Faith as hath been declared doth not exclude other works but necessarily require them as it's effects and consequents By the work of the Lord therefore must certainly be understood all manner of good works that is all such as are agreeable to the known Will of the Lord. For albeit no man may expect to be saved by or for any merit of his works yet the Scripture frequently declareth that every man shall be judged by and according to his works And though Faith be the prime condition of justification and gives a man a title to Salvation yet is this title to be held under the Condition of good works without which this Right cannot be maintained Because such a Faith as gives this right cannot be maintained without them Jam. 2.14.22 For Faith without works is dead that is ineffectual and vain What will it profit a man to say he hath Faith and have not works Can Faith save him No for Faith is made perfect that is effectual and saving by works To work out a mans Salvation then is to do all manner of good works that are in his power and to abstain from evil upon a principle of Faith in the Lord Jesus working by love And this must needs be all that can be done by a Christian in order to this end Provided that this work be persued in such manner as is directed by the Apostle's Exhortation in the first words Be ye stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord wherein two things are prescribed concerning the performance of this duty the first is Constancy expressed in three words stedfast unmoveable always The second is Diligence and Zeal signified by the word abounding First to be stedfast and unmoveable is to stand fast in the Faith and to be constant in the work of Faith And so much is implied in the word work out your own Salvation which as before was observed supposeth the work already begun and yet remaining to be perfected by a continued perseverance whereunto only the promise of Salvation is made He that endureth to the end shall be saved Mat. 10.22 And when the Apostle saith God will render to every man according to his works he interprets himselfs in the next words To them that by patient continuing in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality God will render eternallife Ro. 2.6 7. Secondly He that will work out this end is advised by the Apostle to labour to abound in the work of the Lord which is the same thing that S. Peter teacheth us when he exhorts to give disigence by good works to make our calling and election sure And though the abounding in good works be not absolutely necessary to the attaining of Salvation as it is to the qualifying a man for the Degrees of the reward yet it is without doubt the safest course to secure the Title it self which a few good works with the neglect of others will not do If these things be in you and abound saith S. Peter they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful A field or tree is judged barren and unfruitfull though it doth bear some fruit as suppose there and there an ear of Corn or an Apple if there be no proportion between the ground or the tree with the respective cost bestowed upon them and the crop that they yield So certainly will men be judged by the proportion of the ablities that God affords them to their good works else almost every man would be saved because there is scarce any man so bad but he doth or hath done some good works at least materially good Thus I have shewn at large from Holy Scripture only what that work is by which our Salvation is to be wrought out and shall finish my Answer to that Question with the addition of one Advertisement more which is that none of this work can be done without the assistance of Divine Grace as we are taught by the words immediately following my Text For it is God that worketh in you to will and to doe of his good pleasure of which something more afterward At present I only observe this consequence from them agreeable to the question in hand viz. That seeing there is such an absolute necessity of Gods Grace to the performance of this work it follows that Whatsoever is necessary to obtain this Grace must be equally necessary to work out our own Salvation Seeing therefore that Prayer Hearing Reuding and Meditating on Gods word and the frequent participation of the Holy Eucharist or Supper of the Lord are the ordinary means instituted by God for the obtaining of his grace it is necessary that a Christian should diligently apply himself to the practice of these duties not only as good works but as the means of grace to inable him to do what ever else is required of him to work out his Salvation But of these things more hereafter in the Application Come we now to the third Question viz. What is meant by those words with * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fear and trembling We have spoken of the matter of this work wherein that consists These words are added to expresse the manner of the performance of this duty And it is not to be imagined that there is any material difference in the sense of these two words though the latter of them doth properly signifie the effect the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryst For Trembling is the effect of fear But here they are no other than Synonymous expressions the general use whereof is only to fortifie and urge the same sense The meaning of the words will best be understood partly from the opposites of such a disposition as is thereby signified and partly from the use of the same words in other Texts of Scripture Now the direct Opposites of fear and trembling are presumption and self-confidence or vain confidence together with * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in Ioc. negligence and spiritual sloth Fear and Trembling is first opposed to presumption and self-confidence and so signisies humility modestie and reverence From an humble sense of our own weakness aptness to neglect and inability to perform this work without the special assistance of divine grace Rom. 11.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be not high-minded but fear This agrees with the subsequent words declaring the reason of this disposition For it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure And with this sense of these words agrees the use of them in Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling i. e. with all humble reverence and dread of his Divine Majesty as Heb. 12.28 Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear And without doubt a second thing signified by this fear and trembling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost is diligence care and sollicitude upon the due apprehension and consideration of
have a true notion of his nature and essence whereto the right of universal dominion doth necessarily belong and addes thereunto a firm assent of the mind Heb. 11.6 to the verity of his existence i.e. that he is the only true God and thereby obligeth our obedience to him This Notion of Faith is notably declared and exemplified by S. Paul in Heb. 11.2 4 7 8 17. By Faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain by which he obtained witnesse that he was righteous By Faith Noah being warn'd of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Arke to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteouness which is by Faith By Faith Abraham when he was called to go into a place which he should afterwards receive for an inheritance obeyed c. By Faith Abraham when he was tried offered up Isaak and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten Son And this was the Faith which was imputed to him for Righteousness that is by which he was justified before God Rom. 4.3 Gal. 5.6 But for a final confirmation of this notion of saving Faith as the only complete one I mean this practick Notion I shall add no more Arguments than what may be inferr'd from those Texts of Scripture wherein there is the least appearance of expressing it that is those Texts wherein this saving Faith is described by no other Act than that by which we believe the verity of these Propositions That Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that he was raised from the dead c. John 20.39 These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ and that believing ye might have life through his Name Rom. 10.9 10. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the mouth Confession is made unto Salvation 1 John 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 This was the Eunuch's Faith whereupon he was admitted to Baptism by Saint Philip I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Acts 8.37 This was the Faith for which our Saviour pronounceth Simon Peter blessed Matth. 16.16 17. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God The same was the Faith of Martha whereupon she expected the Promise of Life declared by Christ John 11.26 27 I demand now What kind of Faith it is that is to be understood in these Texts Is it no other than a certain real and unfained assent to the truth of these Propositions and shall every such Believer be saved or is he born of God Surely no man that reads the Scriptures can think so If then this speculative dogmatical Faith though never so true in a philosophical sense that is not only in respect of the Object but also in respect of the Act of Assent be not the true saving Faith What can â—t be but the practical Faith which answers to the foremention'd Notion of a practical knowledge of God that is such a Faith as effectually produceth all such affections and obedience to Christ with dependence upon him as the belief of these Propositions obligeth a man to I conclude therefore that these Texts and all others wherein Faith is named as the sole condition of Salvation are to be interpreted by that single one of S. Paul above mention'd Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but Faith which worketh by Love So much for that first Resolution to the Question in hand given by our Saviour himself and S. Paul viz. That he that will work out his own Salvation must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Not as Jesus only or a Saviour but as the Lord and Christ And to work out this Condition 1 Thess 1.3 is that which he calls the Work of Faith being the Work of Obedience to the Lord Jesus who is the Author of Eternal Salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5.9 that is to them that so believe in him as to obey him TO this agrees an other Answer which our blessed Saviour made to one that put the question to him in express terms Matth. 19.17 and Mark 10.17 And behold one came and said unto him Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have Eternal Life And he said unto him If thou wilt enter into Life keep the Commandments Which words being the Answer of him who is the Author of Salvation and who best knew the Condition whereupon it was to be had and had least reason to utter any thing to the prejudice of his own merits do plainly shew that the keeping of the Commandments in some sense or other is necessary for him that will be saved as well under the Gospel as under the Law I am not ignorant that this speech of our Saviour hath received such an interpretation from divers modern Interpreters as seems to imply the quite contrary to this inference viz. That these words were not designed for a direct Answer to the young man's question as serving to instruct him what he was to do to enter into Life but intended rather to discover unto him his inability to attain Salvation by any thing that he could do and thereby to draw him to seek it out of himself and dispose him to imbrace the Evangelical way of Salvation by Faith in him the Saviour without Works But this Interpretation with due reverence to the Authors and Abetters thereof seems to me improbable upon diverse Accounts 1. Because it makes our Saviour's Answer to be indirect and insufficient at least if not untrue For whereas the man 's Inquiry was What he was to do that he might be saved this Answer by this interpretation gives him either no direction at all or such a one as was either not true or not sufficient and by this Hypothesis impossible to be performed The keeping of the Commandments was either necessary to Salvation or it was not If it were necessary Why should our Saviour whiles he seems so plainly to affirm it be supposed not to intend it If it were How could this be a true Answer to the Question 2. Because I neither find any Circumstance in or about this Text nor any necessity from any other to incline me to preferr such an indirect obscure interpretation of our Saviour's words before that which is direct and plain 3. Because this sense is disagreeable to a second Answer that our Saviour made to the reply of this Questionist alledging himself how truly is not to the purpose to have kept those Commandments Jesus said unto him If thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the Poor and
to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity viz. to all Men as well 〈◊〉 Strangers and Enemies as Brethren to distinguish it from brotherly kindness or kindness to the Brethren that is to all Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ Wherefore the rather Bretheren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall For so an Entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Where note these three things 1. That to give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure is the same thing as to work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling For Calling and Election do signifie the free Grace and Mercy of God whereby Christians are called and elected to the state of Salvation by him that hath given unto us all things that pertain to Life and Godliness through the Knowledge of him that hath called us to Glory and Vertue vers 3. Life and Godliness Glory and Vertue are the things that comprehend the full sense of the word Salvation first declared as it signifies The being saved from our Sins that is from the power and practice of Sin as well as from the guilt and punishment thereof And to give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure is to take care that this Grace by which we are Called and Elected may prove effectual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firm and permanent and that we may obtain the benefit which was designed us thereby 2. The Direction given by the Apostle to this end is to add to our Faith Vertue c. that is to apply our selves with all diligence to the constant practice of all these Vertues and to labour for a proficiencie in them If these things be in you and abound and if ye do these things c. which agrees with the interposition of those words in the Vulgar Latin and some ancient Greek Copies vers 10. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by good Works to make your Calling and Election sure Our Calling and Election is to be made sure that is firm and effectual by good Works in the practice of the above-named Vertues And this is to work out our own Salvation 3. This Direction is urged with an Argument drawn from the assured success in the use thereof in those words If ye do these things ye shall never fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so an Entrance shall be ministred or afforded unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ The latter words do plainly shew that the assurance of our Calling and Election 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expressed vers 10. doth not referr only if at all in this place to that certitude of the Subject as it is ordinarily called that is to our being assured or confident that we are Called and Elected or to our acquiring a certain Plerophorie of faith or hope that we are at present in the favour of God and in a state of Salvation but signifies also and rather a certainty of the Object that is that our Calling and Election shall be and remain firm and effectual See Rom. 4.16 and 15.8 unto our entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of