The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - LXII - Direction Ten concluded

Required readingThe Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Conclude Direction Tenth by continuing the Second General Part and reading Branch Fourth.

My summary

In the final Branch, Gurnall gives us counsel on how to use the sword of the word against afflictions, outward and inward.  He directs us to:

(i) Let it be thy first and chief care to get thy interest in and right to the promises cleared up;

(ii) Take some pains to sort the promises and reduce them to their proper heads;

(iii) Observe the latitude of the promises;

(iv) Be much in meditation on the promises;

(v) Plead the promises at the throne of grace;

(vi) When thou hast sued the promise, act thy faith on the power and truth of God for the performance of it.

Then Gurnall gives some exhortations to ministers to whom this sword is specially committed.

What grabbed me

I appreciated the exhortations to ministers.  

Particularly to always be learning: 'O, let us that are ministers of the gospel give up ourselves to the study of the word. We are, as one well calls us, but 'younger brethren' to the apostle. Ministerial gifts were left them by Christ, as the inheritance by the father to his eldest son and heir. But we must work for our living. They had their knowledge of the word, as Jacob his venison, brought to their hand without hunting; but if we will know the mind of God, we must trace it out by our diligence; but ever taking prayer in our company. This I am sure was Paul's charge to Timothy, 'Give attendance to reading,' I Tim. 4:13. Follow thy book close, O Timothy, and 'Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them,'...And mark why: 'That thy profiting may appear to all;' that is, that thou mayest appear to be a growing preacher to those that hear thee. O how shall the people grow if the minister doth not? And how shall he grow, if he doth not daily drink in more than he pours out? That minister must needs spend upon the stock that hath no comings in from a constant trade in his study.'

If I'm not growing, my people won't grow.

Next week's reading

Commence Direction Eleventh by reading Branch First and Second of the First General Part and reading Branch Fourth.

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