A09950:340
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.
And this is the third ⟨p. 15⟩cause that makes faith prove uneffectuall.
And this is the third ⟨p. 15⟩cause that makes faith prooue vneffectuall.
Fourthly,1 faith proves ineffectual for want of preparation, and humiliation that should go before it; because the heart is not circumcised, the heart is not broken yet, it is not emptied of those things that it must be emptied of before a man can take CHRIST, and therefore in Deut. 30.6.2 saith Moses, The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts, and then you shall love him with all your soul, and with all your strength. As if he should have said, It is impossible you should cleave to GOD, to love him indeed, to take him in good earnest, unfeignedly, with all your hearts, except first your hearts be circumcised; therefore the Lord your God will circumcise your hearts; that is, he will humble you, he will break your hearts, that your lusts shall be mortified in you; he will take away those strong, violent, those carnal and sinful desires, that abounded in your hearts before, and when that is done, then you shall love the Lord in good earnest, not feignedly, but with all your hearts: Now, if a man come to take Christ before he be thus circumcised, he takes him in vain, he takes him so, as that he cannot hold him, nor continue with him.
Fourthly,1 faith proues ineffectuall for want of preparation, and humiliation that should goe before it; because the heart is not circumcised, the heart is not broken yet, it is not emptyed of those things that it must be emptyed of before a man can take CHRIST, and therefore in