Christ which certitude ariseth from the performance of the conditions of the Promise of entrance into that Kingdom A second Text of like general direction to this end is in Tit. 2. v. 11 12 13. For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation to all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath appeared or hath appeared to all men For the Greek words are indifferent to either Reading teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for the blessed Hope c. Where we are taught by the grace of God that bringeth Salvation that is by the Gospel what manner of Conversation is required of them that look to be partakers of this blessed hope of Salvation to wit that denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts not indulging themselves in any known Sin against first or second Table they should live soberly in reference to themselves and their own Bodies in all temperance and chastity and righteously towards all others in all acts of Justice and Charity and Godly to God-ward in all Piety and Holiness of inward and outward worship both private and publick Hereunto agrees that of S. John 1 Joh. 3.2 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure And a compleat paraphrase of that Text we have in the words of S. Paul 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God Salvation is promised in the Gospel under condition of sanctification 2 Thes 2.13 And is therefore no otherwise to be wrought out than by a through cleansing of our selves from all kinds and degrees of pollution both of Soul and body as far as is possible and labouring to perfect holiness in the fear of God I shall mention but one Text more by way of general Direction what a Christian should do to work out his own Salvation and that shall be from the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The word therefore referrs to the precedent discourse that takes up the whole chapter containing an ample confirmation and explication of that grand Article of Christian Faith viz. the Resurrection of the Faithfull to Everlasting life and the final accomplishment of their Salvation from sin and death The truth of which Doctrine to him that believes it affords an argument abundantly sufficient to perswade and incourage him to all that may be necessary or profitable to the attaining unto this blessed estate wherein his labour will be so fully recompenced And therefore together with this argument from the certainty of the reward the Apostle concludes his discourse with special directions how it is to be attained shewing 1. What that work is which is to be done to this end 2. How it is to be persued viz. with all constancy and diligence 1. He sheweth what that work is which is to be done by him that looketh for this reward It must be the work of the Lord and what 's that our Saviour hath told us in the Text before quoted Joh. 6.29 This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent But this
what acceptance it may have with God in such as are invincibly ignorant of the Gospel we are not concerned to inquire But to all them to whom this Gospel is sufficiently revealed the Christian Faith or Faith in Christ is absolutely necessary to render their works pleasing to God And that Faith is undoubtedly the principal◠condition of Justification and Salvation And although other conditions be required to Salvation yet they are subordinate to this Faith as the proper effects and verifications thereof whereby it becomes allowable to God So that the concurrence and efficacie that other Graces and all good Works have unto Salvation is by vertue of Faith from whence they proceed It is Faith in Christ the Saviour that gives us Vnion with him and his Church and that consequently gives the first right to that Salvation which is procured by him and is the onely priviledge of his Church But this Faith must he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Faith unfained which it cannot be unless it be joyned with repentance and worketh by love and so makes a man a new Creature Faith is the prime Article of the New Covenant And in congruity to the design of mans Redemption and Salvation by Christ the principal act of this Faith is to receive him as the Author of this Salvation and to depend upon him and the expiation that he hath made for us by his blood But because he is also propounded to us in the same Gospel as Christ the anoynted of the Lord as well for a Prophet and a King as a Priest and sent by his Father to declare the Minde and Will of God in his Precepts as well as to publish his Grace in the Promises and is invested with all power to rule and govern his people as well as to save them therefore are all Christians that expect to be saved by him equally obliged to receive him as Lord and Christ to observe and keep his Precepts as well as to trust upon his Promises And thus much is included in the notion of their Faith given unto him when they are baptised for his Disciples which is the solemn Rite of ingaging our Faith unto him For that Faith which is professed in our Baptism is undoubtedly the same with that by which we are justified and saved But the Faith which is professed in Baptism is not a bare trust in Christ as a Saviour but a Faith given unto him as our Lord and Master to become his faithful Disciples importing our defire to learn and stipulation to observe his Precepts And therefore as S. Paul saith we are saved by faith Eph. 2.8 So S. Peter saith Baptism doth also save us 1 Pet. 3.21 Interpreting his meaning in the following words Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer or stipulation of a good conscience And to this purpose it is observable that when our Saviour gave commission to his Apostles to go and make Disciples of all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost he adds this as the interpretation of their discipleship teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Implying that their Profession to be his Disciples which is the import of their Baptisin doth signifie their ingagement to observe his Precepts and to live like Christians To believe in Christ is to be a Christian that is a Disciple if Christ which was the first Title of Believers Act. 11.26 But that Title of a Disciple of Christ without respect to his Precepts imports contradiction to believe in Christ therefore and not to observe his Commandments is a plain contradiction As therefore all Christians are obliged to an explicit faith in Christ which is the ground of their Title to that name s◠are they to do all manner of good Works upon the groun◠of this Faith with desire and confidence of pleasin◠God through Christ and not expecting any acceptan◠of their works otherwise than by and through Christ Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed d◠all in the name of the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 2.5 The Original of the first transgression by which th◠whole Race of Mankinde fell into a state that neede Salvation was unbelief Eve by the temptation of th◠Devil was first induced to quit her Faith in Go◠Word that had said The day thou eatest there of thou shalt surely dye the death This unbelief was that which made way for the sin of disobed◠ence to the Command For had she not doubted th◠truth of Gods Word she could never have been per◠swaded to taste of that forbidden Fruit. Thus w◠unbelief the prime cause of mans ruine and there◠fore the first step and principle of his restauration an◠Salvation is Faith And as unbelief of the threa◠ning by which the first Law was fortified was th◠cause of our destruction so the belief of the promi◠of the Gospel is the principle of our justification B◠believing the Serpent the Abaddon and Apollyo◠the destroyer we were undon by believing in Jesu◠the Saviour we are saved But as that unbelief became destructive by its effects as a practical infidelity producing disobedience to the Commandment So is our Faith effectual to Salvation then onely when it is