HE is a creature new molded out of the frame and stock of the old Adam, into that of the new and second; and is compounded of light and darknesse, which somtimes makes him to shine, and somtimes obscureth him, as either of both are predo­minant in him. In the former part of his life after conuersion, you shall have him all in raptures, new joys, and strange expressions; being, as it were, in a new world: but after that in dumps and malancholie fits, now and then like a storme-beaten-man, complaining of crosse windes, stormes and tempests: A creature who at his entrance into Christianity finding such changes, and various entertain­ment, looks not for his portion in this life, and therefore expects no great matters in the house of bondage he now labours in: He is not much troubled for his present condition, because he is heire of all things, and what he [Page 2]wants in possession, he is assured of in rever­sion, knowing that his Father will see him furnished in the fittest season; and therefore in his wants he fues the promises, Gods bonds, yet leaves to Gods pleasure when to make them good, & cares not though others are lifted up upon dunghils to overlook him. Though he be in shew miserable, yet he en­vies not the present felicity of any, who have but a sun-shine day towards their execution: He dares not adventure upon the lest of evils for attaining of the greatest good; of two e­vils he always chooseth the least, though hee acknowledges that there is no evill of sin to be chosen at any time, and therfore uses this world and all things therein, as though hee used them not. He can cast his bread upon the waters, and yet after many dayes, expect increase from thence; in all things he sympa­thises with the sufferings of others, and help­ing them in their miseries what he may.

In all his actions the Word he makes his Rule in all things, and dares not without a warrant from thence undertake any matters of consequence; the rules and precepts wher­of being multifarious, therefore his readier [Page 3]practice hath summed up into one, to doe to others, as he would be done to by of them: and because at the giving of the Law all the Mountain was railed round, he therefore puts this rule about all his words, ways and acti­ons, To abstain from all appearance of evill: Christ he makes his chiefest joyes, his sins his greatest sorrow, next unto which an hy­pocrite vexeth him most, because he under­takes to act his part, but yet so bunglingly, that he always shames himselfe in the end: heaven he prises above all things, and so lit­tle values the earth, as he thinks all this world not worthy of a sigh: He out of sin­gularity affects not precisenesse, but that his warie walking is still atended with that a­spersion, he is temperate in all things, being to try great masteries over himselfe and o­thers, not caring for the jollities and rejoyce­ings of others, lest too much of that temper should enforce that he had received his con­solation.

He knows that he walks in the midst of dangers, and therefore he walkes some turns every day in heaven and hell, the one to cheere him in his journey, the other to afflict [Page 4]him from sinning. He espies & sees the snares which are rapt up in all the creatures to intrap him, and therefore as one treading amongst snares, he walkes the more warily and cir­cumspectly in all things, and can admire high hills, but bide within the plains: Yea, in all his journies he by faith sees all this world on fire, as holy Jerome, though he always heard the last Trumpet sounding in his eares, Arise ye dead, and come to judgement, and therefore sutes all his actions, affections, and meditati­ons, according unto that matchlesse admira­tion, He throughly hates all sin, willingly hugs and harbours none, and mourns most that he cannot leave all. In his deviations when he sins, he goes not purposely astray, but onely unwares slips and misses his way, and rather is enforced then led willingly out of the good way, when being out he is rest­lesse, untill he come in his way again, whose falls and failings, are not fallings away; rather diseases and wants in the feare of God, then want thereof, being the remembrancers of his frailties; helps unto his abasement, subject of his humiliation, mater of his mortification, and wings unto his vivification, to make him flourish in selfe-deniall.

[Page 5] All Superiours and Magistrates he obeyes and reverences, not onely out of duty, but also for conscience sake, and that not onely unto the good, but also unto the bad, unlesse it be when they command things unlawfull, in which case onely he hath learned to refuse obedience and suffer, rather choosing with Saint Paul to obey God than man: Hee refu­seth no good instructions comming from Moses chair, but willingly receiveth all which is good, whosoever the messenger be, and for matter of ceremonies, he doth not refuse the shadow for the substance, the kirnell for the shell. Saint Pauls Bishop he honours with double honour, but for a Lord Bishop, he pro­fesseth not to understand that mystery which our blessed Saviour rejected: He can heare the word preached in season and out of sea­son, in Churches & out of Churches, though he prefer the hearing thereof in Churches as the more decent and of better report then the other.

