Scripture must be understood with exception of repentance as all promises with exception of the crosse Peter upon his repentance saved his lost life so doubtlesse many in this land were forced under Antichrist to abjure the truth who as they fell with Peter did also rise againe with him And whosoever shall lose his life for my sake Not he that loseth his life as a malefactor as Saul Judas others nor those that for vain-glory or discontent or hope of bettering their estate bereave themselves of life But for my sake that is 1. For the profession of the Gospel as did innumerable Christians in the Primitive Church and many in Queen Maries daies who in love to Christ were prodigall of their lives if they had had a thousand lives they should all have gone 2. For discharge of duty answerable to that profession as David John Baptist the Prophets Apostles Stephen and others who suffered for righteousnesse sake Mat. 5. 10. He shall save it that is he shall have it returned to him wiâ—h advantage of a miserable and temporary life it shall bee changed into an everlasting and blessed life hee hath suffered with Christ and hee must reigne with him Object But then martyrdome meriteth eternall life Answ. No for first the sufferings of this life are not worthy the glory that shall bee revealed Rom. 8. 18. there being no proportion betweene the body and soule betweene life temporall and life eternall Secondly the promise is made not to the suffering but the sufferer being a member of Christ and performed not for any merit for it is but our duty and a thankfull returne of our lives to him who gave his for us but for the faithfulnesse of the promise apprehended by the faith of Beleevers Object But shall none save his life but he that loseth it Answ. Yes many of the Patriarkes and faithfull in all ages lived and died peaceably in a good old age But two rules must bee resolved upon 1. If occasion be offered and God call for the life in the witnesse of faith and well-doing it may not be saved and now if it be saved it is lost 2. If occasion bee not given yet there must bee an expectation a resolution a readinesse of minde to it whensoever it may bee given For we reade among the Ancient of mentall Martyrs or votary Martyrs without fire or bloud in whom the readinesse of minde to lose the life for God and his truth is accepted of GOD as the losing of the life for God accepts the will for the deed and accounts of Abraham as if hee had sacrificed his sonne and saith of him hee spared not his sonne though hee was spared And of David that he had built him an house when hee had it but in his heart to build one for this built him an house Object But it seemes if a man to save his life flye in persecution hee loseth his life by so saving it Answ. Distinguish of persons Some are bound not to flye and these by saving their lives doe lose them Others are free and may safely flye To say something of each of these For the former 1. Some are bound inwardly by an inward call and voice of the Spirit as Paul was bound in spirit to goe up to Jerusalem even to suffer Acts 20. 22. and was endued with such a spirit of courage and fortitude that his life was not deare unto him but he was ready to endure all extremitie for Christ. Such a spirit GOD gave to Luther when hee went to Wormes to dispute that though hee saw nothing but death danger before him yet so many Divels as there were tiles on the houses could not turne him off And to many of the Martyrs in Queen Maries daies God gave in silly bodies noble and stout spirits to contemne all threats and torments These may not flye in persecution 2. Some are externally bound to stand by vertue either of the generall calling of a Christian as when by a mans flight the whole Church and truth is indangered which must be dearer than a mans life or of the speciall calling as when by the worke of it GOD may bee more glorified and the Church edified I must keep mee in the way notwithstanding the perill ensuing For example If the persecution bee generall and common to the whole Church the Minister may not flye for the weak are in great danger most need the support of the strong now the duty of the calling must be dearer than his life Whereas if the persecution were personall directed against the Pastor onely hee were in his owne liberty to withdraw himself only for a time 3. Some are tyed bound not to flye by reason of their present estate especially in two cases First when God hath cut off all law full meanes and wayes of flying and a man cannot escape but by unlawfull meanes as an officious lye hearing of Masse equivocations pealing discovering the brethren or the like Here a man must abide the will of God who hath called him to stand out and do no evill to save his life Secondly when a man is in hand or hold under the custody of the Magistrate though unjustly prosecuted he may not break prison nor use violence but obey the Magistrate in unjust sufferings alwaies counting it thank-worthy to endure griefe for GOD and Christ wrongfully 1 Pet. 2. 