DISCOURSE XIV.

PHILIP. chap. ii. ver. 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."

THE grain which is scattered upon the face of the earth striketh root downwards and being watered by the genial showers of Spring, doth bring forth, first the blade, and then the ear, and then the full corn in the ear, and man doth eat thereof, and is satisfied. The word of God is the seed of grace, and being sown in an honest and a good heart, and watered by the continual dew of God's blessing, doth bring forth, first, the knowledge of the truth, and then upon that stem the flowers of holiness, and then the fruits of holiness unto everlasting life. From the great storehouse of this spiritual seed-from the Holy Scriptures, which are full of the revelations of the Almighty God, I have this day selected a seed of most

precious value-a seed at once of doctrine, of reproof, of correction, and of instruction in righteousness; and I humbly pray, that though it be sown by the weakness of a man, it may be quickened by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth fruit an hundred-fold unto your eternal glory.

"Work out your own salvation," says the Apostle, "with fear and trembling; for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."-Three circumstances are here pointed out to our consideration, and impressed upon our minds with an affectionate earnestness: First, the thing to be done; secondly, the manner of doing it; and thirdly, the reason of both. "Work out your own salvation."— That is the thing to be done. Work it out "with fear and trembling."-That is the manner of doing it. And the reason of both is founded upon the merciful assistance of Heaven.-" For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

"Work out your own salvation." It is of no common salvation that the Apostle thus speaks. It is not of any deliverance from human suffering, wrought out for us by the power of any human arm; but of that deliverance which cometh of

God alone, the deliverance of man in all his parts and powers; the salvation both of his body and his soul; the salvation of body and soul from death and from hell; from the anguish of the second death, from the torments of the devil and his angels; from the sufferings of wicked spirits and of wicked men, condemned for their sin to everlasting misery. Salvation when thus interpreted is a word of mighty import indeed; but even thus interpreted we have not exhausted the whole of the blessings it conveys. They that are made partakers of the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, are made also partakers of eternal glory, and, together with a deliverance from the horrible wretchedness of the damned, shall obtain also a reward in the pleasures and society of the righteous. For, according to the doctrine of the Apostle, it is a faithful saying, that they who through Christ are dead to the power and punishment of sin, shall live with him in holiness, and reign with him in happiness, according to the number and nature of their works.

This then is the salvation of the text, and when we consider its extreme value and unspeakable importance, we need no longer wonder at the earnestness with which we are exhorted to "work it out," to labour early and late; daily and duly all the days of our life; to give all heed

and diligence to make our calling effectual, and our hope secure. It is a fearful thing to endure pain in body, or anguish in mind, even though it be but for a passing hour; and redemption from the wretchedness of even this mortal state, would be purchased by the sufferer with the sacrifice of all the glory that wealth or dominion could bring. But it is a far more fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; a far more joyful thing to be redeemed from his wrath. It is a peace that passeth all understanding, which he experiences who is delivered from the fear of a state of woe without comfort, because without end. Who could dwell, or even think of dwelling, with everlasting burnings, and not desire, and seek, and struggle for redemption?

But how is this salvation to be wrought out ? What must I do to be thus saved? This is the language of nature and sincerity. It is a question the first and the greatest which can occur to the mind of any godly man. I shall proceed to answer it by inquiring, who they are that will obtain, and who that will fall short of the salvation of Jesus?

Sin, and sorrow, and death. These things are often joined together in the language of man, and never will be separated from each other in

the judgments of God. Because of sin came sorrow and death: Because of sin the gates of hell were opened, and sinners and they that forget God are those who shall be turned into hell, and be closed for ever in the darkness of its gloom. But are we not all sinners? I tremble whilst I confess that we are. And will not hell then be our portion for ever? I rejoice with trembling, whilst I declare through God and my Saviour, that it may not. "The grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation unto all men." The Gospel has been revealed, and offered the redemption of souls, and given the gift of eternal life to every faithful man, who denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, shall live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. These are the conditions upon I which we shall be redeemed from punishment; and in working out our salvation, our labour and our care must be directed to fulfil them. We must study to banish from our thoughts every evil imagination, and from our conduct every evil deed. We must learn to walk honestly in the sight of God, and of man; we must be charitable and kind, and useful and just to our neighbours, and submissive and pious before God. We must have faith first of all, and then to our faith add virtue, and temperance, and chastity, and sobriety, and brotherly love and compassion. If in any of these things we should