A09950:939
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.
Lastly, you shall know whether you love the world, and the things of this world by your actions; for where your love is, there your tongue, and your hand will be, and all your endeavours: Now try your selves by this, Are you occupied so about the world, and the things of it, that all your endeavours and all your actions are taken ⟨p. 125⟩up about them? some about matter of pleasure, in hunting and hawking, in gaming and sporting, your thoughts are there, and your speeches there; others again in seeking wealth, and worldly greatness: Are you taken up about these? I say, the actions of a man are a sure sign, for the Lord judgeth us by our actions; therefore we may judge our selves by them. Consider in what element you live, if you be so busied about worldly things, that you are never well but when you are there, and as for heavenly things, you do them but by the by, and when you are doing them you are weary; this is an argument that you love the world, when a man shall turn the stream of his endeavours all that way, when he shall turn all his projects, all his actions, all his labours into that. As when the body hath a wen or a wolf in it, all the nourishment is drawn to that, and in the mean time the body is lean and poor: so is it when a mans heart is taken up with the world, it eats up and devours all the thoughts, all the intentions of the mind; all his care, and endeavour, and striving runs this way; & the hidden man of the heart, in the mean time, is left starved and pined within: This is a sign that you love the world, this so much intending the things of the world, as Christ speaks, The lusts of your Father will you do, John 8.1 What is the meaning of that? That is, look to your actions, to your doings, to your executions and performances, and you shall find that they are according to the lusts of your father the Devil; ⟨p. 126⟩those actions they did were a sign that they did affect those things that the Devil affected.
Lastly, you shall know whether you love the world, and the things of this world by your actions; for where your love is, there your tongue, and your hand will be, and all your endeavours: Now trie your selves by this, Are you occupied so abour the world, and the things of it, that all your endeavours and all your actions are taken