Practical Christianity, Recommended, Urged, and
Encouraged, in Working out Our Own Salvation
Ezekiel Hopkins, 1633-1690
Philippians 2:12-13, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling: for it is God who works in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure."
THE whole sum of Christianity is comprehended in two points; Knowledge and Obedience. The one is conversant about things supernaturally revealed; and the other, about duties supernaturally performed.
Now, although there be so wide a difference between these two: yet, where they are suffered to run on in a course, they will one fall into the other; and Gospel Revelations will make way for and lead unto Gospel Obedience.
Indeed, there is no divine truth, how abstracted, however sublime and speculative it may 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, calls it the mystery of godliness: 1 Timothy 3:16.; and, the truth according to godliness: Titus 1:1. He calls it not a mystery and godliness, or truth and godliness; but he knits and joins them both together, the mystery and truth of godliness: a truth, yes and a truth enrapt 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 6th verse; of his Incarnation, in the 7th verse; of his Humiliation, Obedience, and Passion, in the 8th verse; of his Glory, and Exaltation above everything both in Heaven and in the earth and in Hell, 9th 10th and 11th 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 5th verse: where the Apostle exhorts them, 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 God's law until 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 has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is 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. Therefore.… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
And this I judge to be the Apostle's scope in drawing this conclusion.
In the words, you have Three parts.
A Duty pressed upon us by a most serious and rational exhortation: Wherefore.… work out your own salvation.
An express Way and Manner how it is to be performed: and that is, with fear and trembling.
Here is the Reason of this exhortation: For it is God, which works 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, and to be finished hereafter in glory. And,
Secondly. To Work Out this 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.
To Work out our Salvation, therefore, implies Three things:
First. Pains and Labor. Salvation is that, which must be wrought out: it is that, which will make the soul pant and breathe to obtain it.
Secondly. It implies Constancy and Diligence. A Christian, that would work out Salvation, must always be employed about it. It is a web, 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 apostasy and notorious sins, will never work salvation out. No: it must be diligence and constancy, that must effect that.
Thirdly. It promises Success and Accomplishment also. And this is a mighty encouragement to enforce the exhortation. Though the work be difficult, our strength little, the enemies many, and the oppositions powerful; yet continue working, your labor 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 labor, 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.
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 stupefies 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-denial, 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 is meant by fear and trembling; and so the phrase is often used in Scripture: so the Psalmist, Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling: Psalm 2:11: it is not meant of any desponding diffident fear, but only of an awful reverential fear of God, joined with self-abasement: and so Paul, to the Corinthians, says of Titus, that he was received with fear and trembling: 2 Corinthians 7:15: there was no reason why Titus' 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 to their masters: Ephesians 6:5: so, here, Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; that is, work it out with humility, self-abasement, and reverence.
THIRDLY. Here is the Reason of this exhortation: For it is God, which works in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure.
Wherein lies the strength of the reason? Possibly, it might seem rather, to a carnal judgment, an encouragement to sloth, than an encouragement to working and obedience. For, if God work in us both the will and the deed, what need we then be so solicitous about the accomplishment of our salvation; which, not so much we ourselves, as God works out for us? it would rather seem to be a greater motive for us to work, if the Apostle had said, "God will not assist you, and therefore look to yourselves."
Yet there are two ways, without torturing the words, whereby we may make them confess wherein their great strength lies: the one is, by reducing this reason to the Duty: and the other is, by referring it to the Manner of Performing the duty.
First. If we refer it to the Duty of working out salvation, then the force and strength of it lies in the consideration of that aid and assistance, that God, by working in us, affords us, to the working out of our own salvation.
"Work! alas!" may some say, "How can we work? Are not the duties of obedience, divine and supernatural? And is it not an Almighty power alone, that can enable us to do what is supernatural? Are we omnipotent? Does not God herein plainly seek advantages against us, in bidding us thus to work, who have no hands nor strength to work with?"
No, by no means: for, what God commands us to do, he will assist us in the doing of it. And, though obedience be supernatural, and we weak and impotent; yet God is omnipotent. Work, therefore: for this omnipotent God works in you, both to will and to do.
And thus appears the force of the reason, if you apply it to the Duty. Now, if you thus refer it, then observe, that all ability in and all encouragement to obedience proceeds from God's working in us what he requires from us. And thus, as Christ said, My Father works hitherto, and I work: so may a weak Christian say, "What I do is above my own strength, indeed; but my God and my Father works hitherto in me; and therefore it is, that I am enabled thus to work."
Secondly. If we refer this reason to the Manner of Performing obedience, that it must be with fear and trembling; as if the exhortation ran thus, Be humble and awful in your obedience, For it is God, which works in you, both to will and to do: then, it carries a double force with it.
First. That the due consideration of God's working in us, is the greatest inducement imaginable to a self-debasing humiliation. There is nothing, that will sooner take down pharisaical pride and boasting, than sometimes to be catechizing ourselves with those two or three questions and interrogatories of the Apostle: Who made you to differ?.… what have you, that you did not receive? Now if you have received it, why do you boast, as if you had not received it? 1 Corinthians 4:7. Why do you boast and glory, O vain weak man, when all you have and all you do is from God's free and arbitrary working in you? alas! there is nothing of all your graces or duties to be ascribed unto yourself, unless it be the imperfections and weaknesses of them. And this should cause us, when we are most strongly carried out in the ways of God and in the duties of holy obedience, most of all to renounce ourselves and our own sufficiency; and look upon it as an evident argument, that, of ourselves we are able to do nothing, because through God we are enabled to do so much, yes to do all things.
Secondly. Since all we do is wrought in us by God, this should cause us to obey with a holy fear and reverence; lest, by our miscarriages, we should provoke God to withdraw from us, on whom depend all the ability and power we have to obey. It is God, which works in you: and, therefore, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
This shall suffice for the opening and explaining of the words.
I. That, which I shall press upon all, is the Duty contained in this exhortation of the Apostle. And the Proposition, which I shall lay down from them, is this:
That IT IS THE DUTY OF EVERY TRUE CHRISTIAN TO WORK OUT HIS OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING.
Or, thus:
EVERY CHRISTIAN, NAY EVERY MAN, OUGHT TO WORK FOR HIS LIVING, EVEN FOR AN ETERNAL LIFE.
To mention places for the proof of this were to transcribe the Bible: we can no where open this Blessed Book, but we find this truth proved to us, either directly or by consequence; for it is the very genius of the Scripture. And, yet, it is strange in these days to see how dubiously some men, who would be thought admirers of free grace, speak of obedience and working: as if it were the brand of a legal spirit; and as great a stranger to a Christian's warrant, as it is to their practice. Oh, it is a soft and easy doctrine to bid men sit still and believe; as if God would translate men to Heaven upon their couches: to tell them, that all that they have now to do, is but to labor for more assurance, to praise God, and to sing hallelujahs unto him. And so also it conduces much to their abundant comfort; does it not? to tell them, that God sees no sin in them, nor requires no duty from them! that repentance and humiliation are legal things, belonging only to younger persons, and not to the heirs of the promises! Oh, who could think it possible, that such dreams and fantastic delusions could possess so many men's hearts, that ever heard the Scripture speak in its own language; or that ever read what Christ himself, the Holy Spirit, or the Blessed Apostles have written, who bid us to work the works of God, to give all diligence, to abound in all the fruits of righteousness? Is it possible, that these notions should be dispersed by some, and entertained by others, but because it always has been the policy of the Devil, wherein he has sped so well, still to vent those doctrines that indulge the flesh, under the name and patronage of free grace and gospel attainments? But, of this, more hereafter.
Let us now consider the REASONS of this truth.
And,
i. Wherefore is it, that we are commanded, to STRIVE that we may enter in at the straight gate? Luke 13:24. so to RUN, that we may obtain? 1 Corinthians 9:24 so to WRESTLE, that we may be able to stand? Ephesians 6:11, 12. so to FIGHT, that we may lay hold on eternal life? 1 Timothy 6:12 not to faint in our minds? Hebrews 12:3 nor to grow weary of well doing? Galatians 6:9.
Do not all these expressions imply great labor and pains? Can you strive, and run, and wrestle, and fight, and all this by doing nothing? or, were it needful to be taught not to grow faint, nor to be weary, when we have no work to do? Therefore, it is the genius and sum of the Scripture, to excite men to be always active and laborious in the ways of holiness and obedience.
ii. Wherefore is it, that salvation is set forth to us under the notion of a REWARD? Is it not to imply that we must work for it?
A reward, not indeed merited by our works; but yet a reward measured out to us and conferred upon us, according to our works. God will render to every one according to his works: To them, who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory.… and immortality, he will render eternal life: Romans 2:6, 7. And, indeed, it were very strange, if that God, who will reward us with eternal life, according to our works, should yet lay a Check upon the ingenuity of the new creature, thereby to account eternal life too low a motive to excite unto eternal life.
iii. Is it not to this end, that God has implanted such an ACTIVE PRINCIPLE OF GRACE in the hearts of his servants, that thereby they might be enabled to work out their own salvation?
If God would save you without working, why then has he given you such an operative principle that you might work? Nay, I might affirm that he might as well save you without grace, as without works; for that is not grace, that does not put forth itself in working: grace, if it be true, will be working: it will rise in the thoughts: it will work in the affections: it will breathe in desires, appear in good works, and be very active and busy in the whole life and conversation. Now, not to work, is that, which puts a check and restraint upon this active principle: it is to curb it in, when it would freely break forth into action, upon every occasion given to it.
iv. Why has God so often promised us ASSISTANCE, if it be not that thereby we should be encouraged to work?
He stands by us, to confirm our hearts, to strengthen our hands, to help our weakness, to quicken our deadness, to recruit our graces by continual supplies; and wherefore is all this, but that we might work? God, rather than we shall not work, himself will set us at work: nay, he will maintain us, at our work and in our work, upon his own cost. He gives us aid and promises assistance only for this end, that we might work out our own salvation. We are not sufficient of ourselves, says the Apostle, as of ourselves to think anything: 2 Corinthians 3:5 what, then, must we therefore sit still, because we are not sufficient? no, says he, for God, who finds us employment, will also find us strength: our sufficiency is of God. And therefore it is, that God gives in assistances and supplies, that we might work the works of God.
And thus I have confirmed the doctrine, Why we ought to work, and That we ought to work.
II. But, here, before I can proceed any further, there are some OBJECTIONS that must be answered, THAT SEEM TO OPPOSE THE TRUTH OF THIS DOCTRINE.
Obj. 1. Some may cavil against this command of working out our salvation, as a thing Impossible.
Obj. 2. Others, as Derogatory unto Christ and his Merits.
Obj. 3. Others, as Prejudicial to the Free Grace of God, by which alone we are saved, and not by our own works.
Obj. 4. Others look upon it as Vain and Needless; since God will certainly bring to salvation all those whom he has elected and foreknown, according to his purpose: which purpose of his, neither their not working with it, no nor their working against it, shall ever make void or frustrate.
Objection: i. Say some, "With what justice and equity can God require this duty of working out our salvation, when he knows we have no power to perform it? Either," say they, "it concerns those, that are spiritually inclined and have their salvation already begun, that they perfect it by working it out: and, if so, alas! to what purpose is it, when they themselves can act no further than they are acted? they cannot so much as will their own salvation, unless God give them to will; much less then can they work out their salvation. Or, else, it concerns all, that live under the sound of the Gospel, though reprobates and castaways, though dead in trespasses and sins. And is it rational, is it just and equal, to bid dead men work? Or does it become that God, who would be thought by us to be infinitely merciful and compassionate, to mock and deride human miseries, in requiring of them things that are impossible? Had he commanded us to bring light out of darkness: had he bid us pull the stars out of their orbs; or, with one of our hands, to stop the sun in its course: all these impossibilities we might as well do, as perform these divine duties, without divine assistance. We can as soon glorify ourselves, as sanctify ourselves. Exhort and command never so long, with as great authority and vehemency as you please; yet, until God move on us and work in us, yon may as well expect stocks and stones should move at your speaking as we. And, if God does but once begin to move and work in us, we shall work and move without your exhortations. It is therefore," say such as these, "altogether in vain to press men to duty, until God works in them: for all your exhortations are not sufficient, until he works; and, when he works, all your exhortations will be fruitless."
Because this is the common plea of sinners, why they do not work; and that, which questionless does too often rise in the hearts and thoughts of most men, whereby they are greatly discouraged, and their hands weakened in their obedience; I shall, therefore, the more largely and particularly answer this objection.
And,
Answer. 1. This serious and pressing exhortation to obedience and working, does not suppose in us, nor is it necessary that it should suppose in us, a power to obey; I mean a present and actual power: neither does our want of power take off our obligation to obey.
It may and will be granted, that there is no command of God, but does suppose a power once bestowed. Whether or no his absolute uncontrollable sovereignty might have required that from us, that is above our power ever to perform, may rather modestly be doubted, than peremptorily concluded. Yet this is certain, that those very duties, that now we complain we have no strength or power to perform, were once as subject to our power and the freedom of our own wills, as now natural and moral actions are: subject, I say, to our power, either to perform them or not to perform them: not as though we come now into the world with this power, for we are all dead and still-born in respect of grace; but as having this power in our First Parent, who was our representative: for in him we must be considered as existent, even when he existed; and, what he received was for us, and what he did was done by us, and what he lost we lost in him. Now if we have lost this power of obeying, must God also lose his privilege and sovereignty of commanding? must he lessen his authority, as we lessen our ability? truly, had Adam once thought of this flight, he might have sinned himself quite from under the command and dominion of his Creator, and might soon have become thus free. Do not you yourselves think you may, if a debtor of yours through his own default becomes a bankrupt, require your debt of him? so stands the case here between God and us: we are all disabled to pay the debt of obedience that we owe to God, but yet it is through our own default; and the power, that we had, is not so much lost, as willfully thrown away: and may not God justly come upon us for our debt? our want of power takes not off our obligation to obedience, because it is through a willful defect that we are deprived of that power: if a servant throw away his tools with which he should work, may not his master justly expect his work from him, though he knows he cannot work without them? God's commands respect not the impotency that we have contracted, nor do they therefore abate anything of their severity; but they respect that power and ability, that was once conferred and bestowed upon us.
Yes, were it so that God could with justice require no more from us than what at present we have power and ability to perform, this would make the grace of God, First, vain and fruitless, and, Secondly, dangerous and destructive.
(1) This would make void the pardoning grace of God.
For, according to this doctrine, nothing could be required of us, if we could do nothing: but, without grace, we can do nothing; and, therefore, if grace be not bestowed on us, nothing can justly be required from us; and, if nothing be required, nothing is due from us; and, then, we do not sin in not performing anything; and, where there is no sin, certainly there can be no place for pardoning grace and mercy. And so these wise men, who think they do so much befriend the grace and mercy of God in all haste, in affirming that God requires nothing from us but what at present we have power to perform, are injurious to the mercy of God, in making it void as to pardon and remission.
(2) This doctrine makes the sanctifying grace God destructive and pernicious.
If God can require justly no more of us than we can perform, wherefore is it, that men are justly damned? is it not, because they will not do what they are able to do? And whence is it, that they have this ability? is it not from the grace of God's Spirit? And, therefore, if they have not grace to make them able to do more than their own corrupt wills are willing to do, God could not justly condemn them; and, consequently, that of the Apostle should stand no longer true, Through grace you are saved, (Ephesians 2:5) but through grace you perish.
These Two Consequences will follow, if God could justly require no more from us, than what we have power now to do. So that, though we have not power and ability to work out our own salvation, yet we are not thereby excused from our obligation to do it.
But,
Answer. 2. Though we cannot, of ourselves, work out our own salvation, Yet God does not mock us, as some do thence infer; neither does he only upbraid us with our own weakness: but has serious and weighty ends why he commands us to obey.
Those, that are so ready to cast this odium upon the doctrine of special grace; making God a derider of human frailty and miseries, when he commands obedience from them, to whom, say they, himself denies that power and grace that should enable them to obey; I would only ask these persons this question: Whether do they grant, or whether or no can they deny, that God, antecedently, before he commands, knows who will obey and who will not obey? If they say God knows who will not obey, will they say God mocks them when he commands them to obey, though he knows they will not? What they answer to this, the same may we answer to their objection.
But, there are Two Ends, why God commands us thus to work, though we are not able; according to which, God is very serious in commanding us thus to work.
And God does this,
(1) That he may thereby convince us of our own weakness, and that wretched estate into which our sins have brought us; that he may humble and abase us, when we reflect how far we are fallen from our first perfection and excellency.
When we consider, on the one hand, that God requires nothing from us now, but what we once had a power to perform; and then, on the other hand, how little, yes how much of that nothing, it is that now we have power to perform; this convinces us how miserably great our fall is, that makes those things impossible to us, that once were both easy and delightful.
(2) God loves to deal with men as with rational creatures, that have free faculties; are capable of moral influences; and are fit subjects to be wrought upon by precepts, counsels, commands, and exhortations, as well as by internal and efficacious grace: that arguments and motives may persuade without, as grace sways within; that so, by both, he might render them a willing people in the day of his power.
And, therefore, they are not in vain, neither to those that shall be saved, nor to those that perish.
[1] To those, that shall be saved, these are the instruments, which the Spirit of God makes use of to incline their wills and conquer their affections unto the obedience of Christ; and, therefore, they are not in vain.
In conversion, ordinarily, if not always, the moral work goes before the physical: that is, there is, first the rational persuasion, before there is the efficacious and determining motion. For God, when he works on man, accommodates himself to the nature of man: that, as he is a creature, so he may be and is the subject of God's efficacious motions; and, as he is rational, so he may be guided by counsels, led by persuasions, and overawed by convictions. And, therefore, when God converts any, he takes both these ways: inwardly, he works by effectual grace, powerfully subduing the will as a creature subject unto it; and, outwardly, he works by moral persuasions and authoritative commands, whereby he inclines the will sweetly and freely to consent to the power of that inward grace, which indeed he shall never, nay indeed he cannot resist: and both these together do concur, as I said before, to make a willing people in the day of God's power.
And,
[2] For those, that perish, these commands have a double end and use.
1st. They are instruments in the hand of the common work of the Spirit of God, to raise them up to all those moral good things, that they attain to, short of true and saving grace.
It is wonderful, truly, to see how the raging wickedness of the world is dared by a command charged with a threatening. Herod heard John Baptist, who doubtless laid the law home to him, so that he did many things: Abimelech and Laban were warned in a dream, whereby God overruled and prevented that wickedness, that was intended by them: were they compelled to what they did? No; God loves to rule the world in a rational way; so that, though he acts and moves wicked men to that good that they do, yet he does it by moral considerations, and such inducements as do most comport and suit with the liberty of their own will. Promises encourage: threatenings deter: counsels direct: commands enforce: and all these concur, instrumentally, to awe the consciences, and to incline the wills even of wicked men themselves. Whose conscience can gainsay this? Let the vilest sinner freely speak: when he has been most mad and wild upon his lusts, has not oftentimes some command or threatening suddenly shot itself in between his conscience and sin? have not two or three weak words silently whispered to him, whence or from whom he knows not, stopped his way and given a check to his lust, when it was swelling ready to break forth into act? And whence have they this power? It is not from themselves: for why then does it not always so work? But it is from God's inward and physical, though but common work; that, when the affections are most furious and corruption most raging, will effectually persuade to restrain and assuage.
2dly. Another end is, that hereby God leaves them without excuse.
If they perish, they shall have nothing to pretend against God. Has he not often warned, and counseled, and threatened them? Has he not told them, with as much earnestness and vehemency as the words of his ministers could deliver it, that the wages of sin is death, and the end of those ways wherein they walk will be shame and eternal destruction? Have they not, with all seriousness and entreaties, been called upon, again and again, to repent and turn from the unfruitful works of darkness, and to work the works of God? Can the mouth of God or man speak plainer, when they have been calling and crying after any, Turn you, turn you: why will you die? This is that, which, from our souls, we do beseech and entreat at the hands of sinners, even for the blood and affections of Jesus Christ; nay, for the blood and affections of their own precious souls, which they are willfully spilling upon the ground; that they would turn and live. Now there is not one, that hears this serious obtestation and is not obedient to it, but his blood, even the blood of his soul, will lie upon him forever. What is it, that men expect? Must God drive men to Heaven by force and violence, whether they will or no? He has laid promises and threatenings before them: he exhorts and commands: and, if these things will not prevail with men whose faculties are entire, whose reason is sound, and whose wills are free; think not foolishly to charge God, for he is free from the blood of all men, and sinners will be found to be self-murderers and self-destroyers. If I had not come and spoken unto them, says our Savior, they had then had no sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin: so, if God had not come and spoken unto sinners, they had neither had sin nor condemnation; but, now that he has spoken to them so often, and exhorted them so frequently and earnestly, therefore now they have no cloak for their sin. God has spoken, and his speaking will strike every impenitent wretch dumb and silent at the Great Day, whatever they pretend to now.
And this is a Second particular, in answer to this objection: God does not mock men's weakness, when he commands them to work; but has great, wise, and weighty ends why he does it.
Answer. 3. To come somewhat nearer: There is, indeed, no such impotency and weakness in man; but, if he will, he may work out his own salvation.
I speak not this to assert the power of man to work out salvation, without the aid of special grace, to incline the will; but, if the will be once inclined and made willing, there is nothing more required to make a man able: I say, where there is special grace given to make the will willing to convert, to believe, and to repent, there is nothing more required to make a man able; because conversion, faith, and repentance chiefly consist in the act of the will itself: now if the will wills repentance, it does repent; if it wills faith, it does believe; and so of the rest: and, therefore, there is nothing more required to make a man able, than what he has in a state of unregeneracy; only, to make him willing is required special grace, which they that favor the undue liberty of the will do deny. And, therefore, God expostulates with the stubbornness of the will: Why will you perish? Why will you die? Ezekiel 18:31; 33:11 and Christ accuses the will: You will not come to me, that you may have life: John 5:40. It is true, there is an impotency in the will; but this is only its stubbornness and obstinacy: it will not hearken to God's call: it will not obey his commands: it will not strive against sin nor perform duties: and, therefore, it cannot. Our CANNOT is not, indeed, an impotency, that we lie under; so much as the stubbornness of our wills. There is not the greatest sinner, who has wrought iniquity with both hands greedily, but may work out his own salvation if he will: if he be but once willing, he has that already, that may make him able: God puts no new powers into the soul, when he converts it. It is true, the will cannot incline itself to obedience, without grace; but, yet, it can intend it, if it will: it is its stubbornness, that makes it impotent. It is in the things of grace, as in other free actions of a man's life, with a proportionable abatement: a man can speak and walk, if he will; but, if he be resolutely set not to do these things, he cannot do them so long as that resolution remains, though simply and absolutely he can do them: does this argue any impotency? So is it here: you may obey and work, if you will; but, if you are resolutely bent against these, if you are resolved not to do them, while that resolution continues you cannot do them: but this argues not any natural impotency, but a moral impotency only: this is an impotency of stubbornness and perverseness. Never, therefore, plead the inability of your will: no; it is through your own stubborn resolution if you perish: you are resolved for Hell and destruction; and, if you are plunged into them, it is through your own wilfulness, and not through weakness.
