higheft well grounded confidence of their falvation, will have the greateft fenfe of the evil implied in perishing forever.

5. A belief and fenfe of the infinite greatness, power and terrible majefty of God, and a correfpondent conviction of their own littlenefs and nothingness in his fight, impreffing an awe of his difpleafure, and dread of finning againft him, is implied in fear and trembling. This fenfe and feeling will increase, as Chriftians grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jefus Chrift, whatever evidence and affurance they may have of the favour and love of God.

6. The Chriftian works out his own falvation with fear and trembling, while he conftantly views and feels the dangers with which he is furrounded, by which he is liable to fall and perifh, and against which he has no ftrength and fecurity in himself; that he is always furrounded by innumerable hofts of invifible, fubtil, potent encmies, who are seeking his eternal ruin, and doing all they can to prevent his falvation; while he has no more power or fkill in himself to refift or escape their rage, and deftruction by them, than an infant has to conquer a roaring lion.

This is the reprefentation which Chrift himself gives of the ftate and circumstances of a Chriftian, while in this world. He speaks to every Christian of which his church is compofed in the following language: "Look unto me from the lion's dens, from the mountains of the leopards:" [Solomon's Song, iv. 8.] He speaks to

his church, and to every believer of which it is compofed, as dwelling among lions, even in their dens, continually expofed to be devoured by them; and in the midft of leopards, beafts of prey, who conceal themfelves in thickets and on trees, from which they fuddenly dart themselves, fcize and devour men as they pafs: denoting that they are in fuch a dangerous ftate in this world, and continually expofed to be deftroyed by powerful, invifible enemies, which is fully reprefented by perfons lying in the dens of hungry, devouring lions, or on

mountains

mountains haunted by leopards, every moment expofed to be deftroyed by them, having nothing to defend . themfelves from them. He calls to them to look to him as their only refuge and deliverer, letting them know their dangerous, helpless fituation, and that in him alone their help is found.

7. This is attended with a conftant and increafing view and fenfe of the dangerous enemies which they have within themselves, confifting in their moral depravity and evil propenfities; that if Chrift should leave them to themselves, they fhould immediately turn his enemies, and join with the devil, and be on his fide and efpouse his caufe in oppofition to Jefus Chrift, and finally fall with him into eternal destruction.

8. Fear and trembling is not only confiftent with, but neceffarily implies, a humble and conftant dependence on Jefus Chrift alone for grace and ftrength to follow him through all thefe dangers and difficulties, leaning on his almighty arm, his infinite wifdom, goodnefs, truth and faithfulness, for pardon of their fins through his atonement, and deliverance from moral depravity; for power and fkill to reftrain and conquer their own lufts, and escape everlasting deftruction; trusting in him to work in them both to will and to do all that is implied in their working out their own falvation. This, and all which has been mentioned in the above particulars, is implied in fear and trembling; in that humility and faving faith by which the Chriftian lives, and works out his own falvation. By this he becomes ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. His grace is fufficient for him, and by it he

overcomes.

9. As every Chriftian is coming vaftly fhort in his duty in every thing which he does, and is conftantly guilty of much fin, fo he is in danger of unthought of deviations from his duty, and by temptations to fall into particular grofs fins, againft which he has no fecurity by the promises of the covenant of grace; and to escape thefe he depends upon the fovereign will of God, whe worketh

worketh in him both to will and to do, of his own good pleafure. This is the ground of a conftant dread of every fin of omiflion or commiffion, and continual care and watching against all fin, and fear of difpleafing God, fo as to leave him to commit fome particular fin, in a trembling sense of his own weakness, and the certainty that he fhall not avoid it unless God be pleased to prevent it, by working in him to will and do the contrary. With this view and feeling the Chriftian ought daily to walk while he is working out his own falvation, however affured he may be that he fhall not fall away finally and mifs of falvation. And this is implied in the fear and trembling recommended in the text,

