eternity to bewail thy misery in. Francis Spira can tell thee what it
is to stay till the gate of mercy be quite shut; or to run so lazily
that they be shut before you get within them. What, to be shut out!
what, out of heaven! Sinner, rather than lose it, run for it; yea,
"and so run that thou mayst obtain."

(7.) Lastly, because if thou lose, thou losest all, thou losest soul,
God, Christ, heaven, ease, peace, etc. Besides, thou layest thyself
open to all the shame, contempt, and reproach, that either God,
Christ, saints, the world, sin, the devil, and all can lay upon thee.
As Christ saith of the foolish builder, so I will say of thee, if thou
be such a one who runs and misses; I say, even all that go by will
begin to mock at thee, saying, This man began to run well, but was not
able to finish. But more of this anon.

Quest. But how should a poor soul do to run? For this very thing is
that which afflicteth me sore (as you say), to think that I may run,
and yet fall short. Methinks to fall short at last, oh, it fears me
greatly. Pray tell me, therefore, how I should run.

Ans. That thou mayst indeed be satisfied in this particular, consider
these following things.

The first direction: If thou wouldst so run as to obtain the kingdom
of heaven, then be sure that thou get into the way that leadeth
thither: For it is a vain thing to think that ever thou shalt have the
prize, tho thou runnest never so fast, unless thou art in the way that
leads to it. Set the case, that there should be a man in London that
was to run to York for a wager; now, tho he run never so swiftly, yet
if he run full south, he might run himself quickly out of breath, and