God, and rendering to him an uniform and unreserved obedience-]

Nor will this appear hard to us, if we consider

III. The encouragement given us to perform this duty To those who are out of this way, whatever they may boast, we are sure there is no solid peace: but they who walk in it shall find rest

1. In their way

[Sweet is the rest which a weary and heavy-laden sinner finds in Jesus Christ: he sees in his blood a sufficiency of virtue to expiate all his guilt, and to cleanse him from all his sin: he perceives that the foundation of his hope is sure and immovable; and therefore, "having peace in his conscience, he rejoices in hope of the glory of God"-In the way of holy obedience he enjoys, moreover, a present and a great reward: for while he rests from turbulent passions and tormenting fears, he finds, that "the work of righteousness is peace, and the effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance for ever"-]

2. In their end

[If the ungodly have no peace in this world, much less have they in the world to come: but the obedient believer will enjoy perfect rest, when he shall have ceased from his present labours" There is a rest remaining for the people of God;" and such a rest as neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived: at the instant of their dismission from the body they shall be borne on the wings of angels into the regions of the blest, and lie in the bosom of their Lord to all eternity-] ADDRESS

1. To those who disregard religion

[You indeed may plead long prescription (even from the days of Cain) and general practice too, in favour of your habits: but do you doubt which is the better way? Do you not in your hearts envy those who walk in the good old way; and wish that you were able to live as they live?-If then you would not persist in following a track, which you knew would lead to a place extremely distant from that which you were desirous to reach, attend to the warning now given, and turn unto God in the way marked out for you in his gospel-]

2. To those who seek indeed the paths of religion, but find no rest in them

[There are many who approve of coming to Christ for salvation, but wish to be excused from taking his yoke upon

them; while others, on the contrary, would be content to render obedience to his law, if they might be at liberty to decline the humiliating method which he has prescribed for their acceptance with God-Others, again, profess to approve of the good old way; but cannot renounce the cares and pleasures of the world which retard their progress in it-No wonder then if such persons find no solid rest: indeed, it is well for them that they do not; since it would only deceive them to their eternal ruin-If we would have rest, either here or hereafter, it must be obtained in the way that has been pointed out; nor can it be obtained in any other to all eternity-]

3. To those who are walking comfortably in the good way

[Be not contented to go to heaven alone; but labour in your respective spheres to bring others along with you-This was the disposition of the church of old; and should be the desire of all who have an hope towards God-It is scarcely to be conceived how much the exertions of Christians in their several families would extend the benefits of ministerial labours-The public ministration of the word would be far better attended, and incomparably more improved-Since then all are commanded to seek instruction, let all endeavour to communicate it*-So will the good way be more frequented; and more abundant blessings flow down on all who walk in it—]

d John iii. 36. Heb. xii. 14.

e Song i. 4.

If this were the subject of a Sermon for Charity Schools, the propriety of subscribing liberally for the support of such institu tions might be stated here.

CCCCXLIII. GOD'S ASSISTANCE A MOTIVE TO

DILIGENCE.

Phil. ii. 12, 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

THERE is no person, however eminent his attainments in religion may be, who does not need to be exhorted and urged to press forward-The Philippians, in the judgment of the apostle, had had "the good work begun in them;" yea, they had "obeyed the word while

he was with them," and had made a still greater proficiency since his departure from them: yet he animates them to further exertions, and enforces his exhortation with the strongest arguments-Thus should all Christian ministers "put their people in remembrance of these things, notwithstanding they may already know them, or even be established in the truth"-Let us then receive the apostle's words as addressed to ourselves in particular, while we consider

I. The exhortation

God commands us to "work out our salvation"

[We are not to imagine that salvation is either the reward of our merits, or the effect of our unassisted exertions; for if, as our Lord assures us, "without him we can do nothing," it is evident that we are far enough from being able to keep the whole law of God; which yet we must do, if we are to receive heaven on the ground of our own righteousness-Nevertheless we have a work to do, a work of infinite importance, in performing which we are not mere machines, but voluntary agents: and on our performing of that work our salvation depends-We must consider our ways, repent of sin, believe the gospel, and devote ourselves to God; not indeed as conceiving ourselves sufficient for these things, but in dependence on that aid, which God will afford to all who seek him in sincerity and truth-]

But we must engage in this work "with fear and trembling"

[The terms "fear and trembling" do not import a slavish dread and terror, but an holy vigilance and circumspectionAnd there is great need of this in working out our salvation— Let us only consider how many lusts we have to mortify, and how many duties to perform; how many temptations we have to withstand, and adversaries to overcome; how prone we are to err, and how many devices Satan uses in order to deceive us; how insufficient we are of ourselves for this great work, and how awful would be the consequences of miscarrying in it; and we shall readily acknowledge that our utmost caution is little enough-St. Paul felt the force of these considerations; and notwithstanding he knew himself to be a chosen vessel

a See Acts xxvii. 25, 31.

