Chapter 26.—Obscure Passages are
to Be Interpreted by Those Which are Clearer.
Now from the places where the sense
in which they are used is more manifest we must gather the sense in
which they are to be understood in obscure passages. For example,
there is no better way of understanding the words addressed to God,
“Take hold of shield and buckler and stand up for mine help,”
1892
than by
referring to the passage where we read, “Thou, Lord, hast crowned
us with Thy favor as with a shield.”
1893
And yet we are not so to
understand it, as that wherever we meet with a shield put to
indicate a protection of any kind, we must take it as signifying
nothing but the favor of God. For we hear also of the shield of
faith, “wherewith,” says the apostle, “ye shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
1894
Nor ought we, on the other hand,
in regard to spiritual armor of this kind to assign faith to the
shield only; for we read in another place of the
breastplate
of faith: “putting on,” says the apostle, “the breastplate
of faith and love.”
1895
1892
Ps. xxxv. 2
.
1893
Ps. v. 12
.
1894
Eph. vi. 16
.
1895
l Thess. v. 8
.