IO. While Chriftians are working out their own falvation with fear and trembling, they are fenfible and acknowledge that by their own works, and the utmost they can do, they do not in the leaft recommend them. felves to God, as deferving any favour on this account; but are infinitely ill deferving as finners, for which all they do makes not the leaft atonement; and so much depravity and fin conftantly attends them in all they will and do, that they are continually adding to their guilt and ill defert. They therefore utterly renounce all dependence on their own righteoufnefs, and truft wholly to the atonement and righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift for the pardon of their fins, and for all the favour and bleffings they want and hope for, willing and rejoicing to receive all this purely for the fake of his atonement and worthiness, while they are confidered in themfelves as infinitely unworthy of the leaft favour, and deferving of endless deftruction. This view of themselves, and cordial acknowledgment of it, is agreeable to truth, and effential to Chriftian humility, while they live by faith on Jefus Chrift, and "walk humbly with God." Thus the Chriftian faith (it is the conftant language of his heart)" In the Lord have I righteousness and ftrength;" ftrength to work out my own falvation, and righteouf nefs to recommend me to pardon and the favour of God. In the exercife of this fear and trembling the

apoftle

apostle Paul renounced all dependence on his own works, defiring to be found in Chrift, not having any righteouf nefs of his own, but that which is through the faith of Chrift, the righteoufnefs which is of God by faith. Such only are of a contrite and humble fpirit, who tremble at the word of God; conftantly flying for refuge from the wrath to come, and laying hold on the hope fet before them in Chrift Jefus. He who trufts to himself. that he is righteous, and attempts to recommend himself to God, or thinks he deferveth any favour for his own works, exercifeth that pride and felf confidence which excludes fear and trembling, and is contrary to living by faith. '

What has been now faid, in the defcription of fear and trembling, may be in a partial and imperfect manner represented by the following fimilitude.

A perfon finds himself in the midst of a hideous foreft and thicket, in which are unpaffable mountains, swamps and dreadful precipices; he himself is fick unto death, and not able to walk a ftep, while he fees himself furrounded by hungry lions, and innumerable other beafts of prey, threatening to rush upon him and devour him. And on confideration he finds he has brought himself into this dangerous, wretched ftate by his own inexcufable folly, and that his disorders and weakness are really his own fault; that he has greatly abufed the Lord and owner of the territory in which he is, and all things in it; that he might therefore juftly in his displeasure deliver him to the tormentors, and to be miferably devoured by the fierce beafts of prey. While he is in this fituation, giving himself up to defpair, as wholly loft and doomed to inevitable deftruction, the great perfonage, the owner of the foreft and all that it contained, appears to him, and tells him that though he had abused him, and had ruined himself, by his own inexcufable folly, yet he was ready to forgive him, and was able and dif pofed to cure him of his disorders, and give him ftrength to walk, and to extricate him from the evil and dangerous ftate in which he was, and make him happy in the

moft

moft agreeable circumftances. Upon this he ftretched out his hand, and bid him take hold of it, and he fhould be fafely led out of this horrid place. The poor man felt an invisible energy accompanying this propofal and command, by which he was ftrengthened and willing to lay fast hold of the nobleman's hand, and to truft wholly in him as his deliverer, pleafed to be wholly dependent on him for all the good he wanted, having in himfelf not the leaft fufficiency to help himself, and being utterly unworthy of the favour now offered to him, firmly. believing the truth and ability of his patron to accomplifh all he had promised.

The nobleman told him, that though he depended wholly on him for all his strength to act and walk, and every volition to exert himself in order to escape the dangers of this wildernefs, refift the wild beafts, pass through the fwamps and miry marshes, afcend the steep mountains, and ftand firm on the brink and fide of dreadful precipices, and arrive to the promifed land; yet he must be active, and work out this his falvation in the exercife of his own care and conftant labour; he must resist the beafts of prey, and by his watchfulness and exertions in every ftep of the dangerous, difficult way he had to go, he muft perfevere in his work, and in obedience to him, till he fhould bring him to a place of fafety and rest; that, in a sense of his own infufficiency to will or do any thing in this travel in order to his falvation, and his total and conftant dependence on his patron, for difpofition and ftrength to will and do, and perfevere in the work before him, he must keep his eye upon him, and place all his truft in him, keeping hold of his hand, or of a ftrong cord which should be faftened to himself, his patron, and always be in his reach, when his hand was not. And in this way he fhould be carried fafely on to the land of promife.

Thus the poor man fet out, confiding in the power, truth and faithfulness of his patron, and difclaiming all confidence in himfelf; continuing his courfe through hideous fwamps, and over high and fteep mountains,

and