The Breastplate of Faith and Love, Title page – To the reader
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.
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of Faith and Love,
1 Thes 5.8.
What will it profit, my Brethren, if a man say he have faith, and hath not workes? Can faith save him?
Iames 2.14.
LONDON, Printed by W. I. for Nicolas Bourne, and are to be solde at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange. 1630
ILLVSTRISSIMO, NOBILISSIMOQVE VIRO, ROBERTO COMITI WARVVICENCI, IOHANNIS PRESTONI S. T. D. ET COLLEGII IMMANVELIS Q. MAGISTRI (CVIVS TVTELAE, DVM IN VIVIS ESSET, PRIMOGENITVM SVVM, IN DISCIPLINAM, ET LITERIS EXPOLIENDVM, TRADIDIT) POSTHVMORVM TRACTATVVM PARTEM, DE NATVRA FIDEI, EIVSQVE EFFICACIA, DEQVE AMORE, ET OPERIBVS BONIS, DEVOTISSIMI, TAM AVTHORIS, DVM VIVERET, QVAM IPSORVM QVI SVPERSVNT, OBSEQVII TESTIMONIVM M. D. D. D.
RICHARDVS SIBS.
IOHANNES DAVENPORT.
To the Christian Reader.
Christian Reader,
INnumerable are the sleights of Satan, to hinder a Christian in his course towards Heaven, by exciting the corruption of his own heart to disturbe him, when he is about to doe any good; or by discouraging him with inward terrours, when he would solace himselfe with heavenly comforts; or by disheartening him under the feares of sufferings, when hee should be resolute in a good cause. A type whereof were the Israelites, whose servitude was redoubled, when they turned themselves to forsake Aegypt: Wherefore we have much neede of Christian fortitude, according to that direction; Watch ye, stand fast, quit your selves like men: 1 Cor. 16.13.especially since Satan, like a Serpentine Crocodile pursued, is by resistance put to flight.
But, as in warres, (which the Philistines knew well in putting their hope in Goliah) the chiefe strength of the Souldiers lyeth in their Captaine, so in spirituall conflicts, all a Christians strength is in Christ, and from him. For, before our conversion, we were of no strength: since our conversion, we are not sufficient of our selves to think a good thought. And, to worke out from the Saints all selfe-confidence, God, by their falls teacheth them, To rejoyce in the Lord Iesus, and to have no confidence in the flesh.
Whatsoever Christ hath for us is made ours by Faith, which is the hand of the soule enriching it by receiving Christ, who is the treasure hid in the field, and with him, those unsearchable riches of grace, which are revealed and offered in the Gospell: Yea it is part of our spirituall armour. That which was fabulously spoken of the race of Gyants, is truly said of a Christian, hee is borne with his armour upon him;1 Thes. 5, 8. foreign Eph. 6.16. foreign of foreign. as soone as hee is regenerate hee is armed. Its called a Breast-plate, because it preserves the heart, a long, large shield, (as the word signifieth) which is usefull to defend the whole man from all sorts of assaults: Which part of spirituall armor, and how it is to be managed, is declared in the former part of the ensuing Treatise, in ten Sermons.
Now, as all rivers returne into the sea, whence they came, so the beleeving soule, having received all from Christ, returneth all to Christ. For thus the beleever reasoneth. Was Gods undeserved, unexpected love such to me, that he spared not his onelyonly begotten Sonne, but gave him to die for mee? Its but aequall that I should live to him, die for him, bring in my strength, time, gifts, liberty, all that I have, all that I am, in his service, to his glory. That affection, whence these resolutions arise, is called Love, which so inclineth the soule, that it moveth in a direct line towards that obiect, wherein it expecteth contentment. The soule is miserably deluded in pursuing the winde, and in taking ayme at a flying fowle, whilest it seekes happinesse in any creature: which appeares in the restlesnesse of those irregular agitations, and endlesse motions of the mindes of ambitious, voluptuous and covetous persons, whose frame of spirit is like the lower part of the elementary region, the seate of windes, tempests and earthquakes, full of unquietnesse; whilest the beleevers soule, like that part towards heaven, which is alwayes peaceable and still, enioyeth true rest and ioy. And indeed the perfection of our spirits cannot be but in union with the chiefe of spirits, which communicateth his goodnesse to the creature according to its capacity. This affection of Love, as it reflecteth upon Christ, being a fruit and effect of his love to us apprehended by faith, is the subiect of the second part of the following Treatise in 7. Sermons.
The iudicious Authour out of a piercing insight into the methods of the Tempter, knowing upon what rockes the faith of many suffers shipwracke; that neither the weak Christian might lose the comfort of his faith, through want of evidences, nor the presumptuous rest upon a fancy in stead of faith, nor the adversaries be emboldened to cast upon us, by reason of this doctrine of Iustification by faith onelyonly, their wonted nicknames of Soli-fidians, and Nulli-fidians; throughout the whole Treatise, and more especially in the last Sermon, he discourseth of good Workes, as they arise from faith and love. This is the summe of the faithfull and fruitfull labours of this Reverend, learned and godly Minister of the Gospell, who whilest he lived was an example of the life of faith and love, and of good workes, to so many as were acquainted with his aequall and even walking in the wayes of God, in the severall turnings and occasions of his life. But it will be too much iniury to the godly Reader to be detained longer in the porch. Wee now dismisse thee to the reading of this profitable worke, beseeching God to increase faith, and to perfect love in thy heart, that thou maist be fruitfull in good workes.
Thine in our Lord Iesus Christ, RICHARD SIBS. IOHN DAVENPORT.