Sword & Trowel 2015: Issue 1


with God, yet looks for the greatest reward. 25. He loses his life, and gains by it; and even while he loses it, he saves it. 26. He lives not to himself, yet out of all people is most wise for his own interests. 27. He denies himself often, yet loves himself more than any self-seeker. 28. He is the most reproached of people, and the most honoured. 29. He has 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 worldly things, the more he enjoys them. 32. He is the most self-controlled of all people, yet fares most deliciously. 33. He lends and gives most freely, yet is the greatest gainer of interest. 34. He is meek towards all men, yet not persuadable by them. 35. He is the best child, brother, husband, friend, yet hates father, and mother, and wife, and brethren, etc. 36. He loves all men as himself, yet hates some men with perfect hatred. 37. He desires to have more grace than any in the world, yet he is truly sorry when he sees any man have less than himself. 38. He honours no man after the flesh, yet gives to all their due respects. 39. He knows that if he pleases men he is not the servant of Christ; yet for Christ’s sake he pleases all men in all things. 40. He is a peacemaker, yet continu- ally fighting, and 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 strict to his children, be- cause he loves them; and kind to his enemies, so bringing divine venge- ance upon them. 43. He accounts all his inferiors his equals, yet stands firmly upon his authority.


Relationship to angels


44. He believes the angels to be more excellent creatures than him- self, yet counts them his servants. 45. He believes he receives many good turns by means of the angels, yet he never asks their assistance, nor craves their prayers, nor offers them thanks (which yet he would not withhold from the lowliest Chris- tian). 46. He believes himself a king, no matter how poor or how great he may be, and is never too high to be servant to the poorest saint. 47. He is often in prison, yet always at liberty, and a free man though a slave. 48. He accepts not honour from men, yet highly prizes a good name. 49. He believes that if people do good to him, it is because God has ordained it, yet he is, of all people, most thankful to those that do it. 50. He would lay down his life to save the soul of his enemy; yet will not risk one sin to save the life of someone who has saved his. 51. He will tell the truth to his own disadvantage and not relent; and cannot lie to get an advantage.


Paradoxes & Seeming Contradictions in the Christian page 31


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