The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 1 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of the breaſt-plate of righteouſnes, and Goſpell of peace.
§. Sect. 1 THe ſecond part of our armour is the breaſt-plate of righteouſnes; whereby we are to vnderſtand a good conſcience, true ſanctification and a godly life, which alſo we are to put on according to the example of our grand Captaine Chriſt. Eſa. 59.17. He put on righteouſnes as an habergeon, Eſa. 59.17.and an helmet of ſaluation vponupon his head. The excellencie of this breast-plate of righteouſnes.And then ſhall not Sathans darts pearce vsus, ſo long as we are armed with a good conſcience, and a godly and innocent life. Yea as long as our breaſts and hearts are armed with righteouſnes, though our other members fall into ſinne, our wounds ſhall not be mortall: for as the breaſt-plate doth defend the breaſt and vitall parts of a ſouldier, ſo the ſtudie and holie endeuour of a Chriſtian to liue in righteouſneſſe and true ſanctification, doth ſo arme his minde, that Sathan cannot deadly wound the heart with any of his temptations. True it is that the Saints doe receiue wounds and foyles, when as Sathan hath drawne them to commit ſinne, but they are not wounded at the heart, becauſe they doe not ſinne with full conſent of will; for they allow not that which they doe, neither doe they what they would, but what they hate, and they delight in the law of God concerning the inner man,Rom. 7.15.22. when the fleſh leadeth them captiue to the law of ſin. And hence it is that Paul ſaith he did not tranſgreſſe Gods law,Rom. 7.17. 1. Ioh. 3.9. and verſ. 6.8. but ſinne that dwelled in him, Rom. 7.17. And the Apoſtle Iohn affirmeth, that they who are borne of God ſinne not, 1. Ioh. 3.9. and that they who are in Chriſt ſinne not: and that whoſoeuer ſinneth is of the diuell, verſ. 6.8. Not that Gods children are exempted from all ſinne, but becauſe they ſinne not with the full conſent and ſwinge of their will; and when they doe fall, their hearts are defended with the breaſt-plate of righteouſnes, that is, with an holie endeuour and deſire of ſeruing God. Dauid, a man according to Gods owne heart, may be a notable example hereof: for euen after he was indued with the knowledge of the truth, and had this godlie endeuour of ſeruing God, he notwithſtanding fell grieuouſly many times, and was wounded often with Sathans darts; but his wounds were not mortall, neither did they pearce the heart, becauſe he was armed with the breaſt-plate of righteouſnes; for he kept Gods law in his heart, and it was ſweeter than honey vntounto his mouth,Pſal. 119. he meditated therein, and ſought after it continually, as appeareth Pſal. 119. Would we therefore be preſerued from the deadly wounds of Sathans darts of temptation? then let vsus ſtudie and labour after true holines, let vsus keepe a good conſcience; and howſoeuer wee fall often through infirmitie, yet let the heart alwaies be armed with the breaſt-plate of righteouſnes, that is, with an earneſt deſire and holie endeuour of ſeruing God; and ſo ſhall Sathan neuer mortally wound vsus.
§. Sect. 2 But on the other ſide,That the lacke of this armour is most pernicious. if we once lay aſide the breaſt-plate of righteouſnes, not ſo much as endeuouring to ſerue the Lord in holines of life, but imbrace ſinne with full conſent of will, we ſhall lay our breaſts open and naked to all Sathans thruſts, yea and as it were put ſwords in his hands wherewith hee may wound and murther vsus: for vntill wee diſarme our ſelues, and put weapons into the hands of Sathan by our ſinnes, he cannot hurt vsus; as wee may ſee in the example of our firſt parents, who whileſt they continued in their righteouſnes and integritie, Sathan could not offer them any violence by aſſault and force, and therefore he allured them to entertaine a treacherous parley, wherein hauing inticed them to diſarme themſelues of this breaſt-plate of righteouſnes, by wilfull tranſgreſſing Gods commandement, hee inflicted on them deadly wounds, pearcing them through to the verie heart, and ſo like Ioab whileſt he ſeemed louingly to imbrace them, he did moſt treacherouſly ſtab them.
The conſideration whereof ſhould make vsus repell moſt carefully all Sathans temptations, whereby he inticeth vsus to ſinne; but eſpecially let vsus neuer bee allured to put off the breaſt-plate of righteouſnes, and then though Sathan wound our ſoules with ſinne, yet his wounds will not be mortall ſo long as wee doe not fall into ſinne with full conſent of will, but through infirmitie; in the meane time loathing the ſinne which wee commit, and delighting our ſelues in the law of God, in reſpect of the inner man: for though we fall, yet the Lord will raiſe vsus vp by vnfained repentance, ſo that though ſinne dwell in vsus, yet ſhall it neuer raigne in vsus.