Mark Frank on winning the crown of glory
The Revd Mark Frank (1613-1664)
FOR his Sermon on the Fourth Sunday in Lent (which falls today), Mark Frank (1613-1664) drew on a sporting metaphor.
Unthinkingly “doing your disciplines” in training of itself produces only workaday professionals who rarely win anything. Frank’s sermon is an appeal both for effort and for intelligence during Lent and Passiontide.
In Frank’s words, “all pains and labour, every ‘running’, will not serve; it must be ούτως, so and so after a certain way, rightly ordered so as to ‘obtain’; such as is fit and proportionable to the end we aim at”.
AY, but how may we obtain to run so? Why, do as the runners in races do: (1.) Diet our bodies; (2.) Exercise ourselves before; (3.) Consider, and contrive how we had best to run; and (4.) strip ourselves of all incumbrances that may hinder us in our speed; and, indeed, these may well go into the ούτως, belong at least to the “so running” as has annexed to it the obtaining.
In other words, fasting, daily prayer, thoughtful reflection, and a life uncluttered by distractions: but only when allied to running the Christian race according to the rules of that particular athletic event.
THIS “so to run,” is … lawfully, according to the laws and rules of the race we are to run; “we are not crowned else,” says our Apostle 2 Tim. ii 5. Now, the laws of the Christian race are God’s commandments, according to which we are diligently to direct our steps; yet three laws there are more particular and proper to it—the law of faith, the law of hope, and the law of charity.
This is a wonderful metaphor for today: a context in which people of all ages understand and respect the rules of the game, and the need for self-discipline and doing “boring” things at unsociable hours. We accept these things because they are worth it in the end, for the title, the crown of glory.
LOOK we carefully to our feet, apply we ourselves diligently to our course, to run the ways of righteousness and peace, of holiness and salvation. Let us often look up to heaven, and the “crown of glory laid up” there, to add wings and spirit to us; and look we also down sometimes to the dangers by the way, and fear ourselves, and mark our steps, lest we chance to stumble, and fall, to grow faint or weary; but that we may run lawfully, carefully, speedily, cheerfully, stoutly, patiently, and constantly to the end; that, so running, we may obtain the end of our hopes, the crown of our joy, the salvation of our souls, and the redemption of our bodies, everlasting life, and eternal glory.
Sermon For the Christian Year. Sermon For The Fourth Sunday In Lent
Tags: Mark Frank
"[Politicians] are employed in framing laws and statutes for preventing crimes, and keeping the disorderly multitude within bounds; and at the same time, by personally discountenancing public worship, they are weakening, they are even abolishing, among the multitude, that moral restraint which is of more general influence upon manners than all the laws they frame."
I FIND, by experience, that by often seeing her Portrait, & that of her Dearest Son, I many times recall Him & His Merits, her & her Perfections, to my mind, which before was void of such Heavenly Guests.
I BELIEVE in one God the Father Almighty,
March 16th, 2010 at 3:30 am
Nicholas,
This is superb in every way. Blessed Mark Frank is a paragon of Anglican pastoral care. I especially appreciate his emphasis on the three theological virtues. The Carolines were masterful ascetic theologians; they set the bar high, all the while maintaining a gentle hand in the care of precious souls, for whom Christ died.
Thanks, ever so much
March 16th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Hi Mark,
You’re more than welcome. I was delighted to read your post on the River Thames blog, quoting Frank. He is one of those gentle writers, like Thomas Ken, to whom one instantly warms, who (as you say) challenge us to rise above ourselves, but always provide us with a safety net under the ladder. Anglicanism is so lucky to have them.