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
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
liuing man but yet hath no life at all within it so hypocrites séeme to liue by the life of grace yet are they dead in sinne and rotted in corruption They are new vpstart Gyants hauing two faces vnder one hood they come neere vnto God with their mouthes honor the Lord with their lips but their hearts are farre remoued from him Deum laudant in tympano sed non in choro i. They praise the Lord in the Tabor but not in the dance they serue God in shew but not in truth they beare with the figge trée great store of leaues but no fruite at all But alas alas these hypocrites that thus deceiue themselues hauing their reward on earth which they through vaineglory gréedily looke for at the hands of men shall neuer obtaine a crowne of righteousnesse being altogether vnrighteous but they shall haue their portion with hypocrites where shall be weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth For the Lord abhorreth all hollow hearts and double tongues all outward oblations and burnt sacrifices all outward shew and hypocriticall worship he is a Spirit and he will spue all such out of his mouth as worship him not in spirit and truth Simulata sanctitas duplex iniquitas i. Counterfeit godlinesse is so farre from holinesse as it is double vngodlinesse I say therefore vnto thée with S. Chrysostome Aut esto quod appares aut appare quodes i. Either be as thou séemest or séeme as thou art It is not séeming but being that shal go for pay Non auditores sed factores legis iustificabuntur i. Not the hearers but the doers of the Law shall be iustified Nec candem profitentes sed eidem obedientes glorificabuntur i. Not professors but performers shall be glorified Woe therefore to all hypocriticall mock-gods that runne not in the race of Christianity as they boast themselues by profession they shall roare at the gates of heauen and say Lord Lord haue we not by thy name prophecied and by thy name cast out diuels and by thy name done many great workes haue we not professed thy Gospell and borne the name of thine But because they did not the will of our heauenly father our Sauiour shall send them packing to hell with a Nescio vos professing on this manner vnto them I neuer knew you depart from me yee workers of iniquity O ye viperous serpents ô yee generation of vipers how shall ye escape the damnation of hell Let euery Christian therefore beware of the leauen of the Pharisées which is hypocrisie Beware of false Prophets which come vnto you in sheepes cloathing but inwardly are rauening wolues ye shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thornes of figs of thistles Walke wisely towards them that are without redeeming the time for the dayes are very euill That you may therefore preuent the damned traditions of this diuellish brood I say vnto you as our Sauiour sayd vnto his Apostles a little before his passion Behold I haue told you before Let euery Christian therefore auoiding all counterfeit and hypocriticall profession runne in the race of godlinesse seruing the Lord with all his heart with all his soule with all his strength in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of his life God calleth for our hearts My son giue me thy heart The Lord as saith S. Augustine Quia totum fecit totum exigit i. Because he made all he will haue all not a péece of the heart nor a roome in thy heart but the whole hart for the Lord is a iealous God and as a iealous husband cannot endure that his wife should giue her heart or any part thereof to any other man so the Lord cannot abide that we should giue any part of our hart from him He calleth not for a stony heart nor for a double heart but for a fleshly heart a hart purged by faith in Christ Iesus bathed in the bloud of the Lambe and throughly clensed by the fire of the spirit not an old heart neither a corrupted heart but a new hart and a new spirit for which the Prophet Dauid begged create in me a new hart ô god and renew a right spirit within me Let vs therefore I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God giue vp our bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God which is our reasonable seruing of God and let vs not fashion our selues like to this world but let vs be changed by the renewing of our minde In stead of dead beasts let vs giue vp our bodies which are liuely sacrifices and in stead of the bloud of beasts which was but a shadow and pleased not God of it selfe let vs giue vp the acceptable sacrifice of the spirituall man framed by faith to godlinesse of life Let vs sanctifie the Lord God in our harts who daily calleth for our harts let vs say with Dauid My soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name Let vs praise him in his sanctuary and in the firmament of his power let vs praise him in his mighty acts and according to his excellent greatnesse let vs praise him in the sound of a trumpet vpon the viole and harpe yea let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lord And that not onely in word and in tongue but in déede and in truth not in outward shew and profession only but in our pure liues and holy conuersations that so running in the race of godlines to the ende of our liues wée may bée blessed for euer and glorifying the Lord God by our holy conuersations in this world we may be eternally glorified of the Lord our God in the world to come So runne that ye may obtaine The last thing to be obserued in this heauenly race is praemium promissum The promised reward to all those that runne lawfully So great a reward it is as should stirre vp euery Christian to runne in the race of godlinesse If the king of his princely bounty would offer a 100000. pounds to him that should first come at a miles end would not thousands hazard their liues and aduenture a surfeit willingly that they may obtaine the same But the Lord hath offered vs a kingdome yea it is the pleasure of our heauenly father to giue vs a kingdome an habitation not made with hands nor purchased with gold and siluer but with the bloud of the immaculate Lambe And shall not we labour and streine our selues with might and maine to runne the race that is appointed for vs How will men toyle and moyle for a little worldly trash how will men vse all their wits and bend all their studies to be worldly rich Alas these are as doung in respect of this reward shal we not therfore much more labour for the meate y t shall neuer perish and for this glorious reward y t shall neuer be taken frō vs The greatnesse