Answer. 4. To come yet a little nearer to conscience and practice: These very men, that thus make their impotency a pretense for their sloth, do not indeed believe what they pretend and assert here.
They do not believe, that they are thus impotent: no; it is in the inward and secret thoughts of them all, that they have a power to work out their own salvation; and, therefore, whether they have or have not power, yet still they are inexcusable, if, while they think they have power, yet they will not strive and endeavor to put it forth. Those men, who thus plead impotency and want of power to obey and work out their salvation, though they speak these things, yet they believe not a word of what they say; and therefore they are inexcusable, if they strive not to put forth that power, that they suppose they have, into act. Although a man's feet be chained and fettered that he cannot walk nor stir, yet if he thinks himself at liberty, and yet will sit still, judge you whether the fault be not wholly to be imputed to his want of will, and not to his want of power; for he thinks himself free and able to move, but will not try. So is it here: wicked men do think they have power to work, however they speak otherwise sometimes; and, therefore, they are utterly inexcusable if they do not work: this is as clear as the light; and their slothfulness, therefore, proceeds not from their weakness, but from their wilfulness.
And I shall endeavor, by some arguments, to convince sinners, that they do indeed think and believe that they have this power to work out their own salvation, whatever they may pretend to; and that therefore they are inexcusable, if they do not strive and endeavor to do it.
And,
(1) Did you never, when God has shaken his rod over you, promise and resolve to work?
By his rod, I mean either some convictions or afflictions: have not these made you to enter into engagements with God, that you would obey him, and walk more holily and strictly for the future? And did you not really thus resolve to do? Few, I believe, there are, but have, some time or other, under some fit of sickness or some pang of conscience, thus done. And what! did you resolve all this; and yet, at the same time, think and believe you could do nothing at all? Did you only mock God? Did you only dally and play with your own consciences? No, certainly: conscience was too much provoked, too much enraged, and too broad awake, to be so jested withal. We find this very temper in the Israelites, when they were affrighted with the terrible voice of God from Mount Sinai, in the 5th of Deutronomy: see how confidently, under that conviction, they promise and resolve: Speak you unto us what the Lord our God shall say unto you; and we will.… do it: Deuteronomy 5:27 and so the Jews also, when they were in great distress and calamity, when the whip and the rod was over them, then they took up large resolutions, and made great promises what they would be and do: Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, say they, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God: Jeremiah 42:6. And, oh, how many pious purposes and holy resolutions have the dangers, fears, and sick beds of many men been witnesses unto! have they not heard sinners cry out, "Lord, spare a little: give us some space: try us once more, Lord; and we will reform our sinful lives, and perform neglected duties: never more will we return to folly." And are not these resolutions and promises evident convictions, that you thought you had power to do what you thus resolved to do? Who is there, but has, some time or other, under some trouble and affliction, taken up such resolutions of obedience as these? And, certainly, you dare not so much mock God, and dally with your own consciences under such convictions, as to make such promises, but that you think you can perform what you promise.
And that is one argument.
(2) Did you never, in your whole lives perform a duty to God?
Did you never pray to him? Is there any one so desperately profane, so utterly lost as to any shows and appearances of goodness, as not to have prayed or performed one duty unto God in his whole life? To what end have you prayed and performed these duties, that you have done? Was it not for salvation? And did you work for salvation, and at the same time believe you could not work? No: it is impossible, that ever any man's practice should maintain such a contradiction. Whatever men's opinions are, yet their works show that they think they have power: for, something must be done, though it be but formally; though but a slight, cold, heartless, "Lord, have mercy on me!" or a customary, "Lord, forgive me:" yet something conscience requires; and this men reckon and account the working out of salvation.
(3) Wherefore is it, that you trust to and rely upon your works, if indeed you think you have no power to work out your own salvation by them?
Would it be so hard and difficult to take men off from leaning too much upon their works, if they did not believe they had a power to work out their own salvation by them? Men do apprehend some worth, some value and sufficiency, in what themselves do in order to eternity. For, bid them forego and renounce their own works, their own righteousness, this is a hard saying; and they can as easily renounce and forego all hopes of happiness and salvation, as renounce their own works. Now, whence is it, that men are so difficultly brought unto the renouncing their own works? It is because, by them, they hope to obtain salvation. And can there be such a principle in men, and they yet at the same time believe and think that they cannot work out their own salvation? It is very evident, therefore, whatever notions men may take up, to stop the mouth of a clamorous conscience when it calls them to working and laboring, that yet they do not themselves believe what they say concerning their impotency, but do really think they have a power to work out their own salvation.
(4) When the Spirit of God has been dealing with your hearts and consciences, when it has been persuading you to enter upon a course of obedience, did you never procrastinate and use delays?
Did you never stifle the breathings and resist the motions of the Holy Spirit, thinking it time enough to do what it puts you upon hereafter? "What need I begin so soon to vex flesh and blood? What! deny the pleasures of my life, as soon as I come to relish and taste them! When sickness and gray hairs admonish me, and tell me I am near eternity; when old age promises me, that the severity and strictness of religion shall not last long to trouble me; then, will I repent and believe, and work out my own salvation." Speak truly, and deal plainly with your own consciences: have not these been the foolish reasonings of your own hearts? have you not often thus promised God and your own consciences? and does not all this imply, that you thought you had a power to do it? why did you delay and put it off, if you thought you had no power to do it at last? Wherefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are that will not work: it is in vain to plead you lack power: God will confute you by yourself, and out of your own mouth. What! will you say, you had no power? why you thought that you had power, and yet would not work, nor endeavor so to do; and therefore your ruin, if you perish, is as willful, and your condemnation will be as just, as if you had power and would not work.
And this is the Fourth Answer to this objection: men do really believe that they have power to work, and therefore they are inexcusable if they will not endeavor to put it forth.
Answer. 5. Men will not plead so foolishly; no, not in matters of far lower concernment, than the salvation of their souls is.
Would a master, when he commands his servant to work, take this as a sufficient excuse for his sloth and idleness, that he has no power to work, until God acts and moves him? Why this is a truth, that he cannot do it unless God enable him; and, it may as well be objected by your servants to you, and with more reason too, than by you unto God. Pray tell me, what power have I to speak one word, or you to hear one word more, unless God concurs to it? nay, we are not sufficient to think as of ourselves: yet we do not make this an excuse to forbear those actions, that are necessary. Do we therefore resolve to do nothing, because it is impossible for us to do anything unless God concur? What stupid and dull folly is this! No: but we put it plainly and hourly to the trial: and never could any one produce that man, that could ever say, God was wanting to him in his concurrence, when he would have done an action. What a miserable ridiculous task would it be, if, in every action of our lives wherein we can do nothing without God, we should still be questioning God's concurrence with us! When you sit, do you dispute whether God will enable you to arise? when you walk, do you, every step you take, question whether God will concur to another step? no men put these things to the trial: and, though it be impossible that they should live, move, or stir, until God act and move them; yet this hinders not men's endeavors, no nor is it any matter of discouragement to them. Now why should we not do so in spirituals, as well as in temporals? are they not of greater concernment? do they not more deserve the trial? It is true, we can do nothing without God's concurrence; yet, let us put it to the trial, whether or no God will not concur when we endeavor. Certainly, that man must be forever nameless that can say, he was truly willing and did sincerely endeavor to do any good thing, and God did not enable him.
Answer. 6. Although wicked men had power to work out their salvation, yet they would never do it: and therefore it is a vain and most unreasonable pretense for sloth, to plead want of power; for, had wicked men power, they would never obey.
"But how can any one tell that? What! not obey, if we had power!" No: and the reason is this: because there is no wicked man in the world, that has done so much, or that does so much, as he is able to do; no, not so much as he is able to do without special grace and assistance: and, therefore, it is not inability, but willful sloth, that destroys men. Sinners, ask your own consciences these questions: Was there not one duty more that you could have performed? was there not one temptation, nor one corruption more, that you could have resisted? could you not have prayed, and read, and heard, and meditated more upon heavenly things; even then, when your hearts and thoughts have been vain and worldly, yes sinful and devilish? might not that time have been spent in holy converse, that you have trifled away in idleness and in doing nothing, or that which is worse than nothing? What force, or restraint, is laid upon you? Is there any violence used to you? Can you not think? and, if you can, can you not think of God; as well as of the things of the world, or upon your lusts? Can you not speak? and, if you can, can you not speak of God, of Heaven, and the concernments of another life; as well as of your trade, and bargainings, and other trivial matters, which are below a man, much more below a Christian? What force is there put upon sinners? does the Devil screw open the drunkard's mouth; and pour down his intemperate cups, whether he will or no? does the Devil violently move the black tongue of the blasphemer and swearer, to rend and tear the holy name of God, by horrid oaths and blasphemies? does the Devil strike men dumb, when they should pray; or deaf, when they should hear; or senseless, when they should understand and ponder? Is there any such force or violence used unto any? Can you not avoid the one, and can you not do the other, if you will? You can: but, you will not; and therefore neither would you work out your own salvation, if you could do it. Is there any hope, that you would ever willingly do the greater, who will not do the less? Let your impotency and weakness be what it will, your damnation lies not upon it, but upon your wilfulness, so long as your wilfulness is greater than your weakness. No, it is not upon your impotency, that your precious and immortal souls perish eternally; but it is only for lack of a will, to pity them, and to save them. Sinners! wherefore then will you perish? why will you sleep away your souls into Hell? will you go on drowsily to destruction? shall your souls be ready to burn as a brand in unquenchable fire, and will you not stretch forth your hand to snatch it out? is it more painful for you to work, than to be damned? Endeavor, therefore, to do what you can: labor and sweat at salvation, rather than fail of it: let it not grate and fret your consciences in Hell, that you lie there for a willful neglect.
"But, should I labor, should I endeavor, should I work to my utmost, should I do all that I am able to do, I cannot work grace in myself by all this: to what purpose, then, should I work?"
However, try God in this particular. Did you ever know any, who thus labored and thus wrought, that did not give very good evidence of a work of grace wrought upon their hearts? And why then should you suspect that you should be the first? What reason have you to think, that God should make you the first example of a soul, that did endeavor, strive, and work for salvation, and yet came short of it; when you never either heard or read of any, that put forth themselves to the utmost for the obtaining of grace, and yet fell short of grace or glory?
Thus, in these Six Particulars put together, you have a full and an abundant answer and satisfaction to this Objection, concerning our Impotency to work out our own Salvation.
Objection: ii. Another Objection against this doctrine is this: "Thus to press men to obedience and working, is prejudicial and derogatory unto Christ's merits; by which alone we are saved, and not by our own works. Has not Christ already done all for us? Has he not finished and wrought out our salvation himself? And is not this, to render his work as insufficient, to go and piece it out by our obedience? Is not this, to set up our works as Antichrist, in flat opposition and defiance to the gracious undertaking and perfect accomplishment of Jesus Christ; when all, that we have now to do, is to believe in him, and to get a right and title to him and saving interest in him?"
To this I answer: The merit of Jesus Christ, and our working, are not inconsistent; but there is a sweet harmony and agreement between them, in carrying on the work of our salvation.
And, to make this evident, I shall lay down the due bounds and limits of each of them; that so it may appear, what Christ has done for us, and what he expects we should do for ourselves.
Christ, therefore, has done Two things, in order to the carrying on of our salvation.
He has purchased and procured Eternal Happiness, to be conferred upon us hereafter.
He has merited Grace, to be conferred upon us here to prepare us for that happiness.
1. He has purchased Happiness and Eternal Life, for all that do believe in him. I give unto them eternal life, says he himself, John 10:28. And, says the Apostle, He is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him: Hebrews 5:9.
Now, as there are two things, that must be done for us, before we can be brought unto a state of salvation; namely, a freeing of us from our liableness unto death, and a bestowing upon us a right unto life eternal: so, Jesus Christ, that he might bring us into this state, has performed both these things for us.
(1) He has satisfied divine justice for us; snatching us from under the vengeance of God; substituting himself in our room and stead; bearing the load of all that wrath and punishment, that must otherwise have fallen insupportably heavy upon us. His soul, says the Prophet, was made an offering for sin: Isaiah 53:10. And he was made sin for us, says the Apostle, that is, he was punished as a sinner for us, who knew no sin: 2 Corinthians 5:21.
And,
(2) He has perfectly fulfilled the commands of the Law, by his active obedience; so that the life, promised by God in the Law to the doers of it, does now undoubtedly belong to all those, for whom Christ did obey the Law; that is, for all those, that believe in him.
And, by both these, bearing the Penalty of the Law and fulfilling the Duties of the Law, God is atoned, justice is satisfied, vengeance is pacified; and we are reconciled, adopted, and made heirs of glory according to the promise.
"But, what! shall glory and happiness be presently bestowed upon us? Shall we be installed into it, without any more circumstance? Must nothing intervene between Christ's purchase and our actual possession?"
There must: for,
2. Christ has purchased Grace, to be bestowed upon them, upon whom he bestows salvation. When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men: Ephesians 4:8 and, among others, especially the gifts of grace. For, of his fullness, says the Apostle, have we all received, and grace for grace: John 1:16.
And why did Christ make this purchase? why did he merit grace for us? was it not, that we might act it in obedience? And, if Christ merited grace that we might obey, is it sense to object that our obedience is derogatory to Christ's merit? if one end of Christ's doing all that he did for us, was to enable us to do for ourselves, will any man say, "Now I am bound to do nothing, because Christ has done all?" How lost are such men, both to reason and religion, who undertake so to argue! No: salvation was purchased and grace was procured, that, by the acting and exercise of that grace, we might attain to that salvation; and both these are to be preserved entirely as things most sacred, ascribing them solely to the merits of our Savior. So for are we from exhorting men to work out their salvation by way of merit and purchase, as that we conclude them guilty of the highest sacrilege and practical blasphemy against the priestly office of Jesus Christ, who think by their own works to merit the one or the other.
And, therefore, though Jesus Christ has done thus much for us; yet, that he might leave us also some work to do, I shall now show what he expects from us in order to the working out of our own salvation.
And, as he has done Two things for us, so he requires Two things from us.
As,
He requires, that we should put forth all the strength and power of Nature, in laboring after grace.
And,
He requires that we should put forth the power of grace, in laboring for salvation, purchased for us.
(1) He requires, that all those, who are void of grace, should labor for it with that power and strength that they have.
And, in so doing, they do not at all intrench upon the work of Christ; neither is it at all derogatory to his merits. See how the Prophet expresses this, Ezekiel 18:31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit: he speaks to those, that were in a state of nature; and he bids them make them a new heart and a new spirit; for why will you die? noting, that, if they did not labor after a new heart and a new spirit, they would certainly die the death. Let every sinner know, that this is it, that he is called upon for: this is that, which God expects from him: it is his work, to repent and return that he may live: it is his work, to labor to change his own heart, and to renew his own spirit. It is true, it is God's work also; for he has promised to give a new heart and a new spirit: Ezekiel 11:19 and it is Christ's work also, as he is God; but yet it is not Christ's work, as a Mediator: and, therefore, to endeavor the working of a new heart in us, is not at all to intrench upon the mediatory office of Jesus Christ; for, so, his office is not to work grace, but to procure it; not to implant grace, but to purchase it. You cannot, therefore, sit down and say, "What need is there of my working? Christ has already done all my work for me, to my hands." No: Christ has done his own work: he has done the work of a Savior and a Surety; but he never did the work of a Sinner. If Christ, by meriting grace, had bestowed it upon you and wrought it in you, then indeed there was no more required of you to become holy, but to cast back a lazy look to the purchase of Jesus Christ: then, your sloth would have had some pretense why you do not labor. But this will not do: our Savior commands all men to seek first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof: Matthew 6:33 and the Apostle exhorts Simon Magus himself, though in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity, yet pray, says he, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you: Acts 8:22 do not, therefore, cheat your own souls into perdition, by lazy notions of Christ's merits. What though Christ has merited, yet God requires that you should work and labor, to change your own hearts, and reform your own lives; but, if you sit still, expecting until the meriting grace of Christ drop down into your souls, of its own accord, and change your hearts; truly, it may be, before that time you yourselves may drop down into Hell with your old unchanged hearts.
And this is the First thing, which Christ requires.
(2) Christ expects and requires, that those, that have grace should put forth the utmost strength and power thereof, in laboring after that salvation that he has purchased for them.
He has merited salvation for them, but it is to be obtained by them through their own labor and industry. Is not that, which Christ has already done, sufficient for them? Is it not enough, that he has reconciled them to God by the blood of the covenant? that he has made their peace and procured their pardon for them? but must Christ repent, and believe, and obey for them? This is not to make him a Savior, but a Drudge. He has done what was meet and fit for a Mediator to do: he now requires of us what is meet for Sinners to do; namely, to believe, to repent, to be converted, and to obey: he now bids you wash and be clean. And what would you have more? would you have the Great Prophet come and strike off your leprosy, and you only mark the cure, and do nothing thereunto? or, is it indeed enough, that salvation and happiness are purchased, that the way to Heaven is made passable, that the bolts and bars of the New Jerusalem by Christ are broken off? Alas! what of all this! you may still be as far from Heaven and glory as ever, if you do not walk in the way that leads to it: still you are as far from entering into Heaven as ever, if you do not strive at the entrance into the strait gate. It is, therefore, in vain that Christ died, it is in vain that you are justified, it is in vain that you are adopted, it is in vain that Heaven is prepared for you: Christ may keep Heaven, and glory, and his crowns, and robes forever to himself; unless, as he has purchased these great things for his people, so also he has purchased to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works: a people, who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory and.… immortality, and by that way obtain it. Thus we see that Christ's doing all for us, is no excuse for our doing nothing: he has, indeed, done all for us that belongs to him, as a Mediator meriting and procuring grace and salvation; but he never intended to do all for us, as to the conveying of them to us and making them ours: no; that is still to be done by us: and, therefore, though Christ's works alone were meritorious, yet by the actings of faith we must apply his merit, and by the actings of obedience confirm them to our ourselves. I might add also, when Christ is said to obey the Law in our stead, as well as to suffer in our stead: though his bearing the punishment of the Law by death does excuse and exempt us from suffering; yet his obeying the Law does not excuse our obedience unto the Law: Christ obeyed the Law, in a far different respect to the obedience which is now required from us: he obeyed as a Covenant of Works; we, only as a Rule of Righteousness: if he had failed in the least tittle, he could not have purchased life that was promised; but we, though we fall infinitely short in our obedience, may yet inherit that life that Christ has purchased: Christ's obedience was fully perfect, yet ours is not derogatory thereunto, because it proceeds from other grounds than Christ's did.
But I will not proceed further in this, only conclude this answer with Two practical things in reference to this question.
First. So work with earnestness, constancy, and unweariedness in well doing, as if your works alone were able to justify and save you.
Look, with what affection and fervency you would pray, if now God with a voice from Heaven should tell you, that, for the next prayer you make, you should be either saved or damned: look, with what reverence and attention you would hear, with what spiritualness of heart you would meditate, if your eternal state and condition were to be determined and fixed by the next of those duties that in this kind you were to perform: with the same fervency, affection, and spiritualness perform all the obedience that you do. Why should you not do so? are not God's commands as peremptory and as authoritative for obedience under the Covenant of Grace, as they were under the Covenant of Works? is not obedience of as absolute necessity now as ever, though not to the same end and purpose? and, since the end of our obedience is graciously changed, does not this change lay a farther obligation of gratitude upon us to obey God, who requires it from us, not as merit, but as duty? Still, there is as great an obligation to obey now under the condition of the Covenant of Grace, as ever there was while mankind stood under the tenor of the Covenant of Works. Certainly, Christ's merit was never given to slacken our obedience: and it is the most unworthy, nay it is the most accursed use, that any Christian can make of it, that therefrom he should take encouragement to grow more remiss and slack in obedience. Would you not thereby turn the grace of God into wantonness? Would you not abuse the infinite mercy of a Mediator? Think with yourselves; "How would I strive and struggle, were I to stand or fall upon the account of my own works and duties!" Use the same diligence, put forth the same endeavors, as indeed in that case you would do. And,
Secondly. So absolutely depend and rely upon the alone merits of Jesus Christ for your justification and salvation, as if you never had performed an act of obedience in all your life.
This is the right gospel-frame of obedience: so to work, as if you were only to be saved by your own merits; and, withal, so to rest on the merits of Christ, as if you had never wrought anything. It is a difficult thing, to give to each of these its due, in our practice: when, we work, we are too apt to neglect Christ; and, when we rely on Christ, we are too apt to neglect working. But, that Christian has got the right skill and are of obedience, that can mingle these two together: that can, with one hand, work the works of God; and yet, at the same time, with the other hand, lay fast hold on the merits of Jesus Christ. Let this Antinomian principle be forever rooted out of the minds of men, that our working is derogatory to Christ's work. Never more think Christ has done all your work for you; for that is unfitting the free spirit of the Gospel: but labor for that salvation, that he has purchased and merited. Could such senseless objections prevail with those men, who ever seriously read that scripture in Titus 2:14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works? were this place seriously pondered over by men, they would be ashamed to object any longer, that our duties and works are derogatory to the purchase of Christ; for he gave himself for this end, that he might purchase such a people, that might be zealous of good works. But, truly, when sloth and ignorance meet together, if you tell men what powers their natures have to work, and how necessary obedience is to salvation, that thereby you may excite and quicken their hearts to obedience; they, with the sluggard, fold their arms in their bosom, doing nothing, telling us these doctrines are Arminianism and flat Popery: whereas, in deed and in truth, they are as far distant from either of them, as light is from darkness: it is their ignorance and sloth only, that makes them think so. But, deceive not yourselves: this doctrine is such, that whether it take hold on your judgments and understandings now, I know not; but, this I know assuredly, it shall take hold of your consciences, either here or hereafter: and, then, it will not suffice you to make this excuse, either that you had no power to do anything, or that Christ had already done all things for you.
And, so much, for the Second Objection,
Objection: iii. Others may Object, that "This duty of working out our salvation, is inconsistent with, and prejudicial to, the freeness of God's grace, by which alone we are saved. If God save them only, that work for salvation; how then does he save them freely, and how is it that by grace we are saved?"
In general, I answer: That salvation, upon our working and obedience, is free salvation: and that, for Four reasons.
