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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09950	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.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635, ed.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670, ed.	1630 (1630)	STC 20208; ESTC S105956	328,230	606

of GOD when a businesse is to be done with the will and affections GOD must perswade it as in Noah's speech God perswade Iapheth to dwell in the Tents of Sem As if he should say I may perswade in vaine except GOD put to his hand to the worke So it is the property of the Spirit to conuince as Ioh. 16. The Spirit shall conuince the World of sinne and righteousnesse That is he shall shew men their sinnes and their neede and withall conuince them and perswade them to take Christs righteousnes Thus I say it is GOD that draweth the will it is he that puts a strong instinct into the heart of man it is he that must worke on the heart as in Ioh. 6.44 None can come to me except the Father draw him How shall that be done If GOD doth once draw a man hee will haue no rest till he haue Christ hee will not bee at quiet till he haue gotten him compare that place None come to me except the Father draw him with that Cant. 2.3 Draw vs and we will runne after thee it is not such drawing as when a man is drawne by force but it is a drawing which is done by changing the will and affections when GOD alters the bent of the mind when GOD iustifies a man hee will affect a mans heart so that hee shall bee so affected with Christ as that he shall haue no rest till he haue him when he doth see his neede of him he shall not giue ouer till he be assured that he is reconciled to him Draw vs and we will runne after thee It is such a drawing as is called the teaching of GOD Ioh. 6.45 Ye shall be taught of God that is when GOD comes to teach a thing he boweth the will and affections to doe it Wee heeretofore exemplified this by the similitude of the Ant and the Bee and other creatures they are said to be taught of GOD when GOD puts a strong instinct into them to doe such and such a thing he teacheth them to doe this and this So GOD teacheth men to come to Christ that is he puts a strong inclination into their hearts and when that is there once they can haue no rest as the Iron cannot rest till it come to the Loadstone and as the stone cannot rest till it come to the center so the heart of man when GOD draweth it when hee hath changed the will then hee findes such a disposition in him as was in the Spouse Cant. 2. She fought him whom her soule loued she sought him by night and by day she sought him in the street and among the Watchmen and neuer rested vntill shee had found him So when GOD hath drawne a mans heart when hee hath inclined a mans will to embrace Christ hee is neuer satisfied vntill he haue found him But you will say GOD doth this by meanes he vseth Arguments to draw the will It is true The Question therefore is How GOD doth this we will propound 3. meanes by which GOD doth vsually doe it First the will is drawne by being perswaded what the miserable condition of a man is that is not yet come to CHRIST that hath not yet taken him that hath not gotten the pardon and forgiuenesse of his sinnes that hath not got assurance that Christ hath receiued him to mercy The second thing is the good that he shall get by it The third thing is that he shall not lose his labour if he doe attempt it The first thing I say that drawes vs to CHRIST is to consider how miserable wee are without him if men were perswaded of this they would more seeke him It is true if a man could liue alone he would not come to him take Rebels Pyrates if they were able to maintaine themselues abroad if they could be as happy in rebellion as in receiuing mercie they would neuer come in So it is in this case If we be brought to this exigent that we see wee cannot hold out any longer we are not stronger then he as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10. Are we stronger then he when a man is perswaded of that when a man seeth this necessity is laid vpon him or else he perisheth then he will come in So take a seruant or a sonne if he be able to liue from his Father or Masters house perhaps he will run at ryot still but when he seeth he cannot haue so much as huskes hee can haue nothing to sustaine him that is it that will bring him home So take a Wife a Spouse if one come to wooe her if she be able to liue without him it may be she will refuse him but if the case be so that she cannot subsist but the Creditors will come vpon her she must needs haue a Husband to protect her to be a barre and a couering vnto her now she seeth a necessity of it Therefore we say the Law driues men vnto CHRIST and the Law doth it by shewing a man his sinne and the curse due to it by shewing a man his vilenesse and if this will not doe it then it shewes him the curse when a man sees the misery that the Law brings vpon him and pronounceth against him that he is condemned that perswades him Therefore the Law drawes a man and the sence of his misery shewing him that hee is out of CHRIST this drawes him to consider that GOD is his enemy that all the creatures are his enemies for if GOD bee thine enemy then needes must all the creatures be so because they turne with him to and fro as an Armie turnes at the becke of the Generall Now to haue GOD and the creatures to bee a mans enemy to haue euery thing to worke together for a mans hurt prosperity slaies him and aduersity is not a Plaster or Medicine but a poyson to him euery thing ioynes for his hurt the Word which is the sauour of life to others is the sauour of death to him the Sacraments which are a meanes to conuey grace and assurance to others it is a meanes to conuey Satan to his heart it increaseth his condemnation and his iudgement when the wrath of GOD abides vpon a man t●at is it shall be vpon him for eternity hereafter for he that hath not the Sonne hath not life Ioh. 3. vlt. when a man seriously considers all this when he seeth what case he is in that he cannot liue without CHRIST this will be one thing that boweth and inclineth the will to come in and take CHRIST but this is not all But in the second place a man will know what good he shall haue by such a Husband and indeed if this were all hee could neuer marry out of loue and if he doe not it can be no match Therefore we must finde some good some excellencie in CHRIST and this is the second thing that drawes the will If we take him we shall haue all his wealth