He thinks better of all others then of him­selfe, because he knows most evill by him­selfe, and therefore dares not entertain or receive evill reports of others, because hee [Page 6]knows all men are lyars, but rather usually under­foots them, least they should passe further, and when he ventures upon admonition or reproofe, it is upon urgent known cause, with much compassion, fear and observation of Time, Place, person, and manner, and with abundance of discretion and love, both fore­going it, and following after the same, nor doth he venture to judge rashly after the hearing of the eare, nor after the seeing of the eye of any; being jealous of his mistakes, that so in this kinde he may suite himselfe unto a divine temper, like unto Christ, who refused to judge the woman without her accusers, as knowing that conviction should always goe hand in hand with accusation, least we wrong others.

He cares for nothing that God will not give him, accounting his will best whatsoe­ver, and seeing the end of all the promises hang in heaven whence they come, he ex­pects the full performance of them, what he wants here, in heaven; he naturally loves braverie, ostentation, riches, gentlenesse as well as worldlinesse, but that he dares not venture Eternity of Glory, for their purchase [Page 7]as some doe: He acknowledgeth the beau­ty of holinesse to be the onely beauty, and therefore neither esteems himselfe, nor any other to be more happy or wise then they are accounted therewith. He knows no man now after the flesh, neither regards he any meerly for fleshly, but for spirituall excellencie, and therefore knowing by himselfe partly what is in man, he dares commit himselfe unto no man without triall of him first; his passions and affections, sometimes would fly out like a tempest, but that he hath rules in readinesse how to check and restrain them from being inordinate: and in performance of holy du­ties when perturbances interrupt those Sacri­fices of ravenous birds, live unto Abraham, he drives and scares them away, he hath learned in all estates therewith to be contented, and grudges not at any crosse which maketh him more holy, and teacheth him either more ex­perience, wisdome, or patience.

He knows that he is a pilgrime upon earth, and like one in a strange Countrey here, and therefore whilst hee is upon his journey homewards is not much troubled, what his entertainment in strange places shall be, or is, [Page 8]in which case though the dogs barke, and the servants frown, yet he cares not so long as he rests assured at length to be welcome, unto the master of the house; In which case, though by the way, he be whipt & lasht som­times with the scourge of tongues, yet is he contented to beare all, knowing that it were woe with him, if all men should speake well of him, yea that it were but a kinde of infa­mie to be praised of evill doers: Like good Jehosophat, you may have him sometime for­get himfelfe to be enticed into some Ahabs company, but yet even there he is not him­selfe, but checks himselfe for that adventure, and looks out for some further and better di­rection, to have some better warrant for what he is about.

His actions are all so framed as may fur­ther his latter end, neither looks he or cares he so much what they are, as whether they carry him, in all which he hath a designe and plot upon eternitie of heavenly glory, hee admits, loves, and cherishes goodnesse in whomsoever, and amongst them the most excellent, in whom his chiefe delight is. His devotions are constant both in ordinary and [Page 9]extraordinary, wherein, what he misseth at one time, he makes up at another. And as for Gods goodnesse and manifold favours, and blessings upon him at any time confer­red, they are so far from lifting him up that they make him the more thankfull end hum­ble, the more he seeth God in them, acknow­ledging himselfe to be lesse then the least of all his mercies: Hee is most censorious of himselfe and least of others, whose faults he loves rather to conceale, extenuate & cover, then farther to display: Mercifull, loving, compassionate, and kinde he is unto all, but especially unto those, whom Religion, Na­ture, Kinred or Affinity, most strictly hath tyed him unto, and is as well moved to help at the sight, as at the voice of misery; sory that he is not able to relieve and help all.