1. Because all our working is a natural duty, that we owe to God, as creatures to their Creator.
Had God required the same things of us that now he does, and never propounded a reward to encourage us, he had been just, and we had been as absolutely and as indispensably obliged to obey as now we are. We have not so great a right to salvation, as God has to our obedience. God can challenge our service and obedience from us, because of our natural bond and obligation; as well as from that voluntary covenant, whereinto we have entered with God to be obedient: but we can only plead for salvation, because God has made a promise, that he will save those that obey. Whether God had made that promise or not, yet he might have required the same obedience from us that now he does, because we owe it to him naturally by our creation. And is it not now free grace and mercy, that, when God might have required obedience without a reward, yet he will bestow salvation according to that obedience? See what our Savior says, in Luke 17:9, 10. Does the master thank the servant because he did the things that he was commanded to do? I trow not. So even you likewise, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; for, when we have done all, we have but done that which was our duty to do. Yes, and our duty it was to do it, though God had never made a promise to reward what we have done: we are unprofitable servants, and deserve not so much as thanks: Does the master thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded? I trow not: and, if we do not merit thanks when we have done our utmost, how then can we merit salvation?
2. Because our obedience is imperfect in this life: it is full of cracks and flaws.
And if, to accept and reward the most perfect obedience with salvation, be an act of mercy and free grace; as it is, because it is our duty if there were no salvation promised: how much more is free grace magnified and glorified, in accepting and rewarding a weak and imperfect obedience with that salvation, which the most perfect obedience cannot deserve! For, when we have done all, we have done but that which was our duty to do: and, if we could say so, does the master thank the servant? No: But alas! in many things we offend all. Now to reward that with eternal salvation, that deserves eternal damnation; to reward that work with life, that deserves to be rewarded with death; what is this, but the effect of rich and glorious grace? what is this, but to bestow Heaven, not according to merit, but rather according to our demerit?
3. Because there is no comparison between salvation and our obediences; and, therefore, free grace shines forth still.
It is free grace, though we do obey. We obey, as creatures: God rewards, as a God. Our obedience is temporal; but our reward is eternal. Our obedience is mixed with rebellion; but the reward has no mixture to take off the fullness and sweetness of it. Therefore, it is free grace still, to give an infinite reward to so mean an obedience; between which obedience and reward, there is no comparison nor proportion.
4. Because, though we are commanded to obey, yet that grace, whereby we do obey, is the gift of God.
It is he, that works in us this obedience, which he rewards with salvation. And must not this then be wholly of free grace? To save upon an obedience wrought in us by God himself, is to save altogether as freely as if we were saved without any obedience at all.
And, so much, in answer unto the Third Objection.
Objection: IV. Others may say, that "It is a vain and most needless thing, to press this doctrine of working for salvation upon us. What! we work! If we are elected to salvation, we shall be saved, whether we work or not: and, if we are not elected, all our working will be to no purpose, for we shall never be saved by it."
To this I answer: We are to look to God's commands; not to his decrees: to our duty; not to his purposes. The decrees of God are a vast ocean, whereinto many possibly may have curiously pried, to their own horror and despair; but few or none have ever pried into them, to their own satisfaction. This election, in particular, is not written in the plain word of God; but this duty is plainly written. If you performest your duty, thereby you shall come to know your election. It is but a preposterous course, and that which will both discourage all endeavors and fill the soul with despair, to look first to God's decrees, and then to its own duty: whereas, indeed, the right method is, first to perform your own duty, and thereby to be led into the knowledge of God's decrees. Question not, therefore, whether you are elected or not; but, first, work for salvation: and, if your work be good and your obedience true, thereby you may come to a certain knowledge that you are elected. And, know this also, farther; that God, who elects to the end, elects also to the means: now obedience is the means and way to salvation; and, therefore, if you are elected to salvation, you are also elected to obedience. Say not, therefore, "If I am elected, I shall be saved whether I work or not:" there is no such thing: I may boldly say, if you are elected and do not work, it is impossible that your election should save you. What says the Apostle, 2 Thessalonians 2:13? God has chosen us: there is election: chosen us to salvation: there is the end: but how? through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: chosen us to salvation, as to the end; but it is not an end to be obtained without sanctification. There is, indeed, an absolute election to salvation, whereby God, without respect of works, has chosen some to salvation: but there is no election to salvation absolute, whereby God has chosen any to salvation without works; that is, whether they work or not. If, therefore, you believe heartily and obey sincerely, then your election to salvation stands firm. Nay, the Scripture makes election to be terminated, as well in obedience as salvation: elect, says the Apostle, unto obedience, through sanctification of the Spirit: in the former place it was, elect to salvation, through sanctification; but in this it is, elect to obedience, through sanctification: noting thus much to us, that none are elected to salvation, but those that are elected to obedience; and therefore it is unreasonable, yes it is contradictory, to say, "If I am elected, I shall be saved whether I obey or not," for none are thereunto elected but through obedience.
III. And now, having, as I hope, satisfactorily answered all objections and scruples, that may arise in the hearts of men against this doctrine, I proceed to PRESS THIS DUTY of working for salvation upon their consciences: and I shall do it in a USE OF EXHORTATION.
Be persuaded then, O Sinners! to cast off your sloth and laziness; and to rouse yourselves from that drowsy slumber that you have long lain in, and to work for salvation. But, truly, when I consider, how powerful an orator and how mighty a charmer sloth is;—how easily it can stupefy and benumb reason, and lull men asleep on the top of a mast and on the brink of hell;—and, though God and man call upon them, "Sinners, Sinners, bestir yourselves: work for your lives: you perish eternally, if you do not labor to lay hold on eternal life, for you are falling and hell-fire is under you: yet, when we call and cry thus earnestly, how easily a careless, yawning, wretched sinner can slight all these admonitions; baffle all these arguments, motives, and persuasions, though urged upon him with all vehemency and tenderness of affection; and turn about, like a man besotted, falling fast asleep again: when I consider this, truly I am apt to conclude, that it is but a desperate attempt to press men any more against their natures; and against so many disadvantages, that can soon frustrate the efficacy of weaker words: and am ready to give over in despair, with that of the Prophet, He, that will be righteous, let him be righteous still: and he, that will be wicked, let him be wicked still. And, truly, were it not more for conscience of duty than for any hope of success, I would not speak one word more upon the subject: success, I mean, upon those, who are altogether carnal, whose hearts Satan has filled, and whose ears Satan has stopped; we may call long enough and loud enough, before these men will awake; or, if they do sometimes give a look upwards, they soon close their eyes again and slumber away into destruction. And yet, truly, if variety of motives, if strength of arguments and persuasions would prevail, we might hope for this seldom-seen success.
Then let us consider these following particulars.
i. Consider, Sinners, you have A GREAT AND WEIGHTY WORK TO DO; and, therefore, it is time, yes high time, that you were up and doing.
Believe it, Sirs: God has not placed you here in this world, as the Leviathan in the great waters, only to play and sport: were it so, you might take your ease, fold your arms in your bosoms, and follow your delights and pleasures; and let him be blamed, that ever should disturb or discourage you. I know not whether some may not think that we ministers are task-masters, and that we make more ado than needs. No, Sirs: it is God, that has set you your work: we do only tell you how great it is, and of how great concernment it is to you that it be done. And, if you will not do it, who can help it? we have no scourges nor scorpions to drive you to your work; but God has, to punish you, if you neglect it. And why is it so generally neglected, but because men do not seriously consider how great it is? Most men acknowledge that it must be done; but, because they look upon it as that which may speedily and quickly be dispatched, they drive it before them from day to day, and think to huddle it up at the end of their lives: then, when they are fit for no other employment, and least of all fit for this employment, then they think to do the works of God.
I shall here lay down Three particulars, to convince sinners of the greatness of this work: and, because it is so great a work, it requires that they should presently, without delay, set upon it.
1. It is a work, in which sinners must undo all, that they have wrought in their whole lives before.
O Sinner, think: What have you been doing, this twenty, thirty, forty years, or more? have you not, instead of working out your own salvation with fear and trembling, been working out your own condemnation without fear or trembling? have you not been working the works of darkness? have you not been working the works of your father the Devil, as our Savior tells the Jews? Truly, this is not so much working, as making of work: all this must be undone again, or you yourselves must be forever undone: you must unrip and unravel your whole lives, by a deep and bitter repentance: you are gone far in the way, that leads to death and destruction; and you must tread back every step, and at every step shed many tears, before ever you come into the way that leads to life and happiness. And is it not yet time to begin? can the work of so many years be undone, think you, in one moment? no: Sin and Satan make their works more durable and lasting, than to be so easily and speedily spoiled. It were the work of an age, yes of eternity itself, if possibly we could so spend it, rather than of a few faint late thoughts, to get an humiliation deep enough and a sorrow sad enough, to bear any the least proportion to any of the least sins that we have committed. Do not hope or think, that your many great and sinful actions shall ever be blown away with a slight and general confession; or that ever they shall be washed away with a slight and overly repentance. What says holy David? You tell my wanderings: put you my tears into your bottle: Psalm 56:8: you have my wanderings, by number; but you have also my tears, by measure: there must be some proportion between the humiliation and the sins: great sins call for great sorrow; and long continuance in sin requires a continued and prolonged repentance. Is it not then yet high time to begin? have you not already made work enough for your whole lives, should they be longer than they are like to be? Nay, and will not every day of your lives make work enough for itself? what says our Savior? Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof: Matthew 6:34: truly, the evil, that we every day commit, is sufficient work for the sorrow and repentance of that day to undo. Now, then, begin this undoing work: the longer you delay, still the more will lie upon your hands; still, the more sins you have to repent of. We already complain, that the work, which God has set us, is too hard and too grievous; and yet, such foolish creatures are we, that we make it more and more difficult by our delays; adding to the strictness of God's commands, the necessity of a severe repentance. And therefore it is prudence, as well as duty, to begin this repenting, this undoing work early; that so, the greatness of the work, and the shortness of the time to do it in, may not at last dismay and confound us.
2. Consider the great variety of duties, that must be gone through, in the working out of salvation; and this will evince how great a work it is.
A Christian's work is a life full of actions and employments. There should be no gap nor void space at all in it; but all should be filled up with duties, ranked in their several orders; that, as soon as he passes through one, he should enter upon another, that where one leaves him another may find him. Thus a Christian should go from one duty to another: from hearing the word, to meditation; from meditation, to prayer; from prayer, to the acting of grace: and, in all, there should be much striving and struggling with the heart, and much carefulness and circumspection over the way and life.
Now there are Four great and usual Duties, which every man has to do; which are enough to fill up all the time of his life, were it stretched and tentered out to the end of our time.
(1) He is to get the truth and reality of grace wrought in him.
This is his first and general work. And this will cost a man much sweat and anguish: for this, he must suffer many pangs and throes of the New Birth; and shall lie under many fears and jealousies, lest hypocrisy and presumption should cause him to mistake in a matter of such infinite concernment.
(2) He is to draw forth and to act this grace, when once it is wrought in him.
This is the next work of a true Christian; continually to act faith, love, patience, humility, and to let all have their perfect work. And there is no moment of a man's life so idle, but all may administer some occasion or object for the exercise of grace.
(3) A Christian's next work is, continually to grow and increase in grace.
To go from strength to strength: to be changed from glory to glory. Still to be adding cubits to his spiritual stature, until he is grown to such a height and tallness in grace, that his head shall reach into Heaven, and be crowned there in absolute perfection, with a crown of glory and immortality. Here is that work, that will keep you in employment all your days; and, if you can find one spare minute in your whole lives wherein you have not some duty to perform, then give over and sit still.
But, besides all this,
(4) Another work of a Christian is, earnestly to labor after the evidence and assurance of grace in himself. Give all diligence, says the Apostle, to make your calling and election sure.
Still, a Christian must be ascending: ascending, from a probable conjecture, to a good persuasion; from a good persuasion, to a full assurance; from that, to a rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
These are the general works, that should take up the lives of Christians: and to these are subservient almost an infinite number of particulars; some whereof are means whereby these great things are obtained, others are concomitants or the effects and fruits of them: but I will not so much as mention any of them now.
For shame then, O Christians: since that your work is so great, why will you sit still, as if you knew not how to employ yourselves? Besides, there is great variety in your work; and this usually breeds some kind of delight: you are not always to be toiling and drudging at the same thing; but, as bees fly from one flower to another and suck sweetness from each of them, so should a Christian pass from one duty to another and draw forth the sweetness of communion with God from every one of them.
3. To evince the greatness of this work, consider, it is a work, that must be carried on against many encounters and strong oppositions, that a Christian will certainly meet with.
Within, are strong corruptions: without, are strong temptations. You have a treacherous and deceitful heart, within; and this traitor holds intelligence and league with your great enemy, the Devil, without. You are sure to meet with difficulties, affronts, and discouragements, from a peevish ill-conditioned world in which you live. Never any yet could escape free to Heaven, without meeting with these things. And does not all this call upon you to work and strive for salvation? Is it a time to sit still, when you have all this opposition to break through; so many temptations to resist; so many corruptions to mortify; Satan, that old serpent, to repel, and make him become a flying serpent? Does not all this require a morose constancy; and a kind of sour resolvedness to go through the ways of obedience, notwithstanding all opposition? These great things are not to be achieved, without great pains and labor. And, therefore, if you resolve to do no more than a few heartless wishes, no more than a few more heartless duties, will amount to, never raise your expectations so high as salvation: for, let me tell you, salvation will not be obtained at such a rate as this: no; there must be great strugglings and labor, with earnest contendings, if ever you intend to be saved.
And, thus much, for the First Argument, taken from the consideration of the Greatness of the Work: to work salvation out, is a great work and requires great pains.
ii. But, lest the setting out of the greatness of this work should rather deter and fright men from it, than excite and quicken their endeavors to it, let me add a Second thing: and that is, to consider WHAT AN INFINITE, INCOMPARABLE MERCY IT IS, THAT GOD WILL ALLOW YOU TO WORK FOR YOUR LIVES; that he sets life and death before you, and gives them into your hands to take your choice.
If you will indulge your sloth, then you choose death; but life may be yours, if you will. It will, indeed, cost you much pains and labor; but, yet, it may be yours. And is it not infinite mercy, that salvation and happiness may be yours, though upon any terms?
Wicked men are apt to say, "Oh, how happy had we been, if God had never commanded us to work; if he had never required from us such harsh and difficult duties; if we were but once free from this hard task and heavy burden of obedience!" But, alas, foolish Sinners! they know not what they say: as happy as they count this to be, yet, if God required no working from them, he should then show them just so much mercy as he does to the devils and damned spirits, and no more; from whom God requires no duty as well as from whom he receives no duty, and unto whom he intends no mercy.
You think it a hard restraint, possibly, to be kept under the strict commands of the Law: "Oh, that God required no such observances from us!" but what do you desire herein, but only the unhappy privilege of the damned; to be without law and without commands? But, should God send to the spirits now imprisoned, and declare to them that if they would work they should be saved, oh! how would they leap in their chains at such glad tidings; and count it part of salvation, that there was but a possibility of it! No, but God commands nothing from them, because he intends nothing but wrath upon them: he will not grant so much mercy to them, as to require those duties from them, that you repine and murmur at as grievous.
And, furthermore, consider this: if you do not now work, but perish under your sloth, in Hell you will think it an infinite mercy if God would command you more rigid and severe obedience, than ever he commanded from you on earth. It would be a great mercy there, if it might be your duty to repent, and pray, and believe. Nay, you would count a command then, to be as comfortable as a promise; for, indeed, there is no command but connotes a promise. No: but these things shall not so much as be your duty in Hell: for there you shall be freed forever from this rigorous and dreadful law of God, that now you so much complain of and murmur against.
Oh! therefore be persuaded, while you are yet under the mercy of the Law, (give me leave to call it so) and while you have so many promises couched in every command, before God has left off his merciful commanding, before the time of duty be expired, be persuaded to work. Delay not: you know not how long God will grant to require anything from you; and, as soon as that ceases, truly you are in Hell.
And this is the Second Argument to press this duty upon you. Work, and that speedily too. While you may work, there is hope, that, upon your working, you may be saved. And, therefore, while God calls upon you, and while he will accept of obedience from you, it is time for you to begin to work.
iii. Consider, WHAT A SHORT SCANTLING OF TIME IS ALLOWED YOU TO DO YOUR GREAT WORK IN.
And this I shall branch out into Two particulars.
1. Consider how sad it will be for your time to be run out, before your great work be done.
Alas! what are theescore years, if we were all sure to live so long, from the date of this present moment? How short a space is it, for us to do that in, which is of eternal concernment! and, yet, how few of us shall live to that, which we so improperly call old age! Our candle is lighted; and it is but small, at the best: and, to how many of us, is it already sunk in the socket, and brought to a snuff! and how soon the breath of God may blow it out, neither you nor I know. Night is hastening upon us: the grave expects us; and bids other corpses make room for us. Death is ready to grasp us in its cold arms, and to carry us before God's tribunal: and, alas! how little of our great work is done! What can any show, that they have done? where are the actings of faith, the labors of love, the perfect works of patience? where are those graces, that are either begotten or increased? where are the corruptions, that you have mortified? These are works, that require ages to perform them in: and yet you neglect them, that have but a few days, nay possibly but a few minutes; to do them in.
"But what! Is God severe? Is God unjust, to require, so much work to be done in so little time?"
No: far be it from us to say thus. Though our work be great, yet out time is long enough to perform it in, if it were well improved. We do, indeed, consume away our precious days, and waste our life and light, exhaust our strength, and lay out our endeavors upon vanities and trifles, on nothing but emptiness and folly: and that life, which the Prophet tells us is but as a tale, truly we spend it as a dream: we sleep, and drowse, and suffer our precious minutes to run and waste away, doing nothing to any good purpose; until the night is shutting in, until the night of darkness comes upon us, and then the greatness of our work will confound us, and cause despair rather than excite endeavors. Have you never known any, who, at the close of their lives, having neglected their great work, have spent that little time, that they had then left them, in crying out for more time? and thus it may be with you also, if your consciences be not awakened sooner than by the pains and disquiets of a sick bed: then, with horror, you may cry out, "More time Lord, more time." But it will not then be granted: the term is fixed: the last hour is struck: the last sand is run: and, as you and your work shall then be found, so you must go together into eternity. This is such a consideration, as must needs prevail with all men, if they would but lay it to heart: "My time is but short and momentary: I am but of yesterday; and, possibly, I may not be tomorrow; and God has suspended eternity upon the improvement of this moment: a few hours will determine my everlasting state and condition: according as these few are spent, so will my doom be; either for eternal happiness or for eternal misery; and why should my precious soul be so vile in my own eyes, as to lose it forever through sloth and negligence? why should I hearken to the allurements of my own corruptions, or to the enticements and persuasions of Satan's temptations? No: stand off, for I am working for eternity; an eternity, that is but a few days hence; a boundless, a bottomless, an endless eternity, into which I know not how soon I may enter: and woe to me, yes a thousand woes to me, that ever I was born, if my great work be not done before the days of eternity come upon me." This is such a motive, as methinks should make every man, that hears it and has but a sense what eternity is, presently to bestir and rouse up himself, and give God and his soul no rest until his immortal soul be secured, and well provided for, for eternity. To me, there is no greater argument of the witchcraft and sorcery, that Sin and Satan use to besot the reason and judgment of rational creatures, than that men can hear of such truths, truths that are not to be denied or doubted of, and yet live at such a rate as they do: so vainly, so fruitlessly, so lazily, so securely and presumptuously; as if their eternity were to be expected and enjoyed here, or that there were none to come hereafter.
2. The consideration of the shortness of our life, may serve as a great encouragement to work.
The consideration of the burdensomness and trouble of working for salvation may, doubtless, fright many from engaging therein. Oh! it is a work very painful and laborious: and this discourages them. But know, O Sinner! though it be grievous, yet it is but short work: it is to last no longer, than our frail, short life does last. And, oh! how unseasonable is it to complain, as most do of our work, as being too long and too tedious; and of our lives, as being too short and brittle! for our work is to be no longer than our lives. A child of God does not, at least he should not, desire to live longer than his great work is done: and, truly, when it is finished, it is a great piece of self-denial in him, to be content to abide here in this world any longer: and, in the mean while, this may support him, that it shall not be long, that he shall thus wrestle with temptations, and thus struggle with corruptions: Death will come in to his help, and put an end to his toil and labor; and, though he brings a dart in one hand, yet he brings a reward and wages in the other hand: and this may be his great encouragement.
iv. My next argument, to press this duty of working out our own salvation, shall consist of THREE OR FOUR GRADATIONS.
And,
1. We are all of us very busy, active creatures.
The frame and constitution of our natures is such, as we must be working some work or other: and, therefore, since we must be working, why should we not work the works of God? We do not simply exhort sinners to work: neither, indeed, need we: you have active faculties and stirring principles within you, that must and will be still in employment; and, when your hands cease, yet then your hearts and thoughts are at work: your whole lives are nothing but actions; yes, when your thoughts themselves are most unbent and most remiss, when they are most vanishing and glimmering, so that yourselves scarce know what they are, yet then are they visibly working, though you perceive it not. Now, what is it, that God requires of you? it is not, that you should be more employed than you are, that you should do more than you do; for that is impossible, because you never are idle, doing nothing: but it is, that what you do, should be done in order unto Heaven and salvation. And how reasonable is such a command as this! it is not more work, that God expects from you; only other work: your thoughts need not be more than they are; but they must be more spiritual than they are: your desires no more; but only more gracious: your actions no more; but only they must be more holy than now they are. Let but grace regulate what nature does, and the are of working out your salvation is attained. The wheels of a watch move as fast and as quick, when it goes false as when it goes true; and, if the watch be but at first set right and true, the same activity, that makes it go false, will make the motions go right and orderly. Truly, you yourselves are like your watches: your faculties are the wheels of your souls; and they move and click as fast, when they go false, as when they go right; and, if grace does but once set them right, the same activity of nature that makes them work falsely and go amiss, will also continue their motion orderly and regularly, when once they are set right. Well, then, whatever your trade be, whether it be a trade of sin, or whether it be a trade of sin, or whether it be a trade of holiness, you must be working at it. And, let me tell you, religion and holiness are so far from increasing your work, that they rather lessen and contract it: what says our Savior? Martha, Martha, you are careful.… about many things: But one thing is necessary: Luke 10:41, 42. so may I say: Sinners, you are careful, and busy yourselves about many things; but there is but one thing, that is necessary: many things, indeed, you trouble yourselves with: the cares of the world, the temptations of Satan, the corruptions of your own hearts, these distract you; yes, very trifles and impertinences themselves give you full employment: this lust storms and rages; that tast flatters and entices: this is impetuous; that is insinuating: the one impels; the other allures: and, it may be, after all, conscience begins to grow terrible; giving the sinner no quiet in doing that, which lust would let him have no rest until he had done; so that, between them, of all men's lives in the world, his is the most toilsome and vexatious.
Since, then, you can save no labor by being as you are, why will you not change your work? you are now in constant employment as you are, and no more is required of you in the ways of obedience. Nay, you are now divided, distracted, and and even torne in pieces, between divers lusts and pleasures; all which cry Give, Give, and all are eager and importunate, so that you know not which to turn to first: but, in working for salvation, your employment is but the one thing necessary, which though indeed it calls for the same endeavors and industry which now you use in the service of sin, yet, by reason of its uniformity, is less distractive and less cumbersome.