This is the meaning of it in every place where it occurs:-see 1 Cor. ii. 3. 2 Cor. vii. 15. and Eph. vi. 5. That it cannot mean slavish fear is evident from Rom. viii. 15. and vii. 6.

unto God, he kept his body under, and brought it into subjection, lest by any means, after having preached to others, he himself should be a cast-away-]

That we may all be led to comply with this advice, let us consider

II. The argument with which it is enforced

To see the full force of this argument we must view it 1. As a call on our gratitude

[Having commended the Philippians for their obedience to God, he reminds them, whence it was that they were made to differ from others. They were by nature as destitute of any ability or inclination to serve God as any other people upon earth: but God, of his own good pleasure, and without respect to any thing in them, had given them both to will and to do what was acceptable in his sight-Now this sovereign act of grace laid them under a tenfold obligation to love and serve him: they must be vile indeed, if such love did not constrain them to obedience-Have any of us then been converted by the grace of God, and been "made willing in the day of his power?" Let us consider this mercy as the strongest of all motives for yielding up ourselves as living sacrifices, holy, and acceptable to him as our reasonable service-Are we "a chosen generation, that had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy?" let us exert ourselves to the utmost to “shew forth the praises of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light"]

2. As an antidote to our fears

[It is difficult to feel the importance of eternal things, and not give way to secret fears and misgivings, respecting the final success of our present exertions. And indeed, if we were required to work out our salvation by our own strength, we might well yield, not only to fear, but to utter despondency-But the argument urged by the apostle removes our apprehensions by assuring us, that he, who has given us the will, will also give us the power, to obey him-It is not to mock us that God has created in us a disposition to what is good: it is not to abandon us at last that he has hitherto given "grace sufficient for us:" his past favours are an earnest and pledge of others yet to come: he will continue to "strengthen us in our inward man," and will "perfect his own strength in our weakness"Let us then acknowledge the force of the argument in this view; and, assured that "our strength shall be according to

e 1 Cor. ix. 27.

The text, with Is. xli, 10.

d Rom. xii. 1. e 1 Pet ii. 9, 10. Phil. iv. 13. with 2 Cor. xii. 9.

our day," let us" be stedfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as we know that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord"]

3. As an incentive to vigilance

[Since it is "God who gives us both to will and to do, and that entirely of his own good pleasure," we must of necessity be altogether dependent on him; if he keep us, we shall stand: if he leave us, we shall fall-Now God is a jealous God; and will surely manifest his displeasure if we walk unwatchfully before him-We may easily "grieve his Spirit;" yea, if we continue in wilful habits of neglect, or in any allowed sin, we may "quench his Spirit;"k for he has warned us that "his Spirit shall not alway strive with man;" and that "if we rebel, and vex his holy Spirit, he will turn, and become our enemy"m-The Israelites, who, notwithstanding they were brought out of Egypt, and fed with manna from heaven, perished in the wilderness, are set forth as examples to us"-And to many under temporal or spiritual afflictions may that pun gent question be addressed, "Hast thou not procured this to thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord, when he led thee by the way?"-Well may this consideration stir us up to watchfulness and circumspection, lest by intermitting our la bours, and relaxing our exertions in the work of our salvation, we bring upon ourselves his heavy displeasureP-]

From hence we may SEE

1. The beauty and harmony of scripture doctrines

[Our entire dependence on divine grace, together with the absolute sovereignty of God in the distribution of his favours, are here clearly stated-Yet the necessity of our working out our own salvation is as strongly declared, as if every thing depended on our own efforts-Now these are often set in opposition to each other, as though they were contrary and inconsistent doctrines-But God sees no inconsistency in them; nor shall we, if we only once learn to receive the scriptures with the simplicity of little children, instead of presuming to be wise above what is written-On the contrary, the two doctrines are perfectly harmonious; nor is there any stronger argument for exertions on our part, than the freeness and sufficiency of God's grace-Let us not then set altar against altar, and doctrine against doctrine, but join in our experience those things which God has indissolubly united, and which are equally essential to our eternal welfare-]

h1 Cor. xv. 58. Gen. vi. 3.

n 1 Cor. x. 11.

i Eph. iv. 30.

k1 Thess. v. 19.

m Isaiah Ixiii. 10. Exod. xxiii. 21.
P 2 Chron. xv. 2.

o Jer. ii. 17.