Book IV. THE BREAST-PLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. 59 I MET A P H 0 R. Arms br Legs, but a Stab in the Heart is a certain Meffenger of Death. IV. A Breofl-pbte is made and prepared for a Soldier, before he puts it on. It is not his own Work, bur the Work of a fkilful Arrift. V. A Breaft-plate much embol– dens a Soldier, and makes him fearkfs, rhar as he cannor be eafily killed, fo hereby he cannot be foon cowtd. When a Soldier fees himfelf unarmed, he begins to tremble; bm when he h:uh on a goud Helmet, an.l a Pbte of Proof on his Brear1:, he is not quickly dir~ mayed, but adventures upon the Puint of the Sword. VI. TheBrear1:-plate and Girdle were both joined or buckled to– gether. PAR ALL EL. that which Satan fhives to tempt, entice, and draw a Saint to yield unto. Hence he thou id be careful to put on his Breaft-plate of Righteouf– nefs, which whilfl he has on, he is fafe from the deadly Stab of the Enemy. I V. Righteoufi1efs, which is the Saint's Breaft– platc, is wrought in him by the H·,Jy Spirit, who is a mofl wife and fkilful Workman, Our own Righreoufnefs is good for nothing, hence called dead Works, becaufe they are Works from one dead in Sin, and fpring not from a Principle of inward fpiritual Life. V , Thus Righteoufnefs defends and animates the Soul and Confcience, when a Man in rhe midit of the grcatelf Danger can lift up his I lands without Spot. Holinefs fills a Soul with Cou– rage, fo that he can look in the very Face of;srim Death; whereas Guilt, which is the Nakednels of rhe Soul, puts rhe ftoureft Sinner into a 01aking Fit of Fear. 'The Wicked flee, whm 110 Man pur– Juetb ; but the Righteous are as bold as a Lion, Pruv. xxviii, r. No fooner did Adam f~e his Brea!l-plare was off, and that he was naked, but he was afraid, and ran away, to bide himfdf from God. V!. So Righteoufnefs and Truth muft meet, and be joined together in every Chriftian ; which is held forth by the Copulative And, Stand there– fore, having )'Ottr Loinsgirt about with 'Iruth, and having 011 the Brujl-plate of Righteoufuefs, Ephef. vi. 1 4· \ 'Vhich is taken twofold, as h•rh been lhewcd : Firft, for the T ruth of Docl:rine, or a good and orthodox J udg– ment; all the P rinciples of true Religion, that are effential to Salvltion. Secondly, Grace, or Sincerity of Heart. In both thefe RefpeCts, Truth mult be clafped to, or joined with Righteoufnefs, and a holy Life. Solomon faith, 'Two are bett,r than one: So may I f XJ1erc, a good DoCtrine with a good Converfation, is better than a good Doctrine wirhour a good Convcrfatwn, or a good Converf.,rion wirhour a good D oCtrine; as a Man mu[\ have the one, fo he muft nor be without the orher; wo to him that is alone, for the Spirit will not be his Strength. An evil and corn•pt Doctrine may be of as dangerous a Natllre as an evil and debauched Life . See 2 Pet. ii, I, 2. fVbo privily bring in damnable Herejigs, even denying tbe Lord that bougbt them, ami bring upon themfelves f.vift Dejlruftion, &c. In vain is a Man's outward H0li– nefs, or mor.1l Sincerity, if he be t•inted with heretical and damnable Principles; and as vain is ir for a Man to hold the true DoCtrine of the Chriftian Rdicrion, if he be not fincere, and live a holy Life. " I N F E R E N C E S. THIS may inform us, what n~ed there is for every Chrirl:ian to _ge~ and keep on the Breaft-plare of R1ghteoufnefs; not only to ger a renewed Pr!nclple of Grace m hts Heart, bur al!o ro maintain the Power ofGotllineE in his Life and Converfation. This he ought ftrenuouOy to labor after, and that for fevera] Reafons. . ~-irft, I.n rega.rd ~f God, whofe main Defign in giving Grace, and implanting a dtvme l'nnciplt 111 hts Pcuple, is to make them holy; to this End he hath pur this . Breaft-plate upon them. r. In regard of the DeGgn he hath to bring them into Union with himfelf, and in marrying them to Jdus Chrirt, which is, that rhey might bring forth Fruir ro God , 2 . They are regenerated by the Spirit, rhar they might be holy: A new Heart, and a new Spirit will I put <vitbin )'OU, end cavfe you to walk in my Statutes, and keep my Judgments, and do tbem, Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. We are his Workmanfbip, created in Chrifl Jeflrs unto good Works, u;hich God batb ordained that we jhou/d walk in tbem, Eph. ii, IO. .2 3· It •
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