A09950:747
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,5 if you examine your selves further, if you have this love in you, you may know it by this, Love is a thing that is well pleased with it ⟨p. 28⟩self, as we say, Love desires no wages, that is, it carries meat in the mouth of it, it is wages enough to it self, it hath sweetness enough in it self, it desires no addition: So it is when a man loves, Love pays it self, I say, it is its own wages. And therefore if you love the Lord, you shall know it by this; you serve him, and serve him with all your might, with all your strength, though he should give you no wages. Jacob, as you know, served for Rachel, the very having her was wages enough: So if you love the Lord, the very enjoying of the Lord, the very having communion with the Lord, the very having the assurance of his favour, that you might say, My Beloved is mine, and I am my Beloveds: this is wages enough to a man that loves indeed, to such a man, though there were not heaven to follow, though there were not a present reward, nor a future, yet he would love the Lord; and if he love him, there will be a delight to serve him: and enough to him is the Lords favour, as Christ saith, It is my meat and drink to do my Fathers will: that is, though there were no other meat and drink, though there were no other wages, yet this was as pleasant to him as eating and drinking. Ask thine own breast, whether in any thing thou lovest, if the very enjoying of that, though there were no other wages superadded, if that were not motive enough, if it were not comfort enough, and wages enough to you to do it?
Againe,5 if you examine your selves further, if you have this love in you, you may know it by this, Love is a thing th•t is well pleased with it ⟨p. 28⟩selfe, as we say, Love desires no wages, that is, it carries meate in the mouth of it, it is wages enough to it selfe, it hath sweetnesse enough in it selfe, it desires no addition: So it is when a man loves, Love payes it selfe, I say, it is its owne wages. And therefore if you love the Lord, you shall know it by this; you serve him, and serve him with all your might, with all your strength, though he should give you no wages. Iacob, as you know, served for Rachel, the very having her was wages enough: So if you love the Lord, the very enjoying of the Lord, the very having communion with the Lord, the very having the assurance of his favour, that you might say, My Beloved is mine, and I am my Beloveds: this is wages enough to a man that loves indeed, to such a man, though there were not heaven to follow, though there were not a present reward, nor a future, yet he would love the Lord; and if he loue him, there will be a delight to serve him: and enough to him is the Lords favour, as Christ saith, It is my meate and drinke to doe my Fathers will: that is, though there were no other meate and drinke, though there were no other wages, yet this was as pleasant to him as eating and drinking. Aske thine owne breast, whether in any thing thou lovest, if the very enjoying of that, though there were no other wages superadded, if that were not motiue enough, if it were not comfort enough, and wages enough to you to doe it?