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
perfect libertie on one side at least that is either to eat or not to eat For though he might have reason to doubt whether it was lawful for him to eat such meats yet he is supposed to have none at all to doubt but that it was clearly lawful for him to forbear and therefore by the premised resolution of the first question he ought not to eat with this doubt I shall not insist upon the objection from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the vulgar Latine translates discernit that is maker difference or distinction of meats thinking it not indifferent to eat of that meat this variation of sence was thought fit to be put in the Margent of our English Bibles by the last Translators In which Case it is evident he must needs sin and that presumptuously against his Conscience and so is damned that is condemned by his own Conscience if he eats But from hence there can be no such conclusion made as that he must needs sin if he onely doubts that being not the Apostles meaning by this translation And it is certain that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is so used in many Texts of scripture as Act. 15.9 1 Cor. 4.7 Jude 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And of some have compassion making a difference But because the same word doth elsewhere as oft signifie to doubt and is so renderd in this Text by the Syriack and most other Translators I adhere to that Translation and the rather because the following words are most consonant to this sence Seeing he eateth not of faith For though it be true indeed that he that makes difference of meats and eateth that which by such difference he esteemeth to be unlawful cannot cat of Faith because he eats directly contrary to it yet is this a more jeune sence and not so proper as to say he that doubteth eateth not of faith Omitting therefore this Objection from the variety of translation I advance another more considerable that is whether because he that eateth when he doubteth whether it be lawful for him to eat but is at perfect liberty not to eat is damned it will follow that whosoever doth any action wherein he hath no such liberty of forbearance with any doubt be in like manner condemned As for Example He that is commanded by lawful Authority to do an action whereof he doubts whether it be lawful by the law of God or no to do it It is certain this person if he were free ought not to do this action because of his doubt whilst he might forbear it without any doubt But under this command he hath no more libertie to forbear this action than he hath to do it And therefore it will not follow by this instance of the Apostle wherein the case is so different that he must necessarily sin if he do it more than if he do it not But it may be urged that although from the first words of that Text he that doubteth is damned if he eat this Vniversal conclusion cannot be inferred yet from the next words which are added as a reason thereof it may Seeing he eateth not of faith and whatsoever is not of faith is sin For thus it may be urged Whatsoever is not of faith is sin But whatsoever is done doubtingly is not of Faith Ergo whatsoever is done doubtingly is sin The 1. of these Proposit ons is expresly asserted by the Apostle and the second seems to be rightly collected from the connection of those words 〈◊〉 quoniam ac quia He that doubteth is damned if he eat seeing or because he eateth not of faith Which reason would not be true if it were possible notwithstanding the doubt to eat of Faith And if that be not possible in this instance it may seem to be so in all others whence the universal conclusion will be inferred rightly To this Argument a rejoynder may be offer'd to this sence That there is no necessary consequence in the deduction of the universal Proposition from the particular Case admitting the truth of that universal Proposition whatsoever is not of faith is sin without any limitation in the matter and understanding Faith as in that Text it can onely be meant to signifie no more than a perswasion of the lawfulness of the action to him that doth it May it not be said that although in that Case he that doubteth onely whether it is lawful to eat and not at all whether it be lawful to forbear cannot eat of Faith because it is at his free choice to forbear the action that he doubts and to determine himself to that wherein he hath no doubt yet in another Case where the action is doubful both waies it may be possible notwithstanding his doubt to act in Faith For as many things may be lawful to be done whilst they are left free being not forbidden by authoritie which are not lawful when they are forbidden though but by men So may some things be unlawful to be done when they are not commanded that yet may be lawful when they are It may be as great a sin to disobey an unlawful command as to give it if he that disobeys knows no better for his disobedience than he that gave the command did for his giving it Of this kinde are doubtful actions which are not to be done when a man is free for that onely reason because they are doubtful The doubt being a sufficient reason to bar the lawfulness of the action as before hath been said But when a man is not free but under the obligation of Authoritie every doubt is not a sufficient reason to make a thing unlawful So that in such a Case a man may notwithstanding his doubt be perswaded of the lawfulness of-his action unless that doubt be grounded upon reasons more credible than is the judgement of the persons by whom that action is recommended to us as not onely lawful but expedient But further that it may be possible for a man notwithstanding