The Celestial Race, or, the Saints Compared to Runners

    THE CELESTIAL RACE, OR, THE SAINTS COMPARED TO RUNNERS

    "Know ye not, that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize; so run that ye may obtain," 1Co 9:24.

    "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us; and let us run with patience the Race that is set before us," Heb 12:1.

    CHRISTIANITY, or the life of a Christian, is in these scriptures compared to a race. "So ran that ye may obtain." A Christian is compared to a man that runs a Race.

    What sort of Race the apostle principally alludes to, is not, as we conceive, so material; besides, many worthy men do not agree about it, some being subject to think the apostle alludes to the Olympic games. We shall therefore run the parallel, with respect to such things concerning a Race, which all generally agree in.

    To run, is variously taken in scripture.

    1 To break through, Ps 18:29.

    2 To strive with the greatest speed and celerity, or to make haste, Pr 1:16; 2Ki 4:22.

    3 Eagerly in affection to be carried after, 1Pe 4:4.

    4 To pass without let, Ps 147:15.

    5 To labour with earnestness.

    6. To go forward, Ga 5:1.

    METAPHOR

    I. A man that runs in a Race, takes great care to begin well. It behoves him to be exact in his setting out. 1. In respect of time. 2. In respect of place; he observes the place from whence he must begin to run. A little time lost at the beginning of a Race is dangerous.

    PARALLEL

    I. So a Christian ought to take great care how he begins or sets out in the Race towards eternal life, 1. In respect of time, it behoveth him to set out early enough; he must not defer the great concernment of his soul; delays are dangerous. "Seek the Lord whilst he may be found, call upon him whilst he is near," Isa 55:6. "I love them that love me, and they that seek me early, shall find me," gerous. Pr 8:17. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation!" 2Co 6:2. Some men begin too late, they mind not the call of God. "To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." "Because I have called, and ye have refused, &c. I also will laugh at your calamity. Then they shall call upon me, but I will not answer," Pr 1:24,28. They ought to observe the place from which they must depart. He that would go to Zion, must leave Babylon; as he would go to Zoar, so he must depart out of Sodom. He must leave the way of sin, yea, all the evil courses, customs, traditions, and inventions of men: "Ye did run well," &c.

    METAPHOR

    II. A man that runs in a Race, must see to put himself in a fit equipage. He puts off his upper clothes, and gets meet and necessary garments for the purpose: be cause the clothes that a man usually wears, would much encumber him in his running.

    PARALLEL

    II. So a Christian ought to know the way to salvation, to be well instructed in the path of eternal life. Christ is the Way: "No man, (saith he,) cometh unto the Father, but by me," Joh 14:6. "There is no other name under heaven given, whereby we must be saved," Ac 4:12.

    1. Christ is the Way, as a priest, who offered himself up as a sacrifice to God for us, to atone and make peace between the Father and us.

    2. Christ is the way as a King, who hath appointed us laws and ordinances, which we must obey and follow, to manifest our subjection unto him, "I will run the way of thy commandments," Ps 119:32.

    3. As a Prophet, who hath laid down all rules and heavenly directions necessary for us in matters of faith and practice, whom, we must hear in all things.

    4. Christ is the Way, in that holy example he hath left, that we should follow his steps. A saint observes the very footsteps of Christ, and of the primitive church; he sees the good old way plain before him, as it is recorded in the holy scripture, and thereby knoweth which way to steer his course, Ac 2:23; 1Pe 2:21.

    III. A man that runs in a Race, must see to put himself in a fit equipage. He puts off his upper clothes, and gets meet and necessary garments for the purpose: because the clothes that a man usually wears, would much encumber him in his running.

    PARALLEL

    III. So a man that would set out in the spiritual Race, or in a speedy course towards salvation, must cast off the rags of his own righteousness, and put on the righteousness of Jesus Christ by faith; for that garment, with the garment of holiness and humility, is only necessary, and must be put on by all that run the Race set before them, so as to obtain the prize, Ro 13:14.

    METAPHOR

    IV. A man that would run in a race, so as to obtain the prize, must lay aside all weights whatsoever; for all know, that if a man have a weight or burden on him, it will greatly hinder or obstruct him in his running: nay, if he do not cast it off it will soon cause him to be weary, and faint in the way.

    PARALLEL

    IV. So a Christian that would run in this heavenly Race, must cast off every spiritual weight. This the apostle directly counsels the Saints to do: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the Race set before us," Heb 12:1. Now these weights are, 1. The inordinate affections. Our hearts must not be set upon things below, not inordinately upon father or mother, son or daughter, house or land; for he whose heart runs out in a covetuous manner after the world, as the prophet shows, is like a man that is laden with thick clay, Hab 2:6. It is impossible for a man to run this Race with the world upon his back. What was it that weighed down the young man in the Gospel, that came running to Christ, who seemed to be in a full speed towards eternal life? Was it not the inordinate love to the world? 2. Sin: sin is a weight: "That sin that doth so easily beset us." Some understand, the sin of unbelief is meant hereby; others, a man's constitutional sin, or the sin of his nature, that which he is most easily overtaken with, whether it be pride, passion, &c. Sin, yea, every sin must be cast off, take it how you will, though I rather adhere to the latter, if a man would so run as to obtain; for nothing like guilt tends to make a Christian grow weary and faint in his mind.

