of the Field there is ftill before us, and how short a time is left us to compass it in. This is an Enquiry, very fit to be frequently and diligently made, efpecially at each of our Approaches to the Bleffed Table; at all folemn Seafons of Humiliation and Repentance: (and confequently very proper to be recommended now, as a good Introduction to the LentFaft) That fo, upon every fresh Examination, the State of our Souls may be diftinctly known; And that, when this is rightly understood, fuch Knowledge may produce its due Effect. That, if we have, (as alas! Who hath not?) ftood ftill, or loitered, or loft Ground, we may quicken our Pace, and fetch it up, before it be too late: Or, if we find our selves moving forward, that the nearer we approach, the more we may exert our Strength and not by rough Ways, dead Hearts, and feeble Knees, by fainting, and growing weary in well-doing, not only lofe our Crown, but have the Calamity of that Lofs doubled to us, by disappointing all our paft Hopes and Toil, and miffing the Prize, to our Shame and Eternal Confufion; when we were juft in fight, and might, by bearing up but a little longer, certainly have fecured the Blifs and Honour of it. Of fo ufeful, fo neceffary Confequence, is this Allufion to us; And of fo much concern, to confider every Christian in this Life, as one engaged in a Race; To reflect, what Value each of us runs for, and how he ought to acquit himself, in the glorious Undertaking. 2. The other Allufion of St. Paul, in this Scripture, to the Wrestling and Cuffing in the Games celebrated among thefe Corinthians, refemble the Chriftian's Duty to a Fight. And This is likewife a Direction in feveral Inftances, particularly in these that follow. (1.) This (1.) This is a farther Incitement to our Zeal, as it represents to us the Oppofition, we are like to meet with, in our great Affair. The former Similitude fuppofes every Competitor for the Prize obliged to make the best of his way; but the Prefent intimates a danger, not only of being out-ftripp'd by the more vigorous Endeavours of Others, but of encountring great Difficulties and Obftructions in our Own. And therefore it calls upon us to prepare for a Combat. The Nature whereof when we rightly understand, it will plainly appear to be fuch, as we can neither decline, nor behave our felves negligently in, without fuffering the utmost Damage and Difhonour. For (2.) This Combat is here resembled to those of the Olympick Games, where Men contended, not out of hatred, or with an intent to deftroy, but for a Prize, and with design to mafter, their Adverfary. That Adverfary, in the Cafe before us, is by St. Paul, Verse 27. faid to be the Body. That is, the Senfual and Carnal Appetites; which are ever putting us upon endeavouring after, placing our Affections upon, and efteeming our chief Happinefs to confift in, the Gratifications of Senfe, and Enjoyments of the prefent World. This is reputed an Adverfary, because it wars against our Spiritual Part, diverts our Pursuit of purer and more lafting Joys, renders us carelefs of our main Concern, that future State, where alone complete Happiness is to be had. And, the more we indulge the Suggestions of this Part, the farther we fwerve from the Principles of Reafon and Religi on. Yet ftill this is a Part of us. God hath implanted those Defires in our Nature for excellent Purpofes; He continues them there for a conftant Exercise of our Virtue; And therefore, though the Body be an Adverfary, yet it is not fuch a one, as must be ha ted or flain, but only kept under and brought into fub→ jection. Thefe Paffions and Affections then it is not Р the the business of Religion utterly to root out; but only, by prudent Restraints, and proper Acts of Self-denial, to govern, and reduce, and contain within due Measures: that fo They, upon all Occafions, may obey, and the nobler Faculties of our Mind may rule, and fet bounds to them. (3.) That thefe Self-denials may not be mifunderstood, as Commands tyrannical and unreasonably fevere, we fhall do well, once more to caft our Eye upon the Allufion, made ufe of by the Apostle. He at Verse 25. compares them to the Temperance, prefcribed and practifed, by way of preparation for the Olympick Games. The Obfervance whereof contributed to Mens Activity and Vigour, and more fuccefsful Performance, in the parts they undertook, and defired to fignalize themfelves by. This is directly Our Cafe. God does not tie us up with Arbitrary Laws, to unnatural Cruelties, that should make Life a Burden; but commands us to maintain fuch a Conflict, as the