And that is the First Gradation.
2. You must work either in God's service, or in the Devil's drudgery.
And choose you whether you would rather be Satan's slaves, or God's servants. Nay, indeed, choose whether? is it a matter of choice with men, who have rational and immortal souls? do you not all profess yourselves to be the servants of the Living God? do you not all wear his livery? would not the vilest and most profligate sinner willingly lurk under the name and badge of a Christian; and count it a great wrong done him, should any so much as doubt of his salvation? and wherefore is this, but because they are ashamed of their service, and of their own black master? But, alas! it is in vain to renounce him in words: for, if your works be not for God, if they be not such as religion exacts, as the Holy Spirit inspires, as grace performs, and as salvation calls for from you, his slaves you are; and, though you profess to deny him, yet in your works you own him.
3. If you work for Satan, you do but work for your own damnation.
For work, you must and will: and this is all the reward and wages, that you can justly expect from the service of Sin and Satan; and, of this, a just God and a malicious Devil will look that you shall not be defrauded: but, as your Ephah has been full of iniquity and abominations, so shall your cup be full of wrath and indignation. Think, O Sinner, think how these masters, whom you now serve, will in Hell insult over you and upbraid you: "Is this he, our faithful and industrious servant? He, who preferred our misery, before his own happiness? whose precious soul was not precious to him for our sakes? And is he now come, where his ways led him? Prepare a place quickly for him. Let his darkness be horrid and dismal: his works were so. Let his chains be strong and massy: the bonds of his iniquities were so. Let his unquenchable fire be piercing and vehement: let his torment be next unto my own." This, this will be the insulting of your Master then. O Sinners, consider! is this the reward and preferment, that you work for? "God forbid! mercy prevent!" you will say: nay, believe it, mercy will not prevent, God will not forbid, unless you yourselves labor to prevent it: all this must be your condemnation, as unavoidably as if God had no such attribute of mercy belonging to his nature. This sinners know, and are persuaded of the truth of, unless they are Atheists. And, if you are, truly it will not be long before your own sense and feeling will convince you of the truth of these things, to your eternal grief and sorrow. And, if you do believe this, why do you not rouse up yourselves and fall to work? if you are resolved for Hell, for a foreseen and forewarned Hell, who then can stop you? And, unless you are resolved for Hell, methinks I might have done, and need proceed no further. Tell me, therefore, O Sinners, are you not all persuaded by these terrors? will you not from this moment labor, struggle, and strive; and take any pains in the ways of obedience, rather than ruin your own souls, and thrust them down into the pit of destruction? I might be confident sinners thus resolve to do, were I speaking now to men that were themselves: but men's reasons are besotted; and their ears are open only to the Devil, and to the base allurements of the flesh: and, when we have done our utmost in persuading sinners, in the end we must turn our exhortations to them into prayers to God for them, that he would snatch them as brands out of the fire and burning, into which they, like drunken men, are casting themselves and in which they are lying down.
4. Once more: The same pains, that possibly some take to damn their own souls, might suffice eternally to save them.
The same toil and labor, that some undergo for Hell and destruction, might have brought them to Heaven and happiness, had it been but that way laid out. The Prophet tells us of some, that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart-rope: Isaiah 5:18 that is, they are so enslaved to the work of the Devil, that he puts them into his team, and makes them draw and strain for their iniquities; and he does them a courtesy when their sins come easily to them, for so the phrase imports. And we read of some in another Prophet, that sin with both hands greedily: Micah 7:3. And the Psalmist tells us of those, that devise mischief upon their beds, and that travail with iniquity: Psalm 36:4; 7:14: that is; they are in as much pain and torment until their wicked designs be accomplished, as a woman in travail is until she be delivered. Sinners, since the work of sin is so toilsome, why will you not work the works of God? Does that salvation, that follows obedience, fright you; or is Heaven and glory become terrible to you? Is not this it, that all men desire? do not your hearts leap at the mention of it? What then is it, that any rational man can pretend, why he will not work? is it because you are reluctant to take pains? why then are you so laborious in sinning? why do you so sweat and toil in carrying faggots to your own fire? why are you continually blowing up those flames, that shall forever burn you? It is in vain to plead this any longer, that you are reluctant to take pains: for, where are there greater drudges in all the world, than sinners? the Devil can scarce find them work enough: they out-sin his temptations; and, had they not that corruption within, the scum whereof is continually boiling up in them, they mus of necessity, I was going to say, sometimes be holy, for want of employment: Satan could not find them work enough. How restless and impatient are they, until they have done some wicked work! and, sometimes, they are more restless and impatient when they have done it, through the Devil's temptations; and, yet, notwithstanding these torments, they will do them again. Are there more drudges in the world than these? Does God require more pains in his service, than these men take? no: he does not: would but men do as much for their precious souls, as they do against them; would they do as much to save them, as they do to destroy and damn them; truly, their salvation would not lie upon their hands unwrought.
But some may say in their hearts, "It is true, indeed, we are convinced, that the work of sin is laborious; but, yet, there is pleasure in that labor: but to the works of obedience we find reluctancy; and, to struggle against that, is exceeding irksome and grievous: and, therefore, we cannot work."
But is it so, indeed? Is it all peace and tranquility with you, when you sin? Are your consciences so utterly seared, as that they make no reluctancy, give you no checks or reproofs, when you sin? If they do, put that reluctancy of natural conscience against sin, into the balance with the reluctancy of natural corruption against obedience; and the most profligate sinner in the world shall find, though this is more strong and prevalent, yet that is more vexatious and tormenting. God requires no more labor from you, than you now take: nay, this labor shall not put you to so much torment, as sometimes you now feel: the same labor, with more content and satisfaction, may perfect your salvation, that now tends only to consummate your destruction. What madness then is it, for men not to be persuaded to work the works of God, when it will cost them less pains; I mean, less tormenting pains! You wear your lives in the service of sin; and, at the end of your days, you go down to Hell; when, with as much ease, you might inherit life and glory, as you thus purchase Hell and destruction. And is not this great folly and madness?
Bring, then, all these Four Gradations together, and look upon them all at once; and we shall find the argument so strong, as that nothing can resist it, but the perverse reasonings of men's own wills: you will not, because you will not: You must work. If you work not in God's service, you will work in the Devil's drudgery: If you work Satan's work, you must receive Satan's wages; which is the reward of eternal damnation. And the same labor, that you take to damn your own souls, might suffice to save them. Wherefore then shall not God employ you, as well as the Devil? Has he not more right to you? Why should you not work out your own happiness, as well as work but your own misery? Does it not concern you more? If men would but set their reason on work in this particular, if they would but show themselves to be men, they would soon set grace on work and show themselves to be Christians also. It is but turning the streams of your actions into the right channel, and the work is done: since that will incessantly flow from you, why should they all fall like Jordan into the Dead Sea, when they might as well run into the infinite ocean of all happiness, and carry your souls along with them also?
But,
v. Consider this also: THE DEVIL WORKS CONSTANTLY AND INDUSTRIOUSLY FOR YOUR DESTRUCTION. And will not you much more work for your own salvation?
See the place of the Apostle, 1 Pet 5:8. He walks about, as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And, therefore, when God questions him, Whence come you, Satan? he answers, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it: Job 1:7. What pains does he take, to prompt men with temptations! to suit objects and occasions to their corruptions! Still, he is at their right-hand, laying snares and traps for them, that they may fall as his prey. And wherefore makes he all this ado? is it not to satisfy his malice and hatred against men's souls? And shall malice and rancor make the Devil so laborious and unwearied to destroy souls, and shall not your own happiness and salvation make you much more diligent to save your souls? Is the Devil more concerned in your ruin, than you yourselves are in your own salvation? Shall the death of your souls be more dear to him, than the life of your souls is to yourselves? Learn from Satan himself, how to rate and value your own souls: did not he know them to be exceeding precious, he would never take so much pains to get them; and did you but know how precious they are, certainly you would never lose them so contentedly. Let the Devil, if you will learn no otherwise, teach you the worth of your precious souls: and, since he thinks no pains too much to ruin them, why should you think any pains or labor too much to save them?
vi. Consider: YOU YOURSELVES DO LABOR AND TAKE PAINS, IN THINGS OF FAR LOWER AND LESSER CONCERNMENT, THAN THE SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS.
Men can rise up early and go to bed late, eat the bread of carefulness, and all to get some little inconsiderable piece of this world, to provide for a frail, short life here: and who is there, that thinks his pains too much? And why, then, should you not labor for a future life in another world, that you confess to be infinitely more glorious and desirable than anything you can obtain here? To me, it is folly, so gross and senseless as to be bemoaned, if it were possible, with tears of blood, that men should so toil for the low conveniences of the world, and yet neglect the eternal happiness of their precious and immortal souls, as if they were not worth the looking after. Sinners, do you know what a vain, empty bubble, blown up by the creating breath of the Almighty, the world is? do you know it, and yet will you take pains for it, yet will you grasp and catch at it? Who would doubt, when we see men so busy about impertinences, and the trivial concernments of this vain world; who would doubt, but that they were far more anxious and careful about the things of Heaven, and the concernments of their souls? who would not conclude, but that they, who are so diligent about petty trifles, had certainly made sure that their great work was done? But, alas! would it not astonish men and angels, if we should tell them how foolish sinners are? would it be believed, that rational creatures, who have immortal souls that must be forever saved or damned, should spend all their time and strength about nothing; never taking any care or thought what will become of them forever? would such folly be believed to be in men? And yet this madness are most men guilty of. We may all of us be ashamed to lift up our heads to God, when we confess the world to be so vain and slight a thing, that if we should get all of it, nay should we get ten thousand of them, yet were they not all worth one soul; that, yet, we should be so foolish as to strive to get a vain world, to the neglect, yes to the contempt, of our precious souls. It is such folly, as men would scarce suspect that any persons should be guilty of, if it were not seen daily in the practices of almost all men.
vii. Consider this: ARE YOU AMBITIOUS? DO YOU AFFECT TRUE HONOR AND DIGNITY?
Yes, I know this is the great idol of the world: that, which every one falls down to and worships. Well then, Sinners, here is a way to prefer you all. To work for salvation, is the most honorable employment in the world; an honor, that will pose and nonplus the most towering and raised ambition, when once it is spiritualized. Alas! what poor and contemptible things are the grandees and great ones of the world! though they take great state and pomp upon them, and will scarce own their inferiors for their fellow-creatures, nay will scarce own God himself for their superior; yet are they but like painted flies, that play and buzz awhile in the sunshine, and then moulder away and come to nothing! All worldly honor and pomp is but imaginary. But would you have that, which is solid and substantial? Christ tells you how it is to be attained: If any man serve me, him will my Father honor: John 12:26. Whatever honor we have, we hold it by service: our work is not only duty, but preferment also: If any man serve me, he shall be honored. Would you be enrolled for Right Honorable in heaven's treasury? would you be Peers of that kingdom, with Saints and glorified Angels? then honor God. And how shall you honor him, but by obeying him? and him, who thus honors God, God will honor. This is the only real honor: all other is but airy, fictitious titles; like ciphers, which, as they are placed, stand for hundreds and thousands, but are all of the same value when huddled together. So, truly, the great ones of the world, if not made honorable by obedience to God have but imaginary excellence; and, when death once shuffles and huddles them together, nobles with ignobles, will the dust and ashes of the one stand at a distance and make obeisance to the other? No: all honor here signifies no more than a king upon a stage. But, here, is a way to attain true honor: here, is the way to it, by becoming servants; not to command, but to obey; not to be imperious over others, but to work yourselves. This is true honor.
Now I shall, in Three things, demonstrate the honor of working for salvation; that, if men be not very lowly spirited, they may be excited unto this honorable work.
1. It is pure, spiritual, refined work.
In services among men, the less of filth and drudgery there is in them, the more creditable they are accounted. It is an honor to be employed in higher and more cleanly work, when others are busied about baser employments. Christians, your work is the highest and most noble service imaginable: you are not at all to set your hands to any foul office: you have nothing to do with that mire and sink, in which wicked men are raking; yes, and it is their work to do it: no; but your work is all spiritual, consisting of the same pure employment that the angels in Heaven spend their eternity about. Holy thoughts, divine affections, heavenly meditations, spiritual duties, in these lies your work; which, because of its purity, is therefore very honorable.
2. Your work is honorable, because it is the Service of a most Honorable Master.
We account it a great credit, to tend immediately upon the person of some prince or potentate: but what is this, to their honor, who are called always to attend upon the person of God himself, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords; to be continual waiters about his throne? God has but two thrones: his throne of glory in the highest heavens, about which angels and glorified saints are the attendants; and his throne of grace, to which you are called. Angels and saints are but your fellow-attendants: and, if they see his glory in the highest exaltation, you are admitted to see it in the next degree. Yes, and herein is your honor so great, that you are capable but of one preferment more; and that is, of being removed from one throne to the other, from attending upon the throne of grace to attend upon the throne of glory: so great is your honor.
3. Your work is such, as makes you, not so much Servants, as Friends unto God.
It is an honor to be servant unto a king; but, much more, of a servant, to become a favorite. Thus it is in the service of God. You are not only servants, but friends and favorites. You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you: a strange speech! one would think the doing of what is commanded; is the office of a servant, rather than of a friend: no, says Christ: Henceforth I call you not servants.… but.… friends: You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you. And, certainly, no title so glorious, as that, which God put upon Abraham, to be the friend of God. Well, then, let wicked men go on scoffing and mocking at obedience in the people of God, let them look on them as poor and low spirited persons; yet can there be no honor like unto theirs, to be attendants upon, yes the friends of, the Great God of Heaven: and there can be no discredit so base as theirs, who are slaves to the Devil, who is God's slave; to be a slave unto the Devil, whom the people of God have in part subdued and overcome, and over whom they shall shortly at once perfectly triumph.
IV. Having thus, by several arguments, pressed this great duty of working out our own salvation, I should now proceed to some other things that are necessary to be spoken unto from this doctrine. But because this is a duty of so vast importance, and of so universal concernment; and the slothfulness and back wardness of many so great, and, if persisted in, will be so ruinous and destructive, I SHALL FURTHER URGE THE PRACTICE OF THIS DUTY upon the consciences of sinners, by these following CONSIDERATIONS.
i. THIS WORKING FOR SALVATION IS THE MOST DELIGHTFUL WORK AND EMPLOYMENT THAT A CHRISTIAN CAN BE ENGAGED IN.
What is it, that makes the whole world so busy in the service of Sin and Satan, but only pleasure, which they either find or imagine? The Devil baits all his temptations with this enticing witchcraft, which the world calls pleasure; and this is that, which makes them so successful. But, has the, Devil engrossed all pleasure unto his service? Can the ways of God promise no delight? Are they only rough and rugged ways? David certainly thought otherwise, when, speaking of the commandments of God, he tells us, they were sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb: Psalm 19:10: he could squeeze honey out of them: it is an expression, that sets forth the exceeding pleasantness and delight, that are to be found in the ways of obedience. And, truly, the whole Book of Psalms is abundantly copious, in setting forth that delight, that is to be found in the ways of God. Ask, therefore, the children of God, who are the only sufficient judges in this matter, and they will tell you with one consent, that they know no delight on earth comparable to that delight that is to be found in obedience. Indeed, if you are only taken with a soft, luxurious, washy pleasure; this is not to be found in the ways of holiness: but, if a severe delight can affect you, a delight that shall not effeminate but ennoble you; if you desire a masculine, rational, vigorous pleasure and delight; you need not seek any further for it, than in the ways of obedience.
There are Two things, that make this working for salvation to be so pleasant: the suitableness of this work to the agent or worker, and the visible success and progress of the work itself: and both these make the working out of salvation exceedingly pleasant and delightful to the people of God.
1. It is a work Suited to their Natures; and that makes it pleasant.
As Jesus Christ had, in a physical sense, so every Christian has, in a moral sense, two natures in one person. There is the divine nature, or the nature of God; and there is the human, corrupt nature, the nature of sinful man. And each of these has inclinations suited unto it: there is the carnal part; and that is too apt to be seduced and drawn away with the pleasures of sin, that are objects proportioned to the carnal part; but then there is also a divine, and, if I may so call it, a supernatural nature, imprinted by regeneration, that only does relish heavenly and spiritual things: so that it is not more natural to a godly man, by reason of the propensions of the old nature, to sin against God; than it is natural to him, by reason of the propensions of the new nature, to obey and serve God. Now when nature acts suitably to its own sway and pondus, this must needs cause two things: first, facility and easiness; secondly, delight and delight. Streams flow from the fountain with ease, because they take but their natural course: so the works of obedience flow easily from that fountain-principle of grace that is broken up in the hearts of the children of God, because they flow naturally from them; and, therefore, because nature makes things easy, that easiness will make them pleasant and delightful. It is true, indeed, when they work, there is an opposition and reluctancy from their other contrary nature; for, as they act suitably to the one, so they act quite contrary to the other nature: but does not the gracious and new nature as strongly wrestle against and oppose the workings and eruptions of the old nature, as the old does the workings of the new? It does: and therefore you, that are truly regenerate, never sin because of the easiness of it, because of its suitableness, because you must offer violence to your nature if you resist a temptation: do you not offer violence to your nature, if you close with that temptation? You are not all of one piece, if I may so speak, if you are regenerate. And what! must the corrupt part only be indulged and gratified, and must the renewed part be always opposed? Why should not grace, since it is as much, nay more yourself than sin is, why should not that have the same scope and liberty to act freely as sin does? Truly, these things are riddles to wicked men; and they are unfit judges in this case: they wonder what we mean, when we speak of easiness and delight in ways of obedience, which they never found to be otherwise than the most burdensome thing in the world. And, truly, it is no wonder; for they have no principle suited to these things: they are made up only of the old nature, that is as contrary and repugnant to them as darkness is to light. But, if once God renew and sanctify them, then they will confess as we do, that the works of God have more easiness in them than the generality of the world do imagine. And therefore Paul tells us, that he delighted in the law of God after the inward man: Romans 7:22. But why after the inward man, but because, though his corrupt part was contrary thereunto, yet his renewed part, which he calls his inward man, was suited to the duties of the Law of God, and carried him out as naturally to obedience as the spark flies upward? And, hence it is, that the children of God delight in the ways of obedience, because they suit with their new nature that is implanted in them.
2. Another thing, that makes working for salvation so delightful is, that Visible Success, that the children of God gain; and that Visible Progress, that they make in this work.
Nothing does usually cause greater delight in work, than to see some riddance in it; and that we are like, at length, to bring it to some issue. So, truly, this is that, which mightily delights the children of God: to see that their work goes forward; that their graces thrive; that their corruptions pine and consume away; that they are much nearer salvation, than when they first believed; that they are perfecting holiness in the fear of God, and every day growing nearer unto Heaven and happiness than other; and that, though these works of theirs are now imperfect, yet they shall be shortly finished and consummate in glory.
Well, then, if pleasure and delight do affect you, here you see is that, which is solid and substantial: it springs from success in your work, and from that suitableness that is in your renewed part thereunto. And, therefore, the more work, the greater delight you find; because the greater progress you make, and the more suitable to it your will becomes. Nay, your delight is of the same nature with that, which you shall enjoy in Heaven. The work, in which the blessed are there employed, is of the same nature with yours: only, their suitableness to it is perfect, and therefore their delight and pleasure is perfect: and, accordingly, the more suitable your hearts are to your work, the more delight and pleasure you will find in it. This is that, which makes Heaven a place of happiness, because there is no corruption, no body of sin and death there, to make those duties, that are there required from glorified saints, to be irksome and grievous to them.
ii. Consider THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF YOUR REWARD.
Does Job fear God for nothing? was the cavil of Satan, when God applauded himself that he had such a servant as Job was upon the earth. The Devil himself thought it no wonder, that Job should fear and serve a rewarding God; a God, whose hands are as full of blessings, as his mouth is full of commands. And, yet, what were these great somethings, that the Devil envies Job for; and thinks every one would have done as much as he, if they had but as great a recompense for it? it was but hedging him about, but blessing the works of his hands, and increasing his substance; as it is in Job 1:10. Alas! these are poor, mean rewards, to what God intends to bestow: such rewards they are, as that God still reckons himself in arrears to his children, until he has given them something better than he can bestow upon them here upon earth: these things he casts but as crumbs unto dogs; when he reserves a far better portion for his children. And yet Satan thinks Job well paid for his service, in having these lower enjoyments, in causing the works of his hands to prosper: Does Job serve God for nothing? And, therefore, if Satan does not wonder that Job fears and serves God for temporal mercies, will it not be to the great wonder of Satan himself that you should not fear and serve God, who have infinitely better things promised to you than temporal mercies are? Do you deserve your breath, in spending of it some few hours in prayer? or, do you deserve your plentiful estate, by laying out some small part of it for God? Why, to be able to think or speak, to enjoy health and strength, are such mercies, though outward mercies, as can never be recompensed to God; although you should think of nothing but of his glory, and speak of nothing but of his praise; although you should impair your health and waste your strength, and languish away in the performance of holy duties. These, though they are obligations to obedience, yet they are not the reward of obedience: no; far higher and more glorious things are provided, promised, and shall be conferred upon you, if you will but work.
For there are, first, your set standing Wages; and that is eternal salvation; no less. And, secondly, besides this, many incident Veils accrue to God's servants, in their performance of his service. And are not here reward and wages enough?
1. There is that Eternal Weight of Glory, that shall be the Reward of the Saints in Heaven.
This is so great, that it is impossible for you to conceive it. It is such, as Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard, nor has it ever entered into, no nor can it ever enter into, the heart of man to conceive what God has prepared for them that love him; as the Apostle speaks.
If Paul were now preaching, and pressing this very consideration of the infinite, glorious reward, it would possibly be expected, that he, who suffered a translation, and was admitted as a Spy into the Land of Promise, should, at his return, make some relation of it, and discover something of the riches and glory of that place: and would not all flock about him, as men do about travelers, to inquire for a description of the country whence they come? "Who are the people and inhabitants? What are their manners and customs? What is their employment? Who is their king, and what subjection do they yield unto him?" Thus inquisitive, truly, our curiosity would be. And, yet, when Paul purposely relates his voyage to the other world, all that he speaks of it is only this, I knew a man.… caught up into paradise, who heard things, that no man could, nor is it lawful for any man to utter.
The glory of Heaven is such, that it can never be fully known, until it be fully enjoyed. And, yet, if Heaven were ever made crystally transparent to you, if ever God opened you a window into it and then opened the eye of your faith to look in by that window, think what it was that you there discovered, what inaccessible light, what cherishing love, what daunting majesty, what infinite purity, what over-loading joy, what insupportable and sinking glory, what rays and sparklings from crowns and scepters; but more, from the glances and smiles of God upon the heavenly host, who forever warm and sun themselves in his presence: and, when you have thought all this, then think once again that all your thoughts are but shadows and glimmerings, that there is dust and ashes in the eye of your faith that makes all these discoveries come infinitely short of the native glory of these things; and then you may guess, and guess somewhat near what Heaven is.
