1

PHIL. 2:12,13. 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.

THIS exhortation was addressed by the apostle Paul to his beloved converts at Philippi. It appears, that during his residence among them, they were prompt in obeying the will of Christ, as made known by him, and he approved of their conduct in so doing: and now, with the tenderest affection, he exhorts them to continue to conduct them. selves in the same manner; and thus work out their salvation with fear and trembling; "for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

The language of the text expresses an important duty-and the consideration with which the duty is enforced. And these are the two points we shall endeavor to illustrate in the sequel of this discourse.

I. The duty expressed is to wORK OUT OUR SALVATION WITH

FEAR AND TREMBLING.

What the apostle said to christians, nearly 1800 years ago, he now says, by the ministrations of his word, to all professing christians; "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 exhortation is not less seasonable now, than it was then. The instruction conveyed by it is not less important, or less necessary to

us than it was to the persons to whom it was originally addressed. Equally formidable are the difficulties that are to be surmounted. Equally great is the danger of disappointment in this arduous work. Equally imperious is the necessity of working out your salvation with fear and trembling. And therefore the exhortation may be considered as particularly addressed to all who have named the name of Christ. None else can be working out their salvation with fear and trembling. Our text presumes they have already entered upon the work, and are engaged in giving all diligence to make their calling and election sure. In such, God worketh both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Let me therefore entreat you to consider, in the first place, that the duty of working out your salvation with fear and trembling denotes its vast importance, when compared with the littleness, and fleeting nature of all those things after which men of the world are laboring. What is the grand object to be effected? It is nothing less than the salvation of the immortal soul! Is not this an object of the first magnitude the one and only thing needful? And will not its happiness, if secured by working out our salvation with fear and trembling, be great beyond conception, boundless in extent, and endless in duration. Immortality has stamped an amazing value on man. Weigh, in the balance of the sanctuary, against the salvation of the soul, the world which we inhabit, and what is it! "What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Yet we see the people of the world all life and diligence in its pursuits. Their hearts, and heads, and hands, are all employed, whether they aim at the enlargement of business, the advancement of their families, the improvement of their estates, the acquisition of a great name, or the enjoyment of pleasure. Their favorite object is ever uppermost in their hearts, and first in their efforts: they are constantly on the watch for every favorable opportunity of promoting its attainment. Not a day nor an hour passes but some plan is formed, and some steps are taken for its accomplishment. Nothing which may be done to-day is deferred until to-morrow; and nothing which can be done is left undone. Oftentimes increasing and discouraging obstacles only quicken their efforts, and call forth greater exertions-such are the diligence and activity of the men of the world in their pursuits.

And now we ask, though eternal things be of transcendant value, are professed christians equally active and diligent in working out their salvation with fear and trembling? Does the truth compel us to say, with shame, they are not? Are we obliged to admit, that worldly people, who are following an object in itself fleeting, perishing, and

Comparatively worthless-an object which may never be attained and which, if attained, would certainly disappoint their expectations, and must, at any rate, soon be taken away from them-must we ad mit, that they are more active, laborious, and diligent, than religious people, who are pursuing an object ever substantial, lasting, and of infinite value? an object which they may be sure of attaining; and when attained, will far exceed their highest hopes, and shall never, never, be taken away from them? Ah, Christian Brethren shall they; who are merely seeking a worldly treasure, show more diligence and activity, more foresight and circumspection, more decision and sin gleness of mind, in attaining their end, than we, who are seeking a heavenly treasure, and working out our salvation? Have we not reason to blush and be ashamed, to reflect that we, who possess such advantages, and profess to be striving for an incorruptible crown, and for glory and blessedness, to be less active, less earnest, and less anxious in our efforts to obtain it, than the people of the world are to obtain the things of this fleeting life? Ponder well the exhortation of the text, and let the inestimable value of our eternal salvation rouse us from this disgraceful sloth, and let it lead us to act more consistently with our profession, and infuse more life and spirit into all our religious exercises and duties.

But secondly: The duty of working out our salvation with fear and trembling denotes not only its vast importance, but also, activity and diligence in the way prescribed by God for the attainment of salvation. This consists, according to apostolic instruction, in working out our salvation with fear and trembling, which cannot be done otherwise than by an active and diligent attention to the means appointed by infinite wisdom. It will not be needful for me, at present, to state what those means are: you know what they are. And although these means cannot, or will not, of themselves, effect the salvation of sinners, yet it is God's usual method to begin and carry on his work in the hearts of his people by the instrumentality of means. He could indeed, at once, carry into immediate effect, and accomplish our salvation by the direct and exclusive energy of his Holy Spirit: but, as a fact, you are well aware, this is not his manner of doing it; for, He both begins and carries on this work by the instrumentality of means, which require time for their operation. This is a truth, abundantly confirmed by all the works and word of God, and exemplified by all our observation and experience. Therefore, it is nothing less than presumption to hope for salvation, either in the omission of means, or in the careless and formal observance of them.

