A CAVEAT AGAINST INFIDELITY. 2 Tim. ii. 5. If a Man also strive for Masteries, yet is lie not crowned, except he strive lawfully. INTRODUCTION. IIE life of a christian is not a state of indolence and ease : T If we seek for salvation and eternal glory, in the way of the gospel, we most shake of sloth and idleness : There is some sacred skill and wisdom required in it, with a vigorous and holy exercise of the best powers of nature : Therefore St. Paul, in my text, cog -. pares it to those games or bodily exercises which were practised at appointed seasons by the Greeks, wherein they'exerted their utmost care and activity : Ile uses the same comparison in his first epistle to the Corinthians, chapter ix. verse 24, 25. Where lie speaks of being temperate in all things, and striving to obtain a crown : And he alludes to it in several other parts of his writ- ings. The apostle John, or rather Christ himselfseems to have some reference to it, in his epistles to the churches, where he proposes large recompences to them that overcome, and promi- ses a crown of life; Rev, 1k 10. and iii. 21. These games were of various kinds, such as running a race, wrestling, fighting, &c. Now, for each of these kinds of con-, test, there werecertain laws and rules ordained, as inracing, they must start from such a spot of ground, they must run such a road or track, they must reach such a goal, and approach it in a proper manner too : In wrestling, the law of the contest re- quired them to be naked, that they might not take the advantage of each others clothing : In fighting, they must use only that sort of weaponwhich was appointed for the combat, &c. And though the crown which was given to the conquerors was but a poor corruptible one, as the apostle speaks, for it was made of the leaves of an olive, a laurel, a pine-tree, or of parsley ; yet, so much honour attended it, and so strict were the overseers ofit, that none obtained this prize, though he took never so much pains, and shewed never so great activity, if lie did not manage himself in all things, according to the rules of the game or con- test. So a man, who seeks the prize of heavenly happiness, and aims at thecrown of life and glory, must carefully conform him- self to the sacred rules which God has appointed ; otherwise he may labour and strive in vain. I take this to be the precise meaning of the apostle in the text, and it gives us fair occasion to derive this doctrine :
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