A09950:104
The Breastplate of Faith and Love
The breast-plate of faith and love. A treatise, wherein the ground and exercise of faith and love, as they are set upon Christ their object, and as they are expressed in good works, is explained. / Delivered in 18 sermons upon three several texts, by the late faithful and worthy minister of Jesus Christ, John Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty, Master of Emmanuel College in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolns Inn.The breast-plate of faith and love. A treatise, wherein the ground and exercise of faith and love, as they are set upon Christ their object, and as they are expressed in good workes, is explained. / Delivered in 18 sermons upon three severall texts, by the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.
London: printed by W. Jones for Nicolas Bourne, 1630London: printed by W. Iones for Nicolas Bourne, 1630
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1I answer, it is true indeed, we must lead a holy life,2 a religious, sober, and righteous life, for, for this end hath the grace of God appeared, saith the Apostle: yet you must know withal, that we cannot work in our selves this holiness, this religious and sober conversation, that must be Gods work altogether, we are only to take this righteousness, and the other is but a consequent that followeth upon it. To illustrate this unto you by a similitude; A Wheel or a Bowl runneth,3 not that it may be made round, that is the business of the workman, who makes it round, that it may run: So it is in this case, GOD doth not look that we should bring holiness and piety with us, for we have it not to bring: we are at the first only to believe and accept this righteousness that is offered us; when that is done, it is Gods part to frame us, and to fit and fashion us for a holy life: such a kind of speech you have it expressed in, Eph. 2.10.4 We are Gods workmanship, fashioned in Christ Jesus to walk in good works, which he hath ordained, &c. Mark it: it is not an action of our own, but GOD is the workman, we are the materials, as the clay, and the wood, that he takes into his hands; when we have but taken this righteousness that is offered, it is Gods work to cast us into a new Mould, to give us a new heart, and to frame a new spirit within us, that so we may walk in good works before him: this is the great mystery ⟨p. 41⟩of godliness: for we have much ado to persuade men to believe that the righteousness prepared by CHRIST should be offered to them, and nothing be required but receiving of it: this will not sink into the hearts of men by nature, they think they must do something precedently, or else this righteousness is not offered them. But, my beloved, we must learn to believe this, and know that it is the work of GOD to sanctify us after he hath justified us. I confess, it is not so in other things, there is still some action of our own required to gain this or that habit or ability, as you see in natural things, there are some kind of habits that we get by some precedent actions of our own,