A09950:353
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.
Now, for the opening of this a little further to you, to show you what this proper function of faith is. It is, when a man is so far persuaded of the truth of the Scriptures, of the truth of the promises, and doth so far appropriate ⟨p. 22⟩them to himself, that he is willing to take Christ, though there be some doubtings and waverings in him, yet if there be so much faith as to do the thing, this is properly effectual faith, though it be not perfect faith: For you must know,1 that there is a doubting mingled with the best faith: Therefore when we say effectual faith, we do not mean that it is such a faith as is without doubtings, and without fears mingled with it: but, if it be such a faith as doth the thing it self, for which faith is appointed, it is properly said to be effectual faith. It is a point necessary for you to understand; and if you compare this that we have said (concerning this description, of this first explication of effectual faith) with that in Jam. 1.7, 8.2 we shall see what the meaning is. He speaks there of doubting, and tells you, that those that doubt, they are like a wave of the Sea, tossed to and fro, and in the end they vanish away. Saith the Apostle, Let not such a man think to obtain any thing at Gods hands: for he is a double-minded man, and is unstable in all his ways. The meaning is, that there is such a faith that makes a man doubt, when he knoweth not what he should do, but is unstable; as a wave of the Sea, that is tossed to and fro: he is sometimes going towards GOD, sometimes from him again, and in the end he goes quite away. (Saith he) such a man shall not receive any thing. Why? Because he is a double-minded man. Now, ⟨p. 23⟩by a double-minded man,3 is not meant a man that hath one thing in his face, and another in his heart, one that pretends one thing, and intends another, (though the word be sometimes so taken, yet in that place it is not so to be understood) but by a double-minded man this is meant, when the mind is divided, between two objects, that it knows not which to choose, but stands as one in Bivio, that hath two ways before him, and knows not whether to go this way, or that way; a man that is distracted in his own mind, he knows not what to resolve on. Now when a mans faith comes to this, that he knows not whether to take CHRIST, or the World;