us ; how insufficient we are of ourselves for this great work, and how awful would be the consequences of miscarrying in it; and we shall readily acknowledge that our utmost caution is little enough. St. Paul felt the force of these considerations ; and notwithstanding he knew himself to be a chosen vessel unto God, he "kept his body under, and brought it into sub- jection, lest by any means, after having preached to others, he himself should be a cast-away c."]
That we may all be led to comply with this advice, let us consider, II. The argument with which it is enforced —
To see the full force of this argument we must view it,
1. As a call on our gratitude —
[Having commended the Philippians for their obedience to God, he reminds them, whence it was that they were made to differ from others. They were by nature as destitute of any ability or inclination to serve God as any other people upon earth : but God, of his own good pleasure, and without respect to any thing in them, had given them both to will and to do what was acceptable in his sight. Now this sovereign act of grace laid them under a tenfold obligation to love and serve him : they must be vile indeed, if such love did not constrain them to obedience. Have any of us then been converted by the grace of God, and been " made willing in the day of his power?" Let us consider this mercy as the strongest of all motives for yielding up ourselves as living sacrifices, holy, and acceptable to him, as our reasonable service*1. Are we " a chosen generation, that had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy ? " Let us exert ourselves to the utmost to " shew forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous lighte."]
2. As an antidote to our fears —
[It is difficult to feel the importance of eternal things, and not give way to secret fears and misgivings, respecting the final success of our present exertions. And indeed, if we were re- quired to work out our salvation by our own strength, we might well yield, not only to fear, but to utter despondency. But the argument urged by the Apostle removes our apprehensions by assuring us, that He, who has given us the will, will also give us the power, to obey him1. It is not to mock us that God has created in us a disposition to what is good: it is not to
c 1 Cor. ix. 27. d Rom. xii. 1.
e 1 Pet. ii. 9, 10. f The text, with Isai. xli. 10.