Tropes and Figures · Benjamin Keach
Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 5 · Part 4
The Shield of Faith.
Epheſ. 6.16. Above all take the Shield of Faith, &c.
FAith is a Grace, a moſt precious and excellent Grace of the Spirit of God, whereby the Soul is enabled to believe, or go out of it ſelf, and wholly to rely and reſt upon Chriſt crucified, or on his active and paſſive Obedience, upon the Warrant of the Promiſe, for Juſtification and eternal Life.
| Metaphor. | Parallel. |
| A Shield is a Piece of Armor that Souldiers were wont to carry with them into the Field, when they were to engage their Enemies. | FAith is a part of a Chriſtian's ſpiritual Armor. All Chriſt's Souldiers ought to carry this Weapon into the Field with them, when they engage the Enemy of their Souls: Above all, take the Shield of Faith. |
| II. A Shield is a Piece of Armor made for Defence. | II. Faith is of excellent uſe to defend the Soul from all ſpiritual Dangers, of Sin and Satan, and other Enemies. |
| III. A Shield is not for the Defence of any particular part of the Body, as almoſt all other Pieces are. The Helmet is fitted for the Head, the Breaſt-plate is deſigned for the Breaſt; ſo others have their ſeveral Parts which they are faſtened to: But a Shield is a Piece that is intended for the Defence of the whole Body. It was wont to be made very large, for its broadneſs called foreign of foreign,Gurnal. a Door, becauſe ſo long and large, as in a manner to cover the whole Body; to which that place alludes, Pſal. 4.12. Thou, Lord, wilt bleſs the Righteous with Favour, thou wilt compaſs him about as with a Shield. | III. So the Grace of Faith defends the whole Man, every part of a Chriſtian. 1. Sometimes Satan's …emptations are levell'd againſt his Head, and if he can hit him there, he wounds ſorely. He will be diſputing againſt this Truth, and that Truth, and make a Chriſtian doubt concerning them, if poſſible, becauſe his own Reaſon cannot comprehend them: As perhaps it may be about the Deity of Chriſt, 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 interpoſeth between a Chriſtian, and this Arrow of Satan; it comes in to the relief of the Saints weak Underſtanding, as ſeaſonable as Zerviah did to David, when the Giant Iſhbibenob thought to have ſlain him. I'le truſt the Word of God, ſaith the Soul, rather than my own purblind Reaſon: what I cannot comprehend, I will believe. Thus Abraham, not being weak in Faith, Rom. 4.19 conſidered not his own Body now dead, &c. Senſe and Reaſon would have made ſad work at ſuch a dead Lift, but Faith brought him off victoriouſly. Secondly; Sometimes Satan ſtrives to hit the Conſcience, all his Aſſaults and fiery Darts are at another ſeaſon aimed at that, to wound that, to cauſe Horror and Terror within, by ſetting the Evil of Sin, and of his own Heart, and the Infirmities of his Life, before him. Satan ſets our Sins before us, not to humble us, but to wound us; he ſhews our Sins to us, but hides a Saviour from us. Satan hath ſometimes tempted gracious Perſons to lay violent hands upon themſelves, 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 16.Acts 16. But now Faith prevents and keeps off all the Danger, and quencheth this fiery Dart. Chriſt died for Sinners, for the chiefeſt of Sinners; and tho thou art a Sinner, a great Sinner, the worſt of Sinners, yet ſaith Faith, Thou art but a Sinner, and there is Mercy for ſuch. Believe on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and thou ſhalt be ſaved; if thou canſt believe, and throw thy ſelf on Chriſt, thy Sins ſhall not be thy Ruin. Thirdly; He labours to enſnare the Affections of the Soul, or deaden its fervent Love to Jeſus Chriſt, by preſenting the Pleaſures and Profits of this World to it. Thus he ſerved our Saviour himſelf. But now Faith ſhields off this Dart alſo, by ſhewing the Excellency of the Lord Jeſus to the Soul; and that all things without him, and in compariſon of him, are nothing, nay, leſs than nothing; and alſo by ſetting the World to come, and the Glory thereof, before the Eyes of the Soul.Heb. 11.1. Faith is the Subſtance of things hoped for, and the Evidence of things not ſeen. |
