A09950:760
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.
Well, but yet we may be ready to object, it is true, the Lord hath been thus to me, he hath ben very merciful to forgive me my sins, he hath been very gracious to me to show me favour when I never deserved it, but after, I was put into such a condition, I provoked him to anger by relapsing into sin again and again after I have been in a good estate, I have broken the covenant with him, I continued not in that good estate that out of his mercy he hath put me into.
Well, but yet wee may be readie to object, it is true, the Lord hath been thus to me, he hath ben very merciful to forgiue me my sinnes, he hath beene very gracious to me to shew me favour when I never deserved it, but after, I was put into such a condition, I provoked him to anger by relapsing into sinne againe and againe after I have been in a good estate, I have broken the covenant with him, I continued not in that good estate that out of his mercy he hath put me into.
To this he answers, He is long suffering, that is, though you provoke him out of measure, though you have done it again and again, he continues patient, you cannot weary him out, but his mercy ⟨p. 41⟩endures for ever: you know that if there were an end of his mercy, that on your sinning, he should give over to be merciful, his mercy did not endure for ever, therefore it is said, He is long suffering, because though your sins be often repeated, yet the Lord as often repeats his mercy, therefore there is a multitude of mercies in him, as there is a multitude of sins in you, there is a spring of mercy in him, that is renewed every day, he opens a spring for Judah & Jerusalem to wash in, it is not a Cistern but a Spring, that is renewed as much as your sins, that as you are defiled daily, so the Lords mercy is renewed to wash away those sins, he is long suffering. But besides all this he goes yet one step further; he is abundant in kindness and in truth, that is, if you would know the Lord yet further, whereas you may think He is a terrible God, because of his great Majesty, and power, and therefore that those dishearten you, as wheresoever you find terribleness, that (you know) puts off, it is contrary to love: and therefore the Lord to win us the more, tells us: that though he be so great a God as he is, yet he is abundant in kindness, that is, He is exceeding ready to bear with us, that look what you find in a kind Husband, in a kind Father, or in a kind friend, that you shall find in the Lord, he is exceeding kind to you, he is not harsh, he is not stiff, he is not ready to observe all that you do amiss, if you will ask any thing at his hands, if you want it, (as therein kindness doth consist) he is ready to do it, whatsoever it is, he is a God hearing prayer,