A09950:812
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.
but now take a man that hath his heart right towards God, except he have grace, it contents him not; for that is the property and nature of true love, that it careth for no wages, all that it desires is the love of the party, that what it doth may be acknowledged and accepted; and there is a great difference in that: You know, a nurse doth much unto the child, as well as the mother, and it may be more, but notwithstanding the nurse never doth it but when she is hired; but the mother doth it for nothing, and she doth it more abundantly, because she doth it out of love, and it is wages enough to her that she hath done it, because she ⟨p. 69⟩loves her child: So I say, if you love the Lord Jesus, it is not wages that you seek, but if you may have the light of his countenance to shine on you, if you may have his favour, if you may have opportunity to do him service in your place, it is enough for you, you care not for the present wages, nor for future. Therefore herein you may know the nature of your love, the rightness and ingenuity of it, if it be so that all that you do is out of love to the Lord, and if you can content your selves with love again from God, it is a sign that you love the Lord Jesus.
but now take a man that hath his heart right towards God, except he have grace, it contents him not; for that is the property and nature of true love, that it careth for no wages, all that it desires is the love of the party, that what it doth may be acknowledged and accepted; and there is a great difference in that: You know, a nurse doth much unto the childe, as well as the mother, and it may be more, but notwithstanding the nurse never doth it but when she is hired; but the mother doth it for nothing, and she doth it more abundantly, because she doth it out of love, and it is wages enough to her that she hath done it, because shee ⟨p. 69⟩loves her childe: So I say, if you love the Lord Iesus, it is not wages that you seeke, but if you may have the light of his countenance to shine on you, if you may have his favour, if you may have opportunitie to doe him service in your place, it is enough for you, you care not for the present wages, nor for future. Therefore herein you may know the nature of your love, the rightnesse and ingenuity of it, if it be so that all that you doe is out of love to the Lord, and if you can content your selves with love againe from God, it is a signe that you love the Lord Iesus.