Condition of Human Nature hath made unavoidable. He would have us fubdue fuch Defires, and deny our felves fuch Gratifications only, as, when freely indulged, are prejudicial, and obftruct the great End, and true Happinefs, of Human Nature. Such as are below the Dignity, and difturb the Operations, and enervate the nobleft Powers, of a reafonable Mind; and therefore ought to be curbed by us, as Men. But efpecially, fuch as are inconfiftent with the ftrict Sobriety and Purity, with the generous Charity, and heavenly Mindednefs of Chriftians. Who, as fuch, fhould, in their whole Behaviour, keep up the diftinction between a perifhing Body and an immortal Soul; and reckon all below, but Drofs and Dung in comparison; no farther worth their care, than as it may be ferviceable to them in obtaining, but not by any means fit to come in competition with, or fuffered to divert them from, or hinder them them in their Endeavours after, their incorruptible Crown of Glory. Since then the Reward we have in view, is fo excellent; if the Terms of attaining it were yet much more difficult, we could not be juft to our own Intereft, fhould we refufe to comply with them. But then, fince thofe very Terms are for our Intereft ; how inexcufable are those wretched Men, who will not fubmit to the Methods of being as happy, as they can be here, in order to being infinitely happy hereafter? The Combat I have been treating of every Man is called to. And every Man, if the fault be not his own, may prove victorious in it. That Paffage before us of One obtaining the Prize, is not intended by St. Paul to leffen our Hopes, but to encourage our Labours. It is meant to teach us, that the utmost we are able to do is little enough, that the Benefit we aim at will recompenfe all our Pains, and, that each Perfon, upon that account, fhould exert himself as vigorously, and be as careful not be outdone by any other, as if only the One beft in the whole Number could win the Prize, that All are ftriving for. Let us then (and God grant we may) put forth our whole Strength, fix our Minds upon this Crown, and be continually preffing forward to it. Let us not fuffer our Thoughts to be diffipated by Impertinence or Vanity; by any of the Follies or the Trifles, which, upon pretence of entertaining, would loofen them, and break their Force in this most neceffary, as well as most important Affair. For we are not fo much as at liberty to engage in, or to ftand clear of, this Race and Combat. Were the Choice left to Us, yet not to come in were to be undone. But that was happily made for us long ago. We set out in this Courfe, and were lifted in this Service at our Baptifm, and cannot retract without Defertion and Apoftacy. The greater Reafon is there, why, having P 2 having gone fo far already, we fhould by all means difengage our felves from the weight of our fenfual and corrupt Affections. Mortifying them by the Abftinence, and other Holy Severities, proper for that Seafon of Humiliation and Fafting, to which this Portion of Scripture is fo wifely propounded, by our Admirable Church, as a feasonable Preparation. And, laftly, Let not any of Us prefume to think thofe Remedies a Dif penfation below us, to which St. Paul himself did not difdain to have recourfe. For if He, who was caught up into the Third Heaven, favoured with extraordinary Visions and Revelations, above the Power of Human Tongue to utter, entrusted with the Converfation of fo many Nations, and indefatigably laborious in that Miniftry; If He, notwithstanding all these Virtues and Ver. 27. Advantages, found it neceffary to keep. under his Body, and bring it into fubjection; If he faw reason to fear, that otherwife He, after having preached to others, fhould himself be a Caft-away; what Care can be too great for Us, whofe Attainments and Zeal are fo much lefs? How can we answer it to God, or to our own Souls, if we fo far forget our own Sinfulness and Frailty; as not readily to fubmit to every Method of forwarding us in the Race that is fet before us, and make not a diligent and thankful ufe, of every advantage and defence, in this War of the Spirit against the Flesh? For fure we ought to esteem it a most happy thing, if, by all poffible means, we can at last arrive to that unspeakable Bleffing, of having our whole Spirit, and Soul, and Body, preferved blameless unto the Coming of our Lord Jefus Christ, and be in that great Day mercifully delivered by His Goodness. Which he of his infinite Mercy grant we may; To whom be Glory and Honour, for ever and ever. 1 Theff. v. Collect for the Septua |