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
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
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