19. Quest. But what if the prison-doore be left open as sometime it may be or hath been Ans. If God open a doore this is not a breaking of prison The Apostles Acts 5. 19. used no violence to get out but when the Angel opened the door they went away shifted for themselvs thus not themselves only but the Church was preserved in them Now all these that are thus brought by God to the wrestling-place must strive for the best game without shrinking or starting away But there are a second sort that are more free and have liberty to avoid persecution by flight in these three cases 1. If any have not attained strength sufficient to bear the extremity for Christ our Saviour would have these costs to bee fore-cast as in the Parable of the Builder of the Captain mustering his forces Only in not finding strength bewail thy weaknes use means of further strength 2. If the danger be certain and present not suspected or surmised for a man may not as Jonas by casting feares cast himself out of his calling but if hee see certaine perill to himselfe and no great hope of doing good by his stay he may flye 3. If avoiding private respects as loosing himselfe from duty or out of excessive feare shifting for himselfe hee ayme directly at the furthering of Gods glory and Christs Kingdome for it is a rule in which wisdom conscience must over-rule If it may make more for Gods glory to flie flie if to stay
themselves as our Text gives instance And I thinke the rule will prove generally true that Christians doe more multiply their sinnes in abuse of things lawfull then in adventuring on things unlawfull and faster doe they rivet themselves in those sinnes which lye in lawfull things then in such as are easily convinced to be unlawfull An hard taske it is for a Teacher to winne Christians by profession either from wicked practices if they please to call them play oh meddle not with mine eyes or from the usuall sinnes attending such recreations as in the substance of them are not unlawfull In both resembling Salomons mad-man that casteth darts and firebrands and saith Am I not in sport But a wise and teachable Christian will confine himselfe to Gods allowance and neither in jest catch at any forbidden fruit be it never so pleasant in it selfe or strongly perswaded nor in the use of allowed delights straine beyond the bounds and limits of the Word nor complaine of us as injurious when we disallow in men nothing but what God himselfe in the Scriptures restraineth them in And if we will be ruled by God in our sports rejoycings we must listen to his directions 1. in the choyce 2. in the use of our play First our choyce must be of sports in themselves lawfull We may not play with holy things suppose Scripture-phrases wee must feare the holy name of Iehova not play with it nor with oaths our owne or others nor with lots which are a part of the Name of God yea more solemn then any oath and must not be vainly used or for recreation Neither on the other side may we play with sinne or things evill in themselves viz. to make one drunke or sweare or to laugh at such persons it is a matter of sorrow to see Gods Image so defaced his honourable name so disgraced and Davids eyes will gush out with rivers of teares for such sinnes So in other sinful merriments Or if wee have not warrant for them by generall rules of the Word if the lawes of the land prohibit them as unlawfull if honest heathens have on good ground condemned them if the Fathers and judicious Divines have blotted and disgraced them c. Here pause on that rule Phil. 48. And Christian wisedome will also guide us to the choyce of the best spots A spirituall mind will chuse spirituall recreations as a carnall mind will use carnal And although there be time and place for bodily yet a wise Christian must in the highest roome set heavenly delights viâ— comforts of the Spirit joy in God and his Word walking in the garden of Christ where is most sweet and ravishing delight in hearing reading meditating holy conference and in gathering and smelling the sweetest flowers of knowledge faith love hope holinesse Here is a profitable and a lasting delight And here is a tryall of the constitution of thy soule the soule that more contents it selfe with carnall delights then these is of a carnall constitution if it be so constantly Secondly when we have chosen warrantable sports we must beware we sinne not in the use of them And to keepe us from sinne in our recreations wee must looke to our neighbour to our selves 1. For our neighbour the rule of wisdome to be observed is we must wisely sort our selves in our sports with the most sober godly and wise of our degree condition and sort of life that may rather watch over us that we offend not in them then any way draw and provoke us so to doe No pestilentiall ayre so contagious as where swearers and riotous gamesters are met And as thy company is which thou chusest and usest so art thou 2. We must looke carefully to our selves First for our affection that it be moderate Wee may use lawfull sports but not love them Hee that loves pastime shall be a poore man saith Salomon Prov. 21. 