his doubt concerning the lawfulness of an action in it self to have a just perswasion that it is lawful for him in a present Case I offer these grounds of Reason 1. That all manner of doubts do proceed from ignorance 2. That some ignorance may be inculpable as well as culpable and that not onely in matters of meer Faith but also in practical matters For as there are many divine verities contained in the true sence of holy Scripture and the necessary consequences thereof which are not understood by the Learned much less by the Vnlearned and yet that ignorance is inculpable in the Learned and much more in the unlearned So may there be divers practical conclusions inferring the Obligation of just Precepts to them that do or are bound to understand them which persons unlearned may be inculpably ignorant of for want of that understanding of the Original Texts or that faculty of deducing consecuences by
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
morning vow or devoting of thy self to God it will behoove thee to take diligent heed to thy self all the day that thou do not break it by any acts of presumption or negligence And when thou hast finished that day forget not to close it with an evening sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all the good that thou hast received or done therein Give him the glory of that days work by a thankful acknowledgement of his Grace in all that thou hast done well And by confessing thy mis-doings and humbling thy self for thy failing in any thing which thou hast done or shouldst have done First examine thy conscience whether thou hast been guilty of any presumptuous sin and let not that pass without a particular and special repentance and then add the Prayer of David to cleanse thee from thy secret sins Psal 19.12 that is not such as are unknown to men but hidden and un-observed by thy self being the effects of ignorance inadvertencie or forgetfulness Lastly to conclude this discourse The last Rule of direction towards the observation of this general Precept is that which our Saviour and his Apostles do require to be joyned with Prayer to wit the constant practice of vigilance or watchfulness over our selves and all our ways Watch and pray saith our Saviour that ye enter not into temptation Matt. 26.41 Praying always Eph. 6.18 with all prayer and supplication and watching thereunto with all perseverance Col. 4.2 Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving Be ye sober 1 Pet. 4.7 and watch unto prayer If it be thy desire and design to do all things to the glory of God let it be thy care to keep a constant guard upon thy self and to watch over thy thoughts words and actions The neglect of this Duty is the common cause of all that dishonour that is done unto God by such persons as are not without good affections towards him And the practice hereof is of such necessity as without it it is clearly as impossible to observe this Rule as it is for a blinde man in an open Champian to set every step in a direct Path towards the place he would go to As it is in actions which are to be directed by the bodily Eye the reason of error and miscarriage in such actions proceeds from one of these Causes Either from imperfection of the sight by reason of blindness or dimness or from a wilful rejection and crossing the direction of the sight or from a neglect or non-attendance to the guide of the eyes So it is in Moral actions which are to be guided immediately by the understanding or conscience which is the Eye of the Soul All the errors and sins which are committed by men do proceed from one of these Causes Either from ignorance and blindness of the minde not understanding its Duty or from a wilful opposing and crossing the dictates and direction of Conscience or from not minding and observing what a man doth And this last is the common cause of their particular aberrations from this scope or end of Gods Glory who do not live without a general aym thereat It appears therefore that the constant practice of this vigilance is altogether as necessary as is the general duty we have been speaking of which is not to be performed without it because if it be rightly understood it doth formally involve the practice of it for as hath been declared the first thing that can be supposed in this Precept is that Christians should have such a care of their Actions that nothing be done against the Will and Glory of God As the Text is briefly and plainly expounded by one of the Ancients Admonitio ut nihil fatiamus contra Deum c. who after his manner of Elucidations of other Texts puts these Questions upon the words If this be a Precept then he sins mortally that doth any thing at all Hugo de S. Vict. Tom. 1. p. 271. E. 308. d. so much as the moving of a finger not to the glory of God To which he answers That it seemed to him to be an admonition that we should do nothing against God or with the scandal of our Brethren And again in another Tract upon the same Epistle The question is saith he How it can be fulfilled Sic omnia opera nostra circumspectè fiant ut nihil contra Deum fiat that we should do all things to the glory of God seeing we do many things noturally and not therefore that we may please God He answers again to the same sense That all our works are to be done so circumspectly that nothing be done against God What might have been added to these Answers by the Father is before declared in the explication of this Duty The quotation of his authority is but to confirm the necessity of this circumspection which without doubt is the main thing intended in the generality of the practice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Duty of a Christian PART