desire they care for their Wiues no longer so in this case when men looke at nothing but simply at heauen disjoyned from Christ or when they looke at some other aduantages when they looke at an earthly Kingdome as many of the Disciples did when they looke for great matters by Christ in this world when they finde it quite otherwise when they lose in the world and all that they haue is in hope it is in things spirituall that are not seene with the eye things that are not sensible then they are ready to slip from Christ againe So it is vsually among vs many take Christ for aduantages as Christ tels them plainely Ioh. 6. saith he you seeke me not for the Miracles which I did but for the loaues That is to say not out of loue to the worke not because you iudge aright of the things of the spirit not because you loue grace but because you loue some aduantage that you haue by religion some profit that it brings you for the present and because you would be freed from Hell for the future such things as carnall men may see and be affected with but this will not hold out The manner of these men is to seeke mercie and not grace If they can be but assured that it shall goe well with them that they shall be freed from the feares they might haue of Hell that they may haue some hope of being in a better condition this is that they looke for but as for grace for repayring the Image of GOD in their hearts to be enabled to obey Christ in all things this is a thing that they desire not this is a thing they long not for therefore the secret inquisition of their heart is What good shall wee get by it They enquire not what excellencie and what beauty there is in CHRIST what manner of one hee is that they may loue him but what good shall wee get by him what aduantage will it bee to vs Contrarie to that in Cant. 5.12 when the Spouse is there asked what the reason was that she followed her Beloued so much and that shee magnified him so much Shee doth not tell them because I shall haue such things by him or hee is thus wealthie or I shall haue this honour by matching with him but marke her answer My beloued is white and ruddy the chiefe among tenne thousand his head is as the most fine Gold his lookes are blacke as a Rauen his eyes are as the eyes of Doues by the riuers of waters washed with milke and fitly set and so she goes along in a holy delectaction This is my beloued oh ye Daughters of Ierusalem I say so it is with those that take CHRIST in good earnest that looke vpon the excellencies of CHRIST as hee is considered in himselfe not that the other is excluded for we may looke at the aduantages and commodities that we haue by him but not vpon that alone but marke in her answer shee describeth what a one he was and therefore she loued him My Beloued is white and ruddy the fairest of tenne thousand such a one is my Beloued therefore Chap. 1. Vers. 2. she describes him to be such a one as hee is and saith she therefore the Virgins loue thee as if shee had said there is a Harlots loue that lookes only what they shall haue by him but none but Virgins that is those that haue chaste and good affections those that haue holy and right affections indeed the Virgins loue thee but the others doe not for they haue adulterous and Harlot-like affections as we may call them when a man lookes not vnto GOD himselfe but to his owne aduantage and profit And this is the third cause that makes faith prooue vneffectuall Fourthly faith proues ineffectuall for want of preparation and humiliation that should goe before it because the heart is not circumcised the heart is not broken yet it is not emptyed of those things that it must be emptyed of before a man can take CHRIST and therefore in Deut. 30.6 saith Moses The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and then you shall loue him with all your soule and with all your strength As if hee should haue said It is impossible you should cleaue to GOD to loue him indeed to take him in good earnest vnfeignedly with all your hearts except first your hearts be circumcised therefore the Lord your God will circumcise your hearts that is hee will humble you hee will breake your hearts that your lusts shall be mortified in you he will take away those strong violent those carnall and sinfull desires that abounded in your hearts before and when that is done then you shall loue the Lord in good earnest not feignedly but with all your hearts Now if a man come to take Christ before he be thus circumcised he takes him in vaine he takes him so as that hee cannot hold him nor continue with him Now this circumcision is done by a certaine worke of preparation or humiliation by which these strong lusts are broken in vs therefore when men come to Christ before the Law hath beene a sufficient Schoolmaster to them before it hath indited them before it haue put them in prison and told them that they must pay euery farthing when a man comes to this hee seeth that hee cannot doe it then he goeth to Christ and beseecheth him to pay his debt before the Lawe haue done this men care not for Christ they take him negligently and therefore they hold him not And for this it was that before Christ came into the World he would make way before him so before he will come into a mans heart the Mountaines must bee brought downe the spirit of Elias must make way that is there must be a sharpe ministry to shew men their sinnes that they may bee throughly humbled and prepared or else they will neuer take Christ so as to keepe close to him A man must be brought to haue a present apprehension of death and of the wrath of GOD and damnation or else he will not lay hold on the Hornes of the Altar as Ioab when he saw that Salomon would slay him indeed and take away his life then hee layes hold on the Hornes of the Altar and would not let goe so when a man sees present death he will keepe close to Christ and till this bee wrought a man may take Christ but his faith will be vneffectuall because indeed till a man be soundly humbled he neuer accounts and reckons sinne to be the greatest euill and till he doe that he neuer accounts CHRIST to bee the greatest good and if a man doe not reckon CHRIST to bee the chiefe good of all other there will be somewhat propounded which will bee esteemed before him and when that comes he lets goe CHRIST But when there is a sound humiliation which makes a man prize CHRIST aboue all other things