17. And the Apostle commands Christians to reioyce as not reioycing 1 Cor. 7. 30. that is to bee so moderate and retired in our joyes as not over-value them nor set affections on them as having greater things to doe Moderation will observe due circumstances it suffreth not a man to be given over to sport nor to sit up night and day and turne dayes into nights and nights into dayes as intemperate and riotous gamesters doe nor will it let the duties of generall or speciall calling lye aside for daies and weeks together because the least commanded thing is better than the best that is indifferent and sports were not ordained to hinder our callings but to fit us for them as whetting a sythe to forward the mower but if a mower shall doe nothing but whet whet for a whole day together wee would say hee is mad c. Secondly for our ends Our ends must not be to passe the time which passeth whether we will or no and we ought to redeeme our time and not let it passe without gaining somthing better than it selfe Nor yet to maintaine idlenesse as men that cannot tell what to doe with themselves else which is no better then idlenesse for idlenesse is not onely not-working but a doing of trifles and that which we dare not bring to God in accounts And is not the case pitifull that Christians having so much good worke to doe and so many meanes and so many cals and so little time should finde nothing so necessary as cards and dice Againe the end of sport is preservation of our health both of soule and body and not to impaire the health of either as many by watching at play and forgetting or forgoing their diet and rest for play destroy their health and call in numbers of disease â—â—on themselves and oftentimes untimely death Lastly seeing nothing can be lawfull wherein some glory accrewes not to God therefore if the end of our sports be not to enable us with chearefulnesse in duties of Religion and Christianity it will all be returned as sinne in our reckoning Thus of the ends Thirdly we must guide our selves in our sports by remembring these rules 1. That we may not recreate the outward man but to better the inward for Gods wisdome hath subordinated all inferiour things to the furtherance of the best things the seeking of all other things even necessaries much more indifferent to the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse And he wils that all earthly joyâ—â— helpe forward our spirituall joy in God and his Christ and the eternall joyes of Kingdome But when they will step in competition with these they are to be snibb'd and cast out Never must our chiefe joy be abated for these nor our chiefe affections unsetled of that fulnesse of joy at Gods right hand for evermore 2. Remember we have a spirituall course and race to runne and beware we clogge not nor oppresse our selves with pleasures that instead of speeding us in our way they become the Divels
so necessary as without it the whole frame of profession would prove ruinous For 1. The Context affirmeth a twofold necessity of this selfe-deniall both in the words immediately going before for without it a man cannot bee a Disciple of Christ and in the words immediatly following for whereas every Christian must bee acquainted with the crosse no man can take up his crosse patiently who hath not first denied himselfe and therfore that is rightly set after this 2. The corruption of nature is such before grace as that a man in every thing is wholly tainted and contrary to the image of God Now all that vicious disposition must bee renounced before Gods image can bee renewed even as all old rubbish must be carried away before a new frame can be reared 3. All true wisedome is lost by the fall and an infinite lumpe of folly bound up in the heart of every naturall man Now though true wisedome be offered againe in the word yet can it never bee embraced before the other bee displaced no more than light can be manifest before darknesse bee chased away 4. The Gospel offereth Christ as a Physitian only to the sicke and diseased and as a Saviour to the lost sheep of the house of Israel And therefore necessarily must a man deny all the meanes hee can make or devise to help himselfe before hee can come to see what need hee hath of Christ. Hee must come first to discerne his miserie and lost estate before hee can beleeve and relye on Christ for salvation 5. The whole scope of the Word is that golden