The Christian in Complete Armor - Choice Extracts!

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Himself up to endure all manner of indignities from His sorry creature's hand. And when this coarse entertainment is done, back He posts to Heaven, not to complain to His Father, how He has been abused here below, and raise Heaven's power against those who had so ill-treated Him — but to make ready Heaven's palace for the reception of those who had thus abused Him, and now will accept of His grace. And lest these — yet left on earth, should fear His resumed royalty and majesty, in Heaven's glory, would make some alteration with their affairs in His heart; to give them therefore a constant demonstration that He would be the same in the height of His honor that He was in the depth of His abasement — He goes back in the same clothes, to wear them on the throne, in all His glory, only some princely cost bestowed, to put them into the fashion of that heavenly kingdom, and make them suit with His glorified state; giving them a pattern by this, what their own vile bodies, now so dishonorable, shall be made another day. Redemption. Conscience requires as much to satisfy it as it does to satisfy the justice of God Himself. But in the gospel, joyful news is brought to the sinner's cars of a fountain of blood there opened, which for its preciousness is as far above the price that divine justice demands for man's sin, as the blood of bulls and beasts was beneath it; and that is, the blood of Jesus Christ, who freely poured it upon the cross, and by it "obtained eternal redemption for us" (Hebrews 9). This is the door by which all true peace and joy comes into the conscience. The simplicity of the gospel. If bread were as hard to come by as sweetmeats, or water as scarce as wine — the greatest part of men must famish. Just so, if truths necessary to salvation were as hard to be understood, as some others, many poor weak-hearted Christians would certainly perish without a miracle to help them. But the saving truths of the gospel lie plain, and run clear to all but those who muddy the streams with their own corrupt minds. The abiding truth of the gospel. Consider God's especial care to preserve His truth; whatever is lost, God looks to His truth. In all the great revolutions, changes, and overturning of kingdoms, and churches also, God has still 26
preserved His truth. In a word, in that great and dismal conflagration of Heaven and earth, when the elements shall melt for heat, and the world come to its fatal period, then truth shall not suffer the least loss — but "the word of the Lord endures forever" (1 Peter 1:25). The peace of the gospel. "Let him take hold of My strength, that He may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me" (Isaiah 27:5). And where lies God's saving strength — but in Christ? He has laid strength upon this mighty One, able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him. Take hold of Christ, and you have hold of God's arm; He cannot strike the soul that holds thereby. Where there is peace, such peace as peace with God and conscience, there can want no pleasure. David goes merry to bed, when he had nothing to supper but the gladness that God by this puts into his heart, and promises himself a better night's rest than any of them all, that are feasted with the world's cheer: "You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep" (Psalm 4:7, 8). This same peace with God, enjoyed in the conscience, redounds to the comfort of the body. Now David can sleep sweetly, when he lies on a hard bed; what here he says he would do, in Psalm 3:5, he says he has done, "I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me." The title of the psalm tells us when David had this sweet night's rest; not when he lay on his bed of down in his stately palace at Jerusalem — but when he fled for his life from his unnatural son Absalom, and possibly was forced to lie in the open field, under the canopy of Heaven. The great care which Christ took for His disciples, when He left the world, was not to leave them a quiet world to live in — but to arm them against a troublesome world: He bequeaths unto them His peace. The rejection of the gospel. "Not one of those invited shall taste of my supper." God can least bear any contempt cast upon His grace. They would not come when the supper was on the table; and therefore the cloth was 27
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Page 3 and 4: CTL.TODAY PRESENTS THE CHRISTIAN IN
Page 5 and 6: PREFACE The extracts that form this
Page 7 and 8: When afflicted, love can allow you
Page 9 and 10: "So you see a man wise in his own c
Page 11 and 12: Prayer is a great heart-easer. The
Page 13 and 14: greater shame. David shall know tha
Page 15 and 16: him; and to our God, for He will ab
Page 17 and 18: up the credit they have abroad —
Page 19 and 20: No man can say that Jesus is the Lo
Page 21 and 22: converts came flying as a cloud, as
Page 23 and 24: who paid for it. Your grace, your c
Page 25: There is but one Heaven — miss th
Page 29 and 30: e at supper within, and you not so
Page 31 and 32: difficulty, there without travail a
Page 33 and 34: Faith and a good conscience. "Holdi
Page 35 and 36: it is not necessary that you should
Page 37 and 38: When the flesh or Satan beg time of
Page 39 and 40: temptation.” They, not keeping th
Page 41 and 42: name" (Acts 5:41). Shall the wicked
Page 43 and 44: enemy's blows do not bruise his fle
Page 45 and 46: and outward deliverance, when you h
Page 47 and 48: wind continues loud about us — tr
Page 49 and 50: Christians falling out among themse
Page 51 and 52: Was there ever less love, charity,
Page 53 and 54: Preach without fear of man. There i
Page 55 and 56: solemn a work, to be toyed and play
Page 57 and 58: When the soul stands upon this Pisg
Page 59 and 60: him to study the Scriptures: (Joshu
Page 61 and 62: which the stream of divine grace, b
Page 63 and 64: shall have after death. Vile bodies
Page 65 and 66: ut his wanton eye rolled and wander
Page 67 and 68: The best way to keep vessels from l
Page 69 and 70: "You cast off fear, and restrain pr
Page 71 and 72: “What kind of people ought you to
Page 73 and 74: Hope is the handkerchief that God p
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