594THE s H I E L D OF F A I T H. Book IV. METAPHOR. for the Breafl: ; fo others have their feveral Parrs which they are fafl:en– ed to : But a Shield is a Piece chat is intended for the Defence of the whole Body. It was wont to be made very large, for its Broadnefs called !3up<f!3' of !3up"' a Door, be– caufe fo long and large, as in a manner to cover the whole Body ; to which that Place a\ludes. 'Ihou, Lord, wilt blefs the Righuous with Pavor, thou wilt compafs him about as with a Shield, Pfa/. iv. 12. PAR ALL EL. and that Truth, and make a Chrifl:ian doubt con– cerning them, if poffible, becaufe his own Reafon cannot comprehend them : As perhaps it may be about the Deity of Chrilr, or the Holy Trinity, how they can be Three, and yet but One; or about Satisfaction, how the Debt is paid, and yet the Sinner freely pardoned, &c. Now Faith is as a Shield to a Saint at this Time, and inter– pofeth between a Chri!han, and this Arrow of Satan; it comes in to the Relief of the Saints weak Underfl:anding, as feafonable as Abijhai the Son of Zeruiah did to David, when the Giant Ijhbi-benob thought to have flain him. I will trufl: the Word of God, faith the Soul, rather than my own purblind Reafon: what I cannot comprehend, I will believe. Thus Abraham, not being weak iu Faith, co>ifidered not his own Body now dead, &c. Rom. iv. '9Senfe and Reafon would have made fad W ork at fuch a dead Lift, but Faith brouaht him offviCtoriouflv. Secondly, Sometimes Satan !hives to hit the Confcien~e, all his Affaults a~d fierv Darts are at another feafon aimed at that, to wound that, to caufe Horror and T error within, by fetting the Evil of Sin, and of his own H eart, and the Infirmities of his Life, before him. Satan fees our Sins before us, not to humble us, but to wound us; he fhews our Sins to us, but hides a Savior from us. Satan harh fometimes tempted gracious Perfons to lay violent Hands upon themfelves, when the heinous Nature of their Sin hath appeared to them, and the Danger they are in thereby; as it was with the poor Jailor, Acts xvi. But now Faith .prevencs and keeps cff all the Danger, and quencheth this fiery Dart. Chrifl: died for Sinners, for the chiefrfl: of Sinners; and though thou be a Sinner, a great Sinner, the worfl: of Sinners, yet Jaith Faith, thou art but a Sinner, and there is Mercy for fu ch. Believe on thr Lord Jefus Chrijl, and thou /halt be f aved; if thou canlt believe, and throw thyidf on Chrifl:, thy Sins fl,.ll not be thy Ruin. Thirdly, He labors to enfnare the Affections of the Soul, or deodcn its fervent Love to Jefus Chrifl:, by prefenting the Pleafures and h ofi rs of this World to ir. Thus he ferved our Savior himfelf. But now Faith fhield s oft' thiS Dart allo, by lhe" – ing the Excellency of the Lord Jefus to the Soul; and that all Things without him, and in comparifon of him, are nothing, nay, lefs than nothing ; and alfo by (erring the World to come, and the Glory thereof, before the Eyes of rhe Soul. Faith is the Subfiance of Things hoped for, and the Evidence of Things notfeen, Heb. xi. 1. IV. A Shield, though heavy, IV. Faith is a Piece of Chriftian Armor, which and fomewhat unwieldy, to fuch un!kilful Profefl'ors are not ready to ufe, but an as have not Skill and Strength experienced Soul can turn it any way to keep off to ufe it; yet it is a moveable the Arrow and fiery Dam of Satan from hurting Piece of Armor, which an expert or wounding him. H e obferves what part the Soldier, with a watchful Eye, can , Enemy aims to hit, or how the T emptation is turn this way, and that way, to laid. It is a groat point of Chrifl:ia n W1fdom flop a Dart or Blow from lightrightly to exercife the Shield of Faith; a Man ing on any part that they were mull: be fure to have a watchful Eye upon his AddireCted to by the Enemy. verfary, or elfe for all his Shield he may foon be · wounded. V. A Shit!d doth not only deV. Faith doth not only defend the whole Soul, fend the whole llody, but it i• a but alfo it is a Safeguard to all the other Pam of Defence to other Parrs of a Soldier's a Chriftian's Armor; it is chat which fecures Armor alfo; it keeps off the Dart Hope, the Helmet 'of Salvation, for '"idwt1t from the Helmet and Breafl:.place Faith, Hope would loon be broken 111 preces. likewife. A lfo it feeures the Breaft-plate of Righteoufne!s ; for neither Chrifl:'s Righteoufnefs, nor any mhe– rent Holinefs in the Soul, will avail any Thing without F aith. VI. A Shield hath been of wonVI. Fa1th hath been of wonderful uie to the derful advantage to Soldiers in forSaints of God in all Ages ; it is that which lmh mer Times, when it was in ufe; preferved them when hard befer, m the gre,Hefl: it bath prelerved them in the Time Danger imagm able : I had fainted u11fejs l had be!te'Vcd,
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