I. Phil. 2.12 Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling THe Text is an Exhortation delivered in such terms as would scarcely have been allowed to agree with the form of sound words had they not been authorised by the same Apostle whose Doctrine they might have seemed to oppose But it is no other than St. Paul himself who elsewhere argues so strongly and concludes so peremptorily against justification and salvation by works who here exhorts Christians to work out their own salvation And that by this work he intends something more than such a faith as consists onely in a confident perswasion or assurance of a mans own salvation already wrought out for him by his Saviour is sufficiently evident from his additional terms concerning the manner of pursuing this work viz. with fear and trembling This Text alone were there no other to prove it would be sufficient to confirm the truth of the Father's words That he that made us without us will not save us without us Our Creation implies a contradiction to any possibility of our co-operating thereunto because it imports our being really Nothing before it But that humble Nothingness that now we pretend to must not excuse us from all care of working out our own salvation because it doth not deprive us of all capacity of so doing For from this Scripture and many others we are taught that how solidly and intirely soever the effect of mans Salvation is to be attributed to the free grace of God in Christ yet that it is not to be attained without all manner of co-operation from himself I say from Scripture it is that we learn that our salvation is effected by something wrought by us as well as for us or in us But the words of the Text are fully salved from all appearance of prejudice to the free grace of God by those that do immediately follow them in the next verse For it is God that worketh in
understood in the compleat sense of the Angel's words before-mentioned so may it be in divers other Texts As in Eph. 2.5 8. Acts 2.40 Accordingly the word salvation in the Tex◠will receive the most perfect interpretation if i◠be admitted to signifie both these things Fo◠then the sense of the Apostle will be That Christians should use all possible diligence and ca◠to rescue themselves from the dominion and pollution of sin by a thorow reformation of their lives by the mortification of the flesh and perfecting holiness in the fear of God that thereby they may be secured from the punishment of sin and so partake of this double salvation This sure is the compleatest sense of the word Notwithstanding because the ordinary received sense of this word in the New Testament is referred to the deliverance of men from the final punishment of sin in the world to come I shall agree that to be the principal meaning of it in this place Salvation in the style of the Old Testament doth ordinarily signifie no more than deliverance from temporal evils whereto men are liable in this world In the New Testament it hath a higher signification being there taken for Redemption or deliverance from the peril of everlasting destruction of soul and body in hell 1 Thess 1.10 from eternal damnation from the wrath to come from the second death the vengeance of eternal fire in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone This is that which the Apostle from the matter and specially from the Author of it calls the great salvation Heb. 2.3 And from the duration of it the eternal salvation Heb. 5.9 And from the prime subject of it the salvation of the soul 1 Pet. 1.9 This is the ordinary signification of the word salvation in reference to the life to come otherwise expressed by the terms of redemption remission of sin and reconciliation But this is not all that is to be understood by the word salvation not a bare deliverance from punishment but by ampliation and analogy of Scripture the same word comprehends also all that happiness and blessedness which the Gospel promiseth to them that shall be saved and which is usually expressed by eternal life The full importance of the word salvation comprehends deliverance from all the curses and threatnings both of Law and Gospel together with all those exceeding great and precious promises which St. Peter speaks of 2 Pet. 1.4 Now concerning both these things I shall onely add two Considerations 1. That both the punishment threatned and the happiness promised are expressed in holy Scripture by the highest terms that could have been used The misery from which this salvation delivers us is set forth by the most formidable terms that can be sounded to mortal ears Such are those of death destruction everlasting unquenchable fire a lake that burns with fire and brimstone wherein men are to be tormented day and night for ever and ever where there is nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth utter darkness and the worm that never dies c. What words can signifie any thing more formidable than these do On the other side the happiness of them that shall be saved is likewise worded as high as was possible to be to wit by the terms of everlasting life eternal joy blessedness seeing of God being and raigning with Christ in Heaven a Kingdom a Crown of glory a farre more exceeding eternal weight of glory an incorruptible inheritance a treasure a paradise a feast c. It is certain there are no words which can signifie any thing more valuable than those do which Scripture useth in great variety to set forth that happiness by Let this be the first Consideration The second is this that the infallible truth and simplicity of Gods Word doth require that the respective estates declared by these expressions should be answerable to the height of