We next obferve, that we are not only ex

horted to work out our own falvation, but to

か

do it with fear and trembling. This expreffion is ufed in two or three other parts of fcripture; and feems only to imply great care, caution, and anxiety.- There is no difficulty however in this claufe. It is not at all wonderful, that what depends on man, should be so liable to error, and negligence, as to demand the strongest exhortations to care, and watchfulnefs.

But in the next claufe there is fomewhat more of difficulty. The reafon given for our working out our own falvation with fear and trembling is, at first fight, rather peculiar. It is because God worketh in us both to will and to do. If God work out our falvation, where is the neceffity of our working at all; or being in any fear and trembling about the matter? But we fhould confider, that as all the effectual efforts we can make of working out our own falvation depend on our listening to the holy spirit of God, it is certainly a mighty reafon for our working with all the care, and caution we can; left we fhould do any thing to prevent, or impair, its gracious admonitions,

We are told farther, that God worketh in us both to will, and to do, of his good pleasure. This appears, as if God wrought in us, in an arbitrary manner: whereas this is directly oppofite to the apostle's meaning. If God work in us, in an arbitrary manner, it would certainly be of no use for us to work for ourselves; which we are carefully inftructed to do. The meaning therefore of the expreffion, is, 'not that it is God's good pleasure to work for one more than for another but that it is his good pleasure, that he works for any of us at all.

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XX.

The end of all things is at hand. Be ye therefore fober, and watch unto prayer and above all things have fervent charity among your felves-1 Peter, iv. 7.

A SENSE hath fometimes been put on this paffage, which appears to me a degrading one. Some commentators* refer the end of all things here mentioned, to the destruction of Jerufalem. For myself, I fee nothing relative to the deftruction of Jerusalem in the whole context. It appears to other expofitors †, referring to a very different fubject.

What indeed was the deftruction of Jerufalem' to those, whom St. Peter addreffed? His was a catholic epistle, written to all chriftians, wherever dispersed, very few of whom probably had any concern with the destruction of Jerufalem.

Befides, I think this fenfe injures the apostle's reasoning. The deftruction of Jerusalem is at hand therefore be fober. How fo? What

* See PYLE, WHITBY, &c. See POLE, and DODDRIDGE.

inducement to fobriety was the deftruction of Jerufalem? If a man were neceffarily involved in that deftruction, to fuch a man it might be an inducement to fobriety. But all good chriftians were warned, over and over, of that great event; and ordered to fly from it, And accordingly we find from hiftory, that all good christians did retire from Jerufalem at that time. The deftruction of Jerufalem therefore could be no inducement to them.

As the end of all things, therefore, cannot, I think, be referred to the deftruction of Jerufalem, fo neither can it well be referred, as its obvious meaning implies, to the end of the world. The apostle would hardly call the end of the world an event at hand, which was at least removed to the diftance of feventeen hundred years-neither was it an argument for fobriety. -He rather therefore feems to mean, by the end of all things, every man's death, which is to him the end of all things. This makes the fense both connect with the context; and with itself.

The apostle begins the chapter by exhorting his converts (who feem chiefly to have been Gentiles) to overcome the world, after the example of Christ: which is the only way, he tells

them,

them, to ceafe from fin, and lead a life confo nant to the will of God. Their past lives were fufficient to have been spent in wickedness.Then follows the text. The end of all things is at hand. Be ye therefore fober, and watch unto prayer and above all things have fervent charity among yourfelves. This world will foon be over, as far as you are concerned in it, do those things therefore which will fecure you a better.

In this light then you fee the text is clearly connected with the context: for what can be more closely united than death, and a future life?

The reasoning too of the text, is equally juft: for what can be a stronger incentive to fobriety, and holiness, and charity, than the confideration that this world is paffing away?

HAVING thus confidered the former part of the text; the latter will give us little trouble. Be ye fober, and watch unto prayer; and above all things have fervent charity among yourselves.

Whoever is acquainted with the manner of writing usual in the holy fcriptures, well knows, how customary it is to place one duty for all the duties of that clafs. The fcripture proceeds on this fuppofition, that he, who practises one duty

on