The Righteous Run Into the Tower

II. By your leave I shall turn to the second point. How The Righteous Avail Themselves Of This Strong Tower. They run into it.

Now, running seems to me to imply that they do not stop to make any preparation.

You will remember our Lord Jesus Christ said to his disciples, that when the Romans surrounded Jerusalem, he that was on the house-top was not to come down into his house, but to run down the outer staircase, and escape.

So the Christian, when he is attacked by his enemies, should not stop for anything, but just run into his God and be safe. There is no need for you to tarry until you have prepared your mind, until thou hast performed sundry ablutions (the washing of one’s body or part of it), but run man straight away at once.

When the pigeons are attacked by the hawk, their better plan is not to parley, nor to stay, but swift as they can cut the air fly to the dove-cot. So be it with you. Leave fools who will to parley with the fiend of hell; but as for you, fly to your God, and enter into His secret places till the tempest be over, past. A gracious hint this to you anxious souls who are seeking to fit yourselves for Jesus. Away with such legal rubbish, run at once; you are safe in following the good example of the righteous.

This running appears to me to imply, that they have nothing to carry. A man who has a load, the heavier the load may be, the more will he be impeded in his flight.

But the righteous run, like racers in the games, who have thrown off everything, their sins they leave to mercy, and their righteousness to the moles and bats.

If I had any righteousness I would not carry it, but run to the righteousness of Christ without it; for my own righteousness must be a drag upon me which I could not bear.

Sinners I know, when they come to Christ, want to bring tons of good works, wagon loads of good feelings, and fitnesses, and repentings, and such like; but the righteous do no such thing; they just foreswear every thing they have of their own, and count it but dross and dung, that they may run to Christ and be found in him. Gospel righteousness lies in all in Jesus, not in the believer.

It seems to me too, that this expression not only implies a want of preparation, and having nothing to carry, but it imports that fear quickens them.

Men do not run to a castle unless they are afraid. But when the avenger of death is close behind, then swiftly they fly. It is marvelous how godly fear helps faith.

There is a man sinking there in the river; he cannot swim, he must be drowned! See! see he is going down! We push him a plank; with what a clutch he grasps it; and the more he is convinced that he has no power to float, the more firmly doth he grip at this one hope.

Fear may even drive a man, I say, to faith, and lend him wings to fly, where else he might have crept with laggard feet.

The Refuge of Faith