    METAPHOR

    V. A man that would run so as to obtain the prize, must not be over-charged with inordinate eating and drinking; for experience shows how that unfits a man for running a Race, or for any other enterprise whatever. And a man that striveth for mastery is temperate in all things.

    PARALLEL

    V. So a Christian must take heed he be not overcharged in a spiritual sense; there is a spiritual sense: there is spiritual gluttony and drunkenness spoken of in scripture. Hence saith our Saviour, "Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares," Lu 22:34. What is meant by surfeiting, drunkenness, &c., but all kind of loose living, 1Th 5:7. Wanton riotousness, excessive delight in, or desires after the pleasures of this world, &c. Or on the other hand, being overwhelmed, and sorely afflicted or perplexed with inordinate cares about earthly matters? All these things must be avoided by those, who would run the spiritual Race so as to obtain the prize.

    METAPHOR

    VI. A man that would run in a Race, so as to obtain the prize, must see he doth not lessen his pace; he must run swiftly, and run constantly; if he loiter, or grow careless, and idle, no wonder if he lose the prize.

    PARALLEL

    VI. So a Christian must run with speed, he must be very diligent, swift-footed, which is signified by running; and also he must be even in his course. He must not be like the Galatians, Ga 5:7, only run well for a time, but continue always to the end the same pace, i.e., keep in a constant course of godly zeal and holiness, according to that of the apostle, "We desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope to the end," Heb 6:11. Some men seem very zealous in a fit, they are all on a flame, as it were, none more forward and lively in God's ways, and in his holy worship, than they; but on a sudden oftentimes, as hath been observed, they flag, and grow weary. It may be, as the proverb is, a zealous apprentice, a lukewarm journeyman, and a quite cold master.

    METAPHOR

    VII. A man that would run so as to obtain the prize, ought to be strong and healthy. A distempered person, or one that falls sick in the way, is not likely to obtain the prize; a consumptive man, or one that hath feeble knees, or a distempered heart, is not likely to hold out.

    PARALLEL

    VII. So a Christian, that runs the heavenly Race, ought to labour after spiritual strength: "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might," Eph 6:10. "Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus," 2Ti 2:1. Distempers are as apt to seize upon the soul as upon the body, viz., the tympany of pride, the fever of passion, the trembling of the heart through slavish fear, the stone of a hard heart, the spiritual consumption, or decay of grace; want of breath, difficulty in breathing out constant and fervent prayers and desires to God, or any other decay of the inward man, or disease of the soul. If any of these seize upon a Christian, in his course to eternal life, without speedy cure, they will cause him to faint, and fall short of the blessed prize.

    METAPHOR

    VIII. A man that runs in a Race, if he fall lame in the way, is not likely to obtain the prize.

    PARALLEL

    VIII. So that Christian that falleth lame, in a spiritual sense, in the Race to glory, is in danger of miscarrying. "Make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but rather let it be healed," Heb 12:13. Some by lameness understand want of sincerity, when there is a work upon one faculty of the soul, and not upon another; i.e., when the conscience is awakened, and the understanding somewhat enlightened, and yet the will and affection is for sin and the world. This man is lame, he is no sound man, he goes limping: he will not run long, as he runs not well. Others by lameness understand more directly, a wavering mind about some main truths of the Gospel, or about the public and visible owning and professing of Christ and the Gospel, in respect of those truths that are most opposed by men, in the day and generation in which we live. Some are like those in the prophet Elijah's time, they halt between two opinions, stand wavering between God and Baal, and know not which to cleave to, whether to the Protestant, or Popish religion, 1Ki 18:21. Now these are lame professors; they are corrupt, or not sincere; they will not, unless healed, hold out to the end of the Race, but be turned out of the way.

    METAPHOR

    IX. A man that meets with bad way in running a Race, is thereby many times hard put to it, and in danger of losing the prize. As when he is forced to run up-hill a great while together, or meets with a rough and untrodden path, or, is fain to run through a deep mire, or a very dirty lane; this tries his strength, courage, and resolution.

    PARALLEL

    IX. So when a Christian meets with hard things, or passeth through great difficulties in his way to heaven, he is much put to it, viz., when he is forced to mount the hill of opposition, and pass over the stile of carnal reason, and through the perilous lane of persecution, and valley of the shadow of death; "Being accounted all the day long as a sheep for the slaughter," Ps 44:22, He then is tried to purpose. Many that have set out heavenwards in a day of peace and prosperity, have in a time of tribulation and persecution grown weary, or being offended, have fallen away, Mt 13:21.

