A09950:1077
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.
To exhort you to be doers,1 that your faith may be effectual faith, and that your love may be diligent love: This is the great business which we have to do, and the thing which for the most part we all fail in, that there is no doing, no acting, no working of our faith; be exhorted now therefore to add to your faith diligent love, especially you that profess your selves to be grown Christians, look you to it, and know that as in nature every thing when it is ripe brings seed and fruit, if not it is but a dead thing, a dead plant that keepeth the room idle; if there be that ripeness and maturity in you,2 show it by bringing forth seed and fruit, show it by doing something. For, my brethren, we are called into the Lords vineyard for the same purpose; it is not ⟨p. 204⟩for you now to stand idle, the time of your standing still is past, it is for you now to work, for ye are now come into the day. That exhortation is excellent,3 1 Thess. 5.6, 7, 8. Let not us sleep (saith he) as do others, we are come out of the night: those that are still in the night, it better beseems them to sleep, and to sit still and do nothing, but let not us sleep as do others, for we are of the day; let it not be so with you as with others, to be much in speech only, but labour to be much in actions. As it was said of Gideon, Up and be doing, and the Lord shall be with thee, so I say to every one, up and be doing, and the Lord shall be with you; that is, though perhaps you do not find that vigour, that fervency and liveliness of spirit, yet be doing notwithstanding, it is your wisest way, for that doing will increase the grace within you: exercise increaseth health, as well as health enables to exercise,4 so the use of grace will increase grace and other abilities; motion causeth heat, as well as all motion cometh from heat, so every good action proceedeth from grace, and good actions intend grace: and therefore be still acting, and judge of your selves by that, for what is grace, what is that you call Christianity else, but to do that which another man cannot do? Therefore if there be such a difference between you and others as you profess there is, show it by doing that which another man cannot do, by exposing your selves to that danger, to those losses for any good cause, which another would not do;