s86 SERMON X~IV. Pratl:ical CHRISTIANITY, C3c. PHIL. ii. 12, !J·. ~'herefore my 13tlov.ed,. as ye have_ abvays Ob'fJed, not as ~n '_") Prefenceonly, btJt now much 'l,norc trt my Abfenre; IVork out your OJVn :Jalvation rvith Fear and Trembling. For it is God n•hub worktth in you, both to will and to do of his good Plea.. Jure. I•url)du· ledge, and in Obed1eoce: The one is Converfant about things Superna- T H E whole Sum of Chriftianity is comprehended in two Points, in Know.. Bion. turally Revealed; and the othe.r abou~ Duties Supernaturally Performed. Now although there be fo w1de a difference between thefe two ; yet where they are fuffered to run on in.a courfe, they will one fall into the other· and Gofpel Revelations will make way for, and lead unto Gofpel Obedience: Yea' indeed there is no Divine Truth, how Abftraacd, how Sublime and Speculativ~ foever it may feem to be, but by the help of one or twoConfequcnces may be hand.. 1 T'm 1 ed down along to clear and direa our Practice : And therefore the .Apoftle [peak.. 1 6. 1 ' · ing of the Whole of ChrHtian Religion, calls it, The Myftery of Godlmrft: Titus 1. 1. .And the Truth according to Godlinefs. He calls it not a Myftery and Godlinefs or Truth and Godlinefs; but he knits and joyns them both together, the Myfl:ery'and Truth of Godlinefs; a Truth, yea and a Truth wrapt up in a My(tcry, becaufe difcovered only by a· Divine Light; and yet a Myfrery of Godlincfs, becaufe it is a Truth that tends to incline the Will and raife the Affetf:ions, and fo direCt the Converfations of Men, unto Godlinefs and Obedience. And thus alfo in this Chapter, after the .Apoftle had foared up very high in thofe Tranfcendent Myiteries of Chrift's Godhead, in the 6th Vtr[e, of his Incarnation, in the 7th Ver[e, of his Humil illtion, Obedimct and Paj]irm in the 8th Verje, of his Glory and Exaltation 3bove every thing both in Heaven and in the Earth and in Hell , ?th, 10th, and r 1 th Verfe: After he had thus foared aloft in thcfe Tranfcendent My· fteries, he makes a fuddcn dcfent to the Exhortation in the Text, Wherefore work your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling. This lllative Particle wherefore looks back as far as. to the ;th Verfe. Where the Expofit ion. Apoftle Exhorts them, that the fame mind jhould be in them that """ in Cbrift ']e(w. .Who though he was E{fentia\ly Equal with God, yet Mediatorily became fubjec:t unto God: Though he Was in the form of God, yet he took upon him the form of a Servant, laid afide his Glory, emptied and humbled himfclf, arid became Obedient even to the la weft Duties and to the vileft Sufferings, he was Obedient unto the Death: That is, He was Obedient to God's Law till Death, by fulfilling of jt, and he was Obedient unto God's Will in Death, ' by fuffcring of' it; for' which Ex· inanition and Obedience, God bitth highly Exalted him, andg;vtn him .t Name above e· 'Very Name, that at rhe Name of 1e[us e'Vtry Knee fhould Vow. Now fays the .Apoftle, be you alfo of the fame Mind with Chriil: ; Wherefore as he was Obedie·nr, fo be you alfo; do you Work, that is, Do you Obey : As he was humble, and em ... ptied himfelf, be you alfo humble and lowly. Work wjrh Fear and '(rhnbling; That is, obey with Humility and Reverence, as the Phrafe imports and is ofre11 ufed in Scripture: That fa as Chrift obtained Glory and Exaltation, you alfo my be Ex-. alted and Glorified with him. Work out your own Salvation. For thcfe Words come in as a Parallel \vith Chrift : As he was obedient, fa be you; as he w~s humble aod emptied himfelf, fo be you alfo humble; that fo when he h Glon- fied,
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