Memorials of Godliness and Christianity, Treatise 2 – Treatise 3
The Character of a Chriſtian in Paradoxes and ſeeming Contradictions.
1. A Chriſtian is one who believes things which his reaſon connot comprehend.
2. Who hopes for that which neither he, nor any man alive ever ſaw.
3. Who labours for that he knows he can never attain.
4. Yet in the iſſue, his
Belief appears not to have been falſe.
Hope makes him not aſhamed.
Labour is not in vain.
5. He believes Three to be One, and One to be Three; A Father not to be elder than his Son, and the Son to be equal with his Father, and one proceeding from both to be fully equal to both.
6. He believes in one Nature three Perſons, and in one Perſon two Natures.
7. He believes a Virgin to have been a Mother, and her Son to be her Maker.
8. He believes him to be born in time, who was from everlaſting, and him to be ſhut up in a narrow room, whom Heaven and Earth could never contain.
9. He believes him to have been a weak child carried in arms, who is the Almighty, and him to have died, who only hath life and immortality in himſelf.
10. He believes the God af all Grace, to have been angry with one who never offended him: and the God that hates all ſinne, to be reconciled to himſelf, though ſinning con-continually, and never making, or being able to make him ſatisfaction.
11. He believes the moſt juſt God to have puniſhed a moſt innocent perſon, and to have juſtified himſelf, though a moſt ungodly ſinner.
12. He believes himſelf freely pardoned, and yet that a ſufficient Satisfaction is paid for him.
13. He believes himſelf to be precious in Gods ſight, yet he loaths himſelf in his own ſight.
14. He dares not juſtifie himſelf, even in thoſe things wherein he knows no fault in himſelf; yet he believes God accepts even thoſe ſervices, wherein himſelf is able to find many faults.
15. He praiſeth God for his Juſtice, and fears him for his mercies.
16. He is ſo aſhamed, as he dares not open his mouth before God; yet comes with boldneſs to God, and asks any thing he needs.
17. He is ſo humble as to acknowledge himſelf to deſerve nothing but evil; yet ſo confident, as to believe God means him all good.
18. He is one that fears always, and yet is bold as a Lion.
19. He is often ſorrowful, yet alwayes rejoycing: often complaining, yet alwayes giving of thanks.
20. He is moſt lowly minded, yet the greateſt aſpirer; moſt contented, yet ever craving.
21. He bears a lofty ſpirit in a mean condition; and when he is aloft, thinks meanly of himſelf.
22. He is rich in poverty, and poor in the midſt of riches.
23. He believes all the world to be his, yet dares take nothing without ſpecial leave.
24. He covenants with God for nothing, yet looks for the greateſt reward.
25. He loſes his life and gains by it, and even whiles he loſes it, he ſaves it.
26. He lives not to himſelf, yet of all others is moſt wiſe for himſelf.
27. He denies himſelf often, yet no man that moſt pleaſes himſelf, loves himſelf ſo well.
28. He is the moſt reproached, and moſt honoured.
29. He hath the moſt afflictions and the moſt comforts.
30. The more injury his enemies do to him, the more advantage he gets by them.
31. The more he himſelf forſakes of worldly things, the more he enjoys of them.
32. He is moſt temperate of all men, yet fares moſt deliciouſly.
33. He lends and gives moſt freely, yet is the greater Uſurer.
34. He is meek towards all men, yet inexorable by men.
35. He is the beſt child, brother, husband, friend, yet hates father, and mother, and wife, and brethren, &c.
36. He loves all men as himſelf, yet hates ſome men with perfect hatred.
37. He deſires to have more grace than any hath in the world, yet he is truly ſorry when he ſees any man have leſs than himſelf.
38. He knows no man after the fleſh, yet gives to all men their due reſpects.
39. He knows, if he pleaſe men, he is not the ſervant of Chriſt, yet for Chriſts ſake he pleaſes all men in all things.
40. He is a peace-maker, yet continually fighting, & an irreconcilable enemy.
41. He believes him to be worſe than an Infidel that provides not for his family, yet he himſelf lives and dies without care.
