A09950:197
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.
1There are many other excellencies that we are capable of, many moral virtues, such as Aristotle and Socrates have described; but without faith, GOD regards none of these: take one that is a wicked man, and take another, let him be never so virtuous, as Socrates, and Seneca, that were the strictest in morality of all the Heathen; nay, take any man that lives in the Church, that lives the most strict and exact life, and yet is not justified by faith, God makes no difference between these men, the one is as near to heaven as the other, GOD looks upon them both with the same eye; for he regards nothing without faith. He that is the most profane and ungodly, if he come with faith, he shall obtain Christ; the other that hath all other moral Virtues in the most exact manner, without faith, they shall do him no good: therefore we are to seek for nothing in the matter of justification, but how ⟨p. 83⟩we may be enabled to believe, we are principally to study this matter of faith.
1There are many other excellencies that we are capable of, many morall vertues, such as Aristotle and Socrates haue described; but without faith, GOD regards none of these: take one that is a wicked man, and take another, let him be neuer so vertuous, as Socrates, and Seneca, that were the strictest in morality of all the Heathen; nay, take any man that liues in the Church, that liues the most strict and exact life, and yet is not iustified by faith, God makes no difference betweene these men, the one is as neere to heauen as the other, GOD lookes vpon them both with the same eye; for he regards nothing without faith. He that is the most prophane and vngodly, if he come with faith, he shall obtaine Christ; the other that hath all other morall Vertues in the most exact manner, without faith, they shall doe him no good: therefore we are to seeke for nothing in the matter of iustification, but how ⟨p. 83⟩we may be enabled to beleeue, we are principally to study this matter of faith.
- 1Without faith God regards not moral virtues.