rule of all the Law and Prophets namely to teach us to love God Christ above all and our neighbour for his sake as our selves And therefore that corruption of nature whereby every man loveth himselfe and seeketh himselfe his owne profits rather than Gods glory and his neighbours good must bee denied before wee can take out any lesson of the word 6. No obedience can be acceptably performed to God without selfe-deniall for many commandements are hard and difficult as that to Abraham of killing his son many are dangerous that may cost a man his life as Johns Ministery did many are costly and may cost a man his whole estate Now never can any of these bee cheerfully and willingly undertaken till these strong holds of flesh in man bee demolished A man may professe himselfe a servant of Christ but little is the service he shall do him till this be done As wise master-builders therefore are most carefull in laying the lowest and first stone so must wee begin the building of Christianity where our Lord enjoynes us namely in the deniall of our selves Faile in this foundation and the whole frame of Christianity tottereth and falleth to the ground For 1. Can a servant please his Master or a wife her husband who denies not her selfe and subjects not her will to his And canst thou bee wedded to Christ and not subject thy will to his 2. Whence doe men follow the course of the world and will be taught no better they must sweare and lye and drinke and raile and serve the times and persons and pleasures but because they think it folly and precisenesse to deny themselves or their ordinary liberties to follow Christ And 3. Is it from any other cause that men thrust themselves into Gods chaire of estate to revenge their own wrongs and challenge take challenges into the field to the perpetrating of horrible murders or else basely stabbe and wound but because they thinke it disgrace and cowardise to deny a mans selfe and to put up the least wrongs 4. Whence is it else that many pretend to follow Christ but upon condition they may not deny themselves for they must be gainers by their religion which must be another Diana to bring profit to the Crafts-Masters Have those learned selfe-deniall that measure their religion by their gettings but will be sure to bee no losers by it like the Swallowes that will take their Summer with us but not our Winter 5. Whence is it that some in case of necessity can cast no part of their superfluity into the Treasury when the widow can cast in all that ever she had And Ananias Sapphira that had not denied themselves could give three parts of their estate away to pious uses and how farre are most behind them who professe selfe-deniall Nay it is the sin of many great professors that what need soever Christ in his members hath they must remit nothing of their costly apparrell full diet and following of fashions which shew them lovers of pleasures more than of God Crumbes now and then they can part withall but endure no deâ—riment no abatement These certainly have not yet denied themselves 6. Whence is all the deniall of Christ at this day but for want of selfe-deniall Why did Peter deny his Lord but because hee could not deny himself Whence are so many Apostates Demasses in our age that fall to Popery to novelties to false or no worship but for want of self-deniall They must please rise serve the times themselves and the appetites of Patrons and then farewell Christ and his truth This was the cause that many Disciples walked no more with him John 6. 66. for they could not deny their own wisdome to subscribe to his And many among the Rulers beleeved in him but durst not confesse him because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God chapt 12. 42. 43. Quest. But the duty being so necessary as without it can be no Christianity and so difficult as scarce one of a thousand is willing to undertake it what are the helpes and meanes by which wee may be forwarded herein for the Lord hath not left us destitute of meanes if wee bee not wanting to our selves Answ. True And therefore 1. Wee must not conceive it naturall for a man to crosse his corrupt nature for nature fortifies it self in all the holds It must be therefore a superiour fire that must descend to make a man hate himselfe for the love of God Christ. Regeneration is a worke of the Spirit and strength to overcome our selves is not from our selves And therefore wee must pray for the truth of this grace of Regeneration and never bee at rest till wee finde it in our selves in some degree of it encouraging our selves in that promise that the Spirit is given to those that aske him is powred on the thirsty grounds 2. Consider what an advantage it will bee to take our selves in hand before our lusts be growne strong in us and how they are farre more easily denied in the first motion and rising of them than when they have seated themselves with delight in the affections and members and are growne from motions to acts from acts to customes from customes to
