A09950:390
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.
The Holy Ghost doth it by these three acts.1 First,2 by putting an efficacy into the Law, and making that powerful, to work on the heart, to make a man poor in spirit, that so he may be fit to receive the Gospel.1 For the Law, though it be fit to humble a man, yet it is no work of sanctification. If a man were able to do any thing, he were able to see the righteousness the Law requires, and how far he is from it, and to discern the curse upon the not doing of it,4 and yet this he is not able to do, without the spirit of bondage: the spirit of bondage must make the Law effectual, as well as the spirit of Adoption doth the Gospel. That is, except the LORD himself press the Law on our hearts, so as to cause it to make sin appear to us, we, that are the Ministers of GOD, may discover your sins, we may show you the rectitude required in the Law, we may show you the danger, yet all will be to no purpose, unless God awaken you: if he will set sin upon the conscience to worry a man, to pluck him down, when GOD shall charge sin on him, that he shall feel the weight and burden of it, when he shall sharpen sin, and cause it to use its sting, this makes a man fit to receive CHRIST: otherwise, if the sons of Thunder should speak to men, if we should come in the spirit and power of Elijah, nay, if GOD himself ⟨p. 50⟩should thunder from heaven, all would not move the heart of a man, all would not awaken him to see his sins, till God himself shake the heart.
The Holy Ghost doth it by these three acts.1 First,2 by putting an efficacie into the Law, and making that powerfull, to worke on the heart, to make a man poore in spirit, that so he may be fit to receiue the Gospell.1