the nigher they were the promised land so euery mortall man the longer he liueth the nigher he is his iourneys end death for Time and Tide stay for no man yong haires do soone turne gray and actiue youth is soone metamorphosed into crooked age Cito pede labitur aetas i. the dayes of man do swiftly passe away Tempora labuntur tacitisque senescimus annis fugiunt fraeno non remorante dies i. Time swiftly passeth and old age soone commeth on no bridle so strong as can kéepe in our galloping dayes He that runneth in a race neuer stayeth till hee commeth at the ende thereof so euery mortall wight volens nolens willing nilling neuer stayeth till death the ende of his race stayeth him The picture of patience Iob by name considering the swift passage of the dayes of man compareth them to the swift race of a post saying Dies mei velociores sunt cursore i. My dayes are swifter than a post yea swifter are they then a weauers shuttle they are as the motion of the swiftest ship in the sea and as the Eagle that flieth fast to her pray Our yeares are spent saith the Psalmist as a tale that is told yea our life is quickly cut off and we are soone gone Therefore fitly is our life compared here of S. Paul in regard of the velocity thereof to a race or running From hence euery Christian is to learne this lesson that séeing our life is nothing else but a running to death he redéeme the time make much of it whiles he hath it for the houre spent cannot be recouered time passed cannot be recalled Ecce nunc tempus acceptum saith the Apostle i. Behold now the accepted time behold now the day of saluation This life is the time wherein our election must be made sure and sealed vp vnto our spirits by the vnfallible testimony of the good spirit of God This life is the time wherein euery man in his calling must worke out his saluation with feare and trembling This life is the time wherein we must be admitted into y e kingdom of grace if euer we will looke to be admitted into the kingdome of glory In this life must we be matriculated into the mysticall body of the Church if euer we will looke to fit at the bride-groomes table in heauen In this life must we haue heauen in inchoation if after this life we will haue it in perfection The husbandman will in no wise slacke his opportunity and omit his time in tilling sowing his ground that in sommer he may haue the better croppe The tradesman will not misse his faires and markets that he may increase his stocke the more in those his painefull affaires The Storke in the aire the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow obserue their times as saith the Prophet the little silly creature the Ant by name gathereth in sommer whereby she may liue in winter Euen so should euery Christian take his time and treasure vp with the painefull Bée the hony of good workes in the hiue of his heart in this life that he may with the faithfull seruant be welcomed into his masters ioy in the life to come But alas alas men are so assotted with blindnesse ignorance that they may be sent to y e very senseles creatures for wisdome in this point Aske the beasts and they shall teach thee and the foules of heauen and they shall tell thee saith the iust man Iob or speake to the earth and it shall shew thee or the fishes of the sea and they shall declare vnto thee Esays oxe knoweth his maisters stall and his Asse his maisters cribbe but miserable man hath not knowne his maker O let vs not be worse than horse Asse and Mule that haue no vnderstanding but let vs in the feare of God know our times and seasons let vs seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is neere Let vs in no wise post off our amendment from day to day Let vs liue no longer in carelesse security like sensuall brutish and hellish Epicures that neither beléeue nor yet respect the iudgement to come that sing that cursed Epitaphe of Sardanapalus Ede bibe lude charum praesentibus exple delitijs animumi post mortem nulla voluptaâ— i. Eate drinke play and be merry liue in all kind of pleasure for after death there is no pleasure that say with the old man in the Poet Because my dayes are short which I haue here to liue to women wine and pleasant sport I meane my selfe to giue Let vs not be like those foolish virgins that knocked at the gates of heauen too late when the doores were shut against them for after this life there shall be no place for pardon nor time for repentance therefore in time looke to the welfare of thy déere soule that thy soule may fare well not for a time but for euer One depth saith the Psalmist calleth for another The depth of our misery cryeth for the depth of Gods mercy let vs therefore be as swift in running in the race of Christianity as our liues are swift to leaue vs let vs be as swift to kill sinne in vs as sinne is to kill vs O beloued let vs be as swift to pull out the sting of the Scorpion which is sinne as he is with his sting swift and ready to stabbe vs at the heart and wound our soules incureably that when death the end of our race shall come which is most certaine and yet his time most vncertaine it may be vnto vs as it is to all the saints of God Ianua vitae finis miseriarum initium refrigerij scala ascensionis in coelum i. The gate to life the end of miseries the beginning of euerlasting refreshing and the ladder of ascension to the highest and happiest heauens So runne that ye may obtaine Secondly Qualiter currendum i. How must we runne to obtaine So runne If we will run to obteine we must runne these thrée wayes First Directè recta via the right way Secondly Celeritèr sâ—u festinanter Swiftly or spéedily Thirdly Perseuerantèr Perseuerantly holding out to the end First therefore that we may obteine we must runne directly the right way that leadeth to life Those that runne in a race will not make the furthest way about y e nighest way home as we say but they will take the shortest cut that may be and runne the directest way that can be that they may the rather obteine So should we runne in the right way that leadeth to life if we will obteine life euerlasting Lactantius speaking of mans creation saith that Homo incedit erectus in coelum i. Man goeth right vp lifting his eyes towards heauen Os homini sublime dedit coelâ—mqueâ—ueri â—ussit i. God gaue man a lofty face a face to behold the heauens whereas other creatures fasten their
wicked world or else hell and damnation wil be our best reward We must forsake all if we will be followers of Christ as Peter sayd to his maister Ecce nos reliquimus amnia secuti sumus te i. Behold we haue forsaken all and followed thée Well and wisely said Peter as saith S. Bernard we haue forsaken all and followed thée for he could not follow Christ laden as we haue an example in the same Chapter of the yong man that at the Vende omnia da pauperibus i. sell all and giue to the poore chose rather to leaue Christ than forsake his riches for Christ Yea it is a thing impossible for such couetous churles to runne swiftly in the way to life It is easier for a Cammell to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich couetous carle to enter into the kingdome of heauen Nemo potest dominis recte seruire du obus i. No man can serue two maisters no man can serue God and Mammon God and riches He that hath his treasure in earth cannot haue his conuersation in heauen For where the treasure is there will the heart be also If therefore riches increase let vs not set our hearts vpon them Let vs vse this world as though we vsed it not let vs hold all as doung for the gaining of Iesus As Christ saide in the Gospell of Iohn That his kingdome was not of this world So should we say that our delight is not in this world but our hearts are altogether in the world to come Let vs take no care what we shall eate or what we shall drinke or wherewith we shall be arayed After all these things the muck-wormes of this world the pagans infidels and heathen people séeke that haue neither knowledge of God nor feare of God before their eyes but let vs cast our care on the Lord for the Lord only careth for vs Therefore as Peter and Andrew left their nets to follow Christ and as Elisha left his oxen and his plough to followe Eliah the man of God So should we leaue whatsoeuer is in the world to followe the Sonne of God to heauen We reade of Crates Thebanus that because he could not apply himselfe to the study of philosophy in regard of his riches he tooke his money and cast it into the sea saying Ego perdam te ne tu perdac me i. I will destroy thée least thou destroyest me So if we find that our wealth or any other thing in this world is an impediment to our Christian race let vs cast them from vs not as Crates did into the sea that were a fond and foolish thing but let vs cast our bread vpon the waters that is bestowe them on y e poore as Christ did wish y e yong man in the Gospell of Mathew Thus therefore should we empty our selues of sinne within and vnburthen our selues of the cares of this wicked world without if we will run swiftly in the High way to heauen So runne that ye may obteine Thirdly if we will runne to obteine we must runne perseuerantèr perseuerantly and continually holding out to the end of our race Those that runne in a race though they runne neuer so directly though neuer so swiftly yet if they giue out before they come at the ende they loose their reward Euen so if we perseuere not in the race of godlinesse to the end of our liues shall we faile of the kingdome of heauen He that diggeth in a golden mine till he commeth within fiue or six faddomes of the gold and then giue ouer is not all his labour lost and all his cost in vaine A traueller that hauing taken vppon him a long iourney and in the end giueth ouer within two or thrée miles of his iourneys end is not all his labour lost and are not all his paines likewise in vaine Euen so Nihil prod est cursus bonae vitae nisi consummetur bono fine i. The race of a godly life profiteth nothing vnlesse it be finished with a godly ende If a man had liued in the profession of the glorious Gospell of Iesus for the space of 20.30 or 40. yeares and then proue an Apostata back-sliding from the same he is so farre from obteining saluation as the end of him is worser then the beginning So that there is no hope of happinesse without perseuerance for as the tree falleth so it lieth whether it falleth towards the South or North and as a man dieth so shall he be adiudged if in the Lord then shall he haue his portion with Saints if in impenitency then shall he haue his portion with Diuels The souldier is not guerdened with spoyles before he hath obteined victory no more shall we be crowned before we haue bene more then conquerours in Iesus Christ Well therfore saith one Si nullus esset hostis nulla esset pugna si nulla pugna nulla victoria si nulla victoria nulla denique corona i. If there were no enemy there were no fight if there were no fight there were no victory if there were no victory there were no crowne Nam nemo coronabitur nisi qui legitime certauerit i. for no man shall be crowned but he that fighteth lawfully Ideo homines tentaentur vt tentati resistant resistentes vincant vincentes coronentur i. Men are for this cause tempted that being tempted they may resist resisting they may ouercome and ouerconuning they may be crowned So that the perseuerance is all in all The woman of Canaan by perseuerant crying after Christ got her daughter to bee dispossessed of the Diuell The man that had guests come late to his house by his perseuerant knocking got bread for them of his neighbor at midnight So by perseuerance in the race of godlinesse we shall obteine the bread of life Christ Iesus that reigneth at the right hand of his father in glory for euermore Chrysostome speaking of this spirituall race saith thus Incipere multorum finire paeucorum i. Many will begin to runne in this godly race but few there are that will hold out to the ende Rome began well and imbraced the Gospell of Christ willingly but with the dogge they returned to their former vomit of idolatry and with the Sow that was washed they wallowed againe in the mire of iniquity So that friar Mantuan reporteth thus much in commendation of their City Heu Romae nunc sola pecunia regnat exilium virtus patitur vrbs est iam tota lupanar i. Alas alas couetousnesse is Quéene of Rome all godlinesse is banished from thence the whole city is become a stewes And hereupon he giueth this Caueat to all Christians Viuere qui sanctè cupitis discedite Roma omnia cum liceant non licet esse bonum i. All you that will liue a godly life depart from Rome for all things are there suffered saue
godlinesse Oh it had bene better for this whorish city neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy doctrine giuen vnto them For the latter end is worse with them then the beginning according to that in the Gospell If Satan be cast out and enter in againe with seuen diuels worser then himselfe the end of that man is worse then the beginning So Iulian Emperour of Rome began well and for a while imbraced the Gospell of Christ but he proued an Apostata in the end dying cursing banning and blaspheming and casting his bloud into the aire Demas followed Christ a while but afterwards forsooke him Demas hath forsaken me louing this present world Many of Christs disciples went backe and walked no more with him Thou knowest saith S. Paul that all they which are in Asia are turned from me of which sort are Phygellus and Hermogenes So we sée that many haue begun well but few haue perseuered but it were better that a milstone were hanged about the necks of such reuolters and cast into the middest of the sea for the Lord will treade downe reuolters vnder his feete as clay in the streetes He that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is not fit for the kingdome of heauen He that looketh backe to his house and home hauing his mind busied in other matters cannot possibly make good work euen so he that intangleth himselfe with the things of this present world is not able to worke out his saluation with feare and trembling for where the dead carkeise is thither will the Eagles resort and where our treasures are there will our harts be also He therefore that will obteine the land that floweth with milke and hony must forget the flesh pots of Egypt and he that will obteine heauen must not cast his eyes to the earth he that is on the house top must not come downe to fetch any thing out of his house and he that is in the fields must not returne backe againe to his house He that is in the way to heauen let him not turne backe againe to this world least he be atached of the Lyon and cast into hell Lots wife for back-looking was turned into a pillar of salt And so euery man that turneth backe from the way of godlinesse shal be turned into a firebrand and burned with vnquanchable fire for whosoeuer shall deny Iesus Christ in this world shall be denied the kingdome of heauen of Christ Iesus in the world to come Back-looking and back-sliding must not be in Christians let vs therefore with S. Paul not looke behind vs but to that which is before vs namely to the reward Let vs fasten our eyes vpon heauen gates and neuer leaue running till we come at them The bride of Iesus would not turne backe from her holy race saying I haue washed my feete how shall I defile them So should euery member of the mystical body of Christ say I haue washed my selfe from my sins and by Gods assistant grace will I neuer defile my selfe any more For he that washeth himselfe saith the sonne of Syrach because of a dead body and toucheth it againe what auaileth his washing So it is with a man that fasteth for his sinnes and committeth them againe Who will heare his prayer or what doth his fasting helpe him Euen so beginning well doth nothing auaile a man vnlesse perseuerance be resolued Thou therefore that wouldst obteine pul not thy necke out of Christs yoke giue not in any case but at the very first step thou settest into this godly race resolue to perseuere to the end of thy life come what can come Manus igitur remissas genua soluta erigâ—te i. Lift vp your hands that hang downe and your weake knées take héede that ye fall not away from the grace of God Be not weary of well-doing Stand fast in the faith and play the men be strong take courage to you and perseuere to the ende for he that indureth to the end the same shall be blessed Esto fidelis saith S. Iohn vsque ad mortem dabo tibi coronam vitae i. be faithfull to thy death and I will giue thée a crowne of life Qui vicerit dabo ei sedere in throno c. to him that ouercommeth will I graunt to sit with me in my throne Non enim incepisse sed perfecisse virtutis est i. It is not the nature of godlinesse to begin well but to perfect the worke begun Nec inchoantibus sed perseuerantibus praemium tribuitur saith Remigius i. Neither is the reward giuen to enterers but to enders not to beginners but to perseuerers Whereupon S. Gregory saith Incaessum curritur si ceptum iter ante terminum deseratur i. He is a mad traueller that will not sée the end of his iourney and he is a fond professor that will not labour to die in the Lord. We reade in the Gospell of Iohn that our Sauiour in the end of his life sayd in this manner Opus consummaui quod dederas mihi vt facerem i. I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to do And in the houre of his death he sayd in like manner Consummatum est it is finished So should euery Christian after the example of his Sauiour labour to finish the worke which the Lord called him to do that so he may with great peace of conscience and with vnspeakeable solace of heart say vpon his deathbed with the chosen vessell in his second Epistle to Timothy Certamen bonum decertaui cursum consummaui fidem seruaui c. I haue fought a good fight and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith therefore henceforth is layd vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but vnto all them that loue his appearing Such was the resolute zeale and zealous resolution of all holy Martyrs in former ages that nothing could make them forsake the profession of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Yea this was their constant answere to their bloudy butcherers Vere tunde diâ—elle lama seca idola tua non adorabimus potes corpora ista O Caesar cruciatibus absumere facere verò vt aliud sentiamus aut loquamur non potes tua saeuia nostra est gloria cum nos interficere credas de carcere corporis liberas citius saxa scopulosque montes de loco suo monebis quà m nobis fidem Christo datam cripies i. Burne buffet slay deuoure hew in péeces thy abhominable idols will we neuer worship thou mayst O cruell tyrant consume with torments these our mortall bodies but to make vs thinks or speake otherwise then we do canst thou neuer do thy cruelty is our glory killing vs thou dost but deliuer vs
are daily wrought and subiect to much trauell The barren trée is not beaten but the trée that is planted by the riuers side and bringeth foorth his fruit in due season is sorely shaken and yearly beaten The stones that were for Salomons temple were squared and heiuen before they were layde in the building So euery Christian who is a liuely stone in this spirituall building as saith S. Peter must be hewen with the are of affliction and squared with the saw of correction before he can be receiued into the triumphant Church whereof Christ Iesus is the head corner stone Ideo Dominus quibusdam hic parcit non feriendo vt in aeternum feriat ideo hîc ferit non parcendo vt in aeternum parcat i. The Lord spareth some for a time that he may punish them for euer and he chasteneth some for a time that he may spare them for euer Diues that was spared on earth was tormented in hell and Lazarus that was corrected on earth was spared in heauen For qui vult cum Christo conregnare in regno coelorum i. He that will reigne with Christ in the kingdome of heauen must cum Christo compati in valle lachrimarum i. must suffer with Christ in the vale of teares qui vult consequi must sequi i. he that will obteine Christ must follow Christ he that will follow Christ must take vp his crosse and follow him Christ suffered before he entred into glory so must euery Christian first suffer before he can be glorified The seruant must not be aboue his maister Si ergo compatimur conregnabimus i If we suffer with him we shall reigne with him Dulcia non meruit qui non gustauit amara i. He deserueth not to taste of the swéete that will not taste of the sower Iouinian a king hauing two vessels of wine in his pallace the one swéete wine and the other sower decréed that whosoeuer would taste of the swéete wine should first taste of the sower So whosoeuer will taste of the swéete ioyes that runne through the celestiall paradice must first with Christ sup of the cup of salt teares of affliction No maruell therefore if the Prophet in generall saith that many are the troubles of the righteous No maruell if he compareth afflictions to waues of the sea for as one waue dasheth ouer the necke of another so one affliction continually followeth another for God is not like a waspe that hauing stung once can sting no more but there is a plurality of crosses with God he can sting againe and againe as one sorrowfull messenger came to Iob after another euen so one affliction visiteth the Christian after another as the viper leapt vpon Paul and leapt off againe euen so afflictions leape vpon Gods seruants and leape off againe Those therefore that runne in the race of godlinesse must not thinke this strange neither must they thinke themselues frée from afflictions for they are hedged in on euery side with sundry kinds of troubles and haue thrée deadly enemies continually warring against them Whereupon Iob calleth the life of man a warfare vpon earth and that worthily for we fight against thrée mighty enemies the Diuell the World and the flesh The first enemy that withstandeth vs in the way to heauen is the diuell who in respect of his cruelty and might is compared to a roaring Lyon The Diuell like a roaring Lyon goeth vp and downe seeking whome hee may deuoure The second enemy is the world which is as subtill as the diuell is powerfull for by the profits and pleasures therein it draweth many to the seruice of Satan The third enemy which is the flesh is no whit inferior to either of them for Caesar being asked what was the greatest thing in the world to ouercome sayd Scipsum vincere to ouercome a mans owne selfe and his vntamed affections It doth alway rebell against the good motions of the spirit it is a Iudas to betray our soules into the hands of old Leuiathan The prophecy must be fulfilled I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman betweene thy seede and her seed Therefore the Church of God in this respect is called Ecclesia militans a warring Church a Church y e fighteth manfully vnder the banner of Christ against y e aduersaries abousaid No maruell therefore our life being a warfare if this world be called vullis lachrimarum a vale of teares for afflictions are so common that we haue alwayes cause to shed foorth a whole Ocean of teares with the Prophet Dauid who although he were a man according to Gods owne heart was a Pellicane in the wildernesse of this world whose nature is alwayes to haue teares trickling downe her bill his teares were his meate and drinke he watered his bed with salt teares and washed his couch with continuall weeping This is the state and condition of all Gods children in this life that will runne in the race of Christianity so that we may conclude with Iob and say Man that is borne of a woman is of short continuance is ful of trouble Séeing then that we are borne to trauell as the bird to flying let vs arme our selues w t patience let vs possesse our soules with patience and let vs runne the race that is set before vs with patience knowing that Non sunt condignae passiones c. that the passions that we can suffer in this world are not worthy of the ioyes in the world to come And séeing we are withstood in this way by thrée mighty enemies let vs like wise souldiers put on the whole armor of God the helmet of hope the brest-plate of righteousnesse the shield of faith the girdle of sincerity the shoes of peace and let vs alway haue ready drawne the sword of the spirit which is the word of God which is able to quench all the fierie darts of Sathan and slay the dragon in the deepe Moreouer let euery Christian that runneth in the race of godlinesse know that as afflictions are by no meanes to be auoided so are they necessary for the good of Gods children All things worke for the best to them that loue God And it is good for me saith y e Prophet that I haue beene in trouble for therby haue I learned thy law For affliction to y e godly Medicina est non poena castigatio non dānatio i. is a curing medicine not a destroying punishment a profitable chastisement not a deuouring condemnation For diuerse causes therefore doth the Lord suffer his déere children to be afflicted First to weane and winne them from the loue of this wicked world for in prosperity we are ready to be forgetfull of God and of our selues also we are ready with the deafe adder to stop our eares at the voyce of the charmer charme hee neuer so wisely the wéde is ready to ouergrow the corne and the
eyes vpon the centre of the world from whence they came hanging downe their heades to the earth like bulrushes As man therfore was created pure and vpright in soule and streight and right in body carying his head toward heauen so must he runne if euer he will obteine heauen in the streight way and right path that leadeth to heauen Many there are that séeke the Lord and find him not because they séeke amisse so many there are that runne yea all men liuing are runners yet are they farre from obteining because they runne amisse There are foure sorts of ground yet but one fructiferous there are foure wayes in the world yet but one and that a narrow one that leadeth to life Generally there are but these two the way of Godlinesse and the way of iniquity whereof the one in the Gospell of Matthew is called the broad way and the other the straite and narrow gate yet S. Iohn considering the multiplicity of this dangerous Labyrinth doth cut out this broad way into thrée maine heads into Luxury Couetousnesse and Pride saying Whatsoeuer is in the world is either the concupiscence of the flesh the concupiscence of the eye or the pride of life Haec tria pro trino numine mundus habet i. This is the Trinity which the world doth worship These wayes are wide and large and whole multitudes walke in the same Magna plenitudo hominum sed magna solitudo bonorum i. There is a great plenty of men but there is as great a scarcity of good men These wayes séeme pleasant to be walked in yet Nouissima illaerum mors est The end of these wayes is death for the diuell like a subtile fisher sheweth the baite but hideth the hooke sheweth the vnprofitable profit the vnpleasant pleasure of sinne but hideth the hooke from mens eyes which is death according to that of S. Paul Stipendium peccati mors est the wages of sin is death here hel damnation hereafter Sinne séemeth at the first to fawne vpon a man but yet in the end it will with Cains dogge plucke out the very throats of our soules In these maine roades the more is the pity doth the greatest part of mankind runne headlong to perdition without any checke of conscience remorse for their sinnes or any reclamation in the world Sinne neuer more than in these our dayes of the Gospell abounded the Diuell hath more followers than Christ the whole multitude cried Crucifie him Crucifie him But there was but one and that a silly woman that laboured to set him frée The saying of Paul to the Romanes is verified in these our dayes of sinne There is none righteous no not one There is none that vnderstandeth there is none that seeketh God all haue gone out of the way all are altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Pride whoredome adultery fornication vncleannes wantonnes idolatry witchcraft hatred debate emulation wrath contention sedition heresie couetousnes drunkennes swearing forswearing blasphemie prophanenes contempt of the word despising of Gods messengers and the like abhominations are reigning in euery angle of this our Iland yea our land is become a sinke of sinne a pit of pollution and a place of abhomination defiled with iniquity A vertice capitis vsque ad plantam pedes 1. From top to toe hauing no sound part throughout it yea our whole land is out of course and it is the great mercy of God that we are not consumed Yea these last dayes of the world are like to the dayes of Israels prouocation of the Lord in the wildernesse wherein we preferre the slauery of Egypt aboue the swéete Manna of heauenly blisse Yea that saying of the Prophet is verified of the most part of mankind That the children gather stickes the fathers made the fire and the women bake cakes for the queene of heauen That is they offered sacrifice to the Sunne and Moone and planets which they called the Quéene of heauen So the Beast of Rome with his Antichristian crue doth sacrifice to Mary making her an Idol and calling her as in their Salue regina and Regina coel◠laetare doth appeare the Quéene of heauen They make ignorance the mother of their deuotion Sir Iohn Lack-latine and Sir Anthony Ignorance are their chiefest clarkes and best Massemongers Yea the world is growne to this height of reprobation that that which is written in Iob is verified of many They say to God Depart from vs for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes who is the Almightie that we should serue him Full little thinking that the Lord shall answer them with the like Discedite Depart from me ye workers of iniquity Thus we sée how the worldlings runne in the race of iniquity the broad way to the lake vnquenchable some in the race of Atheisme some in Papisme some in Mahumetisme some in Paganisme but few there are y t run in y e race Christianisme But thou that wouldst be saued thou that wouldst so runne that thou mayst obteine run not in any of these wayes but flie from sinne as from a stinging serpent and a a biting Cocatrice For they that doe such things shall not inherite the kingdome of God The right way therefore wherein we must runne is the way of godlinesse the way of Christianity the way of the word of God framing all our thoughts words and operations according to the precise and strict rule of the same for Factores legis iustificabuntur i. the doers of the law shall be iustified saued and glorified This way of godlinesse is a blessed way to walke in It is sweeter than hony or the hony combe Iugum Christi suaue est onus suum leue i. The yoke of Christ is easie and his burthen light Mandata eius grauia non sunt i. His Commaundements are not grieuous and his commandements are exceeding large her wayes are wayes of pleasure and all her paths prosperity It is a lanterne to our feete and a light vnto our paths It is a pillar of fire to cary vs through the wildernesse of this world to the Celestiall Chanaan it is the power of God to saluation to euery beleeuer both Iew and Grecian it is able to saue our soules it is able to make vs wise to saluation it is profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnesse and to make vs perfect in all good workes It is comfortable in all cases and parts of our life both in prosperity and aduersity both in life and death If we fight it is a sword if we hunger it is meate if we thirst it is drinke if we be naked it is a garment if we be in darknesse it is a light yea in a word the word of God is the high way to heauen Enter therfore in at the streight gate of amendment and runne in the same
from faith to faith from grace to grace from vertue to vertue from strength to strength till thou beest a perfect man in Christ Iesus Cast away the workes of darknesse and put on the armor of light walke honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennes neither in chambering and wantonnes nor in strife and enuying but put on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Be wise as the serpent be innocent as the doue Amongst diuers points of wisedome to be found in the serpent this is one namely She casteth her coate and so renouareth her age as Aristotle saith These thrée beasts Tum vere tum Autumno both in the spring as also in Autumne do cast their skinnes viz. the beast like a Lizzard called in Latin Stellio Quia habet maculas quasi stellas collo infixas because he hath spots in his necke like starres Lacertus the Lizard and the Serpent And to do this they go through some or other narrow cranny to loosen their skinnes and cast them within foure and twenty houres So shouldst thou put off the old man with all his workes and to do this thou must go Per strictam rimam poenitentiae i. Through the narrow cranny and straite gate of amendment Meditate therefore with the iust man in the law of God day and night Let the candle of faith burne cléere in the lampe of thy heart and nourish it with the oyle of loue and good workes Walke not in the counsell of the wicked Stand not in the way of sinners sit not in the seate of the scornefull but runne in the race of Line well that liuing well thou mayst dye well and after death eternally spéede well obteining that blessednesse Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. So runne that ye may obteine And that we may runne in the race of godlines one Caueat is excéeding necessary namely that we auoide wicked company which will drawe away our hearts from this race Celestiall Qui tangit picem coinquinabitur ab ca i. He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith Cum sancto sanctus eris cum peruerso peruerteris i. with the holy thou shalt be holy and with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse for birds of a feather will flie together It was not lawfull for a Iew to conuerse with a Samaritane if an Hebrew did eate with an Egyptian it was counted abhomination so must we count it abhomination and hold it a point of reprobation to frequent the company of damned helhounds and hellish miscreants Let vs therefore flée all occasion and euery apparition of euill Let vs delight in the company of those that feare the Lord and excell in vertue Well therefore saith Seneca Cum illis versare qui te meliorem sunt facturi vel quos meliores efficere possis i. kéepe companie with those that may make thée better or whom thou mayst make better I command you therefore brethren as saith S. Paul in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdrawe your selues from euery brother that walketh inordinately not after the instruction which yee receiued of me And to conclude this point I giue euery Christian this good counsell with good king Salomon My sonne if sinners doe intice thee consent thou not If they say Come with vs we wil lay wait for bloud we will swallow vp the innocent whole like a graue we shall find all pretious riches and fill our houses with spoile Cast in thy lot among vs we will haue all one purse My sonne walke not thou in the way with them refraine thy foote from their path for their feete runne to euill and make hast to shed bloud O that these my words were written ô that they were written in a booke ô that they were written with an iron pen in lead or in stone for euer O that they were ingrauen in the brasse table of euery yong mans heart that so bad company may not be his destruction So runne that ye may obteine Secondly if we will runne to obteine we must runne Celeritèr seu festinantèr Swiftly and spéedily Vita breuts via longa saith S. Bernard sivis ad metam peruenire incipe celeritèr currere i. The life of man is very short the way to heauen is very long if therefore thou wilt obteine thou must runne excéeding swiftly We sée that those that runne in an earthly race and that but for a meane reward how swiftly do they streine themselues to runne according to that of the Poet Qui cupit optatam cursu contingere metam multa tulit fecitque miser sudauit alsit i. He that desireth first to touch the marke taketh much paines sweateth abundantly and runneth excéeding swiftly Euen so should we that we may obteine an euerlasting reward in heauen runne in the path of Gods commandements being shod with the shoes of the Gospell of peace like Roes excéeding swiftly The senseles creatures are a looking glasse to all Christians in this respect The Sunne as saith the Psalmist like a Gyant reioyceth to runne his race that is valiantly and swiftly swift is his motion and spéedy is his race for in the space of 24 howers he compasseth the earth round about that nothing is hidden from him and passeth from the one end of heauen to the other that nothing is wanting in him So the Lord our God hath set euery man his taske vpon earth which is to worke out his saluation with feare and trembling A great worke a short time along way from Egypt to Canaan from the gates of hell to the doore of heauen therefore like Gyants we had néede to runne swiftly lest we come too late and be shut out of heauen like the fiue foolish aforesayd virgins As the Sunne in the heauens is a looking glasse vnto vs in this regard so is also the Sonne of God Christ Iesus aboue the heauens to be imitated of vs all in this poynt Omnis Christi actio nostra debet esse instructio i. Euery action of Christ ought to be a matter of imitation to vs Christians As he was Immensus maiestate incomparabilis fortitudine so was he incomprehensibilis celeritate i. As he was great in Maiesty incomparable in fortitude so was he also incomprehensible in celerity and swiftnesse He wrought the workes of him that sent him whiles it was day without any delay in the world This bridegroome Christ Iesus euen as the Sunne went forth out of the Chamber of the highest heauens from the bosome of the Father and from the inuisibility of the Diuinitie and descended downe to the earth and became man and was like vnto man in all things sinne only excepted and valiantly in the wildernes pitched a fielde against Sathan that old serpent and roaring Lyon and ouerthrew him in the desert breaking his wily