[3.] Resist and oppose strongly against the first risings of the flesh and the tickling and pleasing motions of sin that doth easily beset us when it doth entice us away from God, or to do anything that is unseemly and contrary unto the duties of our heavenly calling. Oh ! remember we are not debtors to the flesh, Rom. viii. 20. Thou art tied to the Lord by all obligations and indulgence ; therefore break the force of sin by a serious resistance ; check it, and let thy soul rise up in indignation against it : my business is not to pleasure the flesh, but to please the Lord.
[4.] Bewail thy involuntary lapses and falls with penitential tears, as Peter ' went out and wept bitterly,' Mat. xxvi. 75. Godly soitow is of great use for laying aside of sin, as salt potions kill worms. When children are troubled with worms we give them salt potions ; so these bitter penitential tears are the means God hath appointed to mortify sin. That is the reason the apostle saith, 2 Cor. vii. 10, ' Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of.' It is not only a part of repentance, but worketh preserving durable resolutions, a walking closely with God ; it is a means God hath blessed to this end and purpose.
[5.] Recover from thy falls, renew thy combat ; as Israel, when they were overcome in battle, they would try it again and again, Judges XX. 28. Take heed of ceasing for the present ; for though thy enemy seems to prevail, though the flesh seems to prevail against the spirit in the battle, yet thou shalt have the best of it in the war ; by the power of grace thou shalt have the victory.
Thus have I gone over the privative part of our duty : ' Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us.' I should have come to the positive : ' Let us run with patience the race that is
420 FAREWELL SERMON. [HeB. XII. 1.
Ret before us,' Tliere is the duty, let us run the race that is set before us ; and there is the manner of the duty, let us run icWi patience. I should have shown you that a Christian's life is like a race from earth to heaven, in a way of holiness and exercise of grace. This race it continues as long as we continue in the world, irom our nativity to our death ; after death the strife is ended. Now, in this race we nuist run, and so run that we may obtain the crown, 1 Cor. ix. 24. Run- ning is a motion, and a speedy motion ; there is no lying, sitting, or standing, but still there must be running. We mast make a further progress in the way to heaven, ' forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,' Phil. iii. 13.
The runner was not to inquire how much of the way already was past, but to strain himself to overcome what was yet behind. And so should we consider what sins are yet to be mortified, what duties yet untouched, almost untouched ; what hard conflicts are yet to be under- gone, and still to hold on our way without turning aside or halting because of difficulties, discourngements, stuml)ling-blocks. And there are fellows and co-partners with us that run this race, with whom we may strive in a holy emulation who should go forwardest, who should be most forward in the course of pleasing God. 0 Christians ! there are many contentions amongst us, but when shall we have this holy contention ? Heb. x. 24. In a race there is the agonoUteta, the judge of the sports ; so here God observes all. No matter what the standers- by say, the judge of the sports must decide who must have the crown,
1 Cor. xiv. 3, 4. And then at the end of the race there is the crown :
2 Tim. iv. 7, 8, ' I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,' kc. In a race there are spectators ; so there are here God, angels, and men : 1 Cor. iv. 9, ' We are a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men,' &c.
Thus, for the similitude of our race in our way to heaven. Now wherein it differs.
This is a race, not undertaken out of wantonness, but out of neces- sity. God hath called us to this course ; and if we run not in this race, we are undone for ever. And in other races but one had the crown ; here all are crowned, 2 Tim. iv. 8, though they be not so emi- nent as the apostle. Here all are crowned that run in the manner God hath required : ' Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto them that love his appearing.'
For the manner, ivilk 'patience : ' Let us run witli patience.' Patience is necessary : —