A09950:925
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.
You shall discern it by these two things:1 If you be affected as he is, you will do whatsoever he will; as those words are added concerning ⟨p. 120⟩David, I have found a man after mine own heart, for he will do whatsoever I will. You may examine your selves by that; do you do whatsoever he will? are your affections aright, that you love what he loves, and hate what he hates? For your actions are the immediate fruits and effects of your affections, and as every man is affected so he doth.
You shall discerne it by these two things:1 If you be affected as he is, you will doe whatsoever he will; as those words are added concerning ⟨p. 120⟩David, I have found a man after mine owne heart, for he will doe whatsoever I will. You may examine your selves by that; doe you doe whatsoever he will? are your affections aright, that you love what he loves, and hate what he hates? For your actions are the immediate fruites and effects of your affections, and as every man is affected so he doth.
- 1Answ.
And besides, as that is one way to discern it, so this is another which you shall likewise find in David, that he loved those that feared the Lord; and those that love vain inventions, do I not hate them, saith he? &c. And that you may discern this, consider whether you love all those that fear the Lord, and hate all those that are enemies to the Lord. For while there is nothing but nature in a man, so long those that are of good natures, that are fair in their carriages, and kind and loving to us, those we love, and those that are contrary we hate and dislike; but when you love the Lord, and are after his heart, and have another nature in you, it raiseth you above this nature of your own, and then you will love those that are like the Lord, whosoever they are, though perhaps they are not so sociable, not of so fair a natural disposition: but if you have a new nature, and are become new creatures, now you have common friends, and common enemies.