728 S A I N T S coMPARED -ro R U N N E R S. Book IV. METAPHOR. <One that ha:h feeble Knees, or a .di!\emper«l Heart, is not likely to hold out. PARALLEL. upon the Body, viz. the Tympany of Pride, the FeYer of Paf!ion, the Trembling of the Heart through flavifh Fear, the Stone of a hard Heart, the fpiritual Confumption, or Decay of Grace; vVant of Breath, Difficulty in breathing out conftant and fervent Prayers and Ddires to God, or any other Decay of the ill\•ard Man, or Difeafe of the Soul. If any of thefe feize upon a Chrdlian in his Courfe to eternal Life, without fpeedy Cure, they will caufe him to faint, and fall !hort of the bldfed Prize. VIII. A Man that runs in a VIII. So that Chriftian that falleth lame, in a Race, if he fall lame in the Way, fpiritual Senfe, in the Race to Glory, is in danger is not likely to obtain the Prize. of mifcarrying. JV!ake Jlrait Paths for your Feet, lejlthat which is lame be turned out of the Way, but rather let it be healed, Heb. xii. '3· Some by Lamenefs underftand want of Sincerity, when there is a W<Jrk upon one Faculty of the Soul, and not upon another; i.e. when the Conl<:ience is awakened, and the Underftanding fomewhat enlightened, and yet the Will and AffeCtion is for Sin and the World. This Man is lame, he is no found Man, he goes limping; he will no( run long, as he runs not well. Orhers by Lamenefs undn!tand more diretl:ly, a wavering MinJ about fame main Truths of the Gofpel, or about the public and vifible owning and profefling of Chrift and the Gofpel, in refpett of thofe Truths that are moft oppofed by Men, in the Day and Ge– neration in which we live. Some are like thofe in the Prophet Elijah's Time, they halt between two Opinions, ftand wavering between God and Baal, and know not which to cleave to, whether ro the Prote!tant, or Popifh Religion, 1 Kings xviii. 21. NO\v thefe are lame Profe!fors; they are corrupt, or not fincere; they will not, unlefs heal– ed, hold out to the End of the Race, but be turned out of the Way. IX. A Man that meets with bad IX. So when aChriftian meets with hard Thing,, Way in running a Race, is thereby 'or paffeth through great Drfficulties in his Way to many times hard ~ut to it, and in Heaven, he is much put to it, viz. when he is danger of lofing the Prize: As forced to mount the Hill of Oppofition, and pafs when he is forced to run up-hill a over the Stile of carnal Reafon, and through the great while together, or meets with perilous Lane of Perfecution, and Valley of the a rough and untrodden Path, or is Shadow of Death; Bci>>g accounted all/be Day long fain to run through a deep Mire, as a Sheep for the Slaughter, Pfal. xxiii. +· He or a Yery dirty Lane; thrs rries then is tried to purpofe. Many that have fet out his Strength, Courage, and RefoHeavenwards in a Day of Peace and Profperity, lmion. have in a Time of Tribulation and Perfecution grown weary, or being offended, have fallen away, X. Mer. that run in a Race, have many SpeCtators, who 1\edfaftly look upon them, to fee how they run, and who will win; fome ho– pincr one will aain rhe Prize, and oth~rs hoping 0 the fame Man will lofe it. JV[att. xiii. 21. X. So the Saints of God have many and em:nent SpeCtators, who ftcdfaftly look upon them, with great Expectation, to fee how they behave them– fdves, whilll they run the celeftial Race, viz. God the Father, the Lord Jefus Chrift, and the Holy Spirit, the one almighty and eternal God. Yea, and all the holy Angels, on the fame fide, behold them with great Earneftnefs, hoping they will hold out to the End, and obtain the Crown of everlafting Glory, and to that purpofe help and encourage them in their Courfe. On the other fide, there are all the Devils, or wicked Angels, who h-•ve their Eyes upon them for Evil, who do not only hope and long to fee them grow weary and faint in their Minds, but alfo ftrive, as much as in them lies, to hinder and ref1!1: them in their Race, fo that they may lofe the Prize, Zech. iii. 1, 2. XI. Some Men run a great while, and afu·rwards grow weary, and ilack their Pace, nay, quite give oYer running, and fo lofe the Prize. XL So fame Profeifors fee m to run well, to be zealous fur God and Religion a great while, it may be for many Years together; but when Trou– ble arifes, or Temptarion feizes upon them, they grow weary, and indifferent about thefe Matters, and, with Demas, cleave to this prelcnt evil World, an:l fo turn with rhc Dog to his Vomit again, and lofe eternal Life. XII. So
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