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WHEN God graciously enables us both SERM. to will and to do what is good, what X. Encouragement is this for us to perfevere in the Paths of Virtue? And, when our eternal Welfare is at Stake, fhall we not, with Fear and Trembling, endeavour to fecure our never-ending Happiness ?

For the better understanding the Words of my Text, it will be neceffary to explain these following Particulars:

I. WHAT is meant by Salvation.
II. WHAT by Working out our own Sal-
vation.

III. WHAT is meant by Fear and Trem-
bling.

IV. IN what Senfe God is faid to work in us, both to will and to do, of his good Pleafure.

I. WHAT is here meant by Salvation. Now Salvation imports fuch a State of Life, as gives us good Grounds to hope, that we are reconciled to God in this Life, and live under his Favour and Protection, and fhall be for ever happy in the World to come; for though it is generally restrained in the holy Writ, to denote our Happiness in a future State, yet is it fometimes taken in a more large Senfe, and comprehends

Our

SERM. Our comfortable Condition here, as well X. as hereafter; which is to be obtained only by yielding Obedience to the Commands of God, leading our Lives according to thofe Precepts laid down in the Holy Gofpel, by breaking off our evil Cuftoms and Habits, and by cleanfing ourselves from Filthiness, both of Flesh and Spirit, which alone will give us good Grounds to hope, that we shall escape the Punishment of them in the Life to come. This is that State of Salvation mentioned in the Text, which brings me to fhew,

II. WHAT is meant by Working out our own Salvation: Now this implies, That we make use of all thofe natural Powers which God has furnished us withal, and call in the fupernatural Affistance of God's Grace, to enable us to mortify our corrupt Nature, and to fubdue every Thing which exalts itself against the Scepter of our Lord and Master Jefus Chrift, and to bring into Subjection every Thought of our Minds; the Word in the Original is, Κατεργάζεθε, which fignifies to finif and make perfect what is begun, for the Work of Regeneration is not wrought all of a fudden, but by Degrees; no Man can leave the Paths of Wickedness, and arrive at the highest Pitch of Religion in an

Inftant,

Inftant; it is a Bufinefs of Time and La-SERM. bour, to become a Christian indeed. The X. Man's Judgment must first be convinced; he must take up a ferious and folemn Refolution; this must be put in Practice, and, then, by Degrees, he will get the Victory over his corrupt Nature, and plant in his Soul the contrary Habits of Holiness and Virtue; and these Habits will every Day gather Strength, till he comes to be rooted and grounded in the Love and Fear of God, and to take Pleasure and Delight in the Service of his Maker. And in order to compass this, it is neceffary that we employ all the Faculties of our Souls, all the Powers of our Body; that we hufband our Time well, and lay hold of every Opportunity which prefents itself to fet forward this difficult, but abfolutely neceffary Talk. To work out our own Salvation, then, implies, that we go on from one Degree of Grace to another, and endeavour to be as good as poffibly we can be; that we add to our Faith, Virtue; to Virtue, Knowledge; to Knowledge, Temperance; to Temperance, Patience; to Patience, Godliness; to Godlinefs, brotherly Kindness; and, to brotherly Kindness, Charity.

VOL. II.

е

III. THIS

SERM.
X.

III. THIS Work must be performed with Fear and Trembling; not fuch a flavish Fear and Dread of miffing Salvation, as would take away all the Comfort and Happinefs of our Lives, and, through Fear of Death, make us, all our Life-time, fubject unto Bondage; but a filial and more generous Fear, which proceeds from a serious Senfe and Awe of God's Divine Majefty, and the Confideration of his glorious Attributes, his Holiness, Mercy, and Goodnefs; which will convince us how great an Evil it is, to lofe God's Favour, and the Light of his Countenance, and to incur, his Anger and Displeasure; this will discover itself by an humble Temper of Mind, and meek Frame of Spirit, fenfible of its own Frailty and Sinfulness, and how infufficient it is to perfevere in the Way of God's Commandments, without the Help and Affiftance of God's good Grace; and how apt we are to fwerve afide, and to go aftray from his Commandments. Such a filial Fear as this will incline us to flee unto God for Help and Affistance, that we may grapple with all our fpiritual Enemies; and, the more we thus fear, the more we fhall put our Truft in God, like a Child in its Mother's

Arms,

Arms, the more it is afraid, the fafter it SERM. clafps about her. X.

THAT this is the true Meaning of this Expreffion in the Text will appear, if we confider that this Phrafe is thus expounded in other Places of the Holy Scripture: Serve the Lord with Fear, and rejoice be- Pf. ii. 11. fore him with Trembling; where, it is plain, that fuch a Fear is here denoted, as is reconcileable with Rejoicing; and therefore, it cannot be meant of Fear, properly fo called, but only of an humble and meek Temper of Mind, a Senfe of our own Frailties, and a Diftruft of our own Abilities to perform the Will of God. And

thus, fpeaking of Titus, he fays, His in- 2 Cor. vii. ward Affection was more abundant toward15. them, whilst he remembred their Obedience, how with Fear and Trembling they received him: And, I was with you in Weakness and 1 Cor. ii. Fear, and in much Trembling. Thus the 3 Apoftle commands Servants to be obedient Eph. vi. to their Mafters with Fear and Trembling,5 and Singleness of Heart; in all which Places, Fear and Trembling, muft denote, an humble and teachable Difpofition of Mind, fenfible of its own Wants and Infirmities, and defirous of being bettered and informed; and, that this is the Meaning of the Apostle, will appear, because Q 2

his

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