Faith stoppeth the mouths of lions Heb. xi. 34., as in Daniel’s case: for the
Scripture saith concerning him, that Daniel was brought up out of
the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed
in his God Dan. vi. 23.. Is there
anything more fearful than the devil? Yet even against him we
have no other shield than faith 1 Pet. v. 9: Whom resist, stedfast in
the faith., an impalpable
buckler against an unseen foe. For he sends forth divers arrows,
and shoots down in the dark night Ps. xi. 2, that they may shoot in
darkness at the upright in heart (R.V.). The Hebrew
word לפֶא,
signifying deep darkness (Job
iii. 6; x. 22) is vigorously
rendered by the Seventy σκοτομήνη,
which is explained by the Scholiast on Homer (Od. xiv. 457:
Νὺξ δ᾽
ἄρ᾽ ἐπῆλθε
κακὴ
σκοτομήνιος)
to be the deep darkness of the night preceding the new moon. those
that watch not; but, since the enemy is unseen, we have faith as our
strong armour, according to the saying of the Apostle, In all things
taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked one Eph. vi. 16.. A fiery
dart of desire of base indulgence is often cast forth from the
devil: but faith, suggesting a picture of the judgment, cools
down the mind, and quenches the dart.