sincerely practical reducing us to our duty of obedience to our merciful Saviour If that saying of the Father must stand for a Catholick Axiom bona opera sunt via ad regnum non causa regnandi I must have leave to interpret the latter Clause so as may import no contradiction to the first that is that good works are the way to the Kingdom not the Cause that is the principle or meritorious Cause of our raigning for a Cause they must needs be that is a moral Cause if they be the way that is the means of our raigning as that signifies not onely the Term or End of this way but the Reward of our walking in it When therefore S. Paul excludes works from justification I take it his onely scope is to secure the freedom and assert the necessity of Divine Grace purchased by Christ and promised by the New Covenant of the Gospel And when he saith a man is not justified by the works of the Law he sometimes means ceremonial works such as was that of Circumcision and the obedience to that whole Law which a man was made a debtor to keep by his Circumcision Gal. 5.3 otherwhiles by the righteousness of works he seems to understand perfect indefective obedience to the whole Law or Will of God upon which account it is impossible for a sinner as he concludes all men to be now Rom. 3.23 Gal. 3.22 to be justified because his being so imports a contradiction to such Works Besides it is observeable that S. Paul doth never say that a man can be saved without Works but that he is justified without them speaking generally of the first
grossest acts of moral impiety such as prophane swearing cursing and all kind of uncleanness riot and drunkenness may be professedly done to the Glory of Gods free grace is no more than hath been owned and asserted by our Ranters and Libertines Not to mention the horrid opinions and expressions of Gods being the cause of Sin by necessitating effectually and irresistibly moving and determining the wills of men to the worst of sins by an efficacious decree first ordaining the sin and then the eternal punishment thereof in hell torments and all to the glory of God in his absolute Dominion and Justice I hope the men who have held forth such expressions have not meant so ill as their words seem to signifie to common sense And therefore it is not my intention to parallel them to the forementioned ranks of profane mockers of God and his Glory Only I heartily wish such Teachers would sadly consider whether those Doctrines be like to produce any such glorious conceptions of God in the minds of other men as they pretend they do in theirs 4. But my Reprehension cannot without partiality determine in such a list of persons as I have hitherto described because it may most justly be extended to a better sort of Christians and indeed to the best which are to be found amongst us For doubtless We are all to blame in that we have so little regarded the Glory of God in the general course of our thoughts words and actions In that we have sought our selves and our own ends so much and Gods glory so little How few of us can say but that other ends have been more regarded by us than this How seldome and how slightly do we mind this end how little care have we to secure it or zeal to procure it Were this indeed our chief end we would be more careful of our waies we would not be so loose so carnal vain and worldly in our common Actions so negligent cold lazy and sleight in our Religious Actions Were the glory of God more pretious to us other ends would not be so much over-sought by us We have all cause to be humbled before the Lord for this general sin of neglecting his glory hath the Lord deserved so to be sleighted by us nay Which of us can say but he hath infinitely deserved we should have had all the zeal that is possible for his Glory Should he regard us and our welfare no more than we do him and his glory what would become of us With what face do we expect to appear before this glorious God whom we have so much sleighted How can we pretend we love him with all our hearts and all our might whiles we have no more Affection for that which we know to be his only Interest and that which is so infinitely dear to him is so little valued by us How can we expect to be eternally glorified by him and with him that regard his Glory no more than we have done Oh let us take the shame of this unkind and ingratefull neglect upon our selves And let me close the Application of this point with a pressed Exhortation of all that profess to love and fear the Lord from henceforth to be more mindful of this Rule in all their doings To which purpose considering the generality of indisposition thereunto which hath been already declared by way of Reprehension I cannot think it needless to re-inforce the Exhortation by some addition of Motives and Arguments to the reasons before alledged 1. As to know the end of his actions distinguisheth a man from a beast so to chuse and propose a good end distinguisheth a good man from a bad As men and reasonable creatures we are to have some end in all our doings and as godly men the glory of God ought to be our chief end to which all others are to be subordinate and therefore ought we not to have any end inconsistent with this Nothing so much dignifies an Action as the end of it and no end so worthy as this by which all actions are sanctified even the commonest actions while they are though remotely truly and sincerely designed to this end are hallowed and without it the most Religious action is profaned Herein consists the form essence and spirit of Religion properly so called Godliness both name and thingâ— is nothing else but a Religious affection to God expressed by such acts as are agreeable to his will and honour and done for this end because they are so he that counts or calls any thing Godliness which hath not this end that is which hath not God for its end doth not understand what he saith This also is true Holiness in the most distinct and proper notion which imports a separation from the world with a devoting of a thing to the sacred Majesty of God Look how much a man is sequestred from sin and from the world and devoted to God and his glory so much Holiness is there in him Holiness is commonly distinguished into inherent and relative but to speak strictly all holiness in a creature is relative importing a singular consignation unto God Not but that there is such an inherent quality as that which is called Holiness in all true Saints but because the reason of the name and the formality of the thing consists in the reference of this quality to God as the rule and end of it That kind of holiness in men which is commonly called inherent or practical consisting in dispositions habits or acts is such only in reference to God and his glory which is the object or end of them And therefore no such vertuous Habits or Acts as have not this reference principle and end have any thing of the nature of true holiness in them For this reason moral vertues and good actions of meer heathens amount not to the nature of holiness A relative holiness may be and is in Scripture attributed to other things both natural and artificiall but no creature is so truly capable thereof as Man because he is not only capable of being separated and consecrated to the service of God by a power or will Extrinsecal to himself as other things are but by a proper design dedication and devotion of his own Man by by nature is a Sacred Creature Ovid. Sanctius his annimal having a kind of natural Consecration to God from that image of the Creator which is stamped upon him in the Indowment of Reason Ratio res Dei Tertul. which the Father truly calls a Divine thing So Man may be called the Priest of the visible world out of all the Tribes of living Creatures elected qualified and appointed to celebrate the glory of God nor only for himself but as it were in the name of all the Creatures of this lower world This was his office and dignity according to the prime intention of his Creation But all mankind being now by original and personal sin profaned become unworthy of
reward the practice of it and because he hath promised so to do it can be no part of our duty to set aside all respect to the benefit of our duty because so to doe would be to frustrate one end of his promises and to sleight his bounty which would be a plain opposition to his Glory which we pretend to seek They are therefore no such friends to God's glory as they pretend that say Men ought not to respect their own benefit in any service that they do to God Besides the present comfort of a mans own Conscience bearing witness of his integrity and uprightness of heart to God-ward whereof this constant seeking of his glory is the most infallible evidence 1 Sam. 2.30 the Lord hath promised that he will honour them that honour him and hath provided a Crown of glory for them that glorifie him And certainly the degrees of glory hereafter will be answerable to the degrees of zeal and Industry that men had here to glorifie God the more a man seeks God's glory the greater shall be his own glory whereas he that acts not for God cannot in reason expect any reward from him for any thing that he doth how good or how much soever it be The want of this end or preferring any other before it frustrates a man of the heavenly reward I say the heavenly because some temporal reward may be received for well doing by him that hath no such sincere respect to Gods glory He that hath other ends which he respects either only orchiefly shall have other proportionable rewards 2 King 10.30 as Jehu had But if thou dost all for the glory of God especially though not only all thy doings and all Gods dealings and mens doings or dealings by thee shall be turned to thy good Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Before I conclude my discourse upon this point which I have already declared to be the most fundamental Canon of Christian Religion I shall add to what hath been hitherto spoken concerning it 1. Some special Notes or Characters whereby it may be discerned whether a man walks according to this rule or no. 2. Some particular Directions useful to be observed in order to the general practice thereof First I shall propound some proper signes whereby a man may be able to judg whether he hath any such religious affection to the glory of God as this duty requireth 1. He that hath an intire loyall heart to God and his glory will value Gods interest above hiâ— own in every thing that he hath or doth This is a generall note of integrity to God-ward If the heart be truly faithfull there will be no interest of his own so precious to him as the interest of God Men in the flesh have many interests ends and projects which they seek in order to the contentment of their various appetites as bodily life ease safety liberty wealth health honour and pleasure Now it is the part and property of a godly man to consider that as God hath a general interest in every thing that is or is done in the world so he hath a more special interest in him and all that belongs to him in respect of the propriety which he hath in him and his special and peculiar ingagement to him above other men The interest that God hath in the world and all things that belong to it is universal and transcendent infinitely above any interest that a creature can have in any thing whereto he may pretend the most absolute propriety The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Ezek. 16.17 c. Thou hast taken thy fair Jewels of my Gold and of my Silver which I had given thee and madest to thy self images of men and did'st commit whoredom with them And took ' thy broydered garments and coverd'st them and thou hast set mine oyle and mine incense before them my meat also which I gave thee fine flower and oyle and hony wherewith I fed thee thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters whom thou hast born unto me and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured No mans money meat garments children are so much his own as they are God's God's gifts they are all and t is he that gives us an interest in them but doth not destroy or evacuate his own For God's deed of gift to the creature doth not alienate the propriety as man's doth he doth never give away any thing from himself and therefore may still command what ever he hath given and take it away again with as much justice as he gave it with mercy What ever we have we hold by title of frank Almoign as the Lawyers speak and as usu-fructuaries rather than proprietors But besides this common interest of God's as the true and soveraign proprietor of all things he hath a special interest in his own people and in all that is theirs as his peculiar servants And this is not only to be acknowledg'd by them but preferred before any interest of their own and so will be by every faithful servant And therefore he will be content at any time to resign and depart from neglect and disregard his own interest to promote salve or secure the interest of God's glory Agodly man looks upon all that he owns as God's more than his and therefore will be ready to use it or leave it lay it down or lay it out according to the will of God and as may make most for his glory Agreeable to this first general Note of observing this rule is the practice of Self-denial and Mortification of carnal lusts Look how much of self-denial is found in any man so it be sincere and not partial denying himself in one thing to serve himself in an other so much of Religion towards God For the greatest Let that men have from seeking God's glory is self-love Carnal self-love I mean or inordinate love of the carnal Self For there is an innocent kind of self-love founded in the law of nature and supposed in all the promises of reward to the obedience of God's Commandments as they are propounded for motives thereunto Whiles God doth invite or incourage us to seek and serve him with promises of advantage to our selves by so doing he must needs allow us some measures of love for our selves else such arguments would be no just motives to obedience but temptations to sin if all self-seeking were so Such motives could have no effect at all upon our wills if we did not love our selves nor any good effect if we might not Indeed this natural self love is so far from being a sin or breach of any Commandment that it is the rule and measure of the great Commandment of Charity expressed in those two general and equivalent precepts Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self And What soever you would
this Duty are also useful by way of direction to the conscientious performance thereof 1. Wouldst thou conform all thy actions to the Glory of God Then labour to understand â—nd know the Minde and Will of God For as before hath been signified God is glorified or dishonoured according as things are done agreeable to or against his Will He therefore that will make Gods Glory the end of his actions must â—ake his Will to be the rule of them and thereâ—re is obliged to enquire diligently into it It beâ—oves Christians to take great heed of determining â—e concernments of Gods Glory by their own â—aginations or opinions And because the â—ost certain declaration of Gods Will is to be had from his Word every one that desires to be informed concerning it is obliged to attend diligently to the reading hearing and meditatinâ— of that Word as it is contained in the holy Scriptures and expounded by the Words and Writings of the most able and faithful Interpreters Hâ— that doth sincerely and earnestly desire to know the Will of God for this end that by doing it hâ— may glorifie God using his best industry to gaâ— this knowledge shall undoubtedly obtain so mucâ— of it as will be sufficient to render both his person and his actions acceptable to God And thougâ— he may in some particulars be mistaken or mis-leâ—â— into some erroneous apprehensions or misprision of Gods Will and thereby also into some action materially disagreeble thereunto Yet he who 