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Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling : for it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

THE true meaning of this passage will be better understood by considering to whom the words were spoken. They were not spoken to men in an unconverted state, but to the pious Philippians, whom the Apostle regarded with peculiar pleasure, as real children of God. His words preceding the text are,

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my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence. They had ever been obedient to the gospel of Christ, since they had "heard it, and had known the grace of God in truth." They had given this great proof of sincere conviction, by their conduct in the absence of the Apostle as well as in his presence. So that it was not merely a personal regard to the character and authority of the Apostle, but it was a heartfelt, rooted, and genuine regard to the word of God; it was the vital power of the truth itself, spiritually understood, which kept them true to the name and doctrine of Jesus. God had thus

evidently wrought on their minds to will and to do, and therefore they ought to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. And he observes afterwards, that they shone "as lights in the world, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation."

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From this view of the persons to whom the words are addressed, it appears to be an exhortation proper only for real christians, for those who shine as lights in the world. Indeed the Apostle evidently tells us so; as ye have always obeyed, work out your own salvation." This can scarcely be properly said of an unconverted man, who has at present nothing to do with salvation, but is far from it. There are exhortations, indeed, proper for him, to be found in Scripture: Such as "repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, repent and believe the gospel. Seek the Lord while he may be found*."

To real christians, then, the words are addressed. And they are reminded, that the power both to will and do that which is good is of God, and proceeds from his good pleasure. "For the condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and

* And here I would remark, that it is of unspeakable prejudice to many, to take it for granted that they are true christians, and in the favour of God, and partakers of his grace, and under the influence of his Holy Spirit. Many seem to imagine they are so, because they are baptized and are called christians; and this notion is so very flattering, that they are always apt to call one uncharitable for endeavouring to strip them of it; and it is also one of the main advantages which they give to Satan to keep them in an unconverted state.

good works to faith and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will." So speaks the church in her tenth article. Her language is perfectly agreeable to the text, and helps to explain it. She teaches us, that the fallen state of nature is such, that it is not in us either to will or to do; and therefore we need God's grace in Christ to prevent, that is, to go before us, that we may have a good will, and afterwards to work with us, when we have that good will. The truth of this statement is experimentally known by all truly godly souls. They feel that they cannot give themselves a good will, and even after it is given them by God's grace, they find not how to perform that which is good, without continual quickening aids from above. They know that they themselves are not masters of the times and seasons of grace, nor indeed of any thing belonging to the whole subject. God works all "of his own good pleasure." And since this is the case, they are exhorted, with zealous care, and devout reverence, and humble thankfulness to "work out their salvation" in all the branches of duty to which they are called. They are the subjects of divine operations, which require to be attended to with the most serious regard. How watchful should they be to improve the seasons of grace and the influences of the Spirit when afforded! and with what fear and trembling should they answer the calls of God to their souls, in all duties! since it is in his quickening presence and support that they live. If

they provoke him to depart from them, they can do nothing.

I think a humble and experienced christian, who feels how perfectly dependent he is on the Divine Physician, for his cure, will need no more to be said, to enable him to understand why he should work out his own salvation with fear and trembling, for this reason, that it is God which worketh in him to will and to do of his good pleasure. His own conscience is daily pointing out to him the duty and the wisdom of working out his salvation with pious awe, and humble reverence, and the sense he has of his entire dependence on God alone, will make him expect power from on high, that his labour may not be in vain.

But this whole interpretation proceeds on the supposition, which the context has shown us to be true, that the precept is addressed to believers. And before I proceed to exhort them particularly upon it, it will be proper to remove a false and dangerous conceit, which has commonly obtained among persons void of the grace of God, and to warn them accordingly.

The conceit is this: that men have a power, from natural strength, and resources, to work out their salvation; only they need some assistance from time to time, to enable them to complete it; so that salvation is wrought out, according to this notion, by God and man acting as partners, and fellow-labourers, each distinctly, and independently. It has been compared, by a Writer of great note, to the business of raising up a weight by two agents; where one of the agents is supposed to be incapable, by reason of

weakness, to do the whole work for himself. This is the idea which many have of grace; that it is a sort of assistance vouchsafed to a weak, frail creature like man, who is able to perform a part, but not the whole. Hence the exhortation grounded on such doctrine is, do the best you can, and Christ will make out the rest for you. And those who attempt to support this doctrine by Scripture, think the text to be favourable to it; because it speaks both of God's working, and of man's working.

It does so, brethren; but not as joint partners, each doing a part independently of the other, like two men engaged in lifting up a stone together. "It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do;" and if I be inclined, and enabled to "work out my salvation," I am taught in the text, that it is not through any native strength. It is God that works in me, if I do work. Even the will to perform what is good is from him, and because it is so, I am directed and exhorted to labour with a pious awe and humility, as one sensible of my complete dependance on God, and ever careful of pleasing him on whom my all depends. Thus St. Paul says, after observing, that he "laboured more abundantly than they all," "not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

It is true, that men who are saved must work according to the will of God, and be faithful to divine grace, and endeavour to improve it. But then if the question be further asked; "Whence comes this faithfulness to grace; whence comes this sincere improvement of talents?" It must be said "Not I, but the grace of God."

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