Nay, as God, by reason of his infinite glory, is better known to us by negatives, than by affirmatives; by what he is not, than by what he is: so is Heaven, by reason of the greatness of its glory, better known to us by what it is not, than by what it is: and we may best conceive of it, when it is told us, there is nothing there, that may affright or afflict us; nothing, that may grieve or trouble us; nothing, that may molest or disquiet us; but we shall have the highest and sweetest delight and satisfaction, that the vast and capacious soul of man can either receive or imagine. Are you now burdened with sin and corruption; those infirmities, that though they are unavoidable, yet make your lives a burden to you? there, the old man shall never more molest you: that body of sin and death shall never enter with you into life: the motions of sin shall forever cease in that eternal rest. Are you here oppressed with sorrows? do afflictions overwhelm you? there, God shall kiss your blubbered eyes dry again, and wipe with his own hands all tears from your eyes. Are you pestered here with temptations; and does the Evil One, without intermission, haunt you with black and hellish thoughts, with dreadful and horrible injections? there, you shall be quite beyond the cast of all his fiery darts; and, instead of these, you shall have within you an ever-living fountain, bubbling up spiritual and sprightly contemplations and holy raptures forever, such as you never knew when you were here upon earth, no not when you were in the most spiritual and heavenly frame. Are you here clouded and cast down with desertions; and does God sometimes hide his face from you in displeasure? in Heaven, there shall be an everlasting sunshine: God shall look freely and steadfastly upon you; and you shall no more see him through a glass darkly, but face to face, without any interruption or obscurity.
Think, O Soul, and then think of anything else if you can, "What is it, to see the Father of Lights in his own rays? What is it, to see the Sun of Righteousness lie in the bosom of the Father of Lights? What is it, to feel the eternal warmth and influence of the Holy Spirit, springing from both these lights? What is it, to converse with holy angels and the spirits of just men made perfect; to join with them in singing the same hallelujahs forever?" And, when you have thought all this, think once more, "Heaven is all this, and more also."
Well, then, since Heaven is such, and since such a Heaven at this is may be yours, what should I say more, but only, with the Apostle, Having these promises, dearly beloved, promises of so certain and vast a glory as this is, let us cleanse and purify ourselves from all filthiness and pollution both of the flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God? 2 Corinthians 7:1. Is this Heaven attainable, upon your working? will God give it into wages, after working? will he share stars, will he share himself and his Christ, among you? Truly, methinks Christians should not have patience to hear any more: methinks, it is too much dullness, to endure another motive besides this. Why do you not interrupt me, then? Why do you not cry out, What shall we do that we may work the works of God? Why do you not say and pray, Lord, work in us, both to will and to do, of your good pleasure? Why is there not such a holy tumult and disturbance among you; some questioning, some praying, some resolving, all some way or other testifying a sense of salvation upon you? But, alas! there is a general silence. Men and women sit as quiet in their seats, as if their seats were filled rather with monuments than with men; as if Heaven and eternal salvation were of no concernment for them to look after. And wherefore is all this, but because their sight is short and their faith weak? They do not see afar off, nor believe afar off. Heaven they look upon as at a great distance, and very unwilling they are to go so long upon trust; and, sensual persons as they are, they look for present reward and present wages, and will not stir until they have received it. And this is the reason, why the consideration of this great and infinite glory affects men no more, they look for something present.
Well, be it so. Will God's work bring in no present profit? It will; and that, such as you yourselves shall acknowledge to be great.
And, therefore,
2. Besides those set Wages, that are to be received at the end of our lives, there are many Veils and Occasional Incomes, that accrue to God's servants in the performance of their work.
As,
(1) Such are assured, that God will provide for them while they are doing his work.
He has assured them of the mercies and good things of this life by promise. I do not say of the troublesome abundance of them; but of the enjoyment of them, so far forth as they are mercies and good things; Godliness, says the Apostle, is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come: 1 Timothy 4:8. It has the promises of this life; and that is a large charter, by virtue whereof God feeds them and clothes them, and provides sustenance and comfortable enjoyments for all those that work in his service. And, therefore, that I may note it by the way, most men greatly mistake, that labor and toil in the world to get riches and great estates: this is not the right thriving course: if you would grow rich, Seek first the kingdom of Heaven, and the righteousness thereof: Work out your own salvation: labor for the true riches; and this will not only increase and improve your inward graces, but increase and improve your outward mercies also. It is true, indeed, earth-worms may, by carking and caring, by pinching and drudging, increase their heap of dirt: but, let who will, for my part I will not nor cannot, call that man a rich man, that has more curses than enjoyments. Well, thus we see what great veils God gives his servants: he gives them not only those of another life, but those of this life so far as they are mercies. And that is One Veil.
(2) As God provides for his servants while they are working, so their very work is wages and reward enough for itself.
If God should only give us our labor for our pains, as we use to say, and never bestow a penny more upon us than what we get in his service, we were even in that sufficiently rewarded. It was, certainly, a violent pang of distempered zeal in that person, that carried fire in the one hand and water in the other; and, being demanded a reason of it, gave for answer, that he would burn up Paradise and quench hell-fire, that so God might be served and holiness embraced, upon no other motives than themselves. This was a violent pang, and cannot be allowed: this fire was strange fire, and this water was too much muddied to be water of the sanctuary. But yet, certainly, that man, who, abstracting from the consideration of Heaven and Hell eternal rewards and punishments, would not rather choose the works of God and the ways of holiness, than the works of sin and the ways of iniquity, let that man know he never yet had much acquaintance with that way and with that work. What says holy David, concerning the commandments of God? In keeping of them there is great reward: not only after keeping them, when those commands, that have here been the rule of our holiness and obedience, shall in Heaven become the measure of our reward and happiness; but, in the very keeping of them, while we are observing and obeying, there is so great a reward, that we should have no cause to complain should God bestow no more upon us, than to suffer us to obey his law.
For,
[1] Herein we uphold Communion with God and Christ, through the Holy Spirit.
What is communion, but a mutual fellowship of grace and duty; when grace received reflects back again in the returns of duty? Then is communion maintained between God and the soul, when we return duty for grace. Now is this nothing, to enjoy fellowship and communion with the Great God of Heaven and Earth; to be admitted to him; to walk and converse familiarly with him, and to enjoy him; to see him, who is invisible; to lean upon him, who is almighty; to enjoy him, who is infinite? Is all this nothing? Will not the souls of those, who have by experience tasted the sweetness of these things, cry out, "They are so excellent and transcendent, that there is but one thing more desirable, and that is immediate enjoyment?" What is Heaven itself, but communion with God at a nearer hand? Here it is by faith; there, by vision: here, by ordinances; there, by immediate influences: here, it is by duty; there, by union. And, therefore, if the consideration of a future Heaven be not cogent and prevailing with you, behold here is a Heaven at present: here is happiness for your work, as well as for your reward. It was nobly spoken of Galleacius Carriciolus: "Cursed," says he, "be that man, who prefers the whole world before one hour's communion with Jesus Christ." And, certainly, they, who have once tasted the sweetness of this communion, will subscribe to that anathema.
[2] Usually, great Peace and Tranquility of Conscience attends and accompanies this working for salvation; that fills the soul with as great a calm, as the world had the first morning of its creation, when there was no wind or tempest to discompose it.
Never is the soul more at rest, than when it is most at work. I dare appeal to the experience of the people of God, in this case. Do not your most solemn feasts come in by your obedience? Does ever conscience look so friendly and pleasantly upon you, as when it finds you active in the ways of God? it then wears not a wrinkle nor frown upon its face: as sin ruffles it, so duty smooths it out again; and this causes such peace and quietness in the inward man, as yields more satisfaction than all the noise and ruffling gallantry and jollity in the world. Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that, in simplicity and godly sincerity.… we have had our conversation in the world: 2 Corinthians 1:12. So that, if men care not for the enjoyment of God, yet if they love the enjoyment of themselves, if they would avoid discords and civil wars in their own breasts, this were enough to excite them to this pacifying work, that atones and reconciles conscience unto themselves.
[3] In this working for salvation, God gives in many evident testimonies of his special Favor and Acceptance, unto the souls of his servants.
You meet him, says the Prophet, that rejoices and works righteousness. You meet him: how? not to contend with him, as with Jacob; not to slay him, as you did Baleam: but to embrace him; to reveal and manifest yourself unto him. If you have any comfortable evidences that God is your, in a strict bond of an everlasting and unalterable covenant, and that you are accepted of him in the Well-Beloved, examine how you attained to this evidence: was it not through obedience and working? This is the way, whereby God manifests himself unto the souls of his: and, should your comfortable persuasions not come in thus by obedience and working, they are but enthusiastical and groundless presumptions, and not true and divine assurance. The Apostle, in 2 Peter 1:10. exhorts us, to make our calling and election sure: but how is that to be done? it is by giving diligence. What is it men desire and wish for, next to Heaven? is it not assurance of it? would you not have the terrors and torments of conscience, apprehending and preoccupating your own condemnation, eased and removed? would you not have the unquiet tossings and fluctuations of your minds, because of the uncertainty of your future state and condition, settled and confirmed? Then be persuaded to work: believe it, this evidence is never received in any other way than in a way of duty: God will not hold his light of assurance to them, who will not work the works of obedience.
[4] Those, that are diligent in working for salvation, many times have high Spring-Tides of Joy: joy, that is unspeakable and glorious, that rushes in upon the soul and ravisheth it with a sweet and potent delight, while it is in ways of obedience.
Now this, though it be not ordinary with every Christian, yet God sometimes vouchsafes it, especially to the most laborious working Christians; as a cordial to revive and quicken them, that they should not faint and grow weary in their work. He gives them, many times, such prelibations of future glory, such bright glimpses of himself passing before them, that they scarce know wherein their state differs from the state of the glorified; unless it be that it is shorter in the duration, lasting not so long as theirs.
Should you, then, be asked, as they were in the parable, Why stand you here all the day long idle? you could not return the same answer as they did, because no man has hired us: for God has hired you; and that, at no less a rate than all these great and glorious things that have been propounded to you do amount unto: a glorious Heaven; a blessed work, that is accompanied with communion with God, peace of conscience, assurance of divine favor and joy in the Holy Spirit. And, if all this will not persuade you, certainly you set a mighty price upon your own sloth. Only let me say this, beware that these souls of yours, that you will not part with to God for salvation, beware you do not sell them to the Devil for nothing.
(3) Consider your encouragements after your work is done: there is an Eternal Rest that waits you.
I have already considered Heaven, as a reward for working: let us now consider it, as a Rest after working. And so the Apostle tells us, there remains a rest for the people of God: Hebrews 4:9: and, in Revelation 14:13 we read, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yes, says the Spirit, for they rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.
They rest from their labors.
[1] They rest from their labor, in working under Affliction.
Sometimes, afflictions are spurs and incentives; and, sometimes, they are burdens and discouragements, to obedience. But, when we arrive at Heaven, we shall no longer need the spur to quicken us: nor shall we any longer bear that burden to oppress us; but shall cast it down at heaven's gate, where never sorrow nor suffering dared yet appear. And,
[2] In Heaven you shall rest from your labor, in working under Desertion.
Now, though you do work; yet, it may be, you apprehend God frowning upon you, and finding fault with all that you do. Now, it may be, though God does cause the clear light of his precepts and Spirit to shine before you, to direct you what your work is that you should do; yet he makes it dismal darkness behind you, and shuts up the light of his comfort that you cannot see what work you have done. And this is your great trouble: you work and labor, and yet you know not whether you shall be accepted: "Obedience were easy and pleasant work," says the soul, "if I knew that God did regard me: but, alas! I pray, and he shuts out my prayer from him: I lay hold upon him, but he shakes me off in displeasure: I obey, but he rejects all my services: and this is the anguish and torture of my life." This, indeed, is matter of great grief and trouble. But, know, O Soul, you shall not long work thus in the dark: shortly, you shall be above these clouds; and then you shall see, that those prayers, which you thought were vainly scattered and lost in the air, are become a cloud of sweet incense hovering before the throne of God: and that those tears, which you thought were dropped in vain upon the earth, are all gathered up and preserved in God's bottle: and that those poor duties of your, which, for their own baseness and vileness, you thought God would scorn, yet, through that worth that is put upon them by the intercession of Christ, are ranked in the same degree of acceptance as the most perfect services of the angels themselves. Have but patience a while, and continue working, and you shall see a happy issue; when the clouds of darkness and desertion, that now lie upon your spirit, shall be all scattered and blown away.
[3] You shall also rest from your labor, in working against the continual workings of your own Corruptions; which shall then, at once, both cease to act and cease to be.
And this, indeed, is the great thing, that makes it such a blessed rest to the people of God. Indeed, God cuts you out your work, in his commands; but it is the Old Man within you, that makes it to be tedious, irksome, and difficult unto you. God makes it not so, but your corruption.
And this it does, Two ways:
By deadening your heart to it: and,
By turning your heart against it.
Deadness and dullness to and averseness from the ways of holy obedience, are the greatest cause of all that toil and pains, that most take in the work and service of God, if ever they will bring it to a good issue.
Now both these shall shortly cease and be removed, if you but wait and continue striving against them.
1st. You shall rest from all that labor, that you take with a dead and heavy heart in the ways of God.
Now, you are continually calling upon it, Awake, awake, my glory: now, you are continually tugging it, to get it a little more forward; lifting it up, to get it a little higher towards God and Heaven: now, you stand in need of continual quickening-grace, to actuate and excite those lumps of lead, that lie heavy within your breasts: and it is the greatest disquietment of your lives, that you find your hearts so heartless and listless to what is holy and spiritual: it is with them, as with some great bells, that you must pull long at the rope before you can make them sound: is not this the daily complaint of God's children, that their hearts are dull and heavy, and they cannot raise them? and this makes the ways of obedience, yes this makes their very lives, become burdensome. Well, have but patience for a while, and continue still to struggle against this sad indisposition, and it will not be long before you shall rest from this labor also. Though now you are as birds, whose bodies are too heavy for their wings; when you stretch them forth, and would gladly be soaring up to Heaven, you can only run up and down and flutter upon the earth: yet, shortly, these heavy and cloggy bodies shall fall off, and you shall be all wing; free from all deadness and straitness, distraction and weariness, in the ways of God, that now afflict you. Then shall your affections be always intent, and not languish; always burning, and yet shall never waste nor consume. Every motion of your soul shall then shoot itself to God as quick as the lightning, and yet constant as the sun-beams. And those, who are now outstripped by weak and underling Christians, shall then be able to keep pace in their obedience, even with the Holy Angels themselves.
And, then,
2dly. In Heaven, there shall be a resting from all that labor, that the people of God now take in the ways of holy obedience; through the averseness of their hearts from them, and the opposition of their hearts against them.
There is that contradiction in the carnal part against what is holy and spiritual, that the godly cannot bring themselves to the performance of it without much strife and contention: the flesh lusts against the Spirit: and, when the spiritual part calls for holy thoughts and heavenly affections, the corrupt and fleshy part sends forth noisome and stinking vapors; obstructing the good that we would do, and infecting that little good that we do perform: so that, as if working were not a sufficient employment, a Christian must fight that he may work: and this is it, that makes working for salvation so laborious, because we must fight and work at once. But, it shall not be long, before that, which hinders, shall be removed: and, then, as you are not under a sad necessity of offending God, so also you shall be under a most blessed necessity of serving God; and shall find no more trouble in that service, than in those actions which you now cannot but do. And thus shall you have a happy rest from all that labor and pains, that your corruptions here made you take. And, therefore, be encouraged to persevere in well-doing: perfect the work which you have undertaken, in spite of all opposition from your own corrupt hearts; for, assure yourselves, this troublesome inmate shall not long disquiet you.
I might also add,
[4] You shall then rest from your labor, in working against Satan's Temptations; who is now buffeting you, while you are here upon earth: but, in Heaven, the Evil One shall not approach near to touch you.
There, you shall no more trouble yourselves, to know how to distinguish between the injections of Satan and the ebullitions of your own corruptions; for you shall know neither, there. You shall then stand no more upon your own guard, and keep sentinal to your own soul; nor conflict with any of Satan's temptations: but shall forever triumph in victories and conquests over them.
This is that Blessed Rest, that you shall shortly possess, if you will but now work. And what is it, that comforts the painful laborer, but this, that, though his work be hard and difficult, yet the evening will soon shut in, and he shall then betake himself to quiet rest and repose? What is it, that comforts the wearisome traveler, but this: every step of his long way brings him nearer to his home, where he shall enjoy a longer rest? And shall not the same encourage and support you, in your way and work? What though the work be painful and laborious: yet, it will not be long, before you shall lie down in the bed of the grave; and sweetly sleep away a short night of oblivion, that is between this and the resurrection; and your tired weary souls shall then repose in the bosom of God himself. What though the way be long and tedious to the flesh: yet, you are traveling to your father's house, where you are sure to be welcome; and where you shall enjoy an eternity of rest and repose; and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the whole ring of glorious saints, discoursing to them of the dangers and difficulties that you have passed through in getting to them. Does it not sweeten the toil and pains that you take in your youth, to think that thereby you are laying up that, whereupon you may live at ease hereafter, and spare the weakness of old age? and is it not much more rational, that, while you are in this world, which may be called the Youth of Eternity, you should lay up a good foundation; and treasure up a large, rich stock, upon which you might live at ease forever? Why should you not be as wise and politic for Heaven, as for a little of the perishing things of this world? Will you labor that you may rest here, where your rest shall certainly be disquieted and you shook out of it? and will you not labor that you may rest in Heaven, where alone you can enjoy an everlasting rest?
I know it is that inveterate prejudice, which men have taken up against the ways of God, that they are painful and laborious, that invalidates all reasons and arguments which we bring to persuade them to work. Rest! that is it, which they would have: and, though God tells them they shall have an Eternal Rest, if they will but work a while; and tells them, on the other hand, that they shall never enter into rest if they do not work, that they shall never enjoy more ease than what they can find in Hell itself where their groans and bellowings together with the smoke of that bottomless pit shall ascend up forever: yet, such is the madness of men's folly, that neither the Rest of Heaven nor the Restlessness of Hell can stir or move them; but they roll themselves up in their own sloth, and will hear nothing, nor lay anything to heart, that may rouse or awaken them. Has not God often called upon them by his ministers; "Sinners, Sinners, awake: bestir yourselves: hell-fire is kindling about you: God is ready to open his mouth, to pronounce sentence against you: Satan is ready to lay hold of you, and to drag you to be tormented?" One would think such execrations as these are, should awaken the carcasses that you sit over, were they not in their final state: and yet, with you, whose souls are yet in their bodies, but know not how soon they may be in Hell, who among you are moved with all that has or can be said of this matter? Nay, are you not like sleepy men when jogged, ready to grow pettish and to quarrel with us? "Why do you molest us? Why do you envy us our rest? Why do you disturb our peace, and will not let us alone?" Shall I say to you now, as once our Savior said to his Disciples: Matthew 26:45. Sleep on, and take your rest: sleep on, and nod yourselves into destruction: sleep on, and never wake more until the flames of Hell awaken you? Truly, we come not to disturb your rest: but we come to inform and guide you to a better rest, than what you can find here, even an eternal rest; a rest with him, that is immortal; a rest with him, who alone is unchangeable. And is not this rest worth a little pains and struggling to obtain? Do you think you are always to believe and to repent, always to obey and mortify your corruptions? you cannot think so, unless you think you are always to live in this world. No: a rest remains for the people of God, after a few short days be gone. It is not, therefore, your ease, that you seek, when you will not work: no: it is rather your pain and eternal torment, which shall certainly then be given unto all slothful persons, when the industrious and painful Christian, that labors and works for salvation, shall be admitted into the eternal rest that he is aspiring after, and has already embraced in his hope and faith.
(4) As, in Heaven, there is an eternal rest; so also, in Heaven, there is an Eternal Work to be done.
And therefore you should inure yourselves to that work, while you are here upon earth. If happiness, according to the philosopher's notion, consists in operation; then in Heaven, where there is the most perfect happiness, there must needs be the most perfect operation. And, therefore, whatever has been spoken of rest that remains, yet you are not so to conceive of it, as possibly some gross enough are apt to wish and fancy to themselves, as if in Heaven the blessed were inactive and enjoyed there only a long vacation, and only stretched themselves on that flowery bank, and so void of cares and fears lulled away an eternity: no; these are too low and brutish apprehensions for the glory of that place. That rest, that is there to be expected and enjoyed, is operative, working rest: it is both rest and exercise, at once; and, therefore, it is a true paradox, Though the saints in Heaven rest from their labors, yet they never rest from their working: continually are they blessing and praising God; ascribing glory, and honor, and power to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for evermore: always are they beholding, admiring, and adoring God, and burning in love to each other, and mutually rejoicing in God and in one another. And this is the work of that eternal rest; a work never to be intermitted, nor to cease.
And, therefore, it is worth our observing, that both those places, that do chiefly speak of the future rest of the people of God, do also intimate a work in that rest.
So the Apostle to the Hebrews tells us, There remains a rest for the people of God: Hebrews 4:9. The word is, There remains a Sabbath for the people of God. Look how you are to be employed on a Sabbath: such shall be your employment in your eternal rest. Is it not your work upon a Sabbath-Day, to raise your thoughts and affections to Heaven, to fix and terminate them upon God, to maintain communion with him, to admire him in all his works both of grace and providence, to stir up your own hearts, and to quicken the hearts of others to praise and adore him? why this shall be the work of your Eternal Sabbath. And, when you are at any time lifted up to a more than ordinary spiritualness in these things, then may you give some guess what your work shall be in Heaven, and what the frame of your hearts shall be in your eternal rest.
And so that other place, in the Revelations: Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.… for they rest from their labors; and their works do follow them: which may be meant, not only of the reward of their works, that they shall then receive; but of the works themselves, that here they performed on earth: these shall follow them, and enter into Heaven with them; and, as they were done by them weakly and imperfectly here, so there the very same works shall be done by them with absolute and consummate perfection: all those works, I mean, that, for the matter and substance of them, do not connote a sinful state and condition.
Now, then, since you must be employed in such a work as this is to eternity, why do you not accustom yourselves to it while you are here? The Apostle to the Colossians, blesses God, who had made them meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Colossians 1:12. Were it a meet thing, that those, who spend their whole time in sin, should be abruptly snatched up into Heaven, to spend an eternity there in holiness? And therefore God accustoms those, whom he saves in an ordinary way and manner, to work those works here on earth, that they are to be employed in hereafter in Heaven. Here they are apprentices, as it were; that they may learn the trade of holiness: that, when that time comes, they may become fit citizens of the New Jerusalem. Here, God is trying their eyes with more qualified and allayed discoveries of himself: that, when they come to view him face to face, they may be able to bear the exceeding brightness of his glory. And, therefore, though you profess Heaven to be your country, and that you are strangers and pilgrims here on earth; yet, say not with the captive Jews, How shall we sing the song of Zion in a strange land? Psalm 137:4. Yes: you must acccustom yourselves to that song: you must mold and warble it here on earth: that you may be perfect in it, when you come to join with saints and angels in their eternal hallelujahs. You must try your eyes, by seeing of God; and your voices, by singing that song, that you must continually sing in Heaven. And, were it only for this disposing and fitting of yourselves for the work of Heaven, this were motive enough to persuade to begin it now.
