84 / 772
Rom.i3.
z4..,
What
is
meant
by
quenching
Satans
first
sirxts..
Of
theJbield
of
fith,.
make
foeuer
it
be
in
it
felfe,
yetit
doth
defend
and
prote61
vs
againfi
all
the temptations
of
Satan
;
for
he
that
putteth.
on faith,doth put
on
lefus
Chrifl alfo,it
being
a
propertie
in-
feparable
of
faith, to
applie
vnto
vs
Chrifi
Iefus
and
all
his
benefits,that
is,his merits and righteoufneffe,and euerlafiing
life
it
felfe.
And this
will be
not
onely
a
glorious garment
to
couer our deformitie
out
of
Gods
fight,
to
preferue
vs
from
the
heate
of
Gods wrath,and to obtaine
the
euerlafiing
bici-
fing
of
our heauenly father,
but
alfo
it
is
armour
ofproofe
to
defend
vs
from the
violent
affaults
of
our fpirituall enemies..
Let
vs
therefore take
vnto
vs
the
fhield
of
faith,that
we
may
.
alto put
on
the
Lord
Iefii-s
Chris%
as
the
Apofile
exhorteth
vs,
Rom.
i
3..14.
for
hauing him
we fhall
want
nothing, which
may either defend our
felues
or offend
our enemies;the
Lord
himfelfe
will be our fhield
and
buckler, and therefore
it
will
beimpoflible for
our
foes
to
preuaile
againfi
vs.
But let
vs
confider further
of
the
excellencie
and
necefiïtie
of
this shield
offaith,which
appearethby the vertue
thereof,,.
iñ repelling
all the:firie
darts
of
Satan.
The
Apoftle
faith,that
thereby
we
may
quench his
firie darts,
alluding
to
the cuflome
of
fouldiers
in ancient
time,who
malitiouflypoyfoned
their_
darts,whereby the bodies ofthofe whowere.woundedwere:
fo
inflamed,
that
they could hardly be
cured,
or eafed
of
their raging
and
burning paine. And
fuch
darts
are
all
Sa-
tans temptations, whereby
we are
wounded
with
finne
;
for'
if
they be
not
repelled and quenched
with
the fhield
of
faith,they
will
inflame
our lulls to
finne;
and one
finne
will
inflame our
hearts
to another, till
there be kindled
in vs
a
world
of
Wickedneffe.
And this wemay
fee
in
the
example
of
Dauid,
who
after
that
he gaue himfelfe
to
idleneffe
and
floth,and
fo
was
pearced
with
one
of
Satans
fine darts,i t
pre-
-
fently inflamed
his
heart to commit adulterie,
and
hauing
giuen
place
to
that,
he
was
prouoked
to murther;
fo
that
if
we admit
one
of
thefe fine
darts, they
will
inflame
vs
to re-
ceiue
another,
and
fo
our
burning
wounds will
torment
our
confciences,andmoll hardly
admit
of
any cure.
_
And therefore
it behooúeth
vs
to take vnto
vs
the
fhield
of
faitb,wheteby
we may,quench,thefe,firie darts.
But
why,
doth