A09950:734
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 I come to prosecute the point, having gone thus far in the explication of it; I say, this love is so necessary to salvation, as that he that hath it not is in a cursed and damnable condition; he is not in Christ, if he do not love, that as the Apostle saith, he that believes not shall be damned: we may say as well of love, for there is a tie between all these, faith, repentance and love. And therefore we find these words put promiscuously, sometimes he that believes not shall not be saved, sometimes he that repents not shall not be saved, sometimes he that obeys not, sometimes he that loves not shall not be saved: and therefore the Scripture is clear in it, and there is good reason for it.
Now I come to prosecute the point, having gone thus farre in the explication of it; I say, this love is so necessary to salvation, as that hee that hath it not is in a cursed and damnable condition; he is not in Christ, if he doe not love, that as the Apostle saith, hee that beleeves not shall be damned: we may say as well of love, for there is a tye betweene all these, faith, repentance and love. And therefore wee finde these words put promiscuously, sometimes he that beleeves not shall not be saved, sometimes he that repents not shall not be saved, sometimes he that obeyes not, sometimes hee that loves not shall not be saved: and therefore the Scripture is cleere in it, and there is good reason for it.
1First, because if a man love not, there is a curse, there is a woe due to him, for wheresoever there ⟨p. 19⟩is not love, a man is an hypocrite, as our Saviour saith to the Scribes and Pharisees, Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, that is because you are hypocrites. Now wheresoever love is not, there is nothing but hypocrisy in such a mans heart. For what is hypocrisy?2 Hypocrisy is nothing but to do the outward action without the inward sincerity; as we say it is counterfeit gold, when it hath the form and colour of gold, but in the inside is base: as we say he is a false Hector, when he acts the part of Hector, but is not so indeed: So hypocrisy is to do the outward act without the inward sincerity. Now to do them without inward sincerity is to do them without love; for to do a thing in love is to do it in sincerity. And indeed there is no other definition of sincerity, that is the best way to know it by: A man that doeth much to God, and not out of love, all that he doth is out of hypocrisy, he is an hypocrite, and there is a woe belongs to him. So that as we deal with counterfeit wares, we break them in pieces, or we set marks upon them, as we do with counterfeit pieces of gold and silver, we bore holes in them, as condemned pieces; so the Lord proposeth a woe to such as love him not, for in that hypocrisy consists, when a man doth much, and doth it not out of love.