A09950:1083
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.
Again,2 another end of your life is to do good to mankind; shall they be able to fare the better for your purposes, for your good resolutions? no, they fare the better only for that you do for them and to them, it is your actions that benefit men.
Againe,2 another end of your life is to doe good to mankinde; shall they be able to fare the better for your purposes, for your good resolutions? no, they fare the better onely for that you doe for them and to them, it is your actions that benefit men.
- 2To do good to men.To doe good to men.
Lastly for your selves, what is it that helpeth you and doth you good? only your good deeds and your actions, it is that which furthers your reckoning and account: That place is much to this purpose, Phil. 4.17.1 I care not for a gift, but I desire fruit, because it will further your account: mark the phrase, the meaning is this, every good work that a holy man doth from the time of his regeneration, (for till then no actions are spiritually good) it is put upon his score, it stands upon his ⟨p. 208⟩reckoning, there is not a penny nor a half penny lost, that is, the least good work is not done to no purpose, but the Lord will repay him again every penny and farthing: this (saith he) will further your account. And when will the Lord pay? Not only in the day of judgement, then indeed you shall be paid to the uttermost, but you shall be paid even in this life; mark that too, You shall have an hundredfold here, saith Christ, They that forsake father, or mother, or wife, or children, shall have an hundredfold in this life. Therefore brethren if there be any wisdom in the world, this is the only wisdom, to be still doing, to be much in actions; Why do you trifle out your time therefore to no purpose? Why sit ye idle here? why do you not rise up and bestir your selves? why do you not fill your lives with many actions? You have good purposes in you, why do you not stir them up? It is true indeed we are becalmed many times because the Spirit doth not blow upon us, but yet notwithstanding if we would pray for the Spirit, the Lord would quicken us.