A09950:728
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 this is done, they must be made up again, as I told you, they must be moulded anew, and that is done by the Gospel and by faith: For when the heart is thus prepared, now let the Gospel come and welcome: Now a mans ⟨p. 14⟩heart is fit to be wrought on: Why? what doeth the Gospel? The Gospel comes and tells you, that the Lord Jesus is willing to be your Redeemer, is willing to be your Lord, he is content to be yours.
Now when this is done, they must be made up againe, as I tolde you, they must be moulded anew, and that is done by the Gospell and by faith: For when the heart is thus prepared, now let the Gospell come and welcome: Now a mans ⟨p. 14⟩heart is fit to be wrought on: Why? what doeth the Gospell? The Gospell comes and tells you, that the Lord Iesus is willing to be your Redeemer, is willing to be your Lord, he is content to be yours.
If you will take him, you shall have him and all his.
Now when a mans heart is broken, you cannot bring him better news; Indeed till then you may go and preach the Gospel long enough, you may propound Christ to men, they will not take him: But when we propound him thus to a heart prepared, thus to him that is poor in spirit, to him that hath his heart wounded in the sense of his sins and of Gods wrath, now I I say he is willing to come in, he is willing to take Christ as a Lord, as a husband: when that is done, that Christ hath discovered his will to take them, and they resolve to take him, then there ariseth a holy, a constant conjugal love wherein they are rooted and grounded. This is the love we are now to speak of. So that to prepare us to love Christ, we must come to look on him as upon that which is suitable and agreeable to us. And again, as one that is willing to receive us: And that you must mark diligently. Therefore we will give you this definition of love out of that which hath been said: