head and ouercomming his chiefest power fulfilled the law in euery point and tittle satisfied Gods iustice for vs appeased his wrath against vs purchased celestiall mansions to vs by offering himselfe in sacrifice to the Lord of hosts vpon the crosse at Golgotha for the sins of the whole world by his death and passion by vanquishing hell by conquering death by his glorious resurrection and ascension and by sending of the holy Ghost He went from the father and came into the world And in short time yea in the space of 33. yeares wrought the redemption of all beléeuers And left this world and went againe to his father The spouse of Christ considering her husbands great velocity celerity and swiftnesse saith Behold he commeth leaping by the mountaines and skipping by the hils my welbeloued is like a Roe or a yong Hart c. Venit vidit vicit He came from heauen he sawe the earth and ouercame the dragon Thus after Christs example should we that professe our selues Christians runne swiftly in the race of godlinesse holinesse purity and obedience to the commandements of our heauenly father thus should we run Investigijs Iesu In the footesteps of Christ Iesus who is Via veritas vita i. The way the truth and the life and the true way to life euerlasting To the performance of which duty the Lord graunt to vs his grace for of our selues we are not able to set one foote forward to heauen that so we may be able to his glory and our soules euerlasting good to do his will in earth as willingly swiftly and as spéedily as the Angels do it in heauen Now déere brethren that we may runne thus swiftly in the race of godlinesse and in the course of Christianity two things are necessary First Vt simus intus vacus That we be empty within Secondly Vt simus extra exonerati i. That we be vnladen without First we must be empty within Now what is that which cloggeth vs so sore within and hindreth vs from running in this godly race Surely that is sinne So weighty a thing is sinne As it sunke downe Sathan from heauen So weighty a thing is sinne as it caused the earth to open her mouth and swallow vp cursed Core diuellish Dathan and that abiect Abiram with all their trecherous crue The Prophet in respect of the weight thereof compareth it to Lead and that worthily for as lead in the clocke causeth by the weight thereof the cogs whéeles and gimmers successiuely to moue one after the other euen so the weight of sinne doth draw the cogs of our carnall concupiscence the whéeles of our leud desires and the gimmers of our vntamed affections from one sinne to another according to that of S. Gregory Peccatum quod per poenitentiam non deletur mox suo pondere ad aliud trahit i. If sinne by repentance presently be not done away by the weight thereof it will draw a man to more sinne â—â— we find it exemplified in the Prophet Dauid who fell from idlenesse to concupiscence from concupiscence to adultery from adultery to murther Of the weight of sinne the Prophet Dauid speaketh Mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head and as a weighty burthen they are too heauy for me The Prophet Esay calleth the bands of wickednesse heauy burthens intollerable to be borne The sinnes of the world being layd vpon the shoulders of Iesus vpon the crosse were so weighty and heauy as they forced him hauing the weight of Gods wrath for them also vpon him to cry out on this manner to his God Eli Eli Lamasabacâ—thani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If the yoke of Christ be easie and his burthen light then of necessity on the contrary must the yoke of Sathan which is sinne be vneasie heauy and intollerable to be borne By which it may appeare that sin is an intollerable burthen and a great impediment to this Christâ—â—â— race Let vs therefore as the chosen vessell doth exhort vs cast away euery thing that presseth vs downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast on Let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs. Where it is euident that we cannot runne with patience the race that is set before vs vnlesse we do cast away our sinnes from vs which do hang so fast on vs. Moses was not permitted to come nigh the Lord before he did discalciate himselfe Put off thy shoes for the place where thou standest is holy ground So must we put off the durty shoes of iniquity and abandon sin from the castle of our hearts before we can be able to stand in the path-way to ioyes which is an holy ground therefore much lesse are we able to runne in the same and most vnapt to runne swiftly Let vs therefore in the name of God purge our soules and bodies from sinne with the hysope of Gods grace Let vs separate them from vs and our selues from them as farre as the East is from the West and North the South Let vs loath detest and abhorre them because the Lord doth loath detest and abhor vs for them as we haue giuen our members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to the seruice of Satan in vngodlinesse of this life euen so let vs giue them as weapons of righteousnesse to the seruice of the Lord in godlinesse of life as we haue runne in the race of the first Adam by commission of sinne so let vs runne in the race of the second Adam Iesus Christ the righteous by performance of righteousnesse let vs cease from sinne and do that which is good let vs séeke peace and ensue it Let vs Plangere plangenda bewaile our sinnes that ought to be lamented Grauia peccata grauia desiderant lamenta saith Isodore great sinnes require great lamentation swéet meate must haue sower sauce reioycing in sinne must haue mourning for sinne let vs therefore be Tam proni ad lamenta sicut fuimus ad peccata As prone to lamentation as we haue béene to transgression as ready to lament them as we haue béene to commit them let vs swéepe euery corner of our hearts cleane with the broomes of penance and let vs water them with the salt teares of earnest contrition so that we may be sit receptories for the Lord to dwell in and being annointed with the oyle of grace wee may runne swiftly in the race that is set before vs and obteine the reward prepared for vs. So runne that ye may obteine Secondly if we will runne swiftly in the path way to heauen we must be Extrà exonerati i. vnladen without Those that runne in a race will lay aside their cloakes doublets and such like outward vestiments that they may runne the more spéedily and obteine the more assuredly And so in like maner we must be vnburthened of all outward matters whatsoeuer especially of the excessiue care and affection that naturally we beare to this
of Gods permission and by beléeuing most assuredly his promises concerning our deliuerance Hope is exercised in affliction by assuring our selues of the rewards promised to all those that suffer patiently Loue is exercised in affliction by considering the loue of Christ in suffering for vs and thereby we are prouoked to suffer for him againe Obedience is exercised in affliction by conforming our wils to the will of Christ saying with Christ Not as we will but as thou wilt ô Lord God of hosts Patience is exercised in affliction by suffering quietly willingly and chéerefully and by welcomming them sent of God for our good Humility is exercised in affliction by abasing our selues in the sight of God acknowledging that they are but as flea-bitings in respect of the torments of hell which by our lewd liues for euermore we haue deserued Fiftly the Lord suffereth vs to be afflicted in this world that the greatnesse of his power and the inâ—initenes of his mercy might be shewne in the deliuery of vs. We reade in the Gospell of Iohn that the Apostles hauing asked our Sauiour the reason why the man was borne blind he answereth them Not for his fathers nor for his owne sinne but that the workes of God should be shewne on him From which we may truly gather thus much namely that the man was borne blind especially to this end that our Sauiour might haue occasion to shew the greatnesse of his power in curing him Againe in the same gospel we reade that Lazarus died to this end that God might be glorified in raising him from death The wonderfull power of the Lord was shewne in the deliuery of the thrée children from fire of Ionas from drowning by the Whale of Susanna from death by Daniel of Daniel from the Lyons by his owne immediate power of Eliah from staruing by the rauens and of our most gratious souereigne Lord King Iames from the sword in Scotland and from the powder-treason in England by his extraordinary fauour and wonderfull loue which he had to this his gratious seruant which the Lord in mercy vouchsafe vnto him and his royall progeny for euermore Thus the Lord bringeth men into déepe afflictions that his power might be shewne in bringing them out againe Dominus deducit ad inferos reducit i. The Lord bringeth to hell and bringeth backe againe to great afflictions and out of them againe Vna eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit The same hand that woundeth the same hand cureth Vulnerat medetur percutit sanum reddit i. He maketh the wound and bindeth it vp he smiteth his hand maketh whole So that howsoeuer many are the troubles of the righteous in their iourney to heauen yet the Lord powerfully in his good time deliuereth them out of all if he séeth it best for their good otherwise suffering for the testimony of the truth and the glory of his name they shall change this life for a better Thus haue I somwhat largely spoken of afflictions both in regard of their necessity as they cannot be shifted of any that runne in the way of godlinesse as also in regard of their conueniency being more helpe then hinderance in this spirituall iourney that so we may make good vse of them when it shall please the Lord to send them And thus much shall suffice for this third point namely for perseuerance in this course of godlinesse beséeching the Lord of his goodnesse to giue vs grace that we may not shrinke backe for feare of afflictions but wade through with patience holding out in this race to the end of our race So runne that ye may obtaine The third thing in order to be spoken of is praemium promissum i. the promised reward but before I enter into the handling thereof one thing necessarily must be obserued and that worthy of annotation The Apostle saith not here Seeme so to runne that ye may obteine or make an outward shew of running but. So runne that ye may obteine In which spéech he excludeth all hypocrisie and banisheth all counterfeit godlinesse from this Christian race For in this visible Church there are many that outwardly professe Christ but inwardly serue Belial Christians in name but reprobates in déede Saints in shew but diuels in conuersation Many hypocrites there are like painted sepulchres dissembling pharisées faire without but foule within lambes in apparition but wolues in condition Ones habitu as saith S. Bernard vulpeâ— actu crudeliâ—ate lupi i. Shéepe in shew foxes in déed and wolues in cruelty Mente sub agnina latitat mens saepè lupina i They haue lambes skins but wolues harts Yea howsoeuer they séeme to be members of Christs body courteous and kind to the stocke of Iesus zealous louers and earnest embracers of the sincere milke of the word running in the path of true godlinesse yet neuerthelesse they are a generation of vipers of whom the Euangelist speaketh ready to sucke out the very heart-blood of the saints of God and rend them in péeces like rauening wolues they haue mel in ore fel in corde i. Hony in their mouths but gall in their hearts sugred words to intrap but poysoned hearts to torment carying themselues like Iudas who saluted his maister with a kisse hauing the poyson of Aspes lying vnder his lips For Quando bonum ore faris mala corde tamen meditaris oscula quae Domino Iudas dedit haec mihi tu das i. When men speake well and thinke ill their kindnesse is treason as was the kisse of Iudas And of all other enmities in the world this is the greatest as saith Cassiodorus Grauissimum inimicitiae est genus corde aduersarios linguae simulare deuotos i. This is a most grieuous kind of enmity when men pretend much loue in tongue and beare much more malice in heart These cursed hypocrites these dissembling helhounds and these venemous vipers are the very pictures of the diuell and liuely representations of the old serpent for as the diuell lyeth coggeth counterfeiteth and dissembleth so do these The subtil serpent pretended great kindnesse to our first parents counselling them to eate of the forbidden fruit that so they might sée and be as gods but he intended their euerlasting destruction so these crafty foxes séeme to be charitable Christians and to giue good counsell wheresoeuer they become but yet they denoure widows houses and that vnder colour of long prayers The subtill serpent séemeth to be an Angell of light but yet he is a diuell of darknesse fettered with the chaines of euerlasting darknesse So these apes of the diuell do beare an outward shew of holinesse and purity yet they are wels without water and cloudes caried about with euery tempest to whom the blacke darknes is reserued for euer These hypocriticall mocke-gods may fitly be compared to Idols for as an Idoll hath an outward shape of a
of this reward is painted out vnto vs in the holy scriptures by the diuersity and greatnes of the names thereof For first it is called by the name of Regnum caelorum i. The kingdome of heauen because the saints of God do there inioy great liberty dignity honour power pleasure glory and all good things whatsoeuer Secondly it is called by the name of Regnum Dei Christi i. The kingdome of God and of Christ because that Iesus Christ hauing ouercome death hell and damnation together with all the enemies that did oppose vs in the way to heauen doth there rule and gouerne his Church triumphant with heauenly peace and euerlasting tranquillity Thirdly it is called by the name of Paradisus 1. Paradise in respect of the abundant plenty of all good and pleasant things which the saints can either wish or possibly desire Fourthly it is called by the name of Caelum tertium y e third heauen which is called Caelum Empyraeum i. igneum not in respect of fire but in respect of y e glorious light y e shineth therein for it is Situ altissimum quantitate maximum naturâ purissimum luce plenissimum capacitate amplissimum i. High in scituation great in quantity pure in nature ful of light excéeding large able to receiue ten thousand times more persoÌ„s then there are drops of water in the sea or sands lying by he shore Fiftly it is called by the name of Sancta ciuitas an holy city built with most pretious pearles because the company that dwell therein are holy and pure shining in holinesse and glistring in purity as the portals of the burnish Sunne Sixtly it is called by the name of Summa beatitudo inestimable blessednesse because the saints inioy the full presence of the blessed trinity wherein true blisse consisteth Seuenthly it is called by the name of Vita aeterna life euerlasting because there shall be no more death nor lamentation no more crying nor sorrow but the saints shall enioy these blessed ioyes so long as God shall be God which is for euerlasting This is the reward promised to all those that will runne in the race of godlines holding out to the end A large reward no man knoweth it but he that inioyeth it Adeò magna est quòd nequit numerari adio pretiosa quòd nequit comparari adeò diutina quòd nequit terminari i. So great is their reward as it cannot be numbred so pretious as it cannot be valued so lasting as it is euerlasting it is great without quantity swéet without quality infinit without number euerlasting without end So great is this reward as neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard of the like neither can it be expressed of the heart of man Quod praeparauit saith S. Augustine diligentibus se Deus fide non capitur spe non attingitur charitate non comprehenditur desideria vot a transgreditur adquiri potest aestimari non potest i. That which y e Lord hath prepared for those that loue and feare his name is not fully attained to by faith neither fully retained by hope neither fully conteined by charity it far surpasseth the desires of men and angels it may in some measure be obtained but valued it can neuer be Deus saith S. Bernard Est mel in ore melos in aure inbilus in corde i. God is hony in the mouth melody in the eare and ioy in the heart Ibi nihil intus quod fastidiatur nihil foris quod appetatur ibi rex veritas lex charitas possâ—ssia aeternitas i. In heauen there is nothing that may séeme fulsome or loathsome out of heauen there is nothing that may be wished or desired for then were there no perfection in heauen for Perfectum est cui nihil addi potest i. There is perfection where can be no addition there the king is verity the law charity and possession eternity S. Augustine speaking of the ioyes of heauen saith thus Ibi laetitia sine tristitia locus sine dolore vita sine labore lux sine tenebris ibi iuuentus semper vigescit nunquaÌ„ senescit ibi dolor nunquaÌ„ sentitur nec gemitus vnquam auditur ibi tristitia nunquaÌ„ videtur sed aeternum gaudium possidetur i. There is mirth w tout inone place without paine life w tout labour light without darknesse there youth alwayes flourisheth and neuer decayeth there is no torment felt no howling heard no sorrow séene but possession of euerlasting ioyes Ibi est summa certa tranquillitas tranquilla faeticitas faelix aeternitas aeterna beatitudo beata Trinitas i. There is great tranquillity tranquill felicity happy eternity euerlasting blessednes and the blessed trinity O gaudium super gaudium vincens omne gaudium extra quod non est gaudium quando intrabo in te vt Deum meum videam qui habitat in te i O ioy aboue all ioyes far surpassing all ioyes without which there is no ioy when shall I enter into thée that I may sée my God that dwelleth in thée This holy man Augustine considering the greatnes of the ioyes of heauen saith on this maner faciliùs expont petest quid non sit in coelo quà m quid fit in coelo i. A man may sooner tel what is not in heauen then what is in heauen for the ioyes which are there are innumerable Euen as a learned Geometrician finding Hercules his footes length vpoÌ„ the high hill Olympus drew out his whole picture by the proportion of the same though farre vnequall to it so we may gesse at the greatnesse of the ioyes of heauen though farre vnequal to them As the Quéene of Sheba hauing heard the wisdome of Salomon which before she beléeued not sayd to Salomon Loe the one halfe was not told me So the saints of God inioying y e vnspeakeable ioyes of heaueÌ„ may say It is true which we haue heard concerning the ioyes of heaueÌ„ by the mouth of preching ministers but lo the thousand part of theÌ„ was not told vnto vs. The greatnesse of these ioyes do appeare in y e entertainment of the faithful seruant into ioyes by our Lord Iesus saying Enter into thy masters ioy Our Sauiour saith not Let thy maisters ioy enter into thee but Enter thou into it shewing vnto vs that the ioyes of heauen are so many as the thousand part of them cannot be contained in the soule of man Thus at large haue I spoken of this reward the more to allure al men to run in y e race of Christianity which is y e highway to this glorious reward Foure things there are that being well considered are excellent motiues to cause men to leaue the broad way of iniquity and to betake themselues to run in this race Celestiall The day of death The day of doome The ioyes of heauen and the torments of hell Let euery Christian therefore as he tendreth his euerlasting
THE RACE CELESTIALL OR a direct path to heauen By HENRY GREENVVOOD maister of Arts and Preacher of the word of God 1. COR. 9.24 So runne that yee may obtaine Printed at London by N. O. for Henry Pell dwelling in holborne neere to the Crosse Keyes 1609. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE TO THE MOST high and mightie most gratious and religious Prince Iames by the grace of God of great Brittaine France and Ireland king defender of the faith Apostolicall c. All blessed hap in this life and eternall blisse in life to come THE picture of Puritie and patterne of Piety most gratious and dread soueraigne Lord holy Bernard by name deciphereth out at large the grosse enormity of that vgly vice Ingratitude saying that it is Inimica animae exinanitio meritorum dispersio virtutum c. An enimie to the Christians soule an exile of merits a ruine of vertues and a consuming fire that scorcheth vp the fountaine of all godlines Lest therefore I should cōdemne my self of this sensual sin and challenged be of grosse ingratitude I haue presumed crauing pardon for my arrogant audacitie herein in token of my loyall dutie to your sacred maiestie to transport these lines Laconicall and letters impolite to the happy hauen of your Princely heart wishing to your royall grace the siluer of all earthly prosperity the gold of all celestiall felicitie If your highnesse respect the matter it