he must dye unto him he is not his owne but at his Lords command wholly and must follow him close in the meanes of his presence especially in searching the Scriptures which testifie of him John 5. 39. as also in listening to the inward teaching and guidance of the Spirit taking the benefit of his own experience by the change and fiuits in himselfe since hee had Christ afore him Secondly faith will hold us in our way and keep our leader in sight It will not bee led by the opinions of men or customes of the world but by the commandement and will of the Captain It will not looke a squint to approve it selfe to Christ and the world too but it knits the heart undivided to Christ alone as an only perfect Saviour and Pattern Yea because he now liveth and moveth hath beeing in Christ he can no more be without him than a member without the head and as a member followes him through fire and water perils and torments most earnestly and cheerfully Thirdly faith causeth a man whensoever he is slipt out of his way to return back by a new act of repentance as when Christ looked backe upon Peter excited his faith he wept bitterly saith the Church Cant. 3. 3. Saw ye not him whom my soule loveth And thus faith is crowned with perseverance This of the first way to follow Christ. 2. We must follow him in love ardent affection by which faith alwaies worketh No other thing must constraine us but love as a wife out of love follows her dear husband And this wil be stronger than death nothing can separate us neither height nor depth nor sword nor death nor a sea of the waters of affliction can drown it Yea zeale fervency of spirit is required to exclude hypocrisie lukewarmnes for dissemblers and halters can never follow Christ in the rugged waies wherin he goeth before us 3. Wee must follow him sincerely for love of himselfe not for selfe-love for selfe-deniall must goe before the imitation of Christ. This will make us follow him into Jerusalem and out of Jerusalem unto the Consistory unto the Crosse as well when they cry Crucifie him as when they cry Hosanna And not as many who follow the times and not Christ. It will make us follow him for right ends not for loaves or perishing bread as the Jewes not for curiosity as Herod to see a miracle nor as Peter to gaze and get newes in the high Priests hall but as the Disciples John 6. 68. Master thou hast the words of eternall life and whither shall we goe It will make us follow him wholly not lamely as on one legge as such who profess his doctrine but deny his life live carnally covetously uncharitably all this religion is naught and vaine and opens the mouth of Adversaries to say from the loose lives of Professors that our religion is an enemy to good works Where did Christ teach thee that professest to follow him to sweare to lye to deceive to profane the Sabbath to raise slander to revenge to spend thy time in gaming idlenesse or the like where learnest thou this of Christ 4. We must follow him constantly without wavering or desisting not for a brunt or a start not as the young man that came hastily but departed heavily He loves no lookers back Know that Christ is best at last and though thou mayest bee sometimes weary yet Christ will refresh thee and lead thee to rest This is the manner of following him Now let us see the reasons or motives thereunto 1. One is the equity of the precept We are sheep he is the great Shepheard of the flock and all the sheep must follow this Shepheard John 10. 27. The hundred forty and foure thousand follow the Lambe wheresoever hee goeth Rev. 14. 6. that is the multitude of the faithfull follow Christ their Captaine and obey him in all things Besides we are Christians our very name perswades us how equall it is to follow him else deny our name if we deny this duty Againe the equity appeares because here is nothing required or requested of us but our Master hath done it before us and commended it to us by his owne example Our Joshua saith to us his souldiers What you see mee doe that doe you and shall a common souldier recoile or start back from that he seeth his Captaine doe before him If we see our Generall deny himselfe take up his crosse obey his Father love his brethren is it not equall that wee doe the like shall Christians live like Jewes Heathens Worldlings 2. Great is the danger of not following Christ our guide First if we look at our selves Wee would faine be leaders and devisers which Christ knew wel enough and as we easily stray of our selves so wee are easily misled either by our owne lusts or by other perillous guides Sometimes one as the people who in simplicity followed Absalom not knowing whereabout hee went 2 Sam. 1â— 11. thus sometime we follow some wicked counseller as a drove follow the Butcher in stead of the Shepheard And sometimes many how easily follow we a multitude unto evill and therefore have great need of this precept of Christ both for prevention and direction Secondly if wee looke at the justice of God who gives over men to follow dangerous guides when they refuse Christ by his Word and Spirit to lead them See it in a number of instances How many are given up as the Heathens were to their own harts lusts Rom. 1. 26. that it were better they were given up to the Divell to buffer or any tyrant to torment than delivered to fall by their owne hand and all because they will not have Christ to lead them nor will follow him Nay seeing the Divell ruleth in lusts to be given up unto lusts is to be left into the hands of the Divell the Prince of the ayre to bee ruled at his will And how just is it that a sheep that will not follow the Shepheard should follow the Butcher How many others who will not follow Christ in the Word are given up to follow the world and the course of the world Some follow their covetousnesse as Jer. 8. 10. every one from the greatest to the least tormenting themselves and the world in it give no rest to it or themselves allow neither GOD nor themselves any rest on the Sabbath c. Others walke after the course of the world Ephes. 2. 2. and fashion themselves unto it contrary to Rom. 12. 2. as appeares in many who have sold themselves over to voluptuousnes delicacy pride in apparrel tiring out all the tires and fashions of all countries Others spend their time in idlenesse or gaming or sports and other calling have they none But all the world knowes Christs life was humble painfull sober heavenly holy fruitfull and cleane contrary to these who receive
onely a name of Christ but follow the world a sworne enemy to Christ. Numbers are given up to follow evill company evill counsell because they despise Christs counsell Hee that refuseth the counsell of wisedome it is just that folly should lead him See Prov. 1. 30. 31. Some follow idle fellowes Prov. 12. 11. because they are destitute of understanding Some drunken company to whom the woe is directed Isa. 5. 11. Some whorish company as the Prodigall who rejecting good counsell spent himselfe and came home by weeping-crosse Thus dangerously are men given over to perillous guides who will not have Christ to guide them And this is the second motive 3. Argue from the safety of following Christ our guide for First he propounds us no crooked patterne nor false rule to follow but himselfe a perfect and expresse idea and patterne of all grace and vertue and an unfailing patterne unening inflexible Object But must wee not imitate the Saints Answ. Yes so farre as they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. an Apostle himselfe must be followed no further Secondly he leads us not into crooked or by-pathes but into the pathes of righteousnesse Psal. 23. 3. pointing us out our way by his holy doctrine guiding us in it by the example of his holy life comforting us in our wearinesse supplying us in this way with bread of life opening to us in this way the fountain of living waters revives us with new strength guides us out of by-paths and so carries us in the strict but strait way to the happy end of our journey Thirdly hee leades us not in darke and desolate waies but himselfe being the light of the world John 12. 35. while wee follow him wee cannot walke in darknes having light to discover the dangers in the way wee walk safely How safe was Israel under the pillar in the wildernes so safe are we under the conduct of this pillar How safe were they from enemies under the guidance of Joshua leading them to Canaan but a greater than Joshua is here Josh. 1. 5. A man shall not bee able to withstand thee all thy dayes nor man nor Divell shal make us fall short of the heavenly Canaan Follow Christ thou followest the Angel as Lot out of Sodome Follow this Joshua and thou followest him to Canaan to thy country to bee ever where hee is who is both the guide and the end of the way Lastly consider if Christ had only given us a precept wee were bound to obey but adding his example we shall be answerable for neglect of his holy example as for his holy doctrine We never want good example in the midst of many bad examples of Rulers Preachers and private men Christ hath said Follow mee And thou hast not done thy duty to see him go before thee in holy example but in following him nor to admire a good example as many do but imitate none Verse 25. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it OUr Lord having informed his Disciples in these difficult principles doth now confirme them and addeth strong arguments to enforce them three The first in the words drawne from the danger of failing in the duties The failing in them brings the certaine losse of ones life which is amplified by the contrary But if any will rather lose his life than his obedience he shall certainly gaine and save it The second reason is drawne from the unprofitablenesse of winning the world with the losse of the soule which losse can never be repaired or made up Ver. 26. The third is drawn from the consideration of the last judgement in which they shall find the accomplishment of this whole doctrine for the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father c. Ver. 27. This first is very forcible and pressing for it is a matter of life death as Moses to his people so I propound life and death this day unto you chuse life do good deny your selves take up your crosse and follow me Whosoever shall save his life the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies the soule which by a Metonymie is put for the life or the person himself because the soule is the cause of life Anima cujusque est quisque the soul of a man is properly himself the saving of the soul is likewise the saving of ones self charity to the soule is the chiefest To save the life is taken sometime in good sense as to preserve it from famine by food from sicknes by physick from danger by flight as Jacob from Esau David from Saul Christ from the people that would have throwne him down the hill but this is not here meant Sometime in the evill sense that is to save preserve the life by evill means as Saul by sorcery David by dissembling Peter by a lye so is it taken here He that will save his life namely by denying Christ by renouncing the truth abjuring the pure religion or falling to the world or false worship For Christ doth not condemne the saving of life but the manner and unlawfull meanes of it He shall lose it Atheists would find a contradiction in the speech of Christ that a man at the same time should find lose the same life and naturall reason cannot reconcile it It is a riddle to flesh and bloud that the same life should bee both saved and lost For the resolving whereof wee must know 1. That there is a two-fold tribunall Forum coeli soli the court of the world the court of heaven and as he that saves himself in the common Law may be cast in the Chancery so hee that saves himselfe here in the Consistories of men may elsewhere lose himselfe namely in the court of heaven 2. There be two sorts of Judges 1. Humane and delegate 2. Divine and supreme A man may by indirect meanes save himself from the sentence of the former but not of the latter Joab may escape David but shall not escape Solomon And as him who escapeth the sword of Hazael 1 Kings 19. 17. shall Jehu slay so he that by denying Christ and his truth shall save himselfe from a Beare shall meet with a Lion and be devoured 3. There is a two-fold danger temporall eternall A man by evil means may save himself from the former but by no means from the latter If the silly fish leap out of the pan it fals into the burning coales A man loseth that which above all he would save And this losse is amplified 1 by the dearnesse of the thing lost his most precious soule and life 2. by the duration it is lost eternally 3. by the certainty the sentence is passed and cannot be repealed Object Peter saved his life by denying and abjuring his Lord and yet lost it not Answ. All the threats of
sword should adaunt offenders that is the presence of his word in the heart How much more should his owne presence provoke us to all dutie and subjection FINIS THE CHRISTIAN RACE 1 COR. 9. 24. Sorâ—nne that you may obtaine THe holy Apostle hath at large disswaded these Corinthians late ly converted from heathenisme from sundry relickes of superstition still continued among them as namely from eating meats in the Idol-Temple offered unto Idols from which feasts and meetings they were the hardlier restrained because they were much addicted to gluttony and pampering of the flesh And therefore more strongly both from his owne example and by other reasons he urgeth the duties of Christian sobriety and mortification as if hee had said If ye shall obiect that now your Christian liberty affords you more interest in the creatures and comforts of life than before I answer that I have as much liberty in them as any but for the Gospels sake I forbeare my libertie in greater matters than these I might marry a wife or I might require my maintenance from the Church as my right but I for the Gospell deny my selfe in all I worke with my hands to avoyd offence so your liberty in Christ allowes you not any use of the creature with the hinderance of the Gospell or the scandall of others And to this hee addeth a strong reason from a pleasant similitude comparing the life of a Christian to a Race those that runne in a race either for praise or a garland of flowers or a small temporall reward pamper not their bodies nor load and stuffe themselves