tions and acquaintance. Wilt thou, saitli Satan, yield to snch hard terms as these ? Now faith is the grace that doth the soul admirahle service at such a pinch as this. It is able to appease the tumult, which such a temptation may raise in the soul, and dismiss the rovite of all mutinous thoughts ; yea, to keep the King of heaven's peace so sweetly in the Christian's bosom, that such a temptation, if it comes, shall find few or none to declare for it. Heb. xi. 8, ' By faith,' it is said, 'Abraham obeyed, and went out, not knowing whither.' And we do not read of one fond look that his heart cast back upon his dear native country, as he went from it, so well pleased had faith made him with his journey. It was hard work for Moses to strip himself of his magistrate's robes, and put his hands on his servant's head ; hard to leave another to enter upon his labours, and reap the honour of lodging the Israelites' coloin's in Canaan, after it had cost him so many a weary step to bring them within sight of it ; yet faith made him willing. He saw better robes that he should put on in heaven, than those he was called to put off on earth. The lowest place in glory is beyond all compare greater preferment than the highest place of honour here below ; to stand before the throne there, and minister to God in immediate service, than to sit in a throne on earth, and have all the world waiting at his foot.
Secondly, The shield doth not only defend the whole body, but is a defence to the soldier's armour also ; it keeps the arrow from the helmet as well as head, from the breast and breastplate also. Thus faith, it is armour upon armour, a grace that preserves all the other graces. But of this more hereafter. Section IV. — Quest. 4. What doth this, ' above all,' import? — Ans. There is variety among interpreters about it. Jerome reads it, In omnibus, sianentes scutum fdei; In all things, taking the shield of faith, i. e., in all duties, enter- prises, temptations, or afflictions, whatever you are called to do or suffer, take faith ; indeed, faith to the Christian is like fire to the chemist ; nothing can be done without it Christianly : 'Without faith it is impossible to please God,' Heb. xi. 6. And how can the Christian please himself in that wherein he doth not please his God? Others read it, ' Over all, take the shield of faith,' i. e., take it over all your graces, as that which will cover them. All other graces have their safety from faith ; they lie secure under the shadow of faith, as an army lies safe under the protection and command of a strong castle planted round with cannon. But we shall follow our translation, as being most comprehensive, and that which will take these within its compass. ' Above all, take,' &c. ; that is, among all the pieces of armour which you are to provide, and wear for your defence, let this have the pre-eminence of your care to get ; and having got, to keep it. Now, that the apostle meant to give a pre-eminence to faith above all other graces, appears, First, By the piece of armour he com- pares it to, 'the shield,' which of old was prized above all other pieces by soldiers. They counted it greater shame to lose their shield than to lose the field ; and, therefore, when under the very foot of their enemy, they would not part with it, but esteemed it an honour to die with their shield in their hand. It was the charge that one laid upon her son, going into the wars, when she gave him a shield, that he should either bring his shield home with him, or he be brought home upon it ; she had rather see him dead with it, than come home without it. Secondly, By the noble effect which is here ascribed to faith ; ' By which ye shall quench the fiery darts of the wicked.' The other pieces are nakedly commended. Take ' the girdle of truth, breastplate of righteousness,' and so the rest, but nothing singly ascribed to any of them, what they can do; but when he speaks of faith, he ascribes the whole victory to it : this quencheth all the fiery darts of the wicked. And why thus ? are the other graces of no use, and doth faith do all? What need then the Christian load himself with more than this one piece ? I answer, every piece hath its necessary use in the Christian's wai'fare; not any part of the whole suit can be spared in the day of battle; but the reason (I humbly conceive) why no particular effect is annexed severally to each of these, but all ascribed to faith, is to let us know that all these graces, their efficacy, and our benefit from them, is in their conjunction with faith, and influence they receive from faith ; so that this is plainly the design of the Spirit of God, to give faith the precedency in our care above the rest ; only take heed that you do not fancy any indifferency or negligence to be
ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH, 4.3 [