SER M. true Religion, from the Power and TyranXIV. ny of the Devil, from the Dominion and Slavery of Sin, and from the Punishment of Death. MEN in the State of Heathen ignorance and wickedness, being as it were habitually fubject to a Spirit of Delusion, of Impiety, and of all kinds of Debauchery, are in Scripture reprefented as being in Slavery to Satan; who is therefore ftiled the Prince of This World, and the God of This World, the Prince of the Power of the Air, the Spirit that worketh in the children of difobedience. From This Tyranny of the Devil men are faved, by forfaking the Idolatry of the Nations, and returning to the worship of the true God of the Universe, as taught in the Gospel of Chrift: Being delivered, as St Paul expreffes it, from the Power of Darkness, and tranflated into the Kingdom of God's dear Son, Col. i. 13. LIKEWISE thofe, who having embraced the Gospel of Chrift, yet live unworthy of their Holy Profeffion, by means of Any Habit of Unrighteousness or Debauchery, are reprefented in Scripture as XIV. as being Slaves to Sin, and still in the SERM, Snare of the Devil. The expreffions of This kind are very frequent and elegant ; that fuch perfons, are Servants of Sin that Sin has the Dominion over them; that they are overcome by it; and brought in bondage to it; that they are the Servants of Corruption, and the like. And because the Devil is the Head of this Corruption, who Tempts men into it, and delights in it; therefore, whofoever lives in Sin, notwithstanding his profeffing himself a Difciple of Chrift, is still in reality the Servant of Satan : 1 Joh. iii. 8. He that committeth Sin, is of the Devil ; for the Devil finneth from the Beginning. Whofoever is fo falfe to himself, as not to be able to refift the Temptations of Unrighteousness, imitates, and is fubject to, the Great Enemy of God and Goodness; is in the Snare of the Devil, and taken captive by him at his Will. Now the Defign of Christ's coming into the World was to destroy thefe works of the Devil; to fave men from their Sins, Matt. i. 21. to perfwade them, and to enable them, to fave them XIV. SERM. felves from amongst a wicked and corrupt generation; to deliver them from the bondage of corruption into the glorious Liberty of the children of God. Working out our own Salvation therefore, (confidered as an Exhortation given to fuch as are already Christians,) fignifies making a diligent ufe of the Means and Encouragements which God has afforded us in the Gospel, to affift and enable us effectually to reform every evil Habit, and to improve in the Practice of every Virtue, perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God. The Confequence of which Salvation from Sin, is Salvation alfo from the Punishment which God has denounced against Sinners. And not only fo, but upon them who shall be thought worthy to escape all thefe things that shall come to pass, and to ftand before the Son of Man, fhall be conferred moreover God's free Gift of Eternal Life and Happiness. THE Exhortation therefore in the Text, to work out our own Salvation, is of the fame import with That of St Peter, 2 ep. i. 10. Brethren, give diligence to make your Calling and Election fure; for for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for fo an Entrance shall be miniftred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. From which Admonition of St Peter, compared with This in the Text, it follows plainly and undeniably, that Men (by God's Affistance) have a Power, as well as an Obligation, to work out their own Salvation; and that their election, that is, their being chofen and approved of God, depends upon That diligence and fincere indeavour of their own, which the Apoftle expreffly exhorts them to make use of to this purpose, that thereby they may fecure their being elected of God. A II. I AM to confider in the Second place, what is meant by working out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling; and why it must be done in That manner. Now the Words Fear and Trembling, are not put here to exprefs a Paffion, but to denote Care and Diligence in our Actions, in oppofition to Prefumption, Remiffness, or negligent Confidence. According to thofe other Admonitions in Scrip ture; SERM, XIV, SERM.ture; be not high-minded, but fear; and, XIV. let him that thinketh be ftandeth, take beed left he fall. The wife man obferves, Happy is the man that feareth, that is, who is cautious, always; but he that hardeneth his Heart, that is, who is careless and negligent, shall fall into Mifchief. And, To this Man will I look, faith God himself by the Prophet, If. lxvi. 2. even to Him that is poor and of a contrite Spirit, and trembleth at my word. St Paul, though fo eminent an Apostle, yet fpeaks thus concerning his own Practice upon This Head: I keep under my Body, fays he, and bring it into fubjection, 1 Cor. ix. 27. left by any means, when I have preached to Others, I myself Should become a caft-away. And Phil. iii. 11. If by any means, fays he, I might attain unto the Resurrection of the dead; Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect; But this One thing I do; forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press towards the Mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jesus. I THE |