A09950:847
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.
In the next place consider your fear: For if you love the Lord, it will cause you to fear and tremble at his word, and at his judgements, for whom a man loves much, he regards much, and when a man regards another much, he is much affected with what he doth; Now when the Lord shall show some tokens of his wrath, those that love him, and esteem of him, those that prize him, cannot but be affected. Shall the Lyon roar, and shall not the beasts of the field tremble? Consider, how you are affected therefore,1 when the Lord shall discover any expression of his wrath, and what doth he else in this stroke, which is now upon this place; is there not wrath gone out from the Lord? You know the plague is ⟨p. 91⟩more particularly Gods hand, then any other affliction: Therefore David saith when he chose the plague, that he would choose to fall into the hands of God, intimating that, in that business, God was in a more peculiar manner the doer of it. As the thunder is said to be the voice of the Lord, so the plague may properly be said to be the stroke of the Lord, more peculiarly than any other affliction. Consider therefore what your affections are in this case: for my beloved, let it not be in vain to you, that the Lord stretcheth forth his hand as he doth now at this time among us. It is but yet in the beginning, and what is the Lords meaning in it? Is it not as a messenger sent upon an errand? If it had its answer, if that were done, for which the Lord had sent it, would he not remove it again? Would he not bid the destroying Angel to put up his sword into his sheath? Doubtless he would, if you would do that at the beginning of this sickness that must be done before the Lord will remove it from you.
In the next place consider your feare: For if you love the Lord, it will cause you to feare and tremble at his word, and at his judgements, for whom a man loves much, he regards much, and when a man regards another much, he is much affected with what he doth; Now when the Lord shall shew some tokens of his wrath, those that love him, and esteeme of him, those that prize him, cannot but be affected. Shall the Lyon roare, and shall not the beasts of the field tremble? Consider, how you are affected therefore,1 when the Lord shall discover any expression of his wrath, and what doth hee else in this stroake, which is now vpon this place; is there not wrath gone out from the Lord? You know the plague is