〈◊〉 infinitely Wise and Just and Gracious can anâ— will distinguish the integrity of his intentions and will from the error of his understanding 〈◊〉 as to accept the one and not impute the otheâ— Such ignorance or error in a practical matter 〈◊〉 is Morally invincible and therefore inculpable as it is no sin in it self so neither doth it so vitâ— the action as to destroy or evacuate the vertâ— of the good intention 2. Wouldst thou do all that thou dost to tâ— Glory of God It behooves thee then to pâ— earnesty and constantly that God will teach thâ— and guide thee in all thy actions to the service this End Beg of him Wisdom to discern wâ—â— is to be done by thee and how That thou 〈◊〉 be filled with the knowledge of his Will in all Wisdâ—â— and spiritual understanding Col. 1.9 Pray 〈◊〉 the man after Gods own heart Order my 〈◊〉 according to thy word Psal 119.133 Psal 31.3.25.4 and let not any iniquity have dominion over me For thy name sake that is for thy glory sake lead me and guide me Shew me thy ways O Lord and teach me thy paths Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path Teach Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I will keep it unto the end Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall or will observe it with my whole heart Make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein is my delight Incline my heart unto thy testimonies c. Teach me to do thy Will for thou art my God There is no one petition which the holy man who had as great a zeal for Gods Glory as ever any meer-man had doth so often and so earnestly offer unto God as this And after these divine forms dictated by the Spirit of God there cannot be a more exquisite form of humane invention than is that Collect in our Church-Liturgy Prevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The exâ—ressions of that godly Prayer do evidently â—elate to the Catholique Doctrine concerning the necessity of the preventing operating and coperating Grace of God without which nothing â—an be sincerely done to the glory of God For â—t is he that worketh in us to will and to do of his good â—easure This holy practice of constant Prayer â—o God for his Grace hath a double way of promoting his Glory First by the impetration of his Grace promised to them that so seek it Secondly by importing an acknowledgment that whatever shall or can be done to this end is the intire effect of his Grace which gives him the whole glory oâ— whatever is done to or for it 3. If thou dost seriously and habitually desire to glorifie God in all that thou dost thou canst noâ— better express it than by making frequent actualâ— and explicite resignations and oblations of thy self and all that thou hast and dost to God in holy vows answerable to that by which thou wenâ— first conse crated to his service in holy Baptism because that is done Mystically and Vicariously rather for us than by us whilst it is now generally practised in the state of infancie and so as without our knowledge so neither with nor against our wills It behooves us being once come tâ— years of understanding and choice to recogniâ—â— renew and confirm that Vow by free acts of 〈◊〉 own And though this be religiously done in the solemn Office of Confirmation yet because that iâ— too much neglected there being indeed but fâ—â— that have the desire and opportunity of partaking thereof as also because the same is most ordinatâ—ly passed in years of Childhood having but a feâ— measures of choice and freedom above the Baptismal Consecration in infancie it is the part of devout Christian with due reflection upon and â—cognition of both those publick and solemn is gagements to make repetitions of that sacrâ— Vow in a way of private Devotion And this will be most conveniently done 〈◊〉 consecrating every day and the works thereof aâ— soon as it begins to the glory of God in soâ— short form of Meditated Prayer to that special end or at least in an explicite Ejaculation As soon as thou awakest in the morning set God and his Glory before thee as the ultimate end of that daies work with a fervent desire and firm resolution First of doing nothing wittingly contrary to the Will of God Secondly of taking all opportunities and improving all talents that shall be found in thy hands to honour and serve him And lest thou shouldst be discouraged from such a strict Exercise of Piety by the fear of being thereby prejudiced or restrained in thy secular imployments or at least in the use of lawful liberties and recreations thou art to remember thou hast to do with a wise and gracious Father who accounts himself served and honoured by his Children as well in the honest and necessary works of their respective callings as in the solemn Exercises of Religion and is not at all displeased with a sober and moderate use of innocent recreations either of minde or body But when they are used in his fear and limited by the known bounds of his Will doth therein also esteem himself honoured After this
thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven and come and follow me Which last words do indeed imply a necessity of Faith in Christ without which no man can come to him but they do also as plainly teach a necessity of Obedience too without which no man can be said to follow him And the whole Answer doth clearly intimate that it was not only necessary for him to endeavour the keeping of those Commandments if he would enter into Lâ—fe but that he must do more than so namely be ready upon his command to part withall that he had to follow him as his Disciples had done 4. Because the foremention'd Interpretation seems to have been devised of purpose to exclude the necessity of Obedience to Salvation and to secure the Doctrine of Salvation by Faith only without Works in such a sense as St. Paul never meant Therefore I find no such interpretation in any of the Ancients before the Controversie about Works was raised Lastly because the same necessity of Works of Obedience to Salvation that seems to be taught by our Saviour in this Text is fully and plainly asserted by himself and his Apostles in many other Texts As Mat. 5.20 Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Where by the Sequel of his Discourse it is evident that he speaks not of a meer imputed righteousness but such a one as is inherent and practical consisting in the observation of the Precepts there afterward mention'd by himself in the same and the two following Chapters And as it were of purpose to prevent the error of the Solifidian Doctrine or a presumption of Salvation by Faith without Works he expresseth himself most clearly Chap. 7.21 Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord that is pretendeth or professeth to believe on me shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven The whole Sermon contain'd in those 3. Chapters is a summary of the Law of Christ Gal. 6.2 The Christian Ethicks or the institutions of the Christian Philosophy The main Scope whereof is to shew upon what terms and conditions that Kingdom of Heaven which he preached and promised was to be obtained as may appear both from the beginning and end of the Sermon For as it begins with the Promise of Blessedness limited to the endowments and practice of special Christian Vertues such as Humility Meekness Mercy purity of Heart Peace and Patience c. so it ends with a peremptory assertion of the necessity of Obedience to the Precepts before delivered Chap. 7. from vers 22. to the end Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man which built his House upon a Rock c. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his House upon the Sand c. Which words can signifie no less than that all hopes of Salvation that are built upon any other Foundation than that of Obedience to his Precepts as the proper effect fruit and trial of an unfained Faith in him are built upon the Sands Or that the study of conformity to his Commandments is fundamentally necessary to the hope of everlasting Life From whence this Inference seems to be necessary that to believe there is no such necessity of good Works to Salvation is no less than a fundamental Error in the Christian Profession And so without doubt it is if it be held practically But because such an erroneous Opinion notionally held may be consistent with the real practice of Christian Obedience as I doubt not but that it is in many Lutherans and some Antinomians it doth not necessarily exclude from Salvation For whosoever heareth Christ's sayings and doth them is by our Saviour likened unto a wise man that built his House upon a Rock and therefore shall undoubtedly be saved whether he believes his Obedience necessary to Salvation or not A simple error in the Understanding effectually corrected in the Will I believe shall never be imputed to the honest-minded man But considering the natural influence of the Understanding upon the Will this Heresie though not in it self to be reckon'd in the number of those which St. Peter calls damnable may yet easily prove so And therefore though it must needs exercise the Patience of an intelligent Orthodox Reader to add to these express words of our Saviour so many Testimonies of his Apostles as might be alledged from their Epistles for the confirmation of this Doctrine Yet their pardon must be allowed for the mentioning of some of them towards the removal of so dangerous an Error as the same Apostles thought necessary to warn Christians of by many Emphatical Texts Saint Paul himself after he had msisted so much in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians upon the Doctrine of Justification by Faith without the Works of the Law doth specially caution both Churches to take heed of this misprison Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live See Gal. 5.6.21 and Chap. 6. v. 7 8 9.15 Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall be also reap For he that soweth to his Flesh shall of the Flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1. Cor. 6.9 10. St. James Jam. 2. spends a whole Chapter to undeceive Christians of this Error St. John gives the same admonition 1 Jo. 3.7 Little Children let no man deceive you he that doth righteousness is righteous as he is righteous He that committeth Sin is of the Devil c. What can be plainer than the words of our Saviour Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the Gates into the City viz. the heavenly Hierusalem From whence it is to be concluded beyond dispute that howsoever the right to this heavenly Inheritance be at first obtained by the act of an unfeined Faith in Christ yet it is held by the homage of Obedience to the Commandments I shall conclude with that General Doctrine so oft delivered as well in the New Rom. 2.6 2 Cor. 5.10 Mat. 16.27 Rev. 22.12 as in the Old Testament That God will render to every man according to his Works Confirmed by our Saviour's description of the last Judgement Matth. 25.31 to the end of the Chapter That all men shall fare in the Life to come according to their doings in this L. Herbert E. of Cherbery Lib. de Veritate is one of
the infinite weight and moment of this work in order to its end as also of the difficulty of performing it by reason of our own weakness and the many impediments we have from the Devil and the world in the persuance thereof These two things humble reverence and diligent caution are signified by the same words used by S. Paul Ephes 6.5 Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of heart as unto Christ i. e. with a careful reverence not a slavish fear and with an honest sollicitous diligence and caution lest they should offend or displease neglect or do any thing amiss So 2 Cor. 7.15 Titus bears witness to S. Paul of the ready obedience of the Corinthians to his Orders and how they had received him with fear and trembling that is with all reverence carefulness desire and zeal to approve themselves unto him vers 11. So are the same words to be understood in our Text Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling that is with all humility and reverence in dependance upon God's grace not trusting to your own power and ability and yet doing your duty with all care and diligence To this purpose are many Precepts and Exhortations of our Saviour and the Apostles agreeable to be here added not so much to confirm the Obligation as to press the Performance of so important a Duty Such is that of our Saviour Lack. 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Where may be observed first that the word Strive being a Metaphor borrowed from those laborious Combats and Games of the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein the Combatants were ingaged to strive with might and main for the Victory comprehends the sense of these two words with fear and trembling that is with the utmost of care and industry And 2. The necessity of this Labour is urged from the straitness of the Gate i. e. the difficulty of Entrance into Life And 3. from the Miscarriage and ill success of many that seek to enter who through presumption or negligence the opposites of this Fear and Trembling shall not be able to enter Let us therefore fear saith the Apostle lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it Heb. 4.1 A gracious Promise is left us in the Gospel of a blessed Rest in the Kingdom of Heaven typified by the Land of Canaan promised to the Israelites towards which they were led by the Conduct of Moses in a laborious March through the Wilderness representing the Race or Life of a Christian through the Desart of this World under the Conduct of Christ the Captain of our Salvation But as then it fell out that many that were brought out of Egypt carried through the Red Sea and led on the way towards the Land of Promise fell short of Entring through their Unbelief and Disobedience So doth it come to pass that many that have received the Promise in the Gospel of entring into the heavenly Canaan and are brought out of Egypt the state of Bondage under Sin and Death through the Water of holy Baptism figured by the Red Sea by which they are saved that is put into a way of Salvation will at last fall short of obtaining this Promise by the same Unbelief and Disobedience And so many such Fallers there are that there will be few left at last to enter into that Rest because there are indeed very few that will take the pains to work out their own Salvation begun by their Baptism And that being so we have reason to fear lest we be found in the number of those that will come short Let us therefore * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 labour that is use all diligence to enter into that Rest lest any man fall after the same Example of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnbelief or Disobedience v. 11. which is the Exhortation of S. John 2 John 8. Look to your selves that we lose not the things which we have wrought for want of labouring to work out our own Salvation by a perseveing diligence So run that ye may obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 Saint Paul himself was not without this sollicitous Fear or Care when he said I keep under my Body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a Cast-away 1 Cor. 9.27 And when he used those anxious words If by any means I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead i. e. the Resurrection of the Just Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect But I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Bretheren I count not my self to have apprehended But this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press towards the mark for the prize of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3.11 12 13 14. Thus doth the holy Apostle testifie his pressing diligence labour and sollicitude that he used to save his own Soul when he had already as much assurance of it as is to be had on this side Heaven And if so much labour was still necessary for him as sure it was except we will say it was needless pains that he took is it not at least as necessary for us Shall we presume of gaining the Prize with more ease than he durst trust to Was he superstitious or ignorant of the free grace of God and the terms of Salvation I will conclude with the words of St. Peter 1 Pet. 1.17 If ye call on the Father who without respect of persons judgeth every man according to his works pass the time of your sojourning here in Fear Great reason there is that they that call God Father should be careful as obedient Children to be holy in all manner of Conversation as he is holy v. 15. And should walk reverently strictly and watchfully all the time of their Sojourning in this World knowing that God doth and will finally judge every man according to his works lest if they should be found careless and negligent in the work of the Lord they should receive that severe Sentence of the wicked and slothful Servant Matth. 