spoiling of his goods with joy because he beleeues God that hee hath in heauen a more induring substance There is no Christian no good man but he would be content to gaine as well as thou what is the reason hee takes it not He beleues that by forsaking that he shall haue a more enduring substance in Heauen There is no man would forsake any thing but for the better and that is the reason wee beleeue and thou dost not And so come to matter of safety and danger and there you shall see what difference faith makes between men how it turnes their course when they come to such an exigent See it in Saul you know he was commanded not to offer Sacrifice till Samuel came GOD did put him to the tryall The Philistims were vpon him the day of Battell drew neere hee saw the people shrinke away Saul was put to it now whether he would trust GOD for his safety or no If Saul had had faith now and had thought with himselfe If I keepe the Commandement is not GOD able to helpe me what though the people shrinke away cannot GOD doe as much with a few as with many If he had beleeued hee would haue done otherwise But he did not beleeue and therefore you see which way he turned The like we see in Ioram Ier. 42. This was his case hee was the Captaine of t●ose that were left behinde in Captiuity If hee had stayed in Ierusalem he had had nothing to defend him there was pouerty and want of all things if hee went downe into Egypt that was a safe Countrey as farre as any one could see it lay farre from all danger of War there was plenty of all things and he was a strong King able to defend him There comes Commandement from GOD that he should keepe himselfe still in Ierusalem and should not goe downe into Egypt It is a place worth the reading Ier. 42 43. Ioram in this case beleeued not that God would keepe him safe where he saw no meanes of ●afety Therefore in that turning you see what choice he made which was his vtter vndoing he went downe into Egypt and there the Sword and the Famine followed him that GOD might make him know that it was not any outward condition that could keepe him safe and that he was able to keepe him safe in another place where there seemed to be more danger On the other side take those that trust in God in any such case when they are brought to any such difficulty they are willing to venter to put themselues vpon GOD to goe any whither as Luther went to Wormes they care not for any danger before them But some will say it is true if I had a Prophet sent to me to tell me in such a case that I should be safe I should trust on him Certainely if thou hast not yet if the cause be good if it be a thing that GOD sets thee aworke on if thou goe by a right rule know that in this case thou hast as true a promise of safety that God will deale well with thee as if thou haddest a Prophet sent immediately from God Therfore I say to thee in such a case as Luther said to Melancton which was a good reason when Melancton began to faint Luther being afarre off wrote a Letter vnto him and tels him saith he if the Cause be not GODS why doe not we giue ouer why doe we not shrinke why doe wee doe any thing And If it be Gods Cause why doe we shrinke why go we not thorow He needed no more but to know that it was Gods Cause and after that see how hee exposed himselfe from time to time and as no man was bolder then hee so no man had more comfort It is with vs in this case as it was with Ieremiah Ier. 26. GOD bids him goe and speake his Word to the people all his words and tels him that the people would be ready to put him to death and so they were they said he should die but yet he obeyed God because the Lord sent him and see what was the issue of it GOD turned the matter and saued him This is faith when a man comes in that case to set his faith aworke that it may set him the right way that he is to goe in which way he is to turne And so put the case that GOD brings thee to such a case that thou art in danger of prison in danger of death in danger of the greatest crosse of the greatest persecution and trouble now one man consults with flesh the other consults with the spirit he sets faith awork to worke his worke for him you see what Stephen did in such a case and the reason of it Acts 6. He was a man full of faith and therfore he feared not what they could doe to him See what Paul did in such a case you see what danger he was exposed vnto but he consulted not with flesh and blood but what did he He set faith on worke that it might guide him in all the way that he went in all the turnings of his life And so on the other side for pleasure there are two men that haue pleasures propounded the holiest man hath the same nature that others haue they would take the same delight that others doe as farre as they are naturall What is the reason then they doe not why doe such men turne from all sinfull delights and runne another course It is nothing but faith that enableth them to doe it By faith Moses left Pharoahs Court and the pleasures of sinne for a season and chose aduersity with the people of GOD that is as if hee should say If you would know why Moses did this it was faith that enabled him that is he beleeued that if hee had enioyed those pleasures of sinne he should haue beene a loser by them hee should haue fared the worse for them Againe he beleeued that by his suffering aduersity with the people of God he should gaine it was onely faith that made him doe this If thou haddest faith thou wouldest forsake thy pleasures and liue a more strict life as the Saints doe So that still you must keepe that conclusion that you must set faith aworke in all the conclusions and passages of your life for that is it that guides you in the right way Againe Take two men that haue both children to prouide for they haue posterity to care for the one man he reasons thus with himselfe If I leaue them not as good a stock as I would yet I shall leaue them Gods blessing which is able to make them prosper and though I should leaue them abundance yet all that without Gods blessing will not be able to doe it Therefore such a man will be indifferent for matter of estate he will leaue a conueniency for them if he can but he takes no