A09950:589
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.
3So again, come to matter of commodity: Let matters of profit, or advantage in the World for a mans estate be offered, see the different condition now of a man that hath faith, and of a man that wants faith. See Saul, when he saw the fat Cattle, he took them, his faith was nothing but a notion: If he had believed in GOD, he would not have thought that the fat Cattle would have made him more happy, but because he saw them, and thought they would be advantage to him, he saw them present, that was the thing he felt, he believed not the other, therefore he did that.
3So againe, come to matter of commodity: Let matters of profit, or aduantage in the World for a mans estate be offered, see the different condition now of a man that hath faith, and of a man that wants faith. See Saul, when he saw the fat Cattell, he tooke them, his faith was nothing but a notion: If he had beleeued in GOD, he would not haue thought that the fat Cattell would haue made him more happy, but because he saw them, and thought they would be aduantage to him, he saw them present, that was the thing he felt, hee beleeued not the other, therefore he did that.
- 3Instance.
And so for Balaam; when the case comes, that either he must curse the people, or else forsake the wages of unrighteousness, surely he will have respect to the wages of unrighteousness: that is, though Balaam made a fair show, he would do any thing rather then to go against Gods Commandments, and yet he had an eye to the other all the while, and GOD saw that he secretly looked to himself. So that, it may be, thou makest profession, thou makest a fair show, thou wilt do much. Remember this, it may be, it is but a high ⟨p. 161⟩flying: The Eagle, though she fly high, yet she hath an eye to the prey below all the while: So many men, although they do much, yet they have a secret eye to the prey; that is, they want faith, and therefore they regard these things too much. And when the time comes, that they must stoop to it, the time of trial, when a man wants faith to magnify other things, he overvalueth those things, having nothing better to trust unto. In such a case, Judas his 30. pence was a great matter: Gehezi's change of raiment, and Achans wedge of Gold. I need name no more examples. But take a man that hath faith, and this is no difficulty to him, he will not only let go that wealth which he hath inordinately gotten, as Zacheus, but he will suffer the spoiling of his goods with joy, because he believes God, that he hath in heaven a more enduring substance. There is no Christian, no good man, but he would be content to gain as well as thou; what is the reason he takes it not? He believes that by forsaking that, he shall have a more enduring substance in Heaven. There is no man would forsake any thing but for the better, and that is the reason we believe, and thou dost not.