A09950:201
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.
But faith it emptieth the creature of all things, it leaveth nothing in a man, it makes him lean and rest only upon CHRIST, and upon his righteousness for salvation.
But faith it emptieth the creature of all things, it leaueth nothing in a man, it makes him leane and rest only vpon CHRIST, and vpon his righteousnesse for saluation.
Again, faith worketh in us a love to GOD: for, we having nothing in our selves, but all that we have being from him, we cannot but love him again.
Againe, faith worketh in vs a loue to GOD: for, we hauing nothing in our selues, but all that we haue being from him, we cannot but loue him againe.
Again, faith presenteth to God a perfect righteousness, and therefore God only accepts it: for God must be just, and nothing can satisfy the Justice of GOD, but a righteousness that is perfect, nothing can attain a righteousness ⟨p. 84⟩that is perfect, but only faith, labour therefore to believe this, and to turn all your study and care how to get faith. My beloved, this is a thing that we are bound to preach to you; this is the sum of that Doctrine that CHRIST so often preached when he was upon the Earth, Believe, for the Kingdom of God is at hand: this is the sum of all the Doctrine of the Apostles, it was all they had to do, to persuade men to believe: What was the sum of all Pauls Doctrine? We go up and down, saith he, from place to place, witnessing both to Jews and Gentiles, &c. So it is our part, when we come to preach to you, when we come to dispense to you that which is for the nourishment of your souls, we must do as those Stewards that set bread and salt upon the Table, whatsoever other dish there is; so we should alway preach Christ, and persuade you to believe in him, and stir you up to turn the stream of your endeavours after the obtaining of that faith that taketh this righteousness; the principal thing we are to look unto, is, to see from what Fountain that that we have comes; if a man have never so many virtues in him, if they arise not from this fountain, if they spring not from this root, they are nothing, GOD looks upon them without acceptance or delight.