their signification That is that although many of these expressions being figurative do import something different from the common signification of the words and that therefore a perfect and distinct notion or understanding of the particular conditions thereby expressed cannot be collected or comprehended from them yet that the reality of the things thereby signified is at least equal to that which any or all those words can represent to our present understanding i. e. The misery of the one and the happiness of the other state must needs be as great as those expressions by which they are described can reasonably signifie Thus much for the end or object salvation and what that means which I desire may be remembred and considered as a most powerfull Motive to the Act which in the next place we are to speak of We have heard of the end or design proposed in the Text that is our own salvation which by the precedent discourse is concluded to signifie besides deliverance from extremity of misery the utmost of happiness which a man is capable of and consequently to be the chiefest good and ultimate end of a man which nature and reason doth oblige him to seek Come we now to the work that is to be done in order to the accomplishing this end Work out your own salvation We shall first inquire what that means and then how it is to be effected 1. Work out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4.15.5.3 4. The Original is a Compound Verb which sometimes signifies no more than the Simple and then is translated simply to work as when it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law worketh wrath and Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience or trial and probation or approbation Operamini salutem So the Vulgar Latine renders the word in this Text. But the proper sense of the Compound Verb is more truly rendered by other Translators Conficite falutem Beza agreeing with our English expressing the force of the Preposition A man is then said to have wrought out a business when he hath finished and perfectly effected it So that to work out our own salvation imports these two things First To make it our work and business to effect and attain this end which the Apostle calls the end of our faith the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 Secondly To pursue and follow this work with all care and diligence till we have finished it and brought it to perfection that is not onely till we have attained to a present right to or interest in the heavenly inheritance Heb. 6.11 10.22 or till we come to a certain Plerophory or full assurance of hope or faith that we are in the state of salvation but till we come to the end of our work Phil. 3.11 12. If by any means we might attain unto the resurrection of the dead i. e. the resurrection of the just Not as though we had already attained either were already perfect But we are to follow after if that we may apprehend that
necessarily be the ground and reason of it self which is so great an absurdity as hath forced most of our English Divines to reject that definition not only as improper but also as dangerous and uncomfortable Dangerous because it is apt to tempt a man to the pernicious self-deceit of presuming or assuming a strong conndence of his own salvation without any just ground upon this supposition that such a a confidence is not only necessary to salvation but gives him an assured right thereunto as being the condition of the promise And a most Uncomfortable notion it is too not to him that pretends to have such an assurance but to the generality of good Christians For if it were true that the only saving faith consisted in an assurance of salvation and that a full one as it is defined whosoever finds himself to want that assurance which very few of the best Christians will pretend to must needs conclude himself to have no true Faith whereas in truth this Assurance is purely accidental to the â—eality of a true Faith which is alwaies before it and most commonly without it But the two forementioned acts of Assent to the truth of the Gospel together with a direct Affiance upon Christ for salvation doe indeed truly and properly belong to the nature of Faith but do noâ— make it compleat perfect or sufficient to salvation For without controversie a true saving Faith doth import such a practical habit of assent to the Gospel of Christ as hath an effectual influence upon the Will and Affections and all the acts of the inward and outward man And thus much is distinctâ— taught not only by that large discourse of St. Jaâ— chap. 2. where he purposely disputes this point and positively declares that Faith is made perfect by works v. 22. And that without them it is dead that is null and void v. 17.26 But also by thâ— Expresse words of St. Paul Gal. 5.6 For in Josâ— Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor us circumcision * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Faith which wâ—â—â—eth by love In which Text as conceive it matters not much whether the original word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common to both senses be render'd actively or passively i.e. acting or working by love 〈◊〉 we translate or actuated and made effectuall as thâ— Syriack understand it and as the same word 〈◊〉 most commonly used in Scripture which way â—eever the word be rendered the sense is the samâ— And it is evident that the meaning of the Apost by the addition of those words is to give 〈◊〉 distinct character or discription of that Faith which justifieth a Christian by way of cauâ— on against any other notion of the word the abstracts from this Energy or efficacy For thâ— words are Exegetical and Limitative As if he haâ— said Not every kind of Faith but the living Eneâ—getical effectual faith which acteth or is actuated 〈◊〉 love is the only thing that availeth for the hope of righteousness that is the Justification and Salvation of a Christian That this is the true meaning of the Apostle appears evidently from two parallel Texts wherein the same sense is thus varied by himself The first is in the next chapter of the same Epistle Gal. 6.15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature The second is in 1 Cor. 7.19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the Commandments of God Where it cannot be denied but that Faith working by love is all one with the new creature which is created in Christ Jesus i.e. in the Faith of Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them And with the keeping of the commandements of God love being the fulfilling of the commandements 1 Joh. 5.3 Rom. 13.10 Faith that worketh by love is such a Faith as purifies the heart Act. 15.9 â— Joh. 5.4 and overcomes the world which is therefore by St. Paul called the obedience of Faith Rom. 1.5 16 26. The same thing is signified by that Apostle in his answer to the Goalers questiâ—n before alledged requiring him to believe on â—â—e Lord Jesus Christ Acts 16.31 Which can mean nothing less than that he should acknowledg him for his Lord and Christ as well as his Saâ—our And therefore should hold himself obliged â—y his Faith to obey him as a Lord and to be â—ubject to him as the Christ the Messiah the anâ—ointed King and Prophet of his Church For Faith as it relates to the Person of Christ doth not respect him only as a Saviour but receive him as he is sent by God and offered in the Gospel with all his authority as Lord and King and Prophet Joh. 1.12 This notion of Faith is confirmable from that common rule in Divinity that * Verba scientiae connotant affectus Words of knowledg iâ— Scripture-phrase doe connotate both affections and actions agreeable to the knowledge whereof in this place one special Instance shall suffice Joh. 17 3. This is life eternal thâ— they may know thee the only true God and Jesuâ— Christ whom thou hast sent Where to know God and Christ signifies to believe in him For knowledg of Divine things is Faith and Faith is oft-time called knowledg in Scripture 1. Tim. 2.4 2 Pâ— 1 2 3. 1 Joh. 2.3 Isa 53.11 By his knowâ— shall my righteous servant meaning Christ jusiâ—â— many As to know the true God imports 〈◊〉 the duty which is due to him as such so to know Jesus Christ whom the Father hath sent is to imbrace him in the quality wherein he was sent thaâ— is with full acknowledgment of his commission froâ— the Father and with submission thereunto by receiving and observing all that he hath commaâ—â—ed in his name So runs the Commission that oâ— Saviour gave to his Apostles when he sent theâ— to make Disciples and to baptize all Nations teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 〈◊〉 commanded Matth. 28.20 This must needs 〈◊〉 the true meaning of those words This is life eternal that they may know thee Because no knowledge that means any thing less than this can 〈◊〉 the sole condition of Eternall life And so certain it is that the knowledg of God in Scripture-phrase doth import obedience to his Commandments that S. John saith Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him 1 Joh. 2 3 4. And if that be so what truth can be in him that saith he believes in God and keeps not his Commandments For either our knowledg of God is the same thing with our beliefe and then what is true of the one must be equally true of the other Or if Faith be distinguished from knowledg as in a philosophical notion it is then our beliefe supposeth our knowledge that is that we
the five Articles of that Faith which a late Author hath endeavoured to prove to be as Catholick as Reason it self And therefore was never left out in any Religion that hath obtain'd in the World Nor was ever denied by any Philosophers that acknowledg'd the immortality of the Soul and any Life after this No Religion can be made out to be rational in the Theorie much less perswaded into Practice without the establishment of this Principle which being established doth certainly inferre a necessity of keeping Godâ—s Commandments in order to the hopes of eternal Life which was the thing to be demonstrated But against this Doctrine many things may be objected as 1. That it seems to evacuate the distinction of the old and new Covenants by confounding the condition of them which by this Hypothesis seems to be the same viz. Do this and Live 2. That it layes a burthen upon Christians as heavie as that which the Jews were never able to bear and gives occasion for the Disciples Question Who then can be saved 3. That it seems to contradict Saint Paul's Doctrine of Justification by Faith Rom. 4.44 without Works 4. And to favour the Popish Doctrine of Merit These Objections will be most conveniently answered after we have considered the third Text from whence we designed to complete the Answer to that great Question What we should do to be saved A Question put to Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles by the Jews Acts 2.38.39 Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and Bretheren what shall we do Then Peter said unto them Repent and be baptized c. The necessity of Baptism to Salvation grounded upon the words of our Saviour John 3.5 6. is not here to be discussed because it can have no place â—n that Work to which the Apostle exhorts Chriâ—ians already baptized But that other Injunction which is joyned with it being a special part of the end and signification of Baptism viz. to Repent is a main part of that Work or Business by which a man is to work out his own salvation As appears by many other Texts of Scripture wherein the necessity of Repentance to Salvation is expresly taught It was the first Evangelical Precept the very first word whereby the Gospel began to be preached both by the fore-runner John the Baptist and by our Saviour himself Matth. 