A True Reformed PROTESTANT is one that beleeves things, his reason cannot compre­hend; he hopes for things which neither he nor any man alive ever saw; He labours for that which he knoweth he can never obtaine, yet in the issue, his beliefe appeares not to be false, his hope makes him not ashamed, his labour is not in vaine.

He believes Three to be One and One to 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 beleeves three Persons in one Nature, and two Na­tures in one Person.

He beleeves a Virgin to be a Mother of a Sonne, and that very Sonne of hers; to be her Maker. He beleeves him to have been shut up in a narrow roome whom Heaven and earth could never containe; he beleeves him to be born in time, who was and is from everlasting; he beleeves him to have been a weake child carried in armes, who is the Almighty; and him once to have died, who onely hath life and immortality in himselfe.

He beleeves the God of all grace to have been angry with one that never offended him; And that God that hates sin to [Page 2]be reconciled to himselfe, though sinning continually, and ne­ver making or being able to make satisfaction; he beleeves the just God to have punished a mo [...]t just person, and to have justified himselfe, though a most ungodly sinner; he beleeves himselfe freely pardoned, and yet a sufficient satisfaction was made for him.

He beleeves himselfe to be precious in Gods sight, and yet loathes himselfe in his own; he dares not justifie himselfe, even in those things wherein he can finde no fault with himselfe; and ye: beleeves God accepts him in those services, wherein he is able to finde many faults.

He praises God for his Justice, and feares him for his Mercy. He is so ashamed, that he dates 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 believes that God meanes him all good. He is one that feares alwaies, yet is bold as a Lyon. He is often sorrowfull, yet alwaies rejoycing; many times complaining, yet alwaies giving of thanks; he is the most Iowly minded, yet the greatest aspires; most contented, yet e­ver craving.

He beares a lofty spirit in a meane condition; when he is a­blest, he thinks meanest of himselfe. He is rich in poverty, and poore in the midst of riches. He beleeves all the World to be his, yet he dares take nothing without speciall leave from God. He covenants with God for nothing, yet lookes for a great reward. He loseth his life, and gaines by it; and whilst be loseth it, he saveth it.

He lives not to himselfe, yet of all others he is most wise for himselfe. He denieth himselfe often, yet no man loves himselfe so well as he. He is most reproached, yet most honoured. He bath most afflictions, and most comforts. The more injury his enemies doe him, the more advantage he gaines by them. The more he forsakes worldly things, the more he enjoyes them.

He is the most temperate of all men, yet fares most delici­ously. He lends and gives most freely, yet he is the greatest [Page 3]Usurer. He is meeke towards all men, yet inexorable by men. He is the best child, husband, brother, friend, yet hates father and mother, brother and sister. He loves all men as himselfe, yet hates some men with a perfect hatred.

He desires to have more grace then any man in the World. yet is truely sorrowfull when he seeth any man have lesse then himselfe; he knoweth no man after the flesh, yet gives all men their due respects. He knoweth, if he please man, be cannot be the servant of Christ, yet for Christ his sake he pleaseth all men in all things; he is a Peace-maker, yet is continually fight­ing and an irreconcileable enemy.

He beleeves him to be worse then an Infidell that provides not for his family, yet himselfe lives and dies without care. He accounts all his superiours, yet stands stiffely upon autho­rity; he is severe to his children because he loveth them, and by being favourable unto his enemy, he revengeth himselfe upon him.

He beleeves the Angels to be more excellent Creatures then himselfe, and yet counts them his servants; he beleeves that he receives many good turnes by their meanes, and yet he nei­ther prayes for their assistance, nor offers them thanks, which he doth not disdaine to doe to the meanest Christian; he be­lieves himselfe to be a King, how meane so ever he be; how great foever he be, he thinkes himselfe not too good to be a ser­vant to the poorest Saint.

He is often in prison, yet alwaies as liberty. A free-man, though a servant; he loves not honour amongst men, yet high­ly priseth a good name.

He beleeves 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; he would lay downe his life to save the soule of his enemy, yet will not adventure upon one sinne to save the life of him who saved his; he sweares to his owne hinderance and changeth not, yet knoweth that his oath cannot tie him to sinne.

He believes Christ to have no need of any thing be doth, [Page 4]yet maketh account he doth relieve Christ in all his acts of Charity; he knoweth he can doe nothing of himselfe, yet la­bours to worke out his owne salvation; he confesseth he can doe nothing, yet as truely professeth he can doe all things; he knoweth that flesh and blood cannot inherite the Kingdome of God, yet beleeveth that he shall goe to heaven both body and soule.

He trembles at Gods Word, yet counts it sweeter to him then the honey and the honey-combe, and dearer then thou­sands of Gold and Silver.

He beleeves that God will never damne him, and yet feares God for being able to cast him into hell; he knoweth he shall not be saved by nor for his good workes, yet he doth all the good workes he can.

He knoweth Gods providence is over all things, yet is so di­ligent in his calling and businesse, as if he were to cut out the thred of his own fortunes; he beleeves beforehand that God hath purposed what he shall be, and nothing can make him to alter his purpose, yet prayes and endeavours, as if he would force God to save him for ever.

He prayes and labours for that which he is confident God meanes to give, and the more assured he is, the more earnest; he prayeth for that he knowes he shall never obtaine, and yet gives not over; he prayes and labours for that which he knows he shall be no lesse happy without; he prayes with all his heart not to be led into temptation, yet rejoyceth when he is fallen into it; he beleeves his prayers are heard, even when they are denied, and gives thanks for that which he praye; against.

He hath within him both flesh and spirit, yet he is not a double minded man; he is often led captive by the law of sinne, yet it never gets dominion over him; he cannot sinne, yet can do nothing without sinne; he can doe nothing against his will, yet maintaine he doth what he would not; he wavers and doubteth, yet obtaines.

He is often tossed and shaken, yet is as Mount Zion; he is a [Page 5]Serpent and a Dove; a Lambe, and a Lyon; a Reed and a Cedar.

He is sometimes so troubled that he thinkes nothing to be true in religion, yet if he did thinke so, he could not at all be troubled; he thinkes sometimes that God hath no mercy for him, yet resolves to die in the pursuit of it; he beleeves like Abraham against hope, and though he cannot answer Gods Logicke, yet with the woman of Canaan he hopes to prevaile with the rhetoricke of importunity.

He wrestles and yet prevailes, and though yeelding himselfe unworthy of the least blessing he enjoyes, yet Jacob-like he will not let him goe without a new blessing; he sometimes thinkes himselfe to have no grace at all, and yet how poore and afflicted so ever he be besides, he would not change con­ditions with the most prosperous man under heaven, that is a manifest worldling.

He thinkes sometimes that the Ordinances of God doe him no good, yet he would rather part with his life then be depri­ved of them.

He was borne dead, yet so as that that it had been murder in any to have taken his life away. After he began to live, he was ever dying; and though he hath an eternall life begun in him, yet he makes account he hath a death to passe through.

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

He beleeves his soule and body shall be as full of glory as them that have more, and no more full then theirs that have lesse.

He lives invisible to those that see him, and those that know him best do but guesse at him, yet those many times judge more truely of him then he doth of himselfe.

The world will sometimes account 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 makes not an end of him; his soule which was put into his body, is not to be perfected without his body, yet his soule is more happy when it is separated from his body, then when it was joyned unto it, and his body though torne in pieces, burnt to ashes, grownd to Powder, turned to rotten­nesse, shall be no loser.

His Advocate, his Surety shall be his Judge, his mortall part shall become immortall, and what was sowne in corruption shall be raised in incorruption and glory, and a finite creature shall possesse an infinite happinesse.