A09950:777
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.
And again, prayer it exerciseth this love, it blows up the spark of this love, and makes a flame of it; therefore much prayer begets much love: If you would be abundant in love, be fervent and frequent in this duty of prayer, pray much and you shall find this effect of it, it will beget love in you: You will say prayer is a general means for other things:1 Why do you put it as a peculiar means to get love?
And againe, prayer it exerciseth this love, it blowes up the sparke of this love, and makes a flame of it; therefore much prayer begets much love: If you would be abundant in love, be fervent and frequent in this dutie of prayer, pray much and you shall finde this effect of it, it will beget love in you: You will say prayer is a generall meanes for other things:1 Why doe you put it as a peculiar meanes to get love?
- 1Object.
1The reason is, because love in an especial manner is a gift of the Spirit, a fruit of the holy Ghost; and it is true, it must be a peculiar work of the Spirit to beget love. It is true, faith comes by hearing, and hearing begets faith, it is done likewise by the Spirit; but love is more peculiarly than other graces, the gift of the holy Ghost. And therefore 2 Thess. 4.2 saith the Apostle, You are taught of God to love one another: That is, it is such a thing as God teacheth, or else our ⟨p. 51⟩teaching will never do it: that which he saith of love to the brethren, we may say of the love of God; the Lord hath put love into man, man loves many times, and knows not why, many times he hath reason that he should love, and yet he cannot, because it is a peculiar gift of God. That natural affection for a man to love his children, all the world cannot do it, all the arguments in the world cannot persuade a man: for if arguments could do it, we might persuade others to do so; but none can love so as the father doth his child: and why? but because the Lord works that in men. So the love of God is a peculiar work of the holy Ghost, none are able to love Jesus, but he in whom the Lord hath wrought it, in whom the holy Ghost hath planted this affection: Therefore the way to get it is earnestly to pray, to acknowledge the power of the holy Ghost, to go to him, and say, Lord I am not able to do it: this acknowledgement of the power of the holy Ghost is the way to prevail. Besides, you know the power of God is so transcendent beyond the pitch of our nature, that except the holy Ghost work more than nature, we shall never be brought together in agreeableness and suitableness, we are no more able to love the Lord, than cold water is able to heat it self: there must be somewhat to breed heat in that water, so the holy Ghost must breed that fire of love in us, it must be kindled from heaven, or else we shall never have it.