The Breastplate of Faith and Love

therefore whereas, it may be, you have thought, that to believe that God is willing to forgive you your sins, is faith: I dare be bold to say, it is not full faith, you may have it, and yet not savingly believe, you may have it, and yet not be true believers. This I make clear by this argument: That which begets no love, is not faith. But you may be persuaded that Christ is willing to forgive you your sins, and yet not love him, as a prisoner may be persuaded that the Judge is willing to pardon him, and yet for all this he may not love the Judge; for love as I told you comes from some suitableness, some agreeableness between the party that loves, and the party that is loved. Again, you shall find this by experience. A man ⟨p. 17⟩may be persuaded that he is in a good estate, that he shall be saved, and that his sins are forgiven him, and yet for all this, he may be an unregenerate man, he may be a man that hath no life of grace in him: I say, we see oft in experience, many men applaud themselves in their good persuasion, and they die peaceably and quietly, and all is well, they think God hath forgiven them; and yet we find there is no love in them, nor no fruit of love. Again, on the other side, a man that hath his heart broken with the sense of his sins, may hunger after righteousness and after Christ, he may long after the Lord himself, that he desires him more than any thing in the world; and yet there is but a weak persuasion that the Lord will receive him, and forgive him his sins: I say, this man may be a true believer, though he be not yet so fully persuaded that Christ will forgive him, when the other is no true believer, as I said to you before. As when one loves another man or woman, if he look on him as one that is suitable to him, if he think it be but by good probability and likelihood, I shall obtain their love, though I have not yet a full assurance of it; I say, there may be an affection of love. And thence I confirm that which I said to you, that faith that hath been joined with it is true; and that faith that is disjoined from love is not true.

therefore whereas, it may be, you haue thought, that to beleeue that God is willing to forgiue you your sinnes, is faith: I dare be bold to say, it is not full faith, you may haue it, and yet not savingly beleeue, you may haue it, and yet not be true beleevers. This I make cleare by this argument: That which begets no loue, is not faith. But you may be perswaded that Christ is willing to forgiue you your sinnes, and yet not love him, as a prisoner may be perswaded that the Iudge is willing to pardon him, and yet for all this hee may not love the Iudge; for loue as I tolde you comes from some sutablenesse, some agreablenesse betweene the party that loues, and the party that is loved. Againe, you shall finde this by experience. A man