SUMMARY OF DISCOURSE XVIII.

PHILIPPIANS, CHAP. II.-VERSES 12, 13.

INTRODUCTION: statement of the unhappy disputes in the Christian church relating to the natural powers of man to work out his own salvation, and those relating to the grace and assistance promised in the gospel. Inconsistent as these things may seem to be, St. Paul has thought fit to join them together: his doctrine considered, and the natural consequences which a Christian should draw from it. The text consists of two partsan exhortation, and an argument to enforce it: the argument at first sight may appear to be false, as leading to confidence and assurance rather than to fear and trembling. This explained by the different significations of the word fear: there is a fear of our enemies, and also a fear of losing the love and good offices of our friends; which latter fear excites us to conform ourselves to their inclinations. That this is the fear of which the Apostle speaks, shown from the beginning of the chapter, where he so strongly presses humility on his converts; and also from the two verses following the text, do all things without murmurings and repinings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, &c. The Christian law indeed is fortified with rewards and punishments, as motives of obedience: it is shown however that the fear arising from them is not meant: the exhortation in the text belongs to all men, even the most perfect Christians: it is different therefore from the fear which belongs to criminals and slaves, and which perfect love casteth out. The reason why we ought to fear, viz. because God worketh in us both to will and to do, examined. Totally dependent as we are on God, this fear

has more of care and solicitude in it, than of terror and amazement: the text shown to be parallel to that passage in St. Peter, Give diligence to make your calling and election sure. Farther, this fear shown to arise from a proper sense of our own insufficiency and dependence on God; according to the Apostle's expression, let him that standeth take heed lest he fall: this shown to be a just and holy fear, not injurious to the love of God towards us, nor to our faith and hope in him. From this account of holy fear, the meaning of the expression, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, will easily appear to consist in care and diligence to set ourselves to perform the will and commands of God. It is shown that there is something in the language used to explain the doctrine of grace, liable to be abused by ignorant or crafty men; this language tried in a common case, to guard men against being misled by mere sounds. Consequences of the doctrine and exhortation in the text considered.-I. It appears that the Christian state is not a state of security; for if so, the Apostle's exhortation would have no meaning: the Philippians themselves had received grace, and if grace once received cannot be lost, what had they to fear? That we fear, is no argument of mistrusting God; our fear regards ourselves; and our best security is this fear.-II. From the Apostle's command, work out your salvation, we see how necessary good works are. The good works of Christians do not deserve all the hard words that have been bestowed on them, if the words, he worketh in us, &c., be duly considered; for they are the fruits of his Spirit. Conclusion: the manner in which God works for the faithful explained. By the argument drawn from it for fear and diligence, it is evident that he does not work irresistibly he enables us to work; our danger therefore is from ourselves, and we alone can defeat our own hopes.

DISCOURSE XVIII.

PHILIPPIANS, CHAP. II.-VERSES 12, 13.

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

THERE have not perhaps been any more unhappy disputes in the Christian church than those relating to the natural powers of man to work out his own salvation, and those relating to the nature and measure of the grace and assistance promised in the gospel of Christ. On one side it is insisted that virtue and vice owe their being to the freedom and choice of the agent, and lose their name when they are the effect of force and constraint; and, consequently, that to suppose men to be made righteous by any influence from any other being than themselves, is contrary to reason. And hence it is that some of the advocates for mere human reason, as sufficient to all the purposes of salvation, despise the promises made in the gospel, of grace and spiritual assistance; and others of them so explain them as to leave them no meaning at all. On the other side, some zealous asserters of the doctrine of grace, in order to magnify this free gift of God, allow nothing to reason or the natural powers of men; but think it the highest presumption and the greatest affront offered to the grace of God, to suppose that men can do any thing for themselves. It is, in their own way of expression, to make the power of God attendant on the weakness of man, and to make the grace of God the servant and handmaid of human reason. And thus it is agreed on both sides, by those who carry their respective opinions to the greatest length, that either the power of man to work out righ

teousness must exclude the grace of God, or the grace of God must exclude all the effects and endeavors of human reason.

But as inconsistent as they may think these things to be, St. Paul, who was better instructed in the principles of the gospel of Christ than the ancient or the modern teachers of these doctrines can pretend to be, has thought fit to join them together, and has called on all Christians to work out their own salvation,' for this very reason, because God works in them both to will and to do' If St. Paul be in the right, God's working with us by his grace is so far from being a reason against working for ourselves, that it is the greatest inducement to it, and lays us under the highest obligation to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure.'

Let us then consider St. Paul's doctrine, and see what are the natural consequences for a Christian to draw from it.

The words of the text evidently consist of two parts; an exhortation, and an argument by which that exhortation is enforced. The exhortation you have in these words, Work our your own salvation with fear and trembling :' the argument to enforce it follows in the next words, For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.' An argument which may at first sight seem rather to lead to confidence and assurance than to fear and trembling: for if God be for us, who can be against us? or what is there to fear or to tremble at, when we are thus supported and maintained in our spiritual warfare? And the argument is indeed applicable both ways, with respect to different kinds of fear. The disciples of the gospel have many enemies to encounter with, many temptations to struggle with; they are exposed sometimes to death, often to afflictions and persecutions, and almost always to the hatred and contempt of the world. Now with respect to these adversaries, the argument in the text may furnish us with great confidence and assurance, and we may with the Apostle say, 'Who shall harm you, if you be followers of that which is good?' for notwithstanding all the trials you are exposed to, God is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.' But as there is a fear which respects our enemies, and is a fear of being conquered and brought into sub

jection by them; so likewise is there a fear which respects our friends, and is a fear of losing their favor and assistance; and the more a man is dependent on his friends, the greater is, and ought to be, his fear of losing their protection; and this fear naturally inspires us with diligence and care to observe and fulfil the commands of our great patrons, to study their humor and inclination, and to conform ourselves to them. And of this fear the Apostle speaks in the text, ' Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;' for it is a work that you are by no means sufficient for of yourselves; and therefore have a care how you forfeit the favor of him on whom you intirely depend Of yourselves ye can do nothing; for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do.' That St. Paul intends this sort and kind of fear, may be seen by his own way of reasoning. In the beginning of this chapter he presses humility on the Philippians, he warns them against strife and vain-glory, and after some arguments drawn from the example of Christ, and the great reward he obtained to recommend humility to them, as if humility and fear in the present case were the same thing, he thus concludes: Wherefore, my beloved, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.' If we believe that God works in us both to will and to do, it will make us humble, because we can do nothing without him; for in such a case what have we to be proud of? Weakness and a state of dependence are inconsistent with confidence and presumption it will make us likewise fear and tremble, fear to displease, and tremble to disobey him from whom cometh our salvation.

That this fear is the fear of offending God and losing his favor, is farther evident from the next verse, 'Do all things without murmurings and disputings.' Now what fear is it that makes men obey cheerfully, without repining, without seeking for excuses to free themselves? Not the fear of punishment; for who grumble more than slaves? who repine more at their service, or more readily seek and invent pretences to decline the orders of their master? But where the fear that possesses the heart is the fear of disobliging a kind friend, or a beloved master, or a patron on whom we depend, there fear gives wings to obedience, and makes a man all ear and no tongue, ready to