(5) Another encouraging consideration, to persuade you to work out your own salvation, is this: as your work is great, so the Helps and Assistances, that God gives for the performance of this work, are many.
So that your work is not greater than your aids: nor is it more difficult, than they are potent. And, therefore, though you are weak in yourselves; and so weak, that, were you left to your own strength, you would faint in the most easy service: yes, the weight but of one holy thought would sink you, for we are not sufficient, says the Apostle, as of ourselves to think any good thing: yet, when we consider those mighty auxiliaries, that are afforded and promised; as comfort when we droop, support when we are weak, that we shall rise when we fall, recruits when we are worsted, omnipotency to supply our impotency, all-sufficiency to make up our defects: when we consider these things, then may we triumphantly say, with the Apostle, When we are weak, then are we strong: and though of ourselves we are nothing, and therefore can do nothing; yet, through these mighty assistances, we are able to do all things.
I shall rank these Auxiliary Forces into Two Bands. Some are External: others are Internal.
[1] External Helps are various. I shall only instance in Three.
1st. You have the exciting Examples of others, who have already happily gone through this work.
You are not commanded that, which never yet was imposed upon any of the sons of men; nor that, which whoever undertook, he failed in the performance, and sunk under the burden of it. No: there are hundreds and thousands gone before you, from whom God required as much as he does from you; and these have demonstrated, that the work is possible, and the reward certain. And, therefore, as Israel followed the cloud for their conduct into the Land of Canaan: so may you be led into a Land of better Promise, by a cloud of witnesses, of those, who have already passed through the same faith, patience, and obedience, wherein you are to follow them.
It is superstition heightened to idolatry, to make use of the departed saints, as substituted mediators and under-advocates unto Christ, that Christ may be our advocate unto God the Father. What their present prayers for us are we know not: but this we are certain of, their past example ought to be propounded and improved by us for our encouragement in the ways of holiness and obedience. Hence the Apostle exhorts us, that we should be diligent; not slothful: and he grounds it upon this, because in so doing, we should be followers of them, who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises. In difficult and hazardous enterprizes, every man is apt to stand still and see who will lead the way; and, according to the success of the first attempters, so either to be encouraged or dismayed. Now what says our Savior, Matthew 11:12? The kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. You are not the forlorn hope: you are not the first assailors: no; whole armies of saints have, in former ages, stormed Heaven: they have heretofore planted strong batteries against it, and made wide breaches in it: they have heretofore entered and taken possession; and still the passage is as open for you, and the conquest as easy as for them; and you may see them beckoning out of Heaven to you, and hear them calling to you, "Fellow-Soldiers, bend your force hither. There is your labor: here is your rest. There are your enemies: here is your crown and victory. Believe it, there are no more dangers for you to pass through, no more difficulties for you to meet with, than what we have passed through; yes, and passed with so much safety, as that not so much as one soul of us miscarried, not a soul left dead on the place: we struggled against the same corruptions, that you do, and overcame them; against the same temptations, and baffled them; against the same devils, and routed them; against the same flatteries and oppositions of a base world, and despised them. Believe it, upon our experience, all these things are but scare-crows set in the ways of obedience, on purpose to affright you; but there is no danger at all in them, unless you fear them." This they tell you, with one consent.
And, therefore, if Examples are any encouragement, as indeed they are almost the greatest; if imitation has any force to obedience, as too often we find it has great force to sin; why should we not hereby quicken ourselves? Why do you not arise, and press upon the footsteps of them, who have gone before you, and showed you that the way is both certain and passable?
Are you called to exercise self-denial? Abraham looks down from Heaven upon you, and tells you that he was ready to sacrifice his beloved Isaac. Are you afraid of the scoffs and jeers of a fleering world? Noah built an ark: Moses relinquished the honors of Pharaoh's court; and met with as many persecutions and afflictions, and underwent as many taunts and flouts, as you are like to do. Are you called to lay down your lives for the testimony of Jesus and a good conscience? Stephen tells you a storm of stones fell upon him, and brake open the prison, and set the prisoner free: his soul escaped: it broke out of the cage; and, as a bird, took wing, and flew to Heaven. Are you assaulted with temptations? Paul looks down, and tells you that he had much stronger temptations than you have, and yet he got safe to Heaven.
Yes, our great Master and Pattern, Jesus Christ, wrought out all obedience. And what were the motives, that put him upon this mighty undertaking? It was not for his own salvation and happiness, but it was for ours. Nay, the Scripture goes yet lower, it was, to leave us an example, that we should follow his steps: 1 Peter 2:21. Now shall Christ do all this, not for himself, but for us, and shall we sit still and do nothing for ourselves? Shall Christ take so much pains to set us an example, and shall not we follow that example; we who have so great a happiness to work for, and so great a pattern to work by? Shall we be slothful in procuring our own good, since Christ was so laborious and expensive, not in procuring good to himself, but in procuring good for others? Methinks, these things should add some spurs to our endeavors; and excite us to follow the examples of those, that are gone before us; yes, and to leave an example unto them, that are to come after us: and, though we do come after the examples of others, who are gone before us: yet the consideration of their examples, who have gone through this work, may excite us not to come behind them in any good work.
2dly. God holds out to us the Light of his Gospel-Truth and Ordinances, whereby to help us in our work.
What Christ says of himself is applicable unto all: We must work the works of God, while it is day: the night comes, wherein no man can work: John 9:4. You are not shut up in darkness: you are not muffled up in the clouds of error and ignorance; or, if you are, it is not because you have not light shining about you, but because you shut it out when it is breaking in upon you. It is not a double labor, that is put upon you; first to find out your duty, and then to perform it: no; the light shines about you; and, unless you will seal up your eyes against it, it is impossible but that it will sometimes flash in upon you, and discover both what you have mis-done and what you ought to do. The Muhammadans have a tradition among them, that Moses' Law and Christ's Gospel were written, at first, with ink made of pure light: this conceit of theirs, though it be fond and ridiculous, yet carries a mystic truth in it: the Scripture is as plain for matter of duty, as if it had been written with a sun-beam: ordinances are dispensed freely and powerfully: so great the throng of teachers, and such the variety of Gospel-Administrations, that men must take almost as much pains to keep themselves ignorant of their duty, as would suffice to perform their duty. And wherefore think you is all this glorious light given you? is it not that you may work by it? does a master light up a torch or candle, only that his servants may play about it? And wherefore does God light up the sun of truth in the firmament of his Church? is it, only that you should dally and trifle with it? no: it shines, that you may work by it. And, truly, work by it you do: but, alas! how many do work the works of darkness, by the glorious light of truth! how many have light enough, to see that they are notoriously wicked and profane swearers, drunkards, despisers of ordinances, revilers at religion and the professors of it, enemies to what is sober and sacred in Christianity! this light they have flashing in their faces, from the clear evidence of the word of God; and yet, still, they continue to work the works of darkness. What shall I say to such as these are? truly, I can say nothing worse to them, than what their own consciences already thunder against them; for they are self-condemned persons. But, truly, this complaint may too too justly be taken up against all, that do not walk worthy of the light given to them: their sins are revealed clearly: and duties are revealed as clearly, as the Scripture can possibly express them; and yet they live in a gross neglect of them. Believe it, this light will not always shine to be gazed at only: the day is drawing to an end: the night is hastening upon us; the darkness of the night of death, and the darker night of judgment: and, oh! that then it may not be the condemnation of any of us, That light is come into the world, but we loved darkness and the works of darkness better than light, because our deeds were evil.
3dly. God has, to this end, set apart his Ministers, that they might be helpers to you in this great work of working out your salvation.
And therefore they are called, Helpers of your faith and joy: 2 Corinthians 1:24 they are said to watch for your souls, as they that must give an account: Hebrews 13:17: they are said to be co-workers with Jesus Christ: yes, they are said to save your souls: Jude 23. Ministers are set in the Church, to admonish with all meekness, to beseech with all earnestness, to rebuke with all authority. Yes, and we have done it: have we not called upon you, "Sinners, Sinners, why will you die? the way, wherein you now walk, leads down to the chambers of death and destruction: the wages of that work, which you are now doing, is shame, death, and Hell." Have we not thus often called upon you? yes, so often have we thundered terrors in men's ears, that they now disregard them out of custom; and, when we speak of sin, and death, and Hell, and judgment to come, men think we are fallen into a common-place, and we must talk dreadfully to keep in our road: these are the apprehensions which men have of the great and fearful denunciations, that are daily discharged in their ears by the ministers of the Gospel. And have we not also displayed Jesus Christ in all his excellencies, so far forth as his infinite excellencies can be displayed with a few short-breathed words? Have we not set forth holiness in its beauty and luster; and done as much as we could do, to reconcile you to the ways of obedience, and to remove the unjust prejudices that men have taken up against them? What could we have done more than we have done, to inform men's judgments, to satisfy their consciences, to answer all their doubts, to allay their fears, to supply them with quickening considerations to duty and with deterring considerations from sin? We appeal to yourselves. And yet we speak not this, to ingratiate or to commend ourselves: we profess that we care not much for the good opinion of any man in the world, farther than it may be of some advantage to do your souls good. But do you think God expects not some great thing from you? Give me leave to deal truly and faithfully with you. If your works do not, in some measure, answer the labors of God's servants, that have many years followed you, with line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, still warning and entreating with all affections of tenderness, alluring you to pity your own souls, and to save yourselves from that wrath and vengeance that shall shortly overcome the disobedient world; they, who have thus exhorted you, believe it, shall, within a while, be witnesses against you. Since, then, you are daily called upon and warned to flee from wrath to come; since you have such clear convictions of your duty, as a bribed conscience can hardly evade; since you have such abundance of examples of others, who have gone before you, and have done what God requires of you; why will not you be hereby persuaded and encouraged to work? These things, you must acknowledge, are great helps to further your salvation: and, believe it, they will prove dreadful aggravations of your condemnation, if they do not prevail with you.
But these are only Outward Helps.
[2] There are other helps; and they are Inward, and of far greater force and efficacy: of which I shall name Two.
1st. The Dictates of your own Consciences: they are still prompting and exciting you to work.
Conscience is God's deputy and viceregent in the soul, that rules and governs in his name and by his authority. Of all the faculties in man, this was the least corrupted by his Fall: though the will be wholly corrupted and perverse, that it will not obey the commands of conscience; yet conscience still continues the performance of its office: still, it informs, and urges, and threatens, and torments; and thus may you see it busily working, even in those that never had the Law of God to direct conscience: The Gentiles, says the Apostle to the Romans, which have not the Law, do by nature, that is by natural conscience, the things contained in the Law.… their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts, in the mean while accusing and excusing one another: Romans 2:14, 15: and, because they had not the Law, therefore conscience in them was like an officer walking in the dark, apprehending the innocent and letting the guilty escape. But, yet, this was from the beginning so deeply implanted in the heart of man, that something must be done and avoided to obtain happiness, which could never yet be obliterated. Though our knowledge of what is duty and what is sin be in a great part defaced; yet this knowledge the Scripture does abundantly supply to us, and give conscience a perfect draught of all the duties that God requires, and bids it be overseer and look that the work be done. Now is it not a great help, when you have somewhat within you, that stands for and takes part with what is good, and what is your duty? Conscience secretly bids you beware of such and such sins, that will bring ruin, destruction, and vengeance upon you; and perform such and such duties: "Pray, hear, meditate, and be more fervent and affectionate in all your services: this is the way that tends to life and happiness." Thus conscience daily and hourly is following you, with counsels and chidings; and, with threatenings, denouncing wrath and vengeance against you: and, though it speaks these things with so low a voice, that others, though they lay their ears to your soul, cannot hear it; yet in your ears, it speaks as loud as thunder, and no less terrible. It is in vain to wound it: it is in vain to stop its mouth; for that will but make it break out with the more violence and outrage: nothing can appease it, but duty and work. Why should you not, then, since you have that within you that stands for and prompts you to work, why should you not as well follow and obey the dictates and commands of your consciences that prompt you to work and duty, as obey the propensions of your sensual part to the contrary?
2dly. God himself helps us, by working all our works in us and for us; by working in us the will to work, and by working for us the work when we have willed.
And, therefore, while there is no part of our work too hard for God, there should be no part of it too hard and difficult for us. Christ tells us that his burden is not heavy; yet, were it heavy, we might well undergo it, since he himself helps us to bear it. The frequent experience of every child of God does abundantly confirm this. Did you never begin a duty, with your hearts listless and dead, with affections cold and flat, with thoughts very wandering and distracting; so that, at the very entrance of it, you concluded you should never make good work of it, you should never bring the duty to a good issue? and, yet, have you not, in the midst of these your distempers, found a mighty assistance and influence shining down from Heaven into your hearts, filling them with holy and divine affections, transporting them beyond all that deadness that did oppress them, enlarging them with sweet and heavenly enlargements; so that no duties were ended with more comfort and revivings, than those, that were begun with such dead hearts and cold affections? Have you not often found it so? And what is this, but a sensible feeling of God's working in you? so that, in the same performance, you see your own weakness when you are left to yourselves, and you see the power of God's assistance, when he comes in to help you; and there is no duty, but this divine assistance may be hoped for and expected by you to enable you in the performance of it. Are you to do? God works in you the will and the deed. Are you to suffer? When you pass through the fire and through the water, he will be with you: Isaiah 43:2. He shall deliver you in six troubles; and, in seven there shall no evil touch you: Job 5:19. Are you to pray? His Spirit makes intercession for us: Romans 8:26. God does not, as the Scribes and Pharisees did, lay heavy burdens upon others and not touch them with the least of his fingers: no; he is pleased to become a co-worker with you: he begins, he carries on, and he also perfects whatever concerns your duty here, and your happiness hereafter. And is not this a mighty encouragement to obedience? Will you any longer delay, since God affords you such assistance as this? Why do you not presently attempt this work? "But," you will say, "how shall I know that God will assist me?" Put it to the trial. Was it ever known, that God failed any, that resolutely ventured? Dispute not his concurrence; but believe: and, by looking for it and depending upon it, you engage God to help you. It was the consideration of the all-sufficient assistance of God, that made one of the ancients cry out, Da, Domine, quod jubes; & jube quod vis: "Give, Lord, what you command; and then command what you will."
(6) Consider, for your encouragement, that it is not so much the absolute and legal Perfection of the Work, as the Perfection of the Worker, that is the perfection of the heart, that is looked at and rewarded by God.
And is not this a great encouragement? There is a twofold perfection; the perfection of the work, and the perfection of the workman: the perfection of the work is, when the work does so exactly and strictly answer the holy Law of God, that there is no irregularity in it: the perfection of the workman is nothing but inward sincerity, the uprightness of the heart towards God; which may be, where there are many imperfections and defects intermingled. If God should accept and reward no work but what is absolutely perfect in respect of the Law, this would be such a saddening discouragement, that it would take off the wheels of all endeavors; for all our obedience falls far short of legal perfection in this life. We ourselves are conscious of many failings and imperfections in our best services, and God knows far more; and, since we can do nothing without infirmities, who would venture to do anything, upon the account of those infirmities, lest God should cast back all again as dung into our faces? No: but we do not stand upon such terms as these with our God: it is not so much what our works are, as what our heart is, that God looks at and will reward. Yet know, also, lest any should too soon lay hold on this; if our hearts are perfect and sincere, we shall endeavor to the utmost of our power, that our works may be perfect according to the strictness of the Law. I speak not this, therefore, to encourage ignorant sottish sinners, who, though they live in a constant course of sin and neglect of duty, yet sooth up themselves with this, that God knows their hearts are good, sincere, and upright: let me cut off the foolish hopes of these men in a word: it is impossible that the heart should be sincere, where there is the allowance and liking of any one sin in the life. But I speak what I have said, to those, who, upon the sight and sense of their many failings, of the deadness and untowardness of their hearts, of their averseness and indisposition, of their wanderings and formality in the performance of what is holy and good, are ready to be dejected and discouraged, and to give over doing anything, because they can do nothing well: let such know, that though their works have not this legal perfection, yet if they do proceed from a sincere, upright, perfect heart, they shall be accepted and rewarded by God: Hezekiah had his failings, and the Prophet sharply reproves him for his pride, etc. making a glorious and boasting ostentation of his treasure to the king of Babylon; yet he prays and appeals to God, Remember now, O Lord.… how I have walked before you in truth, and with a perfect heart: Isaiah 38:3. There may, therefore, be a perfect heart, where there are imperfect works: and, if you can make this plea, let me tell you, the perfection of your hearts will swallow up the imperfections of your works, so that they shall never come up in remembrance against you before God.
(7) Consider, for your encouragement, that, though your work be great, yet the Success of it is certain.
The greatest check to industry, is fear of disappointment; from which you have no security, while you labor for anything besides your own salvation. All worldly affairs are moved by such invisible wires and turned upon such small pins, that, if the finger of Providence displace but one of them, the whole fabric of our design is thereby disordered and our hopes defeated: and God, sometimes, delights to frustrate men's attempts about worldly concernments. Is it not of the Lord of Hosts, says the Prophet, that the people shall labor in the very fire, and that the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? Habakkuk 2:13. To labor in the fire signifies two things: first, great pains; secondly, great disappointment: they work in the midst of scorching flames; and, what they do produce with so much anguish, they enjoy not, but it consumes between their fingers. When men have weaved a curious web of earthly contrivances, and think to wrap up themselves therein and to keep themselves warm, God breathes secret flames into it, that singe it; so that it can no more hold together, than so much tinder. And wherefore does God blast men's endeavors; but that, seeing the vanity of all their labor under the sun, how wavering, how uncertain, and how unsuccessful things are, how means run one way and the end another, they might hereby be induced to turn their labors into another channel, and to work for their souls and for eternal happiness and salvation; that are as far above the reach of disappointment, as they are far above the rate of earthly concernments? Mine elect, says God, shall long enjoy the work of their hands: Isaiah 65:22: they shall not labor in vain. And this is the great argument urged by the Apostle upon the Corinthians: Be steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord: and why so industrious and constant? knowing this, says he, that your labor is not in vain in the Lord: 1 Corinthians 15:58.
Two things there are, that make a labor to be in vain.
When it does not accomplish its end.
When that end, which it does accomplish, is not worth the cost and pains.
Now, in neither of these respects, is your labor in vain. For,
[1] It shall not fail to accomplish the end to which it is ordained; and that is, Eternal Salvation.
Three things there are, that make men come short in the accomplishment of an end propounded.
When men propound to themselves ends, that are in themselves simply impossible.
When, though the end be possible, yet the means, that are used, are unfit and improbable.
When, though the means are rightly suited to the attainment of the end, yet we do not persevere in the use of them.
Now, in none of these ways, shall a laborious Christian fail of his end.
For,
1st. The End, that you work for, is not in itself simply impossible.
Should you propound to yourselves to become angels, should you strive to sublimate yourselves into spiritual essences, your attempts herein were all but vain, because it is impossible you should ever be refined into angels: but, if your end be to be like angels, to be equal to angels, this is possible and may be attained: When they arise from the dead.… they are as the angels in Heaven: Mark 12:25 which another Evangelist renders, they are equal unto the angels: Luke 20:36. If, in this life, you propose to yourselves a state of perfection and freedom both from sin and sorrow, a state of consummate bliss and happiness, this end is impossible: but, if you make it your end to enjoy such a state as this hereafter, this is attainable and labor may atchieve it. Yes, aim at what degree of glory you please, next below God and Christ, be it as high as Cherubim and Seraphims, I cannot say that you think of an impossibility: your labor may raise you to such a pitch and advance you to such glory, as shall dazzle the sun in its brightness. It is true, there was once a time, when salvation might well be reckoned among those things that were impossible; and that was, in that sad interval between the Fall and the Promise of Christ, when all mankind lay in the shadow and in the valley of death; under the breach, and yet under the bond of the Covenant of Works; when it had, indeed, been in vain, so much as once to have thought of happiness, or to have labored for it: But, since Christ's undertaking, we, who were once without hope, have now obtained good hope through grace: the partition-wall, that then we could neither climb over nor break through, is now taken away: the gate of Heaven is now set open; and, with striving, we may enter, for our Savior Jesus Christ has abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And, therefore, though it may seem an impossibility to dejected and despairing souls, that ever such vile wretches should receive so great a dignity; that those, who are sunk so low in misery, should ever be raised to happiness; that those, who are so laden with sin and iniquity, should ever feel the weight of mercy and beaten glory; that those, whose best works deserve the lowest Hell, should, though not for yet upon the performance of those works, obtain the highest heavens: though this may seem to be an impossibility, yet, believe it, while you think of any glory lower than the glory of the Godhead, you think of nothing above a possibility and the reach of industry. None of you are excluded from a possibility of being saved. The Covenant of Grace runs in most large and comprehensive terms: Whoever believes shall obtain eternal life. The death of Christ and his blood is a most sovereign medicine, applicable, not only to all maladies, but to all men, if they will believe. Though it is true, that none shall be saved but the elect; yet is it true also, that a possibility of salvation extends farther than election. Election gives the infallibility of salvation, as reprobation does the infallibility of damnation: but, yet, as there is a possibility for those, that shall infallibly be saved, to perish if they do not believe; so is it possible for those, that shall infallibly perish, to be saved if they will believe.
The possibility of salvation, therefore, stands, not upon election, but upon Two other grounds.
(1st) The Meritorious and All-sufficient Procurement of Christ.
Whereby he has procured salvation for all the world, and for all in the world, upon condition of their faith; for that must still be taken in: for, were it not so, how could we preach remission of sins in his name to every creature, were not his death applicable to all? then, though some should believe, yet, for want of a sacrifice offered up and a price paid down for them, they should not be saved, though they should believe. How then is it, that we seriously call all men to repent and believe, that their sins may be pardoned and their souls saved? certainly, unless the death of Christ has procured salvation for all men upon condition of faith and repentance, such calls would be false in us, and vain to them: for so, we should promise salvation upon believing, to those, to whom, though they should believe, salvation should be denied, because they want a covenant made with them, and a surety to undertake for them. Therefore, I say, Christ's procurement is general so far, that whoever believes shall receive the benefit of his death.
(2dly) As the death of Christ is applicable to all for salvation if they believe, so Faith, that alone applies this death, is attainable by you all, if you be not wanting to yourselves.
