A09950:303
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.
1The second use is, to exhort you to grow in faith, (and so I end) content not your selves with a little, a small measure of faith, though notwithstanding a little will serve to put you in the state of salvation, yet it should be your wisdom to get a great degree, as the Apostle saith, 2 Pet. 1.13.2 Trust perfectly in the grace brought in by the revelation of CHRIST: (Mark it) for it is an excellent place for this purpose; study it, and think well of it, trust perfectly in the grace revealed; that is to say, do it not by halves, let no• there be some odd reckonings between GOD and thee, stand not in distance from him, but trust upon him perfectly, believe fully and assuredly that your sins are forgiven you, believe fully the grace that is given you through CHRIST, do it perfectly, throughly, trust perfectly in the grace brought in by CHRIST, that is our fault that we do it not in such a manner; hence it is that our Joy is weak, our grace is weak, trust perfectly, that your Joy may be full, that you may have full communion and fellowship with CHRIST, the benefit is exceeding great when we trust perfectly, and why will you not? why should you limit the holy one of Israel? It was their sin and transgression to limit him in his power and all-sufficiency, as if he were not able to do such and such things, and is it not as great a sin to limit him in his mercy and goodness? Why cannot ⟨p. 135⟩he forgive sins and transgressions, that in all circumstances are the greatest sins, in what nature soever? to think otherwise, is to limit the holy one of Israel; trust perfectly therefore.3 It is not a little that will serve the turn, as the Apostle saith, 2 Pet. 3. ult. grow in grace, there is need of it; you shall find, that as you wade further in the profession of Christianity, so you shall have need of more strength, you shall have greater employment, therefore you have more need of growth to go forward, and persevere.