merous affembly to which he is united.!. and while he looks forward to a duration of felicity and glory which shall know no end! And now fay, Chriftian, Whether all these confiderations have not a mighty effect to animate you to perfeverance ? Can you refift their united force?—the goodness of the cause the seasonable and effectual fupport you may depend upon receiving-and the victory, the glorious victory, which fhall crown the day. Be perfuaded, therefore, though faint, yet to pursue DIS DISCOURSE XV. RELIGION AN ABIDING PRINCIPLE PHILIPPIANS i. 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jefus Christ. ONFIDENCE, in matters of a doubtful nature, is CON generally confidered as an expreffion of great ignorance and folly. And with good reafon-For if men were fenfible of the weakness of their intellects, of the powerful influence of prejudice and paffion, and of the various arts by which error too often infinuates itself into the mind; they would be cautious how they haftily pronounced upon either opinions or facts, where the evidence is at all defective. Yet, a modeft diffidence of our own judgment will by no means juftify feepticism, or a continual habit of doubting. There are fome truths so plain and self-evident, that it would argue a criminal difaffection to the heart of them, as well as a most unreasonable incredulity, were we to withhold our affent. And there are others, which though not discoverable by the light of nature, yet being clearly laid down in fcripture, we may be confident of their authenticity. And even these will admit of fuch an appeal to impartial reafon, as ferves rather to ftrengthen than than diminish their force. Men divinely inspired might, indeed, peremptorily demand the credit of their bearers to the doctrines and facts they reported to them, without entering into a particular explanation of them. Yet, we find both Christ and the apostles taking pains to establish the principles, upon which the truths they delivered were founded, in order thereby more fully to convince their difciples of the reasonableness and importance of fuch truths. An inftance of this we have in the paffage just read. That spirit of difcernment with which the apoftle was endued, might perhaps have authorifed him to pronounce confidently concerning the future ftate of the Philippians, and upon fuch iffue he might have put the matter. He, however, does not reft the argument here; but enters into the principles and grounds of his confidence, which were in every view as level to their comprehenfion and convic. tion as to his. With pleasure be remembered their fellowfhip in the gospel, that is, their holy, humble, exemplary behaviour, from the beginning of their profeffion until that time. From thence he clearly inferred the foundness of their converfion. And fatisfied that their converfion was the work of God, he from this principle fairly concluded, that what God had thus begun he would in due time bring to perfection. This was a kind of reafoning obvious to the plaineft understanding; and which may, I think, with out the charge of rashness or undue confidence, be applied to the character and state of every real Chriftian. I pro pose therefore, in difcourfing of this fubject, to confider more particularly, I. What this important matter is, of which we may be confident concerning every man of true religion; and, II. The grounds of this confidence. I. As to the matter of which we may be confident, it is this--That God will perform the good work he hath be gun in the real Chriftian, until the day of Jefus Chrift. Religion is manifeftly the thing here intended. What that that is we have largely confidered in the preceding discourfes. In order, however, to throw light on the fubject we are now difcuffing, it will be proper to attend a while to the defcription given us of it in this paffage. 1. It is a work wrought in the foul of man. Now a work, of whatever kind it is, implies defign, activity, and an exertion of fkill and ftrength. Ideas which are applicable to religion in its rife, progrefs, and final completion; and more especially as it concerns the heart or inward man; for there this work is faid to be wrought We are his workmanship, fays the apoftle to the Ephefians*. The foul of man, in an unrenewed state, resembles a building in ruins. It was once a fair and beautiful temple, the refidence of the bleffed God, and facred to his fervice. But alas! it is now defaced and fpoiled. The ftones of the fanctuary, to use the language of the prophet concerning the temple at Jerusalem, are poured out; the altar is thrown down; the holy fire extinguished; and the glory of the Lord departed. All the faculties of the mind are enervated and broken, overspread with darkness and error, and wretchedly polluted and depraved. The great object therefore of religion is the renovation of the foul, the rebuilding this temple, and the fitting it again for the fervice and enjoyment of God. A work this truly noble and important, but attended with much expence, labour and oppofition. The plan is laid in the facred records, and fuitable means are provided for carrying it into execu tion. The materials are chofen, fashioned and cemented. And thus the building, fitly framed and beautified, grow-. eth unto an holy temple in the Lord, and becomes an habitation of God through the Spirit. The foundation is laid in deep humiliation for fin, and a lively faith in the Lord. Jefus Chrift; and the fuperftructure is raised, amidst many conflicts and temptations, in knowledge, purity and joy. He who was ignorant of God, of his own heart, and of the Eph. ii. 16 great great concerns of a future ftate, becomes wife unto falva. tion. He who was dead in trefpaffes and fins, is quickened to a life of holiness. And he who was immerfed in the follies and pleafures of the world, afpires to infinitely nobler enjoyments. He is a new creature. There is a change in his principles, views, affections and manner of life. Old things are passed away, and all things become new *. Now, 2. Of this work God is the author. So the text expressly affures us. For he who had begun it in the Philippians, is the fame Divine perfon to whom the apoftle had offered his thanks, in the third verfe, on their behalf. Every boufe is built by fome man, but he who builds this temple is God. To his skill and influence we are indebted both for framing the plan, and for carrying it into execu tion. Others indeed are labourers together with God +; nay, thofe in whom the work is wrought, are themselves commanded to work out their own falvation with fear and trembling yet they all act under the direction of the great Maiter-builder, and depend upon the effectual con currence of his providence and grace for the fuccefs of their labours. After what manner the Holy Spirit exerts his influence on the minds of men, to effect their converfion at first, and to maintain and promote religion in their hearts afterwards, it is not for me precisely to determine.. But that there is a fupernatural power exerted to these great ends, may be clearly proved from the principles of reason, in concurrence with the exprefs teftimony of Scripture. This I have fhewn at large in a former discourse. It will be neceffary, however to refume the argument here in a few words, because the main thing afferted in the text, That this work fhall be performed until the day of Chrift, very much depends upon it. It is a truth acknowledged on all hands, that the great Father * 2 Cor. v. 17. + 2 Cor. vi, 1. Philip. ii. 12 |