None of you are under an impossibility of believing; and, therefore, not under an impossibility of salvation. Though it be certain, that some shall infallibly persevere in infidelity; yet there is no one, that hears the sound of the Gospel and the outward call of God in his word, but may believe and obey, if he be not wanting to himself. Neither is this doctrine Arminianism; nor is it prejudicial to the efficacious grace of God, whereby the will is powerfully swayed to faith and obedience: for the converting grace of God is not given to make men capable to believe and to be converted, but it is given to make them actually believing and actually converting. The most wicked man that is, without the converting grace of God, is capable to be converted even in his state of unregeneracy; and converting grace gives not any new power to enable us to be converted, but it gives us an actual conversion. Some shall never believe, and why? not because they are under an impossibility, but because they will not believe: it is not because they cannot, but because they will not; unless we would so gratify their sloth, as to call their obstinacy an impossibility. It is true they are obstinate, and that obstinacy can never be cured without efficacious grace; but yet that obstinacy is not properly called an impossibility.
Since, then, salvation is a thing possible, why do you not labor for it, that your souls may be eternally happy? Christ has the key of David, and he opens, and no man shuts, and he has opened the everlasting gate to you all, and bids you all enter and take possession. There stand no grim guards to keep out you, or you. You cannot complain that you are excluded by a forcible decree: no; you shut the doors upon yourselves, and refuse to enter.
And this is the First Reason why salvation is not labor in vain, because the end is possible to be attained.
2dly. There are also Right Means made known to you, for the obtaining of this end.
Jacob, in his dream, saw a ladder reaching from earth to Heaven: certainly, there is a Jacob's ladder reaching up from earth to Heaven, that is more than a dream: every round in it is either a grace or a duty. It is not hid from you, what grace you must act, what duties you must perform, that you may obtain happiness: these are direct and proper means to it; nay, not only means to it, but the initials and beginnings of it. The glimmering Light of Nature could discover, that there was a future happiness; but it could not discover to us the right means thither: it could not direct us to believe in a Crucified Savior: and, therefore, to write by this dim Light of Nature had been labor in vain. But, now, we know that the way of salvation is, by repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ: now, we know that holiness and obedience do as certainly lead to Heaven, as sin and disobedience drag down to Hell. And, therefore, while we continue believing and working, is there any fear? nay, is there any possibility of disappointment in our great end? It is as impossible, that faith and obedience should not lead unto glory; as it is, that faith should, or obedience should not, continue in glory. And, therefore, O Soul, be confident of success. Have you any good evidences, that your graces are genuine and true, though but weak; that your duties are sincere, though but imperfect; and that you do work the works of God with a steady heart, though with a trembling hand? give this assurance one lift higher: and, as you are already assured of the truth of your grace, and of the sincerity of your obedience; so, henceforth, be as much assured of your future glory, as if it were no longer future, but now actually in your present possession: your dawning shall break forth into a most perfect day: the womb of your morning twilight shall be delivered of a noon-tide brightness: your spark shall become a sun: your seed of grace shall sprout, until it be fit for transplantation into paradise, and there shall flower into glory.
"But," may a poor soul say, "though the means that I now use for the obtaining of salvation be right, to effect it, if still persisted in; yet I fear, lest the many corruptions, temptations, and hardships, that I meet with, may turn me off from following my work, defeat me of my end, and make all I have done as so much labor in vain: and, therefore, I could have this confidence and assurance that you speak of, did I not fear this, that I should desist in my work."
3dly. Would you have good security against this? Then, in the third place, the laborious Christian as he uses right means, so he shall Continue and Persevere in the use of them, until he has wrought out his own salvation by them: and, therefore, he shall certainly accomplish his end; and his labor shall not be in vain.
It is true, if you desist from working, all, that you have hitherto done, will be in vain; your faith, in vain; your tears, in vain; your prayers, in vain; all, in vain: and, therefore, this should cause you to work with fear and trembling, lest the wiles of Satan and the deceitfulness of your own hearts should entice you from your work and cheat you of your reward: Let us therefore fear, says the Apostle, lest, a promise being made us of entering into his rest, any of us should.… fall short. Yet, as this may cause holy fear; so it may be matter of spiritual joy and rejoicing, that, notwithstanding the deadness of our hearts, the slackness of our hands, the many avocations from without, the many interruptions from within, yet none of us shall forsake our work until we have brought it to perfection: our obedience shall be crowned with perseverance, and our perseverance with glory and immortality: see, for this, that of the Apostle, We are confident of this very thing, that he, which has begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6.
Let, therefore, the mouth of calumny be forever stopped, that accuses this comfortable doctrine, of the saints' perseverance through grace unto glory, of patronizing sloth and idleness. Some do fasten this viper upon it: Let Christians live as they list, though careless of good works, yes though continually employed in evil works, yet, being Christians, they need not fear that they shall fall short of glory. But, though we do affirm that every true Christian shall certainly inherit Heaven and glory, yet we shake off this pernicious confidence; for he is no true Christian, who is not zealous and careful of good works, whose knowledge of his own estate does not provoke him to walk worthy of that vocation with which he is called, whose hope of Heaven does not enable him to purify himself and to perfect holiness in the fear of God. What a contradiction is it to say, we patronize sinful sloth in men, when we tell them, if they are true Christians, that they shall continue working! is it sloth, to continue working? or, do we encourage men to be idle, by assuring them, if they are Christians, they must and shall work? yet this is the natural strain and tendency of our doctrine. What greater encouragement can you have to obedience, than this? if you will work, you shall not fail of your end; because the End itself is possible; because the Means to it are direct and certain; and because, if you once begin to work, you shall most assuredly Persevere until you have attained that end, even the salvation of your own souls?
And this is One Reason, why your labor shall not be in vain.
[2] Your labor shall not be in vain, because this end shall fully answer, yes infinitely exceed, all that Cost and Pains which you are at in procuring it.
It is not so, in the things of this world. As to this, that of the Psalmist holds true: Surely every man walks in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain: Psalm 39:6 though they do attain their end; and that, because that very end, that they grasp, is itself but vanity. But, can any man account Heaven and happiness a vain thing? Is it not infinitely worth all, yes more than all, that you can do or suffer for it? Certainly, when you come to enjoy it, you will not think it a hard bargain, that it stood you in so many duties and difficulties before you came to the possession of it. No: if there could be any sorrow in that state of perfect joy, it would be, not that we have done so much; but that we have done no more: not that we have gone through so much anguish in repentance, or that we have sustained such great conflicts in self-denial and mortification; but that we waded no deeper in our own tears, nor deeper in the blood of our own lusts; that we have not more vexed and crossed our carnal self, and taken more pains in the ways of God. Could there be any sorrow in Heaven, this would be the cause of it. But, certainly, a great part of our joy there, will be to reflect back upon those duties and works of obedience, through which, though with much struggling and striving, we have attained unto that most blessed state.
And this is the last argument or motive, that I shall insist upon: Work; for your labor shall not be in vain, you shall certainly accomplish your end; and this end shall abundantly recompense you for all your labor and pains.
To conclude, then, this head. You have, at large, seen what can be pleaded on the behalf of obedience. What is it now, that you can object against these things? Are they not true? Are they not cogent? Your consciences, I know, tell you that they are so. Why, then, do they not prevail with you? Why sit you still, holding your arms in your bosoms? Sirs, I have not spoken to you fables or mysteries, that cannot be understood; but the truth, in all plainness: and, if you will not lay it to heart, believe it there is a day coming, when you shall too late know, that once you had a offer of salvation, and you might have been happy for working for it. But, alas! this is the desperate folly of men: they do not prize salvation, while it is attainable: they never account their souls precious, until they are lost; yes, and lost, beyond all hope of recovery. I cannot tell how these many and weighty Arguments, that have been propounded, may work with you: God and your own consciences know: but this I can tell, the Devil can never bring such strong reasons, why you should destroy and damn yourselves, as have now been laid before you why you should work out your own salvation. And, if they do not prevail with you, truly there is nothing that you can plead for yourselves: you cannot plead, that you could not do these things; that objection has been answered: you cannot plead, that there would no profit arise to you if you did them; for the reward has been abundantly discovered to you: if you plead anything, it must be because you will not do them; and that is the thing, that will condemn you. Therefore, if these things do not prevail with you; if you still continue obstinate, and, instead of working the works of God, you work the works of your father the Devil; God acquits himself: your blood lies not upon him: you have been fairly warned and told of it: but your own destruction shall justly lie upon your own heads.
V. And thus, having done with the Arguments to press you to this Duty of working out your own salvation with fear and trembling; I now come to ANSWER SOME OBJECTIONS.
And,
Objection: i. It may possibly enter into the heart of some desperate sinner or other to say, "These indeed are strong Arguments, that have been propounded for the Enforcing of this Duty of working out our salvation, upon those that expect salvation; but, for my part, I pretend not so high: let me but now enjoy the sins that I serve and the pleasures that I pursue; and, for the state of my soul hereafter, I shall commend it to the mercy of God. Had I true grace, I might be persuaded to attempt this hard work, with hopes of some good success: but I own myself to be a sinner, and you tell me I cannot change my own heart, and without this change no salvation can be expected; why then should I disquiet myself in vain, by laboring for that, which I cannot accomplish? If I must perish, I will perish with as much Ease and Pleasure as I may. If I must go to Hell, I may be as soon carried down thither in a flood of tears, as with a flood of sins. If God has sentenced me to Hell hereafter, why should I sentence myself to a Hell here? And, therefore, if salvation and happiness be such points, I will give them over, and embrace more easy and obvious pleasures."
I know there is no pious heart, but shivereth with horror at such language as this, though it be but presented to it; and may, and does, think it rather the speech of devils, than men that are in a way of salvation. It is true, it is the speech of devils; but it is the speech of devils, in men's hearts. But, what! shall we leave these men to such desperate resolutions? Shall we allow them thus to go down flaming to Hell? Certainly, religion has reason enough in it to convince such as these, if they will but show themselves to be rational men.
For, consider, you, who would rather perish, than make your life a trouble to you by obedience: God, under your disobedience, may make your life a trouble, yes a Hell to you, by his terrors. You think the filthy garments of your sin and pollution sit more easy and loose about you, than the close garments of holiness and obedience will do: nay, but God can wrap and roll these filthy garments of your in brimstone, and set them on fire about your ears. Many men's consciences, indeed, are like iron, that has lain for some time out of the fire, which you would not suspect to be hot, until you let some water fall upon it, and then it appears to be so by its noise and hissing: so, truly, their consciences seem cold and dead, and such as you might handle at your pleasure; but, when once God lets fall some drops of his wrath upon them, then they hiss, and boil, and fill the soul with smoke and smother. A hard heart is no security from a troubled conscience. It is with the hearts and consciences of wicked men, as it is with a sore in the body; which, it may be, is the hardest part in the body and yet the sorest also: the red flesh about the sore is hard, and yet full of pain and anguish: so is it, many times, with the hearts and consciences of wicked men; which, though they are exceeding hard, yet are full of pain and anguish. We read of Heman, that, while he suffered the terrors of God, he was distracted: Psalm 88:15. And, David tells us, The sorrows of death compassed me about, and the pains of Hell got hold of me: Psalm 116:3. And, if the wrath of the Almighty be thus sore and terrible upon these holy men, whose hearts were sound towards God; how fretting and galling will it be upon the ulcerated consciences of sinners! No man has his present contentment and delight in his own power, no more than he has his own conscience in his own power; which will speak, yes and speak terrible things too, when the sinner has done all he can to stifle it. Nay, let every sinner speak: How is it with you, after the madness and rage of your sin is over? are you not then haunted with direful thoughts of horror and amazement, that are, as it were, gnawing and devouring your hearts? And are these they, who are content to buy ease and quietness at so dear a rate, as the loss of their precious and immortal souls; and to be eternally tormented hereafter, besides their present pain and anguish after the committing of sin now, which if they feel not always yet frequently they do? But, if God should give them up to such hardness of heart, as to become altogether insensible and stupid while they continue in this world; yet what will this avail them? will they not purchase their ease and pleasure very dearly; to lose their souls forever hereafter, and to suffer the pains of Hell eternally? The Devil has put a horrid cheat upon these men: for they do not change their troubles and sorrows, but only the time of them: and, for a little imagined sensual ease and pleasure in this world, (which it may be they may enjoy, and it may be not; for, possibly, God may be so provoked by them, that he may suddenly cut them off in their sins: but, if not, it is but for a very little time that the pleasures of their sins and lusts will last, and then) an eternity of pain and torment shall be their portion. Sinners, be not therefore deceived: suffer not the Devil to abuse you; and to impose his drudgery upon you, under the pretense of ease and quietness. If, therefore, it be only present contentment and satisfaction, that you seek; if you think that you shall perish, but yet you would perish the easiest way; that is not, believe it, by giving up yourselves to a way and course of sin, but in a way of duty and laborious working: in that only, can you find present contentment; and in that possibly, you may find eternal happiness.
Objection: ii. "But," may some say, "the works of God would be more pleasing to us, if we could but work them. But, first, we have no working principle: we are in a state of nature, and without grace; so that we cannot work. And, secondly, we cannot implant this grace in ourselves."
To this I answer: Though you neither have grace, nor can work grace in yourselves, yet you can do much, yes very much, in order to salvation, by the mere strength of nature and the liberty of your own will. This is a consideration, that needs to be frequently pressed upon the consciences of wicked men: they often hear unto what a state of weakness sin has reduced them, and that without grace they can do nothing that is pleasing unto God or advantageous to themselves; and, by this, they are put out of conceit of setting upon the work of God, and leave the salvation of their souls at all adventures.
Consider, therefore, Sinners, how much you may do towards your own salvation, from your own nature and free-will.
And, here,
1. The vilest sinner, even by the power of nature and his own free-will, may attain to the highest degree and pitch of preparation, that is usually wrought in the heart antecedently to or before true grace.
Such are legal conviction and contrition, a sad sight of sin, and a deep sorrow for it, together with strong resolutions and purposes against it, with strong desires after grace and holiness, and the like. And the reason of this is, because all these things are short of grace: and, whatever is short of true grace, falls within the compass of nature and free-will, which is common unto all men; which, though it be indeed wounded and maimed, yet may make shift to go so far as this comes to. True grace is only the creation of the power of God, and not the production of nature or free-will: wherefore, after all this preparation is wrought, a sinner can no more work grace in himself, than he could before; yet he is now nearer to grace, and in a greater probability of it than he was before. And there is none but may go thus far, if they will but improve that power and ability that they have.
2. There is no duty in religion, but the power of nature may carry a man out to the external performance thereof, and that with affection and enlargement also.
Ahab humbles himself. Herod heard John Baptist gladly. And so, sinners can pray, hear, read, meditate, and discourse of the things of God: others have done so, formerly; and, therefore, they may and can do so, now. Indeed, heretofore, there were peculiar gifts bestowed upon wicked persons, immediately from God; as Balaam was made to prophesy of Christ, and the like: Numbers 24:17. But these are now ceased: and all unregenerate persons now, have the same power and faculties in them, one as well as another; and may be able to do, one as much as another, in the performance of spiritual duties, if they themselves will.
3. There is no wicked man whatever, but may, by the mere power of nature, restrain himself from the commission of sin.
I speak not of sins, collectively taken; for no man can so say his heart or life is clean and pure: but he may keep out of notorious and scandalous sins. There is no sinner, that has given himself up to his lusts, but may, if he will, for the future live so inoffensively, that neither the world nor his own conscience may have much to accuse him of, besides common infirmities. Mark the reason of this: because wicked men commonly make choice of sin: this sin they will live in, and that sin they will not live in: the drunkard is not covetous, and the covetous man is not a drunkard; and so I may say of other sins. Now it is from the power of nature, that wicked men refrain from the commission of any one sin; and not from the power of grace: and, therefore, if one sinner has power to keep from this sin, and another sinner has power to keep from the commission of another, and a third from a third sin, then every sinner may, by the power of nature, keep from all those sins that any of those sinners do keep themselves from; because there is the same power in each sinner, to lay the same restraint upon this or that sin, that others keep from.
4. There is no man, how great a sinner soever, but, if he will, he may with constancy, yes to the end and period of his life, continue thus in the performance of duties and in the avoiding of sins, by the power of nature only.
For, if it be possible that men should do it at any time, then it is possible for them to do it continually. No more power is required to enable them this day, than was required the day past; nor no more power is required for the day to come, than was for this day now present: therefore, having strength to avoid them one time, they might also avoid them another time; yes, and continually persevere in so doing, if they would keep a daily constant watch against them.
5. There is no man, but, through this perseverance and continuance, may attain to habitualness; and, thereby, to a facility and easiness, in the performance of duties, and in the avoiding of sins.
When men are accustomed to a road and round of duties, it is a trouble to them to omit them: so, if men did but set themselves to their utmost to perform duties in a more hearty and cordial manner, those duties would become easy to them; and, if men would but engage themselves perseveringly to oppose their corruptions, this would bring them to that pass, that it would be their delight to keep from sin and to perform duty. And all this the power of nature would bring them to.
Now, Sinners, you see what a large tenure you have. You are not staked down fast, that you can do nothing: no; it is much, yes very much, that you may do in order to your salvation.
But, here, some may possibly say, "We hope that these words are not true:" for they would not be able to do so much as all this comes to, because they are willing to do nothing at all. But, let such know, that that, which will condemn them at the Last Day, will be, that they have not done what they might have done, in performing duties and in opposing sins, and therefore they willfully fall short of happiness and salvation.
Objection: iii. "But," may some say, "if we should put forth to our utmost the power of Nature, what would that avail us? We cannot thereby work Grace in ourselves; and, without grace, no salvation is to be had."
To this I answer: consider, you do not know but, while you are thus doing what you can, God may come in and by his grace enable you to do what you cannot do. God is not accustomed to be wanting, in this particular, unto any. He is found of those, that seek him not; and, much more, will he be found of those, that seek him and inquire after him, though it be but by the weak endeavors of nature.
Objection: iv. "But", may some say, "has God obliged himself to convert and save those, that do to the utmost what nature enables them to do, in desiring salvation and in seeking to obtain it?"
To this I answer: God has not bound himself, but usually he does so. God is neither bound to give grace, upon the endeavors of nature; neither is he accustomed to deny it. Can you say, that ever you knew or heard of any careful, conscientious, industrious soul, that diligently and conscientiously exercised itself in performing duties and in avoiding sins, that was not at last truly converted and eternally saved? and why then should you doubt or think that you shall be the first? Cast yourself, therefore, upon God; trusting to his rich and free grace; doing the utmost of your endeavors.
However, suppose the worst, that you are never converted nor saved, which supposition is very dreadful and terrible; and, if you are careful and conscientious to improve your abilities to the utmost, it is altogether improbable; but, suppose the worst:
1. You live here, then, more according to the rule of nature and reason, than others do.
For, when others wallow in sin, you show yourself to be more like a rational man: you are sensible you have a soul of more worth, than to be lost for want of care and diligence. And, then,
2. Your pains and punishments, hereafter, shall be greatly mitigated.
Possibly, you may slight this: because, at best, it is damnation: yes, but consider, there are several degrees of torments in Hell. Now your workings and endeavors may free you from many degrees of torment; and, therefore, they free you from many hells: and is not this worth your labor? Nay, and not only so, but it is very probable that you may altogether escape those torments, if you be conscientious in doing your utmost endeavors.
VI. And now, methinks, every one, that has but reason to judge and a soul to save, must needs see so much strength and force in the arguments that have been propounded, that the next question should be, What must we do, to work the works of God? John 6:28. In every trade and profession, there is some kind of mystery, that gives to them, that have attained to it, a quicker dispatch in their business than other men have. And so is it in the work and profession of a Christian: there is an are and mystery; and he, that is master of this, shall make good dispatch in his great work.
And, possibly, we may have some insight into it by these following DIRECTIONS.
DIRECTION i. If you would work out your own salvation, then DIGEST AND DISPOSE YOUR WORK INTO A RIGHT ORDER AND METHOD.
Immethodicalness breeds confusion; and makes that a tumult and a heap of business, that would otherwise become a trade in Christianity. One attainment makes way for and opens into another: and, to attempt anything in Christianity by leaps and jumps as it were, is fruitless, unprofitable, and vain. No wise man will try to mount up the highest round of a ladder at the first step. But, yet, many such preposterous endeavors are found among men, in the working out of their salvation. In respect of doctrinals, Paul tells us, some built hay and stubble upon a foundation of gold: 1 Corinthians 3:12. But, in respect of practicals, it is frequent, that many men endeavor to build gold upon a foundation of hay and stubble. These men's buildings will soon totter, fall, and come to nothing but ruin, shame, and disappointment. Now the right disposing of your great work lies thus: first, you are to work from nature for grace; and, then, from grace unto the holy and spiritual performance of duty, by which grace is much confirmed and strengthened; and so, continuing in duty, to arrive at assurance; and, from this, the next step is salvation: from nature to grace, and from grace to duty. See this method laid down by the Apostle: Hebrews 12:28. Let us, says he, have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear: this is the ladder of Heaven, whose bottom step is below grace in nature, and whose utmost step is above it in absolute perfection and glory: first, there must be grace; before any duty can be performed acceptably unto God. But, most men pervert and disturb this method. And the ordinary way of disturbance is this: they are frequent in duties; but they perform them not, either for grace or from grace; neither that they may attain grace by them, nor that they may exercise grace in them: and yet, notwithstanding, these men think and hope to work out salvation by such duties as these; making a leap from duties to salvation; neglecting to obtain that grace, that can make their duties acceptable and saving: and, hence it is, that they make no quicker dispatch and riddance in their great work.
Now such attempts as these are
Discouraging and Disheartening. And,
They are Vain and Fruitless.
1. They are very Discouraging.
Duties never flow freely from the soul, where grace is not like a continual fountain to supply it. Job, speaking of the hypocrite, asks this question, Will he delight himself in God? will he always call upon him? Job 27:10 no: he will not: it is not possible that he should do so: though, for a time, he may drive at a high rate, praying both with fervency and affection; yet will he soon decay and faint, because he has no life of grace to carry him through duties: but he finds them to flow stubbornly from him; and, therefore, through weariness and discontent, at last he gives them over. The good works of graceless persons may be as flourishing as if indeed they were true saints; but they have not a root to supply them: the root of the matter, as Job speaks, is not in them; and, therefore, they are soon nipped and fade away. It is simply impossible, that a person, without the life and power of grace, should persevere in a cordial, affectionate performance of good works: interest, credit, respect, and natural conscience, are too weak wheels for so great a burden: it is grace only, that can overbalance all outward discouragements; yes, and which is more, that alone can remove all inward also: this can make obedience sweet to a child of God, which to a wicked man must needs be irksome; and that, because he has no relish therein. Matthew. 16:23. You savor not the things that are of God: this may be much more said of graceless persons, because they have not salt in them, for so grace is called, (Colossians 4:6) that should make holy and heavenly things to be savory to them. What a torment is it, to be still chewing an unsavory prayer and an unsavory meditation! to hear and speak those words, that their ears cannot relish! "Must I always," says the sinner, "offer this force to myself? Must I still strain and pump for tears and sighs? Were holiness as easy to me as it is to some, no life would I choose sooner than that: but I am straitened and pinched up, and all good things come out of me like the Evil Spirit, which rends and tears me, and is a torture and anguish to my heart and affections." And it is so, because, in the performance of them, there is a neglect of that grace, that should make duties become easy: and, therefore, such a one will shortly give over duties themselves, which he finds to be so troublesome: yes, and will also give over all hopes of attaining any good at all by them.