There is nothing more obvious from the existing state and constitu

tion of things, than that nothing useful or excellent can be obtained without labor and vigorous effort. We cannot acquire even the comforts of life, or its conveniences, without labor and diligence. We cannot arrive at distinction, either in wealth or literature, without labor or diligent attention. In a word, what is it in this world that is to be obtained without it? And of course, the men of the world spare no pains, decline no difficulty, and fear no hazard in their enterprizes, even though they have nothing more than probability to excite and encourage them. And if this be the fact, with respect to the present world, why should it be otherwise with respect to the world to come! Can we reasonably suppose the spiritual blessings are to be obtained and maintained without labor and diligence? Most unquestionably not. For the word of God plainly teaches us, that we must "work out our salvation with fear and trembling"-that we must "give all diligence to make our calling and election sure"-that we must “ press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God"—and that we must "labor to enter into rest." Now, these are all scriptural injunctions and exhortations. They correspond with the declaration of our text, and plainly convey the idea of working out our salvation with vigorous effort on our part; every exertion must be used, every nerve must be strained, and all diligence must be exercised in God's appointed way.

There is no discordance between working out our salvation with fear and trembling, and the grace of God necessary to give effect or success to these efforts. We must work, and labor, and press forward, and use every exertion, just as if we were to accomplish all for our. selves, and yet, depend as entirely and simply on the power and grace of God, as if all were to be done for us. While we are there. fore stating the duty expressed in the text, and illustrating the manner in which it is to be performed, remember all is to be done in God's appointed way, and in dependance on his grace. There is no other way of working out our salvation with fear and trembling, but in this way. If this way, or manner, is neglected or overlooked, all your efforts, in every other way, or manner, will be vain, and eventually ruinous. God's prescribed manner must be complied with. And his word requires us, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and likewise instructs us that all our success depends simply on the grace of God, who works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

We are well aware, some have supposed there is an inconsistency between the necessity of using means, and at the same time ascribing all success to the agency of God's Spirit. But, I must confess, I see

no inconsistency. I must say, I see no more of it in the moral than in the natural world. I see a farmer plough his field and sow his grain in the expectation of a future crop, but he can no more cause the grain to vegetate, grow up and produce fruit than he could remove a moun. tain, for this is entirely owing to the agency of God in the natural world. The farmer sees and knows that both are necessary, and sees no inconsistency between them. Just so in the moral world, the Christian sees and feels the necessity of working out his salvation by a diligent attention to all the means of God's appointment, that it requires continual labor, unceasing watchfulness and prayer to make progress in the way to Heaven; and yet he is thoroughly convinced that all is in vain without the Spirit of the Lord is with him, and will work in him both to will and to do. This statement is plainly made in our text, clearly authorised by the general tenor of God's word, and fully coincides with the experience of real christians, whose testimony will go to show, that the Lord gives success to their efforts, whilst they are most diligently and actively employed in his prescribed manner. Thirdly: The duty of working out our salvation, is to be done with fear and trembling. So says the apostle, who wrote as he was moved by the Holy Ghost. And, hence, it is to men of this character the Lord will look, and graciously vouchsafe his gracious presence, who are of a "poor and contrite spirit, and tremble at his word." Such is the result of correct views of the divine character, filling the scul with an affectionate fear and holy dread of offending God, and a deer, humbling view of ourselves as weak, guilty, and miserable sinners, de. pending entirely on the power and grace of God to renew us and work in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

It is, however, of importance to observe, that by working out our salvation with fear and trembling, we do not mean that slavish fear and dread of God that often arises from a sense of guilt, and mistaken views of the divine character. There is a class of people in whom slavish fear has produced all the religion they ever possessed; they have been alarmed, and their consciences coincide with the awful threatenings of a violated law, in denouncing death and damnation on all the workers of iniquity without exception. Providential dispensa. tions fill them with terror of divine power. They know they cannot always live, they know they cannot escape from God, and they trem. ble to think what shall become of them after death.

Hence they engage in some of the duties of religion. Slavish fear not only awakens, but continues to govern them in the after-course of life. They lay down a legal system of obedience and self-righteous. ness, but they wear the yoke with great impatience. They do not