42. He is ſevere to his children, becauſe he loves them; and being favourable to his enemies, revenges himſelf upon them.
43. He accounts all his inferiors his fellows, yet ſtands ſtrictly upon his authority.
44. He believes the Angels to be more excellent creatures than himſelf, and yet counts them his ſervants.
45. He believes he receives many good turns by their means, yet he never prays their aſſiſtance, nor craves their prayers, nor offers them thanks, which yet he doth not diſdain to do to the meaneſt Chriſtian.
46. He believes himſelf a King, how mean ſoever he be, and how great ſoever he be, that he is not too good▪ to be ſervant to the pooreſt Saint.
47. He is often in priſon, yet alwayes at liberty, and a free-man though a ſervant.
48. He receives not honour from men, yet highly prizes a good name.
49. He believes God hath bidden evey man that doth him any good to do ſo; yet he of any man is the moſt thankfull to them that do ought for him.
50. He would lay down his life to ſave the ſoul of his enemy; yet will not venture upon one ſinne to ſave his life that hath ſaved his.
51. He ſwears to his own hinderance and changes not; yet knows, that his mouth cannot tie him to ſinne.
52. He believes Chriſt to have no need of any thing he doth, yet makes account he relieves Chriſt in all his deeds of charity.
53. He knows he can do nothing of himſelf, yet labours to work out his own ſalvation.
54. He confeſſes he can do nothing; yet as truly profeſſes he can do all things.
55. He knows that fleſh and bloud ſhall not inherit the kingdom of God: yet believes he ſhall go to heaven body and ſoul.
56. He trembles at Gods Word, yet counts it ſweeter to him than the honey and the honey comb, and dearer than thouſands of gold and ſilver.
57. He believes that God will never damn him; and yet he fears him for being able to caſt him into hell.
58. He knows he ſhall not be ſaved by his works, and yet doth all the good works he can, and believes he ſhall not be ſaved without them.
59. He knows Gods providence orders all things; yet is he ſo diligent in his buſineſs, as if he were to cut out his own fortune.
60. He believes beforehand God hath purpoſed what ſhall be, and that nothing can make him alter his purpoſe: yet prays and endeavours as if he would force God to ſatisfie him however.
61. He prays and labours for what he believes God means to give him, and the more aſſured he is, the more earneſt.
62. He prays for that he knoweth he ſhall not obtain, and yet gives not over.
63. He prays and labours for that, which he knows he may be no leſs happy without.
64. He prays with all his heart not to be led into temptation, yet rejoyces when he is fallen into it.
65. He believes his prayers to be heard, even when they are denied, and gives thanks for that which he prayed againſt.
66. He hath within him the fleſh and the ſpirit; yet is not a double-minded man.
67. He is often led away captive by the law of ſin, yet it never gets the dominion over him.
68. He cannot ſinne, yet he can do nothing without ſin.
69. He can do nothing againſt his will; yet he doth what he would not.
70. He wavers and doubts, and yet obtains; he is often toſſed and ſhaken, and yet like Mount Zion.
71. He is a Serpent and a Dove, a Lamb and a Lion, a Reed and a Cedar.
72. He is ſometimes ſo troubled, that he thinks nothing is true in Religion; and yet if he did think ſo, he could not be at all troubled.
73. He thinks ſometimes God hath no mercy for him, and yet reſolves to die in the purſuit of it.
74. He believes like Abraham, in hope and againſt hope, & though he can never anſwer Gods Logick, yet with the woman of Canaan, he hopes to prevail with the rhetorick of importunity.
75. He wreſtles with God and prevailes; and though yielding himſelf unworthy the leaſt bleſſing he enjoyes already: yet Jacob-like, will not let God go without a new bleſſing.
