A Christian is one that believeth things his reason cannot com­prehend, hee hopes for that which neither he nor any man alive ever saw, he laboureth for that hee knoweth he shall never obtain; yet in the issue his beliefe appears not to be false, his hopes make him not ashamed, his labour is not in vain.

He believeth three to be one, and one to [Page 2] be three, a Father not to be elder then his Sonne, a Sonne to be equall with his Fa­ther and one proceeding from both to be equall with both: he believing three per­sons in one nature, and two natures in one person.

Hee believeth a Virgin to be a mother of a Sonne, and that very Sonne of hers to be her maker: He believeth him to be shut up in a narrow roome, whom heaven and earth could not contain: He believeth him to be borne in time, who was and is from everlasting: He believeth him to bee a weake childe carried in armes, who is the Almighty; and him once to have died, who onely hath life and immortality in himselfe.

He believeth the God of Grace to have been angry with one, that never offended him, and that God that hates sin, to be re­conciled to him though sinning continual­ly, and never making, or being able to make him satisfaction: hee believeth a most just God to have punished a most just [Page 3] person, & to have iustified himself, though a most ungodly sinner: hee doth believe himselfe freely pardoned; and yet, suffici­ent satisfaction was made for him.

He believeth himselfe to be precious in Gods sight, and yet loaths himselfe in his own, hee dares not justifie himselfe (even in those things wherein hee can finde no fault with himselfe) and yet believeth God accepts him in those services, wherein he is able to finde many faults.

He praiseth God for his justice and yet fears him for his mercie: he is so ashamed, that he dares not open his mouth before God, and yet he comes with boldnesse to God and askes any thing he needs, he is so humble as to acknowledge himselfe to de­serve nothing but evill; and yet believeth God meaneth him all good: he is one that feareth always, and yet is as bold as a lyon: he is often sorrowfull, yet always rejoyceing; many times complaining, yet always giving of thanks: he is the most lowly minded, yet the greatest aspirer, [Page 4] most contented yet ever craving.

He beareth a lofty spirit in a mean condi­tion, when he is ablest he thinks meanest of himselfe: he is rich in poverty, and poore in the midst of riches: he believeth all the world to be his, yet he dares take nothing without leave from God: he covenants with God for nothing, yet looks for a great reward.

He loseth his life and gains by it, and while he loseth it he saveth it: he liveth not to himself, yet of all others he is most wise for himselfe: he denyeth himselfe often, yet no man loves himselfe so well as hee: he is most reproached, yet most honoured: he hath most afflictions, and most comforts, the more injury his enemies doe him, the more advantages he gains by them: the more he forsakes worldly things, the more he enjoyeth them.

He is the most temperate of all men, yet fairs most deliciously, he lends and gives most freely, yet is the greatest usurer: he is meeke towards all men, and yet is inexora­ble [Page 5] by men, he is the best childe, husband, friend, and yet he hates father and mother, brother and sister, he loves all men as him­self, yet hates men so with a perfect hatred.

He desireth to have more grace then any one hath in the world, yet is truly sorow­full, when he seeth any have lesse then himselfe: hee knoweth no man after the flesh, yet he giveth all men their due re­spect: he knoweth if he please man, he can­not be a servant of Christs, yet for Christs sake he pleaseth all men in all things: he is a peacemaker, yet is continually a fighter.

He believeth him to be worse then an in­fidell that provides not for his family, yet himselfe liveth and dyeth without care: he counts all his superiours, yet stands stifly on no authority: he is severe to his chil­dren because he loveth them, and by being favourable to his enemies, hee avengeth himselfe upon them.

Hee believeth the Angels to bee more excellent creatures then himselfe, and yet counteth them his servants: he believeth [Page 6] he receiveth many good things by their means, and yet neither prayeth for their assistance nor offers them thanks, which he doth not disdain to doe to the meanest Christian.

He believeth himselfe to be a King, how mean soever he be; and how great soever he be, yet he thinketh himselfe not too good to be a servant to the poorest Saint.

He is often in prison yet always at liber­ty, hee is a free man though a servant: he loveth not honour among men, yet highly prizeth a good name.

