A09950:694
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.
Again,1 the afflictions of the godly are not so heavy to them, as the afflictions of the wicked are; GOD afflicts them in the branches, not in the root; they drink of the Cup, but not of the dregs; but as for the wicked, he smites them so, as that he smites them not the second time, that they roar for his wrath: Psal. 31.24.2 The godly, though he fall, yet shall he rise again, he shall not be cast off, the Lord puts under his hand: That is, though the godly fall into affliction, yet he is not broken in the fall, GOD puts under his hand, he falls soft, he falls not so as to break his neck, to be undone; so there is that difference. So that, though GOD do the same act to both, yet he doth it to the one for love, to the other he doth the same act for destruction.3 Like to a man that lops Trees; there is a certain season in the year, when if he lop his Trees, they will be the better for it, if they be lopped in due season, they are the better; lop them at another time, and they will wither: So God comes to the wicked man in the unfittest time to him, a time when they look not for him, a time that the wicked men fear least, then ⟨p. 212⟩he comes just as a Thief doth in the worst, and most dangerous time of all for the owner of the house, then comes the Thief, he picks out that time: So GOD comes upon the wicked, and afflicts them when they are in peace and prosperity: take heed that he lop thee not at that time when thou shalt wither to destruction, when thou art not prepared. So the Scripture saith, sudden destruction comes upon wicked men: So that suddenness is when men are not prepared. And so when God saith, will free the godly from sudden death, his meaning is, he will prepare him, and fit him for death. Put all these together, That the wicked bring their enterprises to pass, that the godly are crossed and afflicted, that GOD hath a special end in this, that death, affliction, and sickness come suddenly upon none but wicked men, and it will give satisfaction to any man. I should come now to press the point, but the time is past, I cannot do it. So much shall serve for the second Use, for the answering of the Objections.