    METAPHOR

    X. Men that run in a Race, have many spectators, who stedfastly look upon them, to see how they run, and who will win; some hoping one will gain the prize, and others hoping the same man will lose it.

    PARALLEL

    X. So the saints of God have many and eminent spectators, who stedfastly look upon them, with great expectation, to see how they behave themselves, whilst they run the celestial Race, viz. God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the one Almighty and eternal God. Yea, and all the holy angels, on the same side, behold them with great earnestness, hoping they will hold out to the end, and obtain the crown of everlasting glory, and to that purpose help and encourage them in their course. On the other side, there are all the devils, or wicked angels, who have their eyes upon them for evil, who do not only hope and long to see them grow weary and faint in their minds, but also strive, as much as in them lies, to hinder and resist them in their Race, so that they may lose the prize, Ec 3:1-2.

    METAPHOR

    XI. Some men run a great while, and afterwards grow weary, and slack their pace, nay, quite give over running, and so lose the prize.

    PARALLEL

    XI. So some professors seem to run well, to be zealous for God and religion a great while, it may be for many years together; but when trouble arises, or temptation seizes upon them, they grow weary, and indifferent about these matters, and with Demas, cleave to this present evil world, and so turn with the dog to his vomit again, and lose eternal life.

    METAPHOR

    XII. Some men that have run in a Race, have run for a great prize, yea, for a crown, as some have observed, and when they have won it, have been praised exceedingly, it being esteemed a mighty honour; it hath not only enriched them, but been to their great renown and glory.

    PARALLEL

    XII. So the Saints of God, who run this heavenly Race, run for a great prize, viz., a crown of glory. "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," 1Co 9:25. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life," Re 2:10. "I have," saith Paul, "fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which God the righteous Judge will give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing," 2Ti 4:7-8. This prize will not only enrich the soul that obtains it, but raise his renown and glory to eternity. He shall be honoured of all, nay, he is the man whom the king delights to honour: "They shall sit down with Christ on his throne," &c., Re 3:21,

    METAPHOR

    XIII. The man that runs, who resolves to win the prize, breaks through all difficulties, will not regard any vain allurements, but presses on with his utmost strength, celerity and speed imaginable; the thoughts of the rich prize animating his mind, and prompting him on so to do.

    PARALLEL

    XIII. So a true Christian, who resolves for heaven, he makes haste, he breaks through all difficulties, and regards not the golden balls Satan throws in his path, viz., none of the vain allurements of this world, but with his uttermost strength, celerity, and eagerness of affection, presseth forward. "I press towards the mark," &c., Php 3:14. "He strives to enter in at the strait gate," Mt 7:13. He strives against Satan, against the world, against sin, strives in hearing, in praying, being greatly animated and encouraged thus to do, by seeing him who is invisible, to the natural eye, and by having a sight of the excellent reward, or that glorious crown and kingdom he knows he shall receive, when he comes to the end of the Race, Heb 11.

    METAPHOR

    I. Some men in running a Race do their best; they do whatever in them lieth to obtain the prize, but nevertheless lose it.

    DISPARITY

    I. But now a Christian, whoever he be, that doth his best, does what he can in all uprightness of heart, to believe, to close in with Christ, to love, serve, and obey him, shall never miss of eternal life, Joh 10:2; Ro 8:1. Never was any man damned, saith a worthy minister, that did what he could to be saved.

    METAPHOR

    II. Many run in a Race, but one only can obtain the prize.

    PARALLEL

    II. But though thousands run in this spiritual Race, yet they may all obtain the prize.

    INFERENCES.

    I. We may infer from hence, that the work and business of a Christian is hard and difficult; heaven is not obtained without running, wrestling, striving, warring, &c.

    II. That many professors, who set out heaven-ward, and run well a little while, are not like notwithstanding to obtain eternal life; it is only he that endureth to the end, that shall be saved, Mt 24:13.

    III. It may also inform us what the reason is, that so many persons faint or grow weary in this spiritual Race. (1.) Their weights which they have upon them may occasion it. Or, (2.) The way being bad, or up-hill. (3.) Their not being temperate in all things. (4.) Their being diseased or lame. (5.) Satan beguiling them with his golden balls. (6.) They being not thoroughly affected with the worth of that glorious prize they run for. (7.) By means of their trusting in their own strength, &c. (8.) Their growing lazy, loving present ease, &c. (9.) And lastly, which is the sum of all, their not being truly converted, never effectually wrought upon by the Spirit of grace.

    IV. It may serve to stir us all up to the greatest diligence imaginable, to the end. Whatsoever we meet in the way, heaven will make amends for all.