A09950:892
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.
First,1 strangeness is a great impediment to love. It is an observation that the Philosophers hath, that strangeness when we do not salute, and converse one with another, is a means of dissolving friendship; so in this case, when there grows a strangeness between God and us, it unties and loosens that love and communion that should be between us. Therefore, if you would preserve your love to the Lord, suffer not your hearts to sit loose from him, suffer not a strangeness to grow between God and you. For strangeness breeds fearfulness, and fearfulness looseneth love, as boldness is the parent and nurse of love, and that which increaseth it.
First,1 strangenesse is agreat impediment to love. It is an observation that the Philosophers hath, that strangenes when we doe not salute, and converse one with another, is a meanes of dissolving friendship; so in this case, when there growes a strangenesse betweene God and vs, it unties and loosens that love and communion that should be betweene us. Therefore, if you would preserve your love to the Lord, suffer not your hearts to sit loose from him, suffer not a strangenes to grow betweene God and you. For strangenesse breeds fearfulnesse, and fearefulnesse looseneth love, as boldnesse is the parent and nurse of love, and that which increaseth it.
- 1Strangeness.Strangenes.
Besides, when there grows a strangeness between God and us, we begin not to know the Lord, there grows an ignorance, and so there is an intermission of those reciprocal offices of love between us; that even as it is among the Saints, the forsaking of their fellowship looseneth their love, and so stoppeth the intercourse of good duties that should be among them: so it is with the Lord. And therefore if you would maintain love with the Lord, draw near to him, and he will draw near to you.