CHAR. t~nd Humble man. I 157 A wicho~1t truce, without intermiffion ; and his viCtory certaine r bee meets with the inf<rnall powers, and tramples them under feet. The lhield that he ever beares bef<>re him, can neicherbemilfed, nor pierced;_ ifhis hmd be wounded, yet his heart is f.1fc: he is ofce tripped,feldome foyled;and 1ffomenmes foyled,never vanquifl1ed. He hach white hands, and a cleane foule,fit eo lodge God in, all rhe roomes whereof are ftt apart for his Holinelfe:Iniquityhach oft called acthe doore,and craved entertainment, but with a repulfe; or if fin offorcewill be his remnt,his L0rd he cannot. His faults arefew,and thofe he hath,God will not fee. He is allied fohigh,that hee dare call God father, his SaviourBrother :1eaven his Patrimony: and thinkes it no prefumption to rruft ~o. the attendance of _-{]gels. His underftandin~ is inlightned with the beames ofd1v1ne truth; God.hath acquamted hun With h1s w1ll; and what he knowes hee' dare confelfe: there is nor more love in his heart, than liberty in his B tongue. If;orments ftand.betwixt him and ~hrift, ifdearh,he conternnes th~m;and if his owne parents lyemh1s way to God,h1s holy carelefneffe makes them h1s footlleps.His experiments have drawn forth rules.ofco~fidence, which he dare~ oppofe againft all thefelfes ofd1ftruft: wherem bethmkes It fafec~ charge God 1~1rh what he h1th done; with what hehath promtfed. Examples are h1s proofes, and mflances his demonflr;Kions.Whar hath God given,which hecannot give~Whachaveothers futlered,wltich he may nor beenabled eo endure~Is hethrearned banifhmenr~There hee fe!'S the deare Evangeli(l in Palhmor. Cutting in peeces ~ he fees E{ay under the f.1w. Drowning~ he lees Ion,u diving in the living gulfe. Burning~ he fee! the tht~e Children in the hot walke of the Furnace. Devouring~ he fees Daniel in the fealed den amidsbis terrible companions.Sroning~he fees the fir(! Martyr under his heape ofmany ara.ve-flones. Heading~ loe there the Baptifls necke bleeding in Htrodi.-. c platter. He emulates their paine,their fl:rength,their glory. He wearies nor himfclfe with cares: for he knowes he lives not ofhis owne eo(\: nor idlely,omitting meanes, but nor uling them with diffidence. In the midfl: of ill rumours and ~mazements, his countenance changeth nor; for he knowes both whom he harh rrufl:ed, and whither death can load him.Heis nor fofure he fhall dye,as char he fhal be re(lored;and outfaceth hisdeath with his refurrettion.Finally,heis rlch in works, buliein obedience, cheercfull and unmoved in expetrauon, better with evils, in commonopinion miferable, but in true judgement more than a man. • ~~i~~•tajiit~~iii~t$~ia~~~~ D Ofth~ Humble man. . HE is a friendly enemy eo himfdfe: fo.r rhou_gh he be not our ofhis owne favour, no man fees fo low avaloe of!us worth as lumfelfe; nor our of ignonnce, or cardcfneffe, bur ofa voluntary and mceke dejetledneffe. Heeac!- mires every thing in another,whiles the f.1me or better in himfelfC he thinks nor unworthily contemned: his eyes are full ofhis owne wants,and others perfettions. He .loves r:n:her to give than rake honour, nor in a fol11ion ofcomplemencall eN~~- fie, but in fimplicitie ofhis judgement; neither doth he fret arrhofe, on whotnchee forcetb precedency,as one that hoped their mode'fl:y.~"ould have refufed; bur holds his mind unfainedly below his place,and is read)' ro·goe lower(i~need beo)withour difconteot. When he.hath but hisdot';hee magilifioth courtefie, and difcbimes his defcrrs.He can be moreafhamed ofhonour,changrieved with contempt; btcaufe he E rhinkes that caullcffe,this deferved. His fuce,his c;atriage, his habit,favour oflowli- ' neffe without affettarion, and yet he is much under that he feemerh. His w0rds afe few and foft, never either peremptory or cenforious, becaufe hee thinkes both each manmore wife, and none more faulty than himfelfe: and when hee approacheth to theThroneofGod, hee is foraken up with the divine greatneffe, that in his owne ' eyes he is either vile or nothing.Places ofpublike charge arefaine to fue eo him, and halehim out ofhis chofen obfcurity;which he holds olf,nor cunninaly to caufe importunity, bur lincerely in the confcience ofhis defeCts. Hee frecJ<~emeth notthe ~ ~ ·- P _..il:~es _.:._
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