| IV. A Shield, tho heavy, and ſomewhat unwieldy, to ſuch as have not skill and ſtrength to uſe it; yet it is a moveable Piece of Armor, which an expert Souldier, with a watchful eye, can turn this way, and that way, to ſtop a Dart or Blow from lighting on any part that they were directed to by the Enemy. | IV. Faith is a piece of Chriſtian Armor, which unskilful Profeſſors are not ready to uſe, but an experienced Soul can turn it any way to keep off the Arrow and fiery Darts of Satan from hurting or wounding him. He obſerves what part the Enemy aims to hit, or how the Temptation is laid. It is a great point of Chriſtian Wiſdom rightly to exerciſe the Shield of Faith; A Man muſt be ſure to have a watchful Eye upon his Adverſary, or elſe for all his Shield he may ſoon be wounded. |
| V. A Shield doth not only defend the whole Body, but it is a Defence to other parts of a Souldier's Armor alſo; it keeps off the Dart from the Helmet and Breaſt-plate likewiſe. | V. Faith doth not only defend the whole Soul, but alſo 'tis a Safeguard to all the other parts of a Chriſtian's Armor; it is that which ſecures Hope, the Helmet of Salvation, for without Faith Hope would ſoon be broken in pieces. Alſo it ſecures the Breaſt-plate of Righteouſneſs; for neither Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, nor any inherent Holineſs in the Soul, will avail any thing without Faith. |
| VI. A Shield hath been of wonderful advantage to Souldiers in former Times, when it was in uſe; it hath preſerved them in the time of Battel from Death, and many mortal Wounds. Hence God is pleaſed to call Himſelf a Shield, ſignifying thereby his ſure and ſafe Protection to his People in Time of Trouble and Temptation. Fear not, Abraham, I am thy Shield. | VI. Faith hath been of wonderful uſe to the Saints of God in all Ages; it is that which hath preſerved them when hard beſet, in the greateſt Danger imaginable: I had fainted unleſs I had believed. Pſal. 27.13 If he at that time had not had Faith to ſhield him, he had been loſt. All the mighty Men of God (ſaith Ainſworth) by the Shield of Faith in God and Chriſt, Ainſworth on Cant. 4.4. p. 32. have done many mighty Works, as the Apoſtle bringeth a Cloud of Wittneſſes in to prove, Heb. 11.Heb. 11. 2 Chron. 11.10, 47. 2 Sam, 8.7. Ezek. 27.11. And hence Shields (ſaith he) were hanged up in David's Tower, for Monuments and Signs of Victory. |
| Metaphor. | Diſparity. |
| A Shield that Souldiers uſe in Battel is an Inſtrument made by Man. | FAith is a precious Grace or Fruit of the Spirit of God:Gal. 5.22. The Fruit of the Spirit is Faith, &c. |
| II. A Shield is not uſed by Souldiers in all Countries. | II. Faith is of uſe by all ſpiritual Souldiers in every Nation; and it is as much in uſe now by them who truly believe, as ever it was. |
| III. A Shield may be broken, and utterly loſt. | III. A Saints Faith may receive ſome detriment, but it cannot be utterly broken and loſt. I have prayed for thee, Luk. 22.23 that thy Faith fail not. |
| IV. A Shield can only ſave and defend from temporal Enemies. | IV. Faith ſhields and defends the Soul from all the fiery Darts and Aſſaults of Satan. |
Inferences.
FRom hence we may infer, that Faith is an excellent Grace; and not only ſo, but we may perceive the Neceſſity of it in all our ſpiritual Conflicts.
2. Labour to find out the right uſe of it in time of Temptation, and under all the Aſſaults of Satan.
3. It ſhews how ſafe and happy all they are, who truly believe, or have obtained the Faith of God's Elect; and how miſerable ſuch be as are without it.
4. Labour therefore above all to take the Shield of Faith; for tho all other Graces are neceſſary, as the Girdle of Truth, the Breaſtplate of Righteouſneſs, &c. yet theſe and all other Graces have their efficacy, as they work, and are in conjunction with Faith. We receive Benefit from them, as they receive Power, and are influenced from hence; ſo that Faith hath the precedency.