The Breastplate of Faith and Love

Now to this work he adds a second: CHRIST comes and tells a man, I will have thee, he comes and shows himself; he discovers himself to a man, and speaks plainly, (as in that place we have often mentioned, John 19.¹) and saith to him, I am willing ⟨p. 91⟩to marry thee. When this is done on the Holy Ghosts part, and we on our part come to resolve to take him, now the match is made between us, and this is faith indeed; when this work is done, a man may truly say, This day is salvation come to me. Now thou art sure that all thy sins are forgiven; now faith is wrought in thy heart.² Therefore if thou wouldest know whether thou have faith or no, look back, reflect upon thine own heart, consider what actions have passed through there: for that is the next way to know what faith is, to look what actions have passed through a mans heart: a man may know what the actions of his soul are, for that is the benefit of a reasonable soul, that it is able to return upon it self, to see what it hath done,³ which the soul of a beast cannot do.

Now to this worke hee addes a second: CHRIST comes and tels a man, I will haue thee, he comes and shewes himselfe; he discouers himselfe to a man, and speakes plainly, (as in that place wee haue often mentioned, Iohn 19.¹) and saith to him, I am willing ⟨p. 91⟩to marry thee. When this is done on the Holy Ghosts part, and we on our part come to resolue to take him, now the match is made betweene vs, and this is faith indeede; when this worke is done, a man may truely say, This day is saluation come to mee. Now thou art sure that all thy sinnes are forgiuen; now faith is wrought in thy heart.²