A09950:918
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.
My brethren,1 you are deceived in this, thy meaning is not good; for while you cast the commandments of God behind you, you cast him away: and let me say to you in this case, as you have it in Jer. 3.4. You profess well in saying,2 Thou art my Father, and the guide of my youth, but you do evil more and more. So I say, when you profess you love the Lord, and that you reckon him your Father, and your Husband, thus you say indeed, but you do evil more and more; and that is a certain argument you love not the Lord. Therefore examine your selves by this rule: For, if you love the Lord, you will reverence him: You know, whom we love, we reverence, and whom we reverence, we dare not do any thing unmeet in their sight. Take any one whom we love, whose good opinion we seek for, we had rather that all the world should see us do an unseemly thing, than that he should; and certainly if you love the Lord, you would not dare to provoke him to anger. Therefore ⟨p. 116⟩this carelessness in serving of him is a certain sign of want of love to the Lord Jesus, this fearfulness, and carelessness, when you dare not show your courage for him, when you account it a small matter to commit a sin against God, this ariseth from the defect of your love.