The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - LIX - Direction Ten continued

Required readingThe Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Continue Direction Tenth by concluding the Second General Part.

My summary

This week Gurnall finishes the part about why the word of God is described as the 'sword of the Spirit' with four uses.

If the Word is the sword of the Spirit whereby the Christan vanguisheth his enemies then:

(i) we may justly charge the Church of Rome of cruelty to the souls of people in disarming them of that weapon with which they alone can defend themselves against heir enemies, that seek their eternal ruin;

(ii) this falls heavy upon the Church of Rome that charge the holy Scriptures with insufficiency, as not containing all things necessary to salvation;

(iii) this condemns those of prodigious wickedness, that, instead of using this sword to defend them against sin and Satan, lift it up audaciously for their defence in their wicked and abominable practices;

(iv) let us be exhorted to thankfulness to God for the word and incited also to the study of it.

The fourth use receives the longest treatment and Gurnall even addresses possible objections to his exhortations.

What grabbed me

I enjoyed Gurnall's answer to the objection that 'I do not have enough time to study the Word'.

'Objection First. But you will say, 'If we had so much time to spare as others, we would not be so unacquainted with the Scriptures. But alas! we have so much business to do, and our hands so full with our worldly callings, that we hope God will excuse us, though we have not so much knowledge of his word as others.' 

Answer. Is this thy plea that thou indeed meanest to use when thou comest to the bar, and art called to give thy answer to Christ thy judge upon this matter? Does not thy heart quake within thy breast to think how he will knit his brow, and throw this thy apology with disdain and wrath upon thy face? Did so much anger sit on the countenance of meek Jesus when on earth, and such a dreadful doom proceed from his sweet lips against those that made their farms and oxen as a mannerly excuse for not coming to his supper, sentencing them never to taste thereof? O what then will glorious Christ say—when, mounted on his tribunal, not to invite, but to judge sinners—to such an excuse as this? Could God find heart and time to pen and send this love-letter to thee, and thou find none to read and peruse it? The sick man no time to look on his physician's bill! The condemned malefactor to look on his prince's letter of grace, wherein a pardon is tendered to him! Poor wretch! must the world have all thy time, and swallow thee up quick? A curse not less than that of Corah! Art thou such a slave to thy pelf as to tie thy soul to thy purse-strings, and take no more time for the saving of thy soul than this cruel master will afford thee? Thou and thy money perish with thee! His soul is in an ill ease which hath an allowance from so base a lust. This is so far from mending the matter, that thou dost but cover one sin with another. Who gave thee leave thus to overlade thyself with the encumbrance of the world? Is not God the Lord of thy time? Is it not given by him to be laid out for him? He allows thee indeed a fair portion thereof for the lower employments of this life; but did he ever intend to turn himself out of all? This is as if the mariners, who are allowed by the merchant some small adventure for themselves, should fill the ship, and leave no stowage for his goods that pays the freight. Will it suffice for him to say, 'There is no room left for his commodities?' 

Enough said!

Next week's reading

Continue Direction Tenth by beginning the Second General Part and reading Branch First and Second.

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