with the apostle, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? This deadens their hearts, cools their affections, keeps back from duty, and clogs in it by this their evidences are obfcured, and fo their joy dampt; their communion with God is interrupted, and their falls multiplied; and fo their peace is broken, their spirits wounded, and their hopes mixed with many doubts and fears. When it is thus with them therefore, they are to be working out their falvation, by daily fuppreffing the first motions of fin, avoiding the occafions of it, and temptations to it, and crucifying the flesh, with the affections and lufts thereof, as knowing that life and death depends upon it. Rom. viii. 13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye thro' the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. They have moreover an adversary, the devil, that continually goes about feeking whom he may devour, whom, in working out their falvation, their business is to refift, as having, and keeping on the whole armour of God, that they may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to ftand. By this adverfary they are much disturbed in their way to heaven, and obliged to fight their paffage to it. Whatever temptation is caft in their way, they are to reject it with abhorrence, to maintain their conflict, and hold on to the laft; being affured of grace fufficient, and that the God of peace will e'er long put an end to the combat, to their comfort and joy, by bruifing Satan under their feet. Cc 3 If If at any time they let down their watch, and go backward, they are to remember from whence they are fallen, and how much they have fuffered; to bewail their folly, renew their repentance, and fly by faith to Chrift for pardon and ftrength, by which they may be enabled to cleave more closely to him. When they are in darkness and doubts as to the truth of their grace, and fo as to their title to glory, their business is, humbly to use all the means God hath appointed, and wait upon him in hope of a bleffed iffue. They are not to be careless or unconcerned, whilft at a lofs whether they belong to Christ now, and shall be admitted to dwell with him at last: but when in this cafe, by working out their falvation, they are to give all diligence to make their calling and election jure, 2 Pet. i. 10. and to endeavour to strengthen and improve every grace by exercife, that when it is ftronger, it may be better difcerned; that fo they, from the discovery of their grace, may argue their title to glory, which they are still to be longing for, and afpiring after. They that feel they have not yet attained, and are far from being perfect, are to follow after, if that they may apprehend that for which they are apprehended of Chrift Jefus. As not having yet apprehended, this is the one thing they are to do, even forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things that are before, they are to prefs towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus, Philip. iii. 12, 13, 14. 3. Con 3. Confidering ourselves as mortal and dying out of this world, the working out of our falvation includes our preparing for a removal from it, and our laying up a treafure in another; the difengaging of ourselves from the present state, as dead to it, and rifen with Chrift; the setting of our affections on things above, where Chrift fitteth at the right-hand of God the often thinking of the bleffedness of being with Chrift, to reconcile us to death, as the way to it, and our endeavouring to live in the joyful hopes of it, and conftant expectations of being called to it. Having thus feen what is that falvation which we are to aim at, and labour to fecure, I go on to confider, III. What is implied in our being bid to work out this, and in the manner it is to be done, viz. with fear and trembling. And here observe, This does not imply, that we can by any thing we can do, merit the falvation, we are commanded to work out. It is by grace we are to be faved, from firft to laft. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteoufness, &c. but according to his mercy be Javed us, Tit. iii. 4, 5. But the command to work out our falvation, in the manner mentioned, with fear and trembling, denotes, 1. That it is a work in which the foul is to be engaged. This will have the principal share in falvation when obtained; and therefore is to be the principal agent in labouring after it. Cc 4 Bodily fervice fervice profiteth nothing alone, nor will ever bring about the falvation of the foul. 2. That it is a work in which we are to engage with the greatest intenseness. We are to ftrive to enter in at the ftrait gate, to give all diligence to make our calling and election fure now, that we may be found of our Lord in peace when he fhall come to determine our everlasting state, 3. That, in working out our falvation, the utmost watchfulness is neceffary; confidering the deceitfulness of our hearts, the fnares of the world, the temptations of Satan, the inftances of many, that to appearance bid fair for heaven, and after all mifcarried, and are fent away to the place of the workers of iniquity. The confideration of fuch things as thefe, will feed a deep concern, which will lead the Chriftian often to put the enquiry, O my foul, am I indeed in the way to heaven? Shall I ever get thither? Are my hopes well grounded? Will they not at last leave me ashamed? 4. It teacheth us, that making confcience of all the means that God hath appointed, comes into the duty of working out our falvation. And, 5. That in this work we are to persevere, and be working out our falvation as long as wẹ remain upon earth; and in this way to be waiting for our reft in heaven; as he only that endureth to the end, fhall be faved. IV. I come to fhew, That it is God that works in all that are faved to will and to do, and this of his good pleasure. I fhall fpeak to thefe diftin&ly, 1. It is God that works in all that are faved to will and to do. Two things are plain, (1) That man is naturally averfe to the bufinefs of his falvation; (2.) That when the averfion is overcome, it is God that does it, (1.) Man is naturally averfe to the business of his falvation. The evidence of this is moft obvious, both from the Bible, and the temper of the world. How plain is the command, when the gospel comes directed to all that hear it, to work out their falvation, and how ftrongly is this urged? But how few can be prevailed upon to fet about it? Chrift, and his purchase are generally made light of: Grace and glory are neglected, and wretched finners, instead of working out their falvation, are treasuring up unto themfelves wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, Rom. ii. 5: Though made for eternity, and upon the brink of it, they cannot be perfuaded to converfe with themselves, and seriously afk, whither they are going, or what is like to become of them for ever? Sinners look a little into the frame and temper of your own fouls, and how plainly may you find it thus? How few and flight are your thoughts about your eternal concerns? If you try to lift your hearts to God and things above, what a backwardness is there to the very attempt, and how foon is it given over? What an averfion to hearing, prayer, meditation, or any thing that tends to awaken confcience, and impress a sense of your mifery, in order to your endeavouring an escape? How ftrange and fad is it, that fuch a temper 2 fhould |