llook II. G 0 D A S H I E L D, z8g called a Shield, becaufe he protecrs and fecures his People from the Attempts of fpiri– tual Adverfaries, as well as temporal. METAPHOR. PA~ALLEL I. A Shield or Buckler is for De.- I. GOD is the Defence and Safeguard cif his fence and Safeguard of the Saints in all their fpiriwal War and Con· Body in Time of Battle. flicts, with the Enemies of their Souls; II. A Shield or Buckler is not II. God defends every" Part of the Soul, l1e only to defend and preferve one preferves our Judgments fi-om Corruption, our P art of the Body, but every Part; Wills from growing fl:u bborn and rebellious, our .:md not the Body only, but the AffeEI:ions from being miOed and enfnared with whole Annor alfo that a Man hath. worldly ObjeEI:s, our Confciences from Defile– Hence it was made very large, and ment, and fo the whole Soul from the Venom and for itsLargenefs called 6up•~<, from Poifon of Sin and Satan; and not only fo, but 6ue"'• a Gate or Door, denotmg that he preferves and keeps our Graces from Decays which is large and broad enough and Witherings: 'l"hou Lord, wilt btefs the Righte– to hide or cover the whole Body, ous with Pavor, thou wilt compafs him about as and !heiter it from Harm. with a Shield. Ill. A Shield is ufed to. keep III. God keeps off the Blows and fiery Dares that Part of the Body that is ftruck of the Devil, from wounding that Part or Grace at by the Enemy; it is a moveable of the Soul which is in the greatefl: Danger. Some– P iece of Armor, that a fkilful times Satan ftrik es at the Faith of a Chriltian, H and can turn this way or that way, God prefently appears by his Word and Spirit, totaketheBloworArrow,according for the Strengthening of that. Sometimes the as he fees it is directed againfl: him. Grace of Love is ftruck at, God then prefents immediately Divine Objects before the Soul; and !hews it more and more the Bafenefs, Deformity and Emptinef3 of this World, and thereby increafes and preferves the Love of the Soul to himfelf, and to Jefus Chrifl:. Aaain, the Will is aimed at, fame Temptations are laid to catch that: Some Com– m~nds of God cannot be obeyed without much Self-denial, becaufe they crofs us in that which our own Wills are naturally carried out very ftrongly to defire; fo that we muft deny our Wills before we can do the Will of God. ATemptation comes very forcibly, when it runs with the Tide of our own Wills, when it is to fave our Efl:ates, Children; or Lives, from the Danger of Enemies. What? faith the Devil, wilt thou ferve God, when he thwarrs thee in every Thing thou takefl: delight in? If thou lovefl: any one Thing more than another, prefenrly he mufl: have it ffom thee: No Lamb in all the Flock will ferve for a Sacrifice, but Ifaac, Abraham's only Child, mufl: be offered up, Gen. xx. z, No Place will content God, that Abraham Chould lerve him in, but where he mufl: live in Bani!hment from his Father's Houfe, and all his dear Relations: Wilt thou, faith Satan, fl:oop to thefc low and contemptible Ordinances, be a Companion to thefe bafe, defpifed, and perfecuted People? What? follow God, and yield to fuch hard Terms as thefe are? Now God dire<'ls himfelffl:raightway by his Word and Spirit, to preferve the Soul from this terrible Arrow, Chewing what Reafon there is that his Will Chould be done rather than ours, and that we !hall lofe nothing by fuffering for his Sake, Matt. xix. 29. and fo makes the Soul willing to yield to all his Pleafure, as Abrahanz did. And this indeed of God's being a Shield unto him, was the Motive that induced him not to fear: After thefe Things the Word of God came unto Abraham in a Vifion, faying, Fear not Abraham, I am thy Shield, Gen. xv. '· as much as if he fbould fay, I will defend and fave thee from all the Darts and Arrows of thine Ene– mies. By this Shield, every Faculty of the Soul, and Grace of the Spirit is preferved. METAPHOR. I. A Shield is a Defence ot Safe– guard for the Body, II. A Shield or Buckler can– not defend every Part of the Body at once. Ill. A Shield may be beaten out of a Man's Hand, and be rendered wholly unferviceable to a Man. D I S PAR IT Y. I. GOD is a Defence and Shield for Soul and Body both. II. God is a Buckler that faves and defends every Part and Faculty of the Soul, at one and the fame Time l he is an univerfal Cover. Ill. God is a Shield, that can never be ren– dered ufelefs or unferviceable to a Chriftian that keeps clofe to him. 4 E IV. God
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