3.2 and 4.17 So John began his preaching in the Wilderness saying Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand In like manner Jesus began to preach and to say Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Intimating that whosoever desired any part in that Kingdom must qualifie himself for it by Repentance It was the end of our Saviour's coming into the World as himself faith Matth. 9.13 I am come to call Sinners to Repentance And when he left the World to the teaching of his Apostles his Appointment was that Repentance and Remission of Sin should be preached in his name among all Nations Luk. 24.47 For Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance to Israel and Remission of Sin Acts 5.31 Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 In these and many other Texts the intire condition of Salvation is expressed by this term of Repentance which is therefore called Reptenance unto Life and Repentance to salvation Acts 11.18 2 Cor. 7.10 The equity and necessity of this condition unto the Remission of Sin is not as I conceive grounded upon any arbitrary or positive Will oâ— God supernaturally revealed but hath its foundation in the Law of Nature and Reason Foâ— natural Reason if it be not grosly corrupted by Self-love or perverted and abused by Superstitions instructions will certainly teach a man this Lessons That to qualifie him for and render him capable of a Pardon Luk. 17.3 for any wilful offence if it be but against a man it is necessary he should Repent the doing of it Because the want of this Repentance supposeth the justification of the Offence or at least a wilful continuance in it which makes the pardon without it to imply an allowance or toleration of the Offence and makes the offended party to be reconciled as well to the iniquity of the Offender as to his Person Which being perfectly unreasonable shews the indispensableness of this qualification for the salvation of a Sinner which supposeth the remission of his Sin Hereupon it is to be believed that Heathens by the light of natural Reason as oft as they would attend unto it could not but understand the necessity of Repentance for the averting God's anger and the hope of pardon for such gross Crimes as their Consciences were terrified with And though they might conclude more than probably from the Goodness of God essentially included in the notion of his Being and sufficiently declared by his Works that he was reconcilable to sinners upon some terms or other yet to believe him willing to pardon foul iniquities without exacting the Repentance of the Offenders was such an absurdity as could not be entertained without notorious corruption of their Reason But by the History we have of their Religion it appears they were so much abused with prescription of other wayes and means of expiating their sins to wit by Sacrifices ritual Purgations and Lustrations suggested by their covetous Priests that there is indeed little mention of this Doctrine of Repentance amongst them The very word being rarely to be found in their books And no marvel they should be disposed to listen after other ways of purging their sins which were recontilable with retaining the practice seeing the whole mass of corrupt Nature is found to be as averse to the remedy of Repentance as it is prone to the Sin that needs it It was the delusion and the hypocrisie of the Jewes to trust to other Remedies of Sin with neglect of this as we find by the frequent complaints of the Prophets Nor are Christians any better affected to this wholsome Cure for Sin but every whit as much inclined to elude the necessity of it or at least to cheat their own Souls in the hypocritical pretence of it But the more Evidence there is for the necessity of Repentance unto Salvation the more necessary it is to have a right Notion of the Nature of it Because the mistake in this point is no less dangerous than in that of Faith Nor are men less apt to be deceived in the one than in the other And if there be indeed an indispensable necessity of Repentance as well as Faith unto Salvation the carnal mind is not so sollicitous to find out the truest as the easiest notion of them both that is such a one sa is practicable with the least restraint to his lusts or most consisteâ— with his licentious liberty Such a notion
of Faith we met withall before and if there were not some other of Repentance as easie it were scarce possible for men to perswade themselves they have repented of their Sins without any actual sincere reformation of their lives Or to believe that the last hour of their lives is time enough for this work when they know such a reformation is altogether impossible But I am not in this place to enter upon the common place of Repentance or to discourse 〈◊〉 the various acceptions of the word My design iâ— only to shew what that Repentance is which iâ— necessary to be wrought out in order to a man's salvation And that will be learned most compendiously from a remarkable Text of Saint Pauls 2 Cor. 7.10 For godly Sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation never to be repented of Where it is first to be observed that the rise or spring of Repentance is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godly Sorrow or â— Sorrow according to God which inports first a due sight and sense oâ— Sin secondly a hearty sorrow