A09950:921
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.
So I may say, whatsoever the sin be that you have committed, this hardness of heart, this negligence after the sin is committed, when you are not disquieted for it, when your hearts are not troubled for it, it is a greater sign of want of love to the Lord, it is a greater sign of an evil and untoward disposition, than the sin it self. Therefore this want of sorrow for sin, is a sure argument that you love not the Lord. You may take that for one ⟨p. 118⟩sign of want of love, that we commit sins against God from day to day. For, do but go to your neighbours, and profess your love to them, and yet you injure them again and again, you care not what wrong you do them; will they think that such a profession as you make is true? and will the Lord regard, when you say that you love him, if you provoke him to anger, and renew your sins, and relapse into them again and again, and when you have sinned, take it not to heart? No, my brethren, if you do love him,1 you will do as it is said, Zach. 12. when you have sinned, you will mourn as he that mourneth for his only son, your hearts will melt, as Josiahs did; your hearts will smite you, as Davids did him: thus it is with all that love him in deed and in truth.2 Therefore in Levit. 16.29, and likewise Levit. 23.27. (they are both one and the same) the Lord appoints a feast and a meeting together for cleansing of sins, it was the feast of atonement; saith he, In that day when you come together to offer sacrifice unto me, and to make an atonement, you shall humble your souls, and whosoever doth not afflict his soul on that day, he shall be cut off from his people. As if he should say, At that day you come to reconcile your selves to the Lord, you make profession of your love to him, and of the desire you have to be friends with him: Now, if you come and make this profession, and do not humble your selves, nor afflict your souls on that day for those breaches that have been between God and you, all ⟨p. 119⟩