with meats and drinkes but are abstinent and put themselves into a spare diet and forbeare and strip themselves of al encumbrances and the use even of the best things which would make them heavy unweldy in their race Much more should you in this spirituall race for the attaining of another manner of Crowne or prize cast off all things that presse downe and encumber you and so runne the race set before you as you may obtaine and not be frustrate of your expectation These Corinthians were well acquainted with the manner of runners Know ye not that they which runne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a race c. as if he had said Yee cannot but know There were the games of Olympus celebrated every fift yeare in the honour of Iupiter and there were the Istmian games instituted of Theseus in the honour of Neptune their Sea-god which were every fifth yeare exercised at Istmus a streight in Greâ—ce in the sight of Corinth Obiâ—ct But why doth the Apostle draw his argument from prophane games used among heathens in honour of their Idols Answ. The Apostle approves not the games nor shewes how well or ill they doe in running but from them deduceth what we may turne to a good use in a better race for a better prize Our Lord approves not of an uniust steward but onely shewes how wee may and ought wisely to provide for our selves as hee did Christ approves not a theeves comming in the night when hee compares himselfe to one Rev. 16. 15. onely hee excites our watchfulnesse to be alwayes ready for his comming And even from this practice of the Apostle wee may gaine a rule of prudence when we must see many things we mislike but cannot reforme to make the best use of them we can A wise man may gather good from that which is not so good A man may sometime light of a peece of gold on a dunghill and will he not take it up The Bee will sucke sweet honey even out of stinking herbes Wee may not presently tumult against things we dislike no more than our Apostle but if we cannot amend them so to take notice of them as they may doe least hurt and if wee may gather some good from them and we see that we may make good use of things we approve not Now to the words In this short Apostolicall injunction are three things 1. The precept to runne 2. The manner so run 3. The end that ye may obtaine namely the scope and ayme In the Precept are 1. Who must runne 2. Why he must runne 3. When he must runne 4. The use thereof For the first of these Every Christian must runne for Christianity is nothing but a race and every Christian must runne the race set before him Hebr. 12. 1. In other races as that of Istmus neare Corinth to which our Apostle alludeth some runne and some stand still or looke on but here in this Christian race all must run men and women high and low rich and poore and none must looke on Now Christian life is compared to a course or race in Scripture for five respects considerable 1. As all running must be in a way and within bounds and limits so here the way to run in is the way of Gods Commandements Psal. 119. 30. This is the right and good way the lightest and shortest way the fairest and cleanest way without all windings or turnings to the right or left hand 2. In running is a strife and contention so in the Christian race but the strife is not by speed or swiftnesse of feet but a spirituall strife of faith vertue piety good conscience and obedience And as in a race the whole man runneth and striveth and every part of the runner so in this race a man cannot have religion in his mouth and profession and say hee will runne but scarce move hand or foot in any good duty no man can run with his tongue and his foot stand still Israel professed that whatsoever the Lord commanded they would doe here were good words but how often did they tempt him in the Desart Paul would not runne as beating the ayre with bare words 1 Cor. 9. 26. Neither doth the kingdome of God stand in word but in power which is when in all things wee labour to keepe faith and good conscience in all things before God and all men 3. In running there is a goale or prize which we run for The prize or Crowne for which we runne is everlasting glory not a crowne or wreath of flowers but an incorruptible crowne 1 Pet. 5. 4. 4. As in a race are spectators and the Vmpire that gives the crowne or prize so here the spectators are men and Angels and the Vmpire is God an incorrupt Iudge who having appointed the race giveth the crowne to every one that runneth well 5. As at the end of the race the wager is wonne or lost and the crowne received or mist and as the race is runne so it is disposed so at the end of our life the prize of eternall life is either wonne or lost and if it be in the race lost it can never be recovered neither by bribe nor intreaty If in this life we win it we weare it or else it is lost for