for it as it relatâ— to God that is as it is a transgression of the Law of God and so injurious and offensive â— Him and not only as it is noxious or perilous â— our selves There may be a true Godly sorrow as well foâ— the sufferings as the sins of others But the sorrow which is apt to bring forth repentance is a sorrow for our own sins And two things there are in Sin which are the just matter and motive of a Godly sorrow 1. The nature of it 2. The effects and consequents of it 1 Joh. 3.4 Rom. 2.15 The proper nature of sin is the transgression of Gods Law whether written in the Bible or in the Heart The Effects of sin do referre either to God or to our Selves and our Brethren Those which respect God are his displeasure and his dishonour For all sin is both displeasing and dishonourable to God upon the same account because it is a transgression of his will Those which respect our selves are â—ll manner of evils privative and positive that may accrue to us from sin either by the nature or by the punishment thereof Now albeit these â—atter events of sin be just matter of sorrow â—nd that sorrow may also conduce to the effect of â—epentance yet is not this properly called Godly sorrow because it is not a sorrow for Gods cause so â—uch as for our own And the root of it is self-â—ove rather than the love of God I conclude â—herefore that the proper object and motive of â—odly sorrow is sin as sin considered with â—â—e event that necessarily proceeds from it as such â—â—z the dishonour of God with his just displeasure â—hich being the greatest evil in the world is the â—â—â—test matter of Sorrow The glory of God and his â—â—vour are the most desirable good things and â—â—ght to be the highest ends that we should proâ—ound to our selves and most to be rejoyced in â—nd therefore the contraries of these things his â—ishonour and his displeasure ought above all â—â—ings to be averted and grieved for And the â—â—rrow for sin upon these considerations is the â—ost Godly sorrow because it implies a love to God with a conversion of our wills unto his will from which by sin it had been averted This is thaâ— Sorrow which is signified by the Scholastiâ— term of Contrition the abstract of the concreâ— word so oft used in Scripture Contrite to expresse the disposition of a penitent heart Thâ— Latin word Poenitere and the English to Repeâ— do first and most properly signifie to be sorry â— a thing done amiss And the word Repentanâ— in Scripture doth sometimes signifie no more thâ— this But in this Text and all others where 〈◊〉 hath the promise of salvation or remission of â— annexed to it Repentance hath a further signifiâ— tion Which is The second thing to be observed from â— Apostle's words towards the rectification of meâ— judgments concerning the notion of Christian Râ—pentance which is available to Salvation viz. that is not a bare sorrow for sin though it be a goesorrow much less every kind of sorrow A nâ— may have sorrow for sin more than enough aâ— yet be as far from repentance to Salvation as Juâ— was who is expresly said to have repented hâ—self Matth. 27.3 His heart was desperately 〈◊〉 mortally wounded with the sense of his â— and sorrow for it But a godly forrow it was â— that brings forth repentance to Salvation but â— quite contrary the sorrow of the world that brâ— forth death Act. 1.25 and hastened his dispâ— to his own place where there a good store of such penitents weeping and waing and gnashing their teeth without dâ— for their sins that brought them thither Judâ— case was indeed very miserable if we consider a repentance wherein there seems to be a distinct example of all three parts of the Scholastical repentance As first such a deep Attrition as by the Pontifician Doctrin seemed to want nothing to have turned it into Contrition but Absolution which considering his free and particular Confession the second part of his Repentance I have sinned in betraying innocent blood and that joyned with a voluntary satisfaction the third part in his bringing again the thirty pieces of silver was unmercifully denied him by the chief Priests Matth. 27.3 4 5. But Judas his conscience could not be satisfied much less his sin discharged with all this repentance which yet was a great deal more than that which is commonly presumed to be sufficient For most people think if their consciences be pricked with the sense of their sins so that they can say they are sorry for them let it be upon what consideration it will they are truly penitent especially if this sorrow be but distinguished from that of Judas by a presumptuous hope and confidence of pardon And much more if they can but deceive themselves into a present sleight purpose of some amendment of their lives Then they think they are out of danger and may build upon the promise of the Gospel for a certain Pardon Whereas by the necessary sense of this Text it is perfectly evident that the most sincere sorrow for sin is not in it self a compleat repentance but a cause and a preparative to it For Godly sorrow worketh repentance But the cause and the effect cannot be the same thing nothing can produce it self But because Godly sorrow if it be right will work repentance therefore it may in some case where there is no time for any works to be brought forth be accepted for Repentance upon the same account by which the will is accepted for the deed when it is a sincere firm and ratified Will which God only can judg of and which it is scarce possible for any man to know of himself without some reasonable trial And therefore there is small comfort for any man in a repentance that hath proceeded no farther God may
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