A09950:378
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 when Christ is in the heart, he is not there to no purpose;1 but, as Paul saith, I live in Christ, and he in me. I say, when our taking of CHRIST shall proceed so far, as to make this union betwixt us, therein this efficacy lieth; when the heart is knit to him, as the soul of Jonathan was to David, and when CHRIST shall be knit to us again, that we shall be content to leave Father and Mother, and to become one spirit with him, as it is, Eph. 5.23.2 It is a similitude expressing the union betwixt Christ and the Church: A man shall forsake Father and Mother, and shall cleave to his Wife. The word in the Original, [Greek or Hebrew] signifieth to glue: if there be any conjunction that is nearer then other, it is signified in that word: there is not a word in all the Greek Language, that signifieth a nearer conjunction, then the word there used for cleaving, or gluing. When a man shall forsake all, even Father and Mother, the dearest things in the world, and shall cleave to Christ, (it is a repetition of what is said Gen. 2.24.3 concerning Adam and Eve,) when faith hath done this work, it is an effectual faith.
Now when Christ is in the heart, he is not there to no purpose;1 but, as Paul saith, I liue in Christ, and he in me. I say, when our taking of CHRIST shall proceede so far, as to make this vnion betwixt vs, therein this efficacie lyeth; when the heart is knit to him, as the soule of Ionathan was to Dauid, and when CHRIST shall be knit to vs againe, that we shall be content to leaue Father and Mother, and to become one spirit with him, as it is, Eph. 5.23.2 It is a similitude expressing the vnion betwixt Christ and the Church: A man shall forsake Father and Mother, and shall cleaue to his Wife. The word in the Originall, signifieth to glew: if there bee any conjunction that is neerer then other, it is signified in that word: there is not a word in all the Greeke Language, that signifieth a neerer conjunction, then the word there vsed for cleauing, or glewing. When a man shall forsake all, euen Father and Mother, the dearest things in the world, and shall cleaue to Christ, (it is a repetition of what is said