He believeth that God hath bidden eve­ry man that doth him good to doe so, he yet of any man is the most thankfull, to them that doe ought for him, hee would lay down his life to save the soule of his enemie, yet will not venture on one sin, to save the life of him that saved his; he swea­reth to his own hinderance, and changeth not, he knoweth his oath cannot tye him to sin.

He believeth Christ to have no need of [Page 7] any thing he doth, yet makes account that he doth relieve Christ in all the acts of charity: he knoweth he can doe nothing of himselfe, yet laboureth to worke out his own salvation: he professeth he can doe nothing, yet as truly professeth he can doe all things: he knoweth that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of God, yet believeth he shall go to heaven, both body and soule.

He trembleth at Gods word, and yet counts it sweeter to him then the honey and the honey combe, and dearer then thousands of gold and silver: he believeth that God will never damne him, and yet feareth God for being able to cast him in­to hell: he knoweth he shall not be saved by nor for his good works, yet doth all the good works he can.

He knoweth Gods providence in all things, yet is he diligent in his calling and businesse, as if he were to cut out the threed of his hap, he believeth before hand that God purposed what he shall be, and that [Page 8] nothing can alter his purpose, and yet prayeth and endeavoureth, as if he would force God to save him for ever.

He prayeth and laboureth for that which he is confident God meaneth to give, and the more assured he is the more earnest he prayeth for that which he knoweth he ne­ver shall obtain, and yet gives not over, he prayeth and laboureth for that, which he knoweth hee shall not be lesse happy without: he prayeth with all his heart not to be lead into temptation, yet rejoyceth when he is fallen into it, he believeth his prayers are heard, even when they are de­nied, and giveth thanks for that, which he prayeth against.

He hath within both flesh and spirit, and yet he is not a double-minded man, hee is often led captive by the law of sin, yet it never gets dominion over him, hee cannot sin, yet can doe nothing without sin, hee doth nothing against his will, yet main­tains: he doth what he would not, he wa­vereth, and doubteth, yet obtaineth.

He is often tossed and shaken, yet is as mount Zion, hee is a Serpent, and a Dove; a Lambe, and a Lion, a Reed, and a Cedar: he is sometimes so troubled that hee think­eth nothing to be true in Religion, yet if he did think so, he could not at all be trou­bled: hee thinks sometimes that God hath no mercie for him, yet resolveth to die in the pursuite of it. Hee believeth like Abra­ham against hope, and though hee cannot answer Gods Logick, yet with the woman of Canaan, hee hopes to prevaile with the Rhetorick of importunitie.

He wrestleth & yet prevaileth, & though yielding himselfe unworthy of the least blessing he enjoyeth, yet Jacob like he will not let him go without a new blessing.

He sometimes thinketh himself to have no grace at all, and yet how poore and af­flicted soever he be besides: hee would not change conditions, with the most pro­sperous man under heaven, that is a mani­fest worldling.

He thinketh sometimes the Ordinances [Page 10] of God do him no good, yet he would ra­ther part with his life, then be deprived of them, hee was borne dead: yet so as it had been murther for any to have taken his life away. After he began to live he was a dy­ing, and though he hath an eternall life be­gun in him, yet he maketh account he hath a death to passe thorough.

He counts self-murther a hainons sinne, yet is ever busied in crucifying the flesh: and in putting to death his earthly mem­bers.

Hee believeth his soule and bodie to be as full of glorie, as them that have more, and no more full then theirs that have less.

Hee liveth invisible to those that see him, and those that know him best, doe but guesse at him, yet those many times, judge more truly of him then hee doth of himself, the world will sometimes count him a Saint, when God accounted him an Hypocrite, and afterwards when the world branded him for an Hypocrite, then God owned him for a Saint.

His death maketh not an end of him, his soule which was put into his bodie; is not to be perfected without his bodie, yet his soule is more happy when it is separa­ted from his bodie: then when his bodie was joyned to it, and his bodie though torn in pieces, burnt in ashes, ground to powder, turned to rottennesse shall be no loser.

His Advocate, his Suretie shall be his Judge, his mortall shall become immortall, and what was sowne in corruption, and de­filement, shall be raised in incorruption and glorie, and a finite creature, shall possesse an infinite happinesse, glorie be to God.