25 And every man that * ſtriveth for the maſtery z, is temperate in all things 2: Now they 4s zt to ob. tain a corruptible crown, but we an * incorrupti-
*ble b.
z This is not all that is required ef men that would go to Hea-
- ven, that they do not make an ill uſe of their liberty, uſing it to "the diſhonour of God, or to the Prejudice of others; but look as ' it is with Wreſtlers in thoſe Games, in praQtice amongſt you, they are tcmporate in all things, in theſe uſe ofmeats and drinks, or any
' pleaſures, (though in themſelves lawful) they will ſo uſe them, as
may beſt ſerve their end, the upholding the ſtrength of cheir body
' for the motion they are to uſe, not clogging themſelves with * them, or ſouſing them, that they ſhall indiſpoſe them to, or hin-
" that fadth not away, referued in heaven fir ,as the Apoſtleſ; A
der them in their motion. a We that are Chriſtians, and ſtri- ving for Heaven, ſhould alſo do the like, ſo behaving our ſelves in theuſe of meats, drinks, apparel, pleaſures, as the things ſo uſed by us, may ſerve us in our buſineſs for Heaven, and be no clog or hindrance to us. 6 And we have reaſon ſo to do, or we ſhall be ſhamed by thoſe Gameſtres; for they in that manner deny, re. ſtrain, and govern themſelves to ger a Crown, which when they have, isa pitiful, corruptible, periſhing thing ; we do it for a Crown that is incorruptible; An mheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,
1 Pet. 1. 4-
THIANS. 26 I therefore ſo run, not as uncectainly; {; fo * 10 fight
I, not as one that beateth the air «c
© The Apoſtle propoſeth his own example. As it in Country-work, he that only bids his Servaars do wor net his own hand to it, or at leaft doth not attend a them in their work, hath little done: $9 ir is as Obſervable;., c. ritual work, that a Miniſter ofthe Golpel, who only 6 6 ; - pit diQtates duty to others, but out of ic, doth nothiag = Tl. ſelf, ſe]Jdom doth any good by his preaching. People nor i Hin, ly inclined to any ſpiritual duty have the 01d Prov:rb " 0 care thy ſelf, at their tongues end, and are hard to bell ns Teacher, who doth not in ſome meaſure live up to kis ny _ Etrine. Therefore, faith the Apoſtle, 7 rim, Tamin the _ with you, andrunning to tke ſame mark and for the ſame = give you no other council than I my ſelf rake, I endeavous "gk live, ſo inallthings to behave my ſelf, as I may nor bz at ho » tainte whether I pleaſe God by my ations, or ſhall Fetto wene yeaor no, Iam a Fellow-Soldicr with you, fighting apainſ (.
is obſcryeg k, and Puryg ad overlngk
I make it my great buſineſs not ſo to fight, ſo to reſt lin, a5if]
did beat the air, that is, get no more fruir, profit, or
by it, than if I threw ſtones againſt the wind, or with ant beat the air. Ir isnot every running, or every fighting, that wil bring a man to Heaven, it muſt be a cunning with al] our mi and continuing our motion till wecome to the end of ouc 5, 6 a fighting with all ouc might, and thar againſt all ſin. M
27 But I keep under my body, and
away e.
4 Here the Apoſtle informs us how he ran, that he might ng run uncertainly ; how he fought, fo as he might not be th. beating the air: 1 (faith he) keep under my body, and bring it in ſubjefion., By Body here, we muſt not underſtand only the A ; ſtles flefhly part (which we uſually call our body,).no not only more groſs and filtly affeQions and Juſts (as ſome of the Schoy] men have thought) bur what the Apoſtle elſewhere called rhe ai Man, under which notion cometh the finfal] inclinations gf Our W11ll, and corrupt diQtates ofReaſon, as it is in Man fince the B41 All this, as ic cometh under the notion of the fleſh in many other places of Scripture, and of our members which are npox the cath Col. 3. 5. So ir cometh here under the notion of the beay ; andin. deed is that which our Apoſtle calleth, The body of death, Rom. 1,
24. This wasthe objet of the Apoſile's Attion. The object 4. bout which he was exerciſed. For his .4ion, or exerciſe 2. bout this obje&, is expreſſed by two words, iaww7Jale ant Inc 9G, the former word (as ſome think) is borrowed from the PraQtice of thoſe that fought in the afore-mentioned Games, who
knock'd and beat one another till they were black and blue, and forced to yield themſelves conquered. The ſecond word fignificth to make one a Servant, to bring one under command, fo as hewill do what another would have him do. By theſe two Words the Apoſtle exprefleth, that Morrification, which he declareth himſelf to havelived inthe praQtice of, that he might not in his Race for Heaven run incertainly, nor in his ſpiritual fight loſe his labour, and reap no more profit, than ons ſhould reap that ſpends his time in beating the air, Their ſenſe who think that this duty of Pau was diſcharged by aQs ofmeer external diſcipline, ſuch as faſting, wearing ſackcloth, beating themſelves, &c. is much too ſhort; theſe things reach not to the mind of man, his corrupt afteions and luſts which give life to the extravagancy of the bodily mem- bers, though indeed they may ſome of them be good meansinor-
der to the greater work Pau/s meaning was, that he made it his
work to deny his ſenſitive appetite ſuch gratifyings as it would |