Hee is also wonderfull ambitious, but it is how best he may come to be partaker of the Divine Nature, to be filled with all diffusive goodnesse, whereby to help and overcome all others therein: In all extreams hee keeps the middle way, and lays out for the golden Mean; He is contented that God be his purs-keeper, who can keep it best, lay it out to the [Page 10]most advantage, and neither suffer him either to want or be a bankrout: Hee knows that all Gods works are beautifull in time, and there­fore he patiently waits for the issues of Provi­dence: Compared with Heaven he underva­lues all earthly things, and being clothed with this Sun, can tread upon the Moone, and as Oile swims above all waters, so hath he prin­ciples in him which make him above, and to conquer all crosses. In his afflictions, crosses and sufferings, hee looks more at the hand of God, than at the malice of men, knowing that if he can but appease the one, giving the Messenger his errand; that hee shall quickly be rid of the other. In all companies hee ei­ther does good or takes good; at least labours to leave no ill savour by bad example: though justification be but once done on Gods part, yet he makes it an every days work to renew the same, and engrosse further assurance there­of. He is thankfull in all things, and in all estates, because the worst estate hee can be in out of Hell, is more then his de­serving; to further which temper, hee looks as well at those under him, as at those above him: Hee shuns all offences as [Page 11]neer as he can, either to give or to take any, and as for Revenge, hee dares not so much as think of that, for fear hee intrude into Gods Office: and he makes himself all things unto all that hee may winne some, knowing that hee lives not here so much for himself as for others: hee is left amongst his slanderers and persecutors to keep off wrath from them, whilst they sinning as with cart-ropes pull it upon themselves: he knows no happiness but in holiness: and therefore accounts this onely worth the looking after to study Maries part: most labouring in sum-like unto Christ to do all things well, and improve his talent unto the most advantage: hee is always best when he is alone; though then an Hypocrite be at the worst, and never wants work when hee hath time to examine and call to question himself for all his words, ways, and actions; in which course every evening hee cleeres his [...]core, and makes an even reckoning with the Almighty for all his offences.

To conclude, view him well, and we shall finde that there is no creature like him, who hath joyes which others cannot intermeddle with: Meat which they see not, drink which [Page 12]they cannot taste of: impenitrable armour which they know not, defence and protecti­on wherein they are naked and wanting: Ap­parell more costly than Salomons in all his royaltie, with directions from heaven and earth within him and behind him, for his safe passage unto glory, Being like the Kings daughter all glorious within, though hee weare his worst side outmost: yet he is more excellent then his neighbour, and of all others the most overcomming creature, whose eyes are said to overcome Christ himselfe: Turne away thine eyes from me, for they overcome me: hee being the onely true modell of the new creature, whose heart is still good and the same, whatsoever his actions be.

A matchless person saved by his God, kept by his power unto salvation: held in his hand, who is the shield of his helpe, and the sword of his excellencie. The eternall God being his refuge from above, and beneath clasping him in the everlasting arms, at whose feet Saint-like hee sits down to receive of his words. Hee hath a heaven in his heart, his thoughts are most of heaven: his conversati­on is in heaven, hee sits in his head there in [Page 13]heavenly places: and had he wings to flie, we should not have him long from thence. And the true cause why the world loves him not, Is, because they know him not, and are so blind as they cannot discerne into his excel­lencies, they being veiled in this world as Christs sometimes were. But let us lend him but a lease of three things, wherein when he fails he is usually deficient, heavenly wisdom, knowledge, and discretion, to mingle with his zeal, and temper it: being thus qualified he is Heavens Darling, Earths Paragon, the Worlds onely wonder: who whilst his Gra­ces are conflicting, wrastling and shining as he mounts Heaven-wards, out of the wilder­nesse of this World, is justly said to be the wonder of God himself. Thus a right Puri­tan or Round-head is in his most noble right temper, or should be qualified: and let my Round-head be thus beautified, and let mee live his life, whatsoever his death be, and I dare venter my Eternity with his.