The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - XLIX - Direction Nine commenced

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

My summary

Today we begin Direction Nine: 'And take the helmet of salvation' (Ephesians vi. 17).

Initially, Gurnall encourages us to consider what is meant by the 'and' at the beginning of the direction: This copulative shows how every grace is lovingly coupled to its fellow, in its birth, growth and decay.

Then in the first general part we learn what the helmet of salvation is by seeing:

(i) what 'hope' is;

(ii) why it is called 'the hope of salvation';

(iii) why this 'hope' is compared to 'a helmet'.

What grabbed me

I particularly liked this reason as to why the hope of salvation is compared to a helmet: 'The helmet defends the head, a principal part of the body, from dint of bullet and sword; so this 'hope of salvation' defends the soul, the principal part of man, and the principal faculties of that, whereby no dangerous, to be sure no deadly, impression by Satan or sin be made on it. Temptations may trouble but cannot hurt, except their darts enter the will and leave a wound there, by drawing it to some consent and liking of them; from which this helmet of hope, if it be of the right make, and fits sure on the Christian's head, will defend him. It is hard to draw him into any treasonable practice against his prince, who is both well satisfied of his favour at present, and stands also on the stairs of hope, expecting assuredly to be called up within a while to the highest preferment that the court can afford or his king give. No, the weapons of rebellion and treason are usually forged and fashioned in discontent's shop. When subject's take themselves to be neglected and slighted by their prince—think that their preferments are now at an end, and [that they] must look for no great favours more to come from him—this softens them to receive every impression of disloyalty that any enemy to the king shall attempt to stamp them withal. As we see in the Israelites; thinking the men of Judah, of whose tribe the king was, had got a monopoly of his favour, and themselves to be shut out from sharing, at least equally, with them therein; how soon are they —even at a blast or two of Sheba's seditious trumpet —made rebels against their sovereign? 'We have no part in David,' saith Sheba, 'neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel!' II Sam. 20:1. And see how this treason runs, even like a squib upon a rope. 'Every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba,' ver. 2. Thus, if once the soul fears it hath no part in God, and expects no inheritance from him, I know no sin so great but it may at the sound of the tempter's trumpet be drawn to commit.'

If we know we have salvation from our Lord, we will follow him through anything.

Next week's readingRead the First and Second Office of the Second General Part of Direction Ninth.

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