do thou shame thyself out of all acquaintance with it from the great and glorious things thou lookest for in heaven. Is it a sin of sensual pleasure that assaults thy castle? Say then to thy soul, 'Shall I play the beast on earth, that hope to be such a glorious creature in heaven?' Shall that head be found now in a Delilah's lap, that ere long I hope to be laid in Abraham's bosom? Can I now yield to defile that body with lust and vomit, which is the garment my soul hopes to wear in heaven? O no! Avaunt, Satan! I will have nothing to do with thee, or anything that will make me unmeet for that blessed place and holy state I wait for.'

The joys of heaven can overcome the greatest of pleasures of sin.

Next week's readingRead the Third Point of Improvement of the Third General Part of Direction Ninth.

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