A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties

Furthermore, being deluded with the flesh, we are ready to object, that though we have not attained to that perfection which were to be desired, yet we are forward enough in the course of Christianity, seeing we have outrun many others, although there are many also who are far before us. For answer whereof we are to know, that he who thinketh that he hath proceeded far enough, hath not as yet set one foot forward in the Christian Race; and though we had made some good progress, yet if we now stand still, and do not continue running till we come to the goal, we shall never obtain the Garland. And therefore, imitating runners who strive for a prize, we must not look so much to those whom we have outrun, as to those that are still before us, that we may overtake, and get before them to the mark; seeing if we stand still, and rest in that which we have already done, he that is furthest behind, & yet continueth running, will soon overtake us, & get the Garland from us. We must not please our selves in our good proceedings, and run no more; for in the ways of Christianity, he that goeth not forward, goeth backward; and when we cease to be better, we begin to be worse; neither must we look how far we have proceeded, but how much of the Race remaineth still unrunne, and how far we are yet from the Goal of perfection: ⟨p. 873⟩And with the Apostle, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching ¹