15.26.30 Cast ye the unprofitable Servant into utter darkuess there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Now omitting all other Texts of Scripture together with the many Reasons that might and shall afterward in the Application be added I shall here take up with the special Reason which is annexed by the Apostle in the words next after my Text. For it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Which words being added by the Apostle by way of Argument or Reason to inforce the
premised Exhortation are so to be interpreted as will best agree with the Scope and Intention thereof And therefore are not to be understood in such a sense as destroyes the freedom of the Will in regenerate persons to whom only the Exhortation is directed For that would make void the Exhortation as St. Chrysostom argues upon the Text. For if it be so that the Whole Work is done by God irresistibly without any liberty left to our Wills to neglect it why are we exhorted to do it our selves If nothing can be done in this Work without irresistible Grace then nothing that can be done can be neglected No more good can be done by any Christian than is done nor no less But I have no disposition to enter upon the Controversie raised about the sense of these Words But shall plainly and briefly declare what I conceive to be the scope and meaning of them in reference to the antecedent Exhortation Therefore ought we to work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling that is with an humble dependence upon God and with a diligent care to accept and improve his Grace because It is God that worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure i. e. 'T is he not only that begins this work in us by his preventing Grace whereby we are at first converted and effectually called but that carries it on Phil. 1.6 and inables us to work it out by his co-operating Graces So that it is certain we can do nothing without his Grace which he gives to the humble i. e. to them that are sensible of their need of it and depend upon him for it with fear to want it by their neglect of it And though the first Grace which is the Seed of God by which we are Regenerated and called to believe be given absolutely without any Condition yet additional grace whereby our Salvation is to be wrought out is not promised without the Condition of Improvement of that Grace which we have already received According to the words of our Saviour To him that hath i. e. improveth his Talent which he hath freely received shall be given and he shall have abundance But from him that hath not i. e. that doth not so shall be taken away even that which he hath Matth. 25.29 Seeing therefore that without the grace of God we can do no good Work much less work out our own Salvation It behoves us to take heed of Presumption and Self-confidence that we do not presumptuously trust to our selves and our own abilities but labour for the grace of God Whereby we may serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear Secondly of Sloth and Negligence that we receive not the grace of God in vain Rom. 12.11 Heb. 6.12 2 Cor. 6.1 nor forfeit the assistance thereof and provoke him to withdraw it from us by our unprofitableness and so being left to our selves we shall neither be able to will nor to do It concerns us to beware that we quench not the Spirit of God by resisting Him that we be alwayes fearful of our selves and careful not to neglect the grace of God which he giveth freely of his good pleasure having not bound himself to bestow it upon every one much less to continue it whether he will make use of it or no. So these words do afford a just and weighty Reason why we should work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling because it is God's Work not only as commanded by him which is one reasonable Consideration to move us to a reverend diligence in the performance but also as it is to be effected by his special Grace without which it can never be done But I shall not deny but that the same words may have another sense which I find given by the Greek S. Chrysost Father and more generally received by modern Interpreters viz. as affording an Argument of Incouragement to the forementioned Duty from an assurance of God's effectual assistance that shall never be wanting to them that go about it with such humility and diligence as is signified by that fear and trembling For so may we be confident of this very thing that he that hath begun a good Work in us will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 This confidence is no more than may be assumed by any Christian upon the general Promise To him that hath shall be given Rom. 11.29 And The Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance Therefore although in respect of our own insufficiencie we have reason to pursue this Work with fear and trembling yet are we not to be discouraged therein seeing it is not our Work only but God's 'T is not an Undertaking of our own upon our own heads or our own strength but 't is God that sets us awork else it had never been begun Nor is it only begun by him and then left to us to work out by our own strengths or by that stock of Grace which was given us at the beginning but carried on by the power of God whereby we are kept through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 So that be we never so weak and insufficient of our selves for this Work we are sure God hath all-sufficient power to enable us to go through with it And this power of his Grace is ingaged by his good Will For so God worketh in us to will and to do * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his good pleasure His good Will to us testified by the beginning of this Work in us and his Pleasure and good Will to the Work it self which is highly pleasing to him are very great Reasons why it ought to be pursued with all care and diligence not as our own Concernment only but as God's Work which he hath set us about For Cursed is that doth the work of the Lord negligently and is no less pleasing to him than advantageous to our selves Thus it appears that this received sense of the words is not at all exclusive of that which was before mentioned but additional and agreeable to it Thus much shall suffice for the Explication 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and confirmation of the general Doctrine That which remains is matter of Application wherein we must have leave to speak plainly and freely in the just reprehension of divers sorts of people for the notorious contempt or neglect of this so necessary a duty both in the matter and manner of it 1. And first What shall we say to such persons as act directly contrary to the matter of this precept Being so far from working out their own Salvation with fear and trembling that the Main of their work tends to a quite contrary end leading and disposing them to everlasting perdition and damnation How many such are there amongst them to whom the Gospel of Salvation is preached and that do not pretend to any doubt of the truth of it who notwithstanding do not only