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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A44438 The fourth (and last) volume of discourses, or sermons, on several scriptures by Exekiel Hopkins ... Hopkins, Ezekiel, 1634-1690. 1696 (1696) Wing H2734; ESTC R43261 196,621 503

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seem to be but by the help of one or two Consequences may be handed down along to clear and direct our Practice And therefore the Apostle speaking of the Whole of Christian Religion 1 Tim. 3.16 Titus 1.1 calls it The Mystery of Godliness And the Truth according to Godliness He calls it not a Mystery and Godliness or Truth and Godliness but he knits and joyns them both together the Mystery and Truth of Godliness a Truth yea and a Truth wrapt up in a Mystery because discovered only by a Divine Light and yet a Mystery of Godliness because it is a Truth that tends to incline the Will and raise the Affections and so direct the Conversations of Men unto Godliness and Obedience And thus also in this Chapter after the Apostle had soared up very high in those Transcendent Mysteries of Christ's Godhead in the 6 verse of his Incarnation in the 7 verse of his Humiliation Obedience and Passion in the 8 verse of his Glory and Exaltation above every thing both in Heaven and in the Earth and in Hell 9.10 and 11. verses After he had thus soared aloft in these Transcendent Mysteries he makes a sudden descent to the Exhortation in the Text Wherefore work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling This Illative Particle wherefore looks back as far as to the 5 verse Where the Apostle Exhorts them Exposition that the same mind should be in them that was in Christ Jesus Who though he was Essentially Equal with God yet Mediatorily became subject unto God Though he was in the form of God yet he took upon him the form of a Servant laid aside his Glory emptied and humbled himself and became Obedient even to the lowest Duties and to the vilest Sufferings he was Obedient unto the Death That is He was Obedient to Gods Law till Death by fulfilling of it and he was Obedient unto God's Will in Death by suffering of it for which Exinanition and Obedience God hath highly Exalted him and given him a Name above every Name that at the Name of Jesus every Knee should bow Now says the Apostle be you also of the same Mind with Christ Wherefore as he was Obedient so be you also do you Work that is Do you Obey As he was humble and emptied himself be you also humble and lowly Work with Fear and Trembling That is obey with Humility and Reverence as the Phrase imports and is often used in Scripture That so as Christ obtained Glory and Exaltation you also may be Exalted and Glorified with him Work out your own Salvation For these Words come in as a Parallel with Christ As he was obedient so be you as he was humble and emptied himself so be you also humble that so when he is Glorified you may be Saved Wherefore work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling And this I judge to be the Apostles scope in drawing this Conclusion In the Words you have three Parts The Division of the Words First A Duty pressed upon us by a most serious and rational Exhortation Wherefore Work out your own Salvation Secondly An express way and manner how it is to be performed and that is With Fear and Trembling Thirdly Here is the Reason of this Exhortation For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure First Here is a duty pressed upon us and that is To Work out our own Salvation To explain the Words a little First For Salvation you may take it for the whole supernatural State of a Christian begun here in Grace 1. What Salvation is and to be finished hereafter in Glory And Secondly To Work out this Salvation 2. What it is to work out Salvation is nothing but to continue and persevere in ways of Obedience until through them that Salvation that is begun here on Earth be perfected in Heaven What it implies To Work out our Salvation therefore implies three things 1. Pains and Labour First Pains and Labour Salvation is that which must be wrought out it is that which will make the Soul pant and breath yea run down with Sweat to obtain it 2. Diligence and Constancy Secondly It implies Constancy and Diligence A Christian that would work out Salvation must always be imployed about it It is a Webb into which we must weave the whole Thread of our Lives That Man that works at Salvation only by some passionate fits and then within a while undoes it all again by foul Apostacy and Notorious Sins that Man will never work Salvation out No it must be Diligence and Constancy that must effect that 3. Success Thirdly It promises Success and Accomplishment also And this is a mighty encouragment to enforce the Exhortation Though the Work be difficult our Strength little the Enemies many and the Oppositions powerful yet continue working your Labour shall not be in Vain though it be hard work it shall not be long work for it shall be wrought out and what before was your Work shall be your Reward and what before was your Labour shall be your Wages And this Salvation that was so painful in working shall be most blessed in the Enjoyment Secondly Here is the express way and manner how this Work should be done and that is With Fear and Trembling Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling Now this Fear is not to be taken for a Fear of Diffidence Perturbation or Despondency for this is so contrary to the Duty of working out Salvation as that it only stupifies and dulls us And as in other matters so in Spirituals it hinders both Counsels and performances But this Fear and Trembling that must qualify our Obedience is nothing else but an humble Self-Resignation Self-Denyal and a Holy awe and reverence of God with which Humility and Reverence the highest degree of spiritual Joy and Assurance is so far from being inconsistent that it usually springs from it and is built upon it This now is meant by Fear and Trembling and so the Phrase is often used in Scripture So the Psalmist Psalm 2.12 Serve the Lord with Fear and rejoyce with Trembling It is not meant of any desponding diffident Fear but only of an awful reverential Fear of God joyned with Self-abasement And so St. Paul to the Corinthians says of Titus 2 Cor. 7.15 That he was received with Fear and Trembling There was no Reason why Titus's coming should cause Fear and Trembling which was so much desired Only the meaning is they received him with Fear and Reverence And so Servants are Commanded to be Obedient unto their Masters So here Work out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling Ephes 6.5 That is Work it out with Humility Self-Abasement and Reverence Thirdly Here is the Reason of this Exhortation For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do of his good Pleasure Wherein now lies the Strength of the