is celestiall if your supremacie the manner it is too too terrestiall Yet pardon most religious Prince this my bold attempt partly weighing the compulsion of entire affection and partly considering the necessity of your simplest subiects erudition Thus ceassing further troubling your maiesties sacred eares prosterning my selfe vpon the knees of submission at your highnesse footstool for pardon for my presumption herein I beg without intermission before the throne of grace that it would please the almightie to blesse protect and defend your royall maiestie your blessed bedfellow and all your royal issue in this life present and in the life to come crowne you all with the Crowne of immortall glory and that for Iesus Christs sake our onely Lord and euerliuing Sauiour Amen From Sampford Magna in Essex this 16. of October 1608. Your maiesties most humble seruant and most loyall subiect H. Greenewood The Race Celestiall or a direct path to heauen 1. COR. 9.24 So runne that ye may obtaine BOetius in his booke De consolatione philosophia saith Quod vnicuique viro bono inserta est quaedam cupiditas boni i. That in euery good man there is inserted a feruent desire of that which is good Now the true and chiefest good thing that may possibly be desired of mortall man in which onely the soule of man is fully satisfied is the Lord God according to that of S. Augustine Fecisti nos Domine ad te inquietum est cor nostrum donec quiescat in te i. Thou hast created vs O Lord for thine owne selfe and our hearts are disquieted vntill they find a firme rest in thy selfe And as well saith S. Bernard Illud est verum summum gaudium quod non de creatura sed de Creatore concipitur i. that is the true and chiefest ioy which is conceiued not of the creature but the Creator Now the Lord that is Omnium summum bonorum Of all good things the chiefest can by no meanes be obtained but by a true and liuely faith in Iesus Christ his welbeloued sonne prouing it selfe by good fruites of amendment by whom we are reconciled againe to the Lord and brought into the fauour of the most High of which by our sinnes wée haue iustly béene depriued as well saith Leo Non dormientibus peruenit regnum caelorum nec otio nec desidia torpentibus praemium aeternitatis promittitur sed vigilantibus benè viuentibus i. The kingdome of heauen falleth not to the sluggards share neither is eternall blisse promised to idle and euill persons but onely to those that liue by faith and are vigilant in the workes of godlinesse The holy Apostle therefore hauing in the former chapters of this his first Epistle to the Corinthians earnestly and industriously taught them the true path that leadeth to life hauing also perceiued that they had imbraced his doctrine willingly and runne in the same in some measure chéerefully he doth here in this golden simile that they might haue their portion in the Lord exhort them to perseuerance holding out to the ende of their liues knowing that of our Sauiour in the Gospell to be true He that endureth to the end the same and none but the same shall be saued In which words the Apostle borroweth a similitude A certamine cursorio from a terrestriall race for a temporary price for as in that race many runne but one receiueth the prize namely he that all the rest out-strippeth and commeth first at the ende euen so in the race of Christianity no man shall be crowned but he that holdeth out to the end of his life yet notwithstanding there is this difference in this similitude that in the race terrestriall he is onely guerdened with reward that toucheth first the but and in this race celestiall not onely one but all may be crowned with euerlasting blisse In which excellent Simile the Apostle compareth Cursui vitam stadio pretatem praemio salutem i. our life to a race or running piety and godlinesse to a race wherein we must runne and euerlasting blisse to a promised reward So runne that ye may obteine That is so liue in this life vnder the Gospell of Christ Iesus that ye may obteine euerlasting life in the life to come In which heauenly exhortation of Paul we may generally obserue these thrée things First Quid sit currere what is meant by this word Runne Secondly Qualiter quid currendum how must we runne to obteine So Runne Thirdly Praemium promissum the reward promised to all those that run lawfully First Runne By this race or running is vnderstood this present life of man The life of man is compared to many things Some of the Philosophers haue compared it to a bubble some to a sléepe some to a dreame some to one thing some to another Iob compareth it to a wind the Prophet Dauid compareth it to a shadow Iames to a vapor Peter to a flower Esay to grasse and the Apostle Paul in respect of the celerity and swiftnesse thereof compareth it here to a Race or running Quid aliud saith S. Augustine est vita nostra nisi quidam cursus ad mortem vita dum crescit decrescit vita mortalis mors vitalis i. what is our life but a certaine running to death our life while it increaseth decreaseth our life is dying our death is liuing The traueller the longer he goeth on his iourney the nigher he is his iourneys end the children of Israel the longer they wandred from Egypt
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