76. He ſometimes thinks himſelf to have no grace at all; and yet how poor and afflicted ſoever he be beſides, he would not change conditions with the moſt proſperous upon earth that is a manifeſt worldling.
77. He thinks ſometimes the Ordinances of God do him no good at all, and yet he would rather part with his life than be deprived of them.
78. He was born dead, and yet ſo, as it had been murther to have taken his life away.
79. When life was firſt put into him, is commonly unknown; and with ſome, not untill they had learned to ſpeak, and were even grown up to the ſtature of a man; and with others, not till they were ready to drop into their graves for age.
80. After he begins to live is ever dying; and though he have an eternal life begun in him, yet he makes account he hath a death to paſs through.
81. He counts ſelf-murder a moſt hainous ſin, yet he is continually buſied in crucifying his fleſh, and putting to death his earthly members.
82. He believes that his ſoul and body ſhall be as full of glory as theirs that have more, and not more full than theirs that have leſs.
83. He lives inviſibly to thoſe that ſee him, and thoſe that know him beſt, do but gueſſe at him; yet they ſomitimes ſee further into him, and judge more truly of him than himſelf doth.
84. The world did ſometimes count him a Saint, when God counted him an hypocrite; and after, when the world branded him for an hypocrite, God owned him for a Saint.
85. In fine, his death makes not an end of him: his ſoul, which was created for his body, and is not to be perfected without his body, is more happy when it is ſeparated from it, then it was all the while it was united to it: and his body, though torn in pieces, burnt to aſhes, ground to pouder, turned into rottenneſs, ſhall be no loſer: His Advocate, his Surety, ſhall be his Judge; his mortal part ſhall become immortal; and what was ſown in corruption, ſhall be raiſed in incorruption and glory; and his ſpiritual part, though it had a beginning, ſhall have no end; and himſelf a finite creature, ſhall be poſſeſſed of an infinite happineſs. Amen.
A Character of viſible Godlineſs.
A Godly man is one, who being not ignorant of the wayes and Doctrine of God, lives not only without ſcandal, but approves and practiſes the general Duties of Chriſtianity, and thoſe that are ſpecial to his condition.
More particularly:
A godly man is one that loves the word in the power of it, and at leaſt deſpiſes it not in the plainneſs of it; that comes to the World not to cenſure and cavil, but to be taught and ruled; that profeſſes not to allow himſelf in any known ſin, but reſolves and practiſes ſelf-denyal, ſo far as it is made plain to him, that Chriſt denies his deſires. He is one that loves thoſe that ſeem religious and conſcionable, untill they prove ſcandalous and be manifeſtly diſcovered for Hypocrites, and then eſteems never the worſe of the Profeſſion it ſelf, and of thoſe others whom he knows no harm by. He is unwilling to believe all of ſuch, and though he ſee them faulty, doth not ſtreight condemn them to be altogether void of ſincerity. Mean time he is ſo far from rejoycing at their miſcarriages, that even particular ſcandals are amongſt his greateſt griefs. But eſpecially he is afraid to give any ill example himſelf, as knowing himſelf made and redeemed to no other end, than that he ſhould live to Gods glory: Therefore alſo he profeſſes and reſolves to do what good he can in his place; and particularly to have his family know. and fear God, and believe in Chriſt. He is one that accounts ſin worſe than ſhame, or loſs, or any other miſery; and reſolves to ſuffer rather than offend. He eſteems Godlineſs the greateſt gain, and contentment a neceſſary piece of godlineſs, and that honour, pleaſure, wealth, to be ſufficient to contentment, which caſts upon him, while he firſt ſeeks his Kingdom and Righteouſneſs.
And laſtly, who hath ſo much wiſdome, as to take more thought how to redeem time, than to paſs it away, having ſomewhat ſetledly to do beſides following his pleaſures, which he uſes as his recreation, and makes not his buſineſs.