The CHRISTIAN RACE.

SERMO N XVIII.

I CORINTHIANS ix. 24, 25.

Know ye not, that they which run in a Race,

run all, but one receiveth the Prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every Man that striveth for the Mastery is temperate in all Things. Now They do it to obtain a corruptible Crown, but We an incorruptible.

HESE Words are an Allufion to s ERM. those public Races, which were XVIII. much in Use amongst the Heathens, in St. Paul's Days, and drew together a great Concourse of People from all Parts. And as it was His Cuftom to draw Arguments for Care, and Diligence, and Patience, in Chriftians, from what paffed in the World about Him; fo we find Him frequently refering to all the Other Sports, and Contests, then in Ufe: fuch as Fighting, Wrestling,

and

SERM. and the like. Thus, fpeaking of the Chriflian Con-
XVIII. teft He fays, We wrestle not, Or, as it is in

the Original, Our wrestling is not, against
Flesh and Blood, but against Principalities and
Powers, &c. Eph. vi. 12. And, immediate-
ly after the Text, speaking of Himself, He
Tays, So fight I, not as One that beateth the
Air; Or, more literally, as One who is not
beating the Air, in a feigned Fight, merely to
exercise his Arms and Hands: But, like One
in earnest, I keep under, or rather, beat my Bo-
dy, and bring it into Subjection as an Adver-
fary: which He expreffes by Words taken
from the Bruifes and Marks of those fevere
Blows given to Adverfaries in the public
Fightings of his Days; and the Infults over
Them when conquered. And, in the tri-
umphant Review of his own Conduct, He
particularly makes ufe of the Expreffions
peculiar to these Games, and Contests,
2 Tim. iv. 7. I have fought a good Fight;
I have finished my Race: A Crown of Glory,
is laid up for me. `
So alfo, in other Places of

his Writings.

In the Words of the Text, He entirely confines his View to the public Races, then much frequented: And They may be thus interpreted. "You know that They who pretend to run in the Stadium, or Place in which the

public Races are performed, All indeed runs ER M• for the Prize propofed; but that One only xvIII. obtains it; He, that outdoes the reft, in Acti- ✔ vity, and Swiftnefs. And the like may be faid of the Chriftian Race. They who profess Chriftianity, or pretend to be aiming at the Re-. wards promised to Chriftians, All pretend likewife to run the Christian Courfe, or lead the Life of Chriftians. But it is one Sort only of Thefe, who obtain the Prize proposed; only They, who come up to the Conditions required by their great Mafter and Judge. So run that ye may obtain; that is, Since there is but one Sort of Profeffed Chriftians, who can obtain the Crown of Life, contended for, it ought to be your Endeavour fo to run the Chriftian Race, that you may be of that Number. But in order to this, You must confider That Every one who ftriveth, in thefe Races amongst the Heathens, undergoes a great deal of Pains, and exercises the feverest Inftances of Command over his Appetites, in order to the preparing his Body, and going through the Fatigue of his Undertaking. Now They do all this to obtain a Garland of fading Leaves, and the Acclamations of Men perifhing like themfelves: How much more fhould We Chriftians willingly undergo the like Care and Labour, who expect a far greater Reward; an inccorruptible Crown of never-fading Glory,

and

SER M. and eternal Honour, in the Prefence of XVIII. God?"

Thus we fee what the Apostle aims at, in this Allufion to the Preparation, Care, and Labour, of Those who ftrove in the Sports and Games of the Heathen. And from these Words, thus interpreted, I propofe,

I. To confider the Nature of the Chriftian Race, reprefented to us in this Allufion; and what is neceffary in order to Success in it: under which will appear the main Intention of the Apoftle in this Paffage. And,

II. To take occafion from hence to enlarge the Apostle's Argument, by adding an Inftance or Two, of that Care, and Labour, and Pains, which the Men of the World, by their own Choice, undergo, for the obtaining as great a Portion as They can, of the good Things below; in order to ftir up an Emulation and Zeal, in Chriftians, who profess to feek after nobler Enjoyments above, to equal, if not excell, Them, in all the like Care, and Labour, and Patience.

I. We are led to confider the Nature of the Christian Race, represented to us in this Allufion, and what is requifite to our Succefs in it:

not

not excluding what St. Paul often alludes to, SER M. and argues, relating to the Other public Games XVIII. and Contests for Glory, amongst the Men of W his Age.

Let us fee, then, what was thought requi

fite, at that Time, towards finishing those Races, to which the Apostle alludes, fo fuccessfully, as to obtain the Garland, or corruptible Crown, He here fpeaks of; and confider whether this will not lead us into fome proper Thoughts about the Nature of the Chriftian Life; and what is requifite towards the obtaining the End propofed by all who are really Chriftians. Now,

1. In order to the ftriving and contending fuccessfully, in these Races, or other Exercifes, it was thought abfolutely neceffary for the Contenders to undergo a severe Preparation, by which they were made fit for the Fatigues of their Contests. And this is one Thing principally aimed at, by the Apostle in the Text, when He fays, Every one that firiveth for the Maftery, or that pretends to run, and contend, for the Prize, is temperate in all Things; performs every Inftance of Self-denial, and Command of all his Appetites, neceffary to fit him for the fuccefsful finishing of his main Undertaking. And from hence the

Apofile