A09950:838
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
Part › Sermon 4: THE FOURTH SERMON.Part › Sermon 4: THE FOVRTH SERMON.
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 what are the properties of fire? wherein doth love and that agree?
Fire, you know, is the most active of all the §1elements; cold benumbs a man, and is the greatest enemy to action: if thou love the Lord Jesus, thou shalt find thy love will have that property of fire to set all on work on thee; it will set thy tongue on fire, and thy hands on fire, and thy head and heart on fire, every thing that is within thee will be working, and doing some service or other to the Lord. When a man wanteth love, he is as a man benumbed, as a man frozen in his dregs, not apt to any thing: the more a thing is like to fire, the more aptness, and the more activeness; so the more love, the more aptness and readiness to every good work: where there is no love, there men are reprobate to every good work.
Fire, you know, is the most active of all the §1elements; colde benummes a man, and is the greatest enemie to action: if thou love the Lord Iesus, thou shalt finde thy love will have that property of fire to set all on worke on thee; it will set thy tongue on fire, and thy hands on fire, and thy head and heart on fire, every thing that is within thee will be working, and doing some service or other to the Lord. When a man wanteth love, hee is as a man benummed, as a man frozen in his dreggs, not apt to any thing: the more a thing is like to fire, the more aptnesse, and the more activenesse; so the more love, the more aptnesse and readinesse to every good worke: where there is no love, there men are reprobate to every good worke.
Besides, love as it is very active, so it is very §2quick, as fire is of a quick nature. Therefore we say that love hates nothing so much as delays, and it is in this like to fire, which is the quickest of all the elements. Consider of this therefore; Art thou speedy in thy executions? if thou love the Lord, thou wilt not defer and put off from day to day any thing that is to be done, thou wilt not say with thy self, I will change my course of life, but not yet: no, if thou love the Lord, thou wilt do it presently.