2. Such works are also, as to the obtaining of the last and main end, Vain and Fruitless: and that, upon Two accounts.
(1) Because the Acting of Grace is the Life and Spirit of all our Works; without which, they are all but carcasses and dead things, and only equivocally called good works, even as the picture of a man may be called a man.
We are, says the Apostle, his workmanship; created in Christ Jesus unto good works. As, after the First Creation, God took a survey of all the works of his hands, and pronounced them all very good: so there is no work of ours, that God will pronounce to be a good work, but what is the effect of his creating power; that is, the product of his Second Creation: created, says the Apostle, unto good works: Ephesians 2:10. Good works are no otherwise necessary to salvation, but as they are the exercises of grace, by which we express the life and likeness of God: so, only, are they necessary unto salvation. How should grace be seen and known but by works? First, God imprinted his own image upon our souls, in regeneration; and stamped us feature for feature, grace for grace, and glory for glory: but, because this is hid and concealed, therefore are we to copy forth this image in a holy conversation, and to express every grace in some duty or work of obedience. As those, that we call falling stars, dart from Heaven, and draw after them long trains of light; so God would have us to shoot up to Heaven, but yet to leave a train of light behind us: our graces must shine always: we must go on in good works. And those good works are of no value or account with God, of which grace is not the end or principle What says the Apostle? Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor.… and have not charity, it profits me nothing: 1 Corinthians 13:3 can a man bestow all his goods upon the poor, and not be charitable? indeed, the word, that we translate charity, might, for the avoiding of some mistakes, better have been translated love but, however, we must take charity for a disposition to relieve the wants and necessities of others with respect of love to God and his image: if this good work be not from grace, through a principle of love to God and obedience to his command, it is but the empty shell and husk of a good work, and it avails a man nothing. Yes, further: if, after this, I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing: if my soul burn not as clear and bright in love, as my body in the flames, it avails me nothing: I burn only what was dead before; and offer a carcass, instead of a sacrifice. There is no work or duty, how specious soever, that is of any profit to the soul, if that work or duty has not the life and power of some grace or other expressed in it.
This, then, is the First ground, why works without grace are fruitless: because they are empty and lifeless. Grace is the life and spirit of good works.
(2) All works and duties whatever, without grace, leave the Heart in the same estate of Sin, and therefore the Person in the same estate of Wrath and Condemnation, as before.
For,
[1] All of them are not a sufficient Expiation for the guilt of any one sin.
Should such men pray and sigh, until their breath were turned into a cloud, and covered the face of the whole sky; should they weep, until they drowned themselves in their own tears: yet, if all this could be supposed to be only the remorse of nature, and not true and godly sorrow, they would still be under the same state of condemnation as the most seared sinner in the world. The Prophet Micah tells of some, that bid very high for pardon and forgiveness, as if they were resolved to carry it at any rate whatever: With which, say they, shall we come before the Lord, and bow ourselves before the most-high God? Shall we come before him with burnt-offerings, and with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, and with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall we give our first-born for our transgression, the fruit of our bodies for the sin of our souls? Micah 6:6, 7: what high rates are here bidden, and yet all this falls short! There is but one grace, and that is Faith, that can give us a right and title to that righteousness, that shall be a sufficient expiation and atonement for all our sins.
[2] All attainments and attempts, all endeavors and duties, without grace, can never mortify and subdue the Power and Dominion of any one lust or corruption.
Men may divert, and chain, and restrain their corruptions; and impale in their lusts, so that they shall not break forth into any outrageous wickedness: but, yet, without grace, they can never subdue them; because it is grace alone, that can lay the axe to the root of this evil tree.
Notwithstanding, then, all, that has been said concerning the power of nature, what men may do thereby and how far they may go: yet here you see what impotency there is in nature, without grace; and what it cannot reach to perform.
But, this is not spoken, that, hereby, any should be discouraged from working; and, because some doubt of the truth of their graces, that therefore they should desist from a course of holiness and obedience: this were plainly to thwart the whole design of this subject. No: all, that has been said, is, to persuade men not to rest satisfied in any work of obedience or religion, in which some grace is not breathed or exercised; nor to look upon them at all as inductive to salvation, as in themselves, but as in reference to true grace.
How many poor souls are there, who, because they run on in a round of duties, because they do something that they call good works, think that salvation is as surely their own, as if all the promises in the Scripture were sealed and delivered to them by God himself! and yet, poor creatures! they never examine or regard from what principle this their obedience flows: whether from a principle of grace; or from the old corrupt principle of nature, new vamped from some new operations of the Common Spirit. Believe it, this is not that obedience, that God requires, nor that he will accept: an inward groan, if breathed by grace, is of more account with God, and will be more available to the soul, than the most pompous and specious services of unregenerate men. What is it to God, when you offer not only the blind and the lame, but the dead also? Is it not rather an abomination, than obedience? The Apostle tells us, Without works, faith is dead: James 2:20 and it is as true, on the other side also, that works, without faith and other graces of the Spirit, are not only dead, but rotten and noisome. Every duty, which men perform in a graceless state and condition, God must needs loath, and them for it: the prayer of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord: Proverbs 28:9 it is as hateful unto God, as vapors, that ascend up out of tombs from putrefied bodies, are unto us.
What, then! must such persons give up themselves to sin therefore? God forbid! no, rather let such think thus: "If our duties and our righteousness be so loathsome, what are our sins and iniquities?" Though every sinner be dead in trespasses and sins, yet is it less offensive to have a dead carcass embalmed than to have it lie open. Still, therefore, continue working; but, in your working, first aim at the obtaining of grace, before you aim at the obtaining of Heaven and salvation: let it, at no time, content you, that such and such duties you have performed; but look what grace you have acted in them: what is there of God breathing in this prayer, that I now put up? how am I in hearing, in meditation, in discoursing of the things of God? is my heart holy and spiritual? are my affections pure and fervent? are my graces active and vigorous? and, are they vigorous in this work of obedience? Else, to perform duties, and to neglect grace that alone can enable us to perform duties acceptably, is only to go to Hell a little more cleanly.
DIRECTION ii. If you would work out your own salvation, as you must look to the Actings of Grace as well as to the Performance of Duties; so you must LABOR TO GROW AND INCREASE IN THOSE GRACES, THAT ARE MOST ACTIVE AND WORKING.
And they are two, the grace of Faith, and the grace of Love.
To grow strong in these graces, is the most compendious way for a Christian to dispatch his great work. I may call them the two hands of a Christian: and he, that is most active in these, works out his salvation with both hands earnestly.
1. The Actings of Faith are of mighty advantage to the working out of our salvation.
Two senses there are, in which salvation may be said to be wrought out.
In Title:
In actual Possession and Enjoyment.
Now faith is a working out of the one, and a compendious furtherance towards the working out of the other.
(1) Upon our believing, salvation is already wrought out for us, in Right and Title.
He, that believes, shall be saved: here is the Title. The great work is then done and finished, when once faith is wrought. And, therefore, when the Jews came to inquire of our Savior, how they should do to work the works of God: John 6:28, 29. our Lord tells them, This is the work of God, That you believe on him, whom he has sent. Nay, further, as a faith of adherence or acceptance gives a right and title to salvation; so a faith of full assurance is this salvation itself: for, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen: Hebrews 11:1: in its justifying act, it gives a title to salvation: in its assuring act, it gives the substance of the thing itself: for it is much at one to a strong faith, to believe Heaven, and to enjoy it.
(2) Faith does compendiously further and promote the working out of our salvation, in Actual Possession.
And that, because faith is that grace, which fetches all that ability and strength from Christ, whereby a Christian is enabled to work. Faith is not only a grace of itself, but it is steward and purveyor for all other graces; and its office is to bring in provision for them, while they are working: and, therefore, as a man's faith grows either stronger or weaker, so his work goes on more or less vigorously. When other graces are in want, and cry Give, Give; then faith betakes itself to Christ, and says, "Lord, such a grace stands in need of so much strength to support it; and such a grace stands in need of so much support to act it: and I have nothing to give it myself; and therefore I come to fetch supplies from you." And, certainly, this faith, that comes thus empty-handed unto Christ, never goes away empty-handed from Christ. What is, it that you complain of? is it that the work stands at a stay, and you cannot make it go forward? is it, that temptations are strong and violent; that duties are hard, irksome, and difficult? why set faith on work to go to Christ, and there you may be sure to have supply; because faith is an omnipotent grace: All things are possible to him, that believes; and that, because all things are possible to that God and to that Christ, on whom faith is acted. There is no grace, nor no supply, nor mercy laid up in the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is all in the hands of a believer's faith; and he may take from thence whatever he needs, to supply the present wants and necessities of his soul.
2. Another working grace is the fervent Actings of Love.
Love is the great wheel of the soul, that sets all the rest a moving; and makes it like the chariots of Amminadab, to run swiftly towards its desired object. There is a mutual dependence between faith and love, in their working: love depends upon faith to strengthen it, and faith depends again upon love to act it. As we love not that, which we do not know; and our knowledge of God and of the things of eternity is by faith, not by vision: so those things, which we do know and which we do believe, yet if we love them not we shall never endeavor after them. The Apostle therefore tells us, that faith works by love.
There is a Threefold spiritual love required to expedite our great work.
A transcendent love of God.
A regular love of Ourselves.
A complacential love unto and delight in our Work itself.
Now when the affections go out after these objects of love, this will much facilitate our great work.
(1) The Love of God is a great help to our duty.
Our Savior therefore urges obedience, upon this very account: If you love me, keep my commandments: John 14:15. And, says the Apostle, This is the love of God, that is, this is a certain sign, or it is the constant effect of our love to God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous: 1 John 5:3 they are not grievous, because they are His commandments, who is the love and joy of our souls.
Divine love always conforms itself to divine precepts: and that, for Two reasons:
[1] Because this grace, as it desires the beatifical union to God in glory, hereafter; for love is the desire of union: so, now, it causes an unspeakable union of will, and a supernatural sympathy of affection, between God and the soul.
Which union cannot be a union of equality or entity, as is in the Persons of the Blessed Trinity: and, therefore, it is a union of subordination of a Christian's will to the will of God. Now what is this will of God? The Apostle tells us: This is the will of God, even your sanctification: 1 Thessalonians 4:3. And the same Apostle tells us, in another place, We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk.… in them: Ephesians 2:10. And is this God's will, and shall it not be our work? Has God ordained that we should walk therein, and shall we be averse from or slothful thereunto? How can we pretend that we love God, while we neglect the only thing which he requires from us, holiness and obedience? God wills our holiness, because there is no better thing that he can will, next unto himself: the image of God, next to himself, is the most excellent and chief good. Everything, the nearer it approaches unto God, the more desirable it becomes in itself: now that, which comes most near unto God, and advances the soul in some resemblance and similitude to him, is holiness and endeavors after obedience; whereby we become conformable unto God, and attain some faint shadows and essays of the divine perfections. The soul wills in order unto God's will. God wills holiness, because it is most desirable: and we must will our own holiness; because, if we love God as we pretend to do, our wills must be conformable to his holy will.
[2] Love to God is a help to duty, because it is in and by duty, that we enjoy the presence of God, and have communion and fellowship with him.
These are the lattices, through which God appears to the longing soul: and, though he many times vouchsafes but half smiles and little glances; yet, in these reserved communications, the soul finds so much sweetness, as engages it to a constant performance of duties all its days. "Here," says the soul, "God was accustomed to walk in his sanctuary: here, have I heard his voice: here, have I seen his face: his Spirit has here breathed upon me: his consolations have here refreshed me: and, therefore, here will I wait upon him as long as I live." "I remember well," says the soul, "when, in prayer and meditation, my heart has been filled by him, poured out to him, and accepted with him. I remember when he filled me first with sighs, and then with songs; and both alike unutterable: and, therefore, I will keep to the performance of these duties, waiting for the further discoveries and manifestations of my God unto me."
(2) As love to God, so a regular Self-Love will much help and further our obedience and duty.
And then is self-love truly regular, when men love their own souls, as God loves them. Now God's love to the souls of men is such, that, though he wills all men to be saved, yet he wills that none shall be saved, but through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: and, while we love ourselves, if we observe the same method and order, this self-love is always commendable and necessary. Desires after eternal happiness and salvation are natural to that soul, that is truly conscious of its own immortality; and of its eternal, unalterable state and condition: and, when these desires are directed to future happiness through present holiness, then are they regular and become gracious. We are not so straitly limited by God's sovereignty over us, but, while we fix one eye upon our work, we may fix the other on our reward. God is not so strict in his prerogative over us, as to require service from us, from what we have already received from him: he is not as a cruel lord and master to say, "Obey me, though afterwards you perish: see to it, that you love and glorify me, though I eternally punish you:" though, considering that infinite distance we stand at from God, we could object nothing against the equity of his proceedings. No, but God has so graciously twisted his glory and our duty together, that, while we promote the one, we do also promote the other; and, while we work for God, we do but work for ourselves. Now are there any, that need to be persuaded to love themselves? Is it not the great and general sin, that all men love and seek themselves? And do not men, by becoming self-lovers, become self-destroyers? They do: but it is because they seek themselves out of God's way, that they lose themselves forever. Religion and holiness are not such severe things, as to exclude self-love: nay, right self-love is that, which is no where to be found separate from true grace. Ministers call upon men to exercise self-denial and self-abhorrence; and this the foolish world mistake, as if they exhorted them to divorce themselves from themselves, to lay aside all respect and consideration of self, and to offer violence to the most common principles of self-preservation: no; would to God we all sought ourselves more earnestly and constantly than we do, and that we all knew wherein our greatest interest and concernment did lie! then should we not leave our great work undone; nor gratify the sloth of our corrupt humours, and the sinful propensions of our carnal part; nor should we think what we do for sin and Satan we do for ourselves: no; all this is to hate ourselves: and wicked men, at the Last Day, shall know, that they have been their own most bitter and most implacable enemies; that they would not be content with anything less, than their own eternal ruin. A true Christian is the only selfish man in the world: all others are not self-lovers, but self-destroyers. What shall I say more than this? The Apostle asks, did ever any man hate his own flesh? did ever any man delight to gash and burn, to rack and torture himself? Truly I may ask the quite contrary: do almost any love their own spirits, their spiritual part, their souls? This, they wound and gash, by many a bloody sin: this, they burn and sear, by hardness and impenitency: this, they go about to torture and torment in Hell forever. Oh, therefore, be persuaded, at length to take pity on yourselves: considering, that you are but destroying, while you think you are embracing yourselves; and, that that will be found but self-murder at last, which you now call self-love.
(3) A complacential Love to and Delight in your Work, is a great furtherance of it.
A wicked man serves God grudgingly: he murmurs at duties, and looks upon them only as tasks and burdens; thinking every thing which he does for God too much, too heavy and weighty: the commands of God are all of them hard sayings and grievous impositions, that he cannot bear. He could believe Christ sooner in anything, than when he tells him, My yoke is easy, and my burden is light: Matthew 11:30: here he cannot believe Christ. "Thus much time," says the slothful sinner, "must I spend in prayer: and there must I humble myself to God, whom I hate; and confess before him those sins, that I love; and beg that grace, that I have slighted. So much time, must I spend in reading the Law, that I never mean to observe; perusing over only the sentence of my condemnation. And, so often, must I fix and dwell upon holy and spiritual thoughts; which never, at any time, darted into or passed intransiently; but they did discompose me, and leave a damp and sadness upon my spirit behind them." And, therefore, because there is not a holy delight and delight in the service of God, all such men's endeavors are both faint, inconstant, and languishing while they are about them, and seldom do they re-assume them again: But a true Christian works with abundance of delight and cheerfulness in the service of God: in every duty, his soul is filled full of holy affections, by which it soars up to Heaven: duties are meat and drink to him, spiritual manna, in which he takes more satisfaction and contentment than wicked men do in their sins; and therefore he performs these duties so earnestly, because he does it with delight: all that he repines at, is, that natural necessity, sinful weakness and infirmities and worldly employments, do purloin so much of his time from this great work. Now when once the heart is brought to such a frame and temper as this, thus to delight in obedience and in the work and service of God, then will this working for salvation go on with power.
DIRECTION iii. Another Direction is that in the Text: WORK FOR SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING.
A trembling hand best performs a Christian's work.
Now this fear is not a fear of distrust or despondency; for that is so contrary to this duty of working for salvation, as that it stupefies and benumbs all endeavors, and is a great enemy to the performance of this duty.
But,
1. It is a Fear of Solicitude and Carefulness; as it stands opposed to carnal security, and that presumption, that is the common and ordinary destruction of most men.
This holy fear is the best preservative of true grace. The Apostle therefore tells us, You stand by faith: be not high-minded, but fear: implying, that they would not stand long, though they stood by faith, unless they were upheld with godly fear: and the reason is, because it is the property of fear to foresee and forecast dangers, and to put the soul in a posture of defense and security before they approach. For, as the Wise Man tells us, the prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished: Proverbs 22:3 they are rash and confident in their undertakings, and so they pass on and are punished. Fear makes a Christian circumspect and considerate with himself, how he may keep from miscarriages in the performance of his great work. "If God call me to such a duty, how shall I perform it? If, to bear such a cross and affliction, how shall I glorify him under it? If, to conflict with such temptations, how shall I resist and overcome them? Yes, how shall I do to break through all difficulties, duties, and oppositions, that I, who am but a weak and feeble Christian, may meet withal? and how shall I do to bear up?" And, thus pondering what may be his duty, and forecasting what duties God may call him unto, he is enabled to do what is his duty at present, and what also may by providence hereafter become his duty. Nothing overtakes such a man, unexpected; nor does anything surprise him, unprovided for it. And thus a careful fear enables him in the performance of his great work.
2. A Fear of Humility and Holy Reverence of God, conduces much to the working out of our salvation: and that, in Three particulars.
(1) It much helps us in our great work, to fear God as our Lord and Master, that sees and overlooks all our works; observing both what we do, and how we do it also.
That servant must be desperately bold, that will dare to be idle, or slight and perfunctory in his work, while his master's eye is upon him. Christians should consider God's eye is always upon them; in praying, in hearing, and in every duty that they perform; yes, in every action of their whole lives. And, if the eye of a master, that is but a fellow-creature, nay but a fellow-servant, can have such awe and influence upon his servant as to make him careful how he works and what he works, and to make him diligent in his work; should not the consideration of God's eye being upon us, who stands at an infinite distance from us, much more cause a holy fear and diligence in us, in doing what our Lord and Master commands us?
(2) Fear God also, as Him, from whom you have all your Power and Ability to work.
Fear him, lest, at any time, through any neglect or miscarriage of yours, He should be provoked to suspend his influence and withdraw his grace from you, and to leave you to your own weakness and impotency, upon whose influence all your obedience does depend. This is the Apostle's argument in the text: Work.… with fear.… for God works in you, both to will and to do. Holy diligence in obedience cannot be more strongly enforced on an sincere spirit, than by considering that all that strength and ability, which we have to work, is received from God; and therefore should be improved for God, lest, for our sloth, he deprive us of that which we make no use of.
(3) In working, fear God also, as him, that will be the Judge and Rewarder of your works forever.
You perform them unto Him, who is to pass sentence upon them, and upon you for them: and will you then dare to do them slothfully and negligently? God will try every man's work with fire, and will call every action to a severe and strict account. Every man's work shall be seen through and through: and then it shall be known, who has wrought the works of God, and who has fulfilled the will of Satan; and the final doom and irreversible sentence shall then be pronounced according to men's works. God will, says the Apostle, render to every man according to his works: To them, who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory.… and immortality, to them he will render eternal life: But unto them, that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, he will render unto them indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul … that does evil: Romans 2:6, 7, 8, 9. Would you but thus fear God as an upright and impartial judge, that will render unto every one according to his works, how would this prevail with you, so to work, that, at last, you might be found of God in well doing, and receive the blessed reward and sentence of the diligent and faithful servant, to enter into your Master's joy!
DIRECTION iv. If you would work for salvation successfully, then WORK SPEEDILY, WITHOUT DELAY; AND CONSTANTLY, WITHOUT CESSATION.
1. Work Speedily, without delay.
Delays, in all affairs, are dangerous; but, in soul affairs, usually they are damnable.
For,
(1) The longer you procrastinate and delay, the greater and more difficult will your work be at last.
Corruption will be grown more tough: ill humours will be grown more stubborn: your heart will be more hardened: your affections, being more habituated, will be more firmly engaged to sin: the Devil will plead right to you, by prescription; and it is hard keeping an enemy out, that has had long possession.
(2) Consider what a desperate folly it is, to put off your work until tomorrow: you are not sure that you shall live to see another day.
And oh! what hazards do those men run, whose hopes of Heaven depend upon no better a bottom, than their hopes of life; and whose eternal salvation is subject to as many casualties and accidents, as their present beings in this world are subject to! Man's breath is in his nostrils: and, yet, how do men suffer their souls and their everlasting happiness to depend upon nothing surer than their breath; that breath that every moment goes forth from them, and they know not whether ever it shall return to them again?
But, suppose your life and days should continue; and you should reach unto that time, whereof you have boasted, and wherein you have promised to mind the concernments of your soul's eternal happiness; yet, consider,
(3) The grace of God is not at your disposal.
And then, either,
[1] The Outward Call may cease, or it may grow more faint and low. You may not be so daily importuned and solicited for Heaven, as now you are. Ordinances and opportunities may cease; or you, for your contempt may, be given over to a contempt and neglect of them.
[2] The Inward Dictates of your own Consciences and the Motions of the Holy Spirit may cease. Conscience may be bribed to silence: and the Holy Spirit may be commissioned to depart after this present opportunity; and never more may you have its breathings and movings upon your hearts, if you do not now listen to them.
[3] If inward motions do continue, are you sure, after this moment's refusal, that you shall obtain that Grace from God, that may make you willing to close with those motions? Leave, not, therefore, the eternal salvation of your precious and immortal souls at such hazards and delays. Now is the acceptable time.… now is the day of salvation: Today, therefore, if you will hear his voice, even while it is called Today, harden not your hearts; for this is the only time and season for working.
2. As you must work speedily, without delay; so you must work Constantly, without cessation or intermission.
To stand still, is to backslide; and to cease working, is to undo and unravel what you have wrought. You are not like men, that row in a still water; who, though they slack their course, yet find themselves in the same station: but you are to go against tide and stream; the tide of your own corruptions, and the stream of other men's actions and examples. And the least intermission, here, will be to your loss: hereby you will be carried far down the tide; yes, and much pains and labor will scarce suffice to regain what a little sloth has lost.
So much for this text.
The Lord make what has been spoken profitable! Amen.