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infirmities of believers. Also it is necessary enemies, the flesh, the world, and the devil, and that we have grateful, friendly thoughts of God: therefore God will walk contrary to you. You that we have so much sense of his excellency, were both created and redeemed, though for goodness, and kindness to ourselves, as may your own felicity, yet principally for the glory give us a complacency in conversing with him, and pleasure of your Creator and Redeemer; and and may make the thoughts and mention of for no felicity of your own but what consists in him to be desirable and pleasing to us. Walking pleasing him, glorifying him, and enjoying him ; with God doth import, though not the full as-whether therefore we eat, or drink, or whatever surance of his special love and grace to us; yet such an apprehension of his love and goodness, as may draw the heart to think of him with desire, if not with delight. A lothness to draw near him, to think of him, or to mention him, a weariness of his special service, are contrary to this special walking with God.

we do, it should all be done to the glory of God.' He that regardeth a day, or regardeth it not; he that eateth, or that eateth not, must do it to the Lord. Though a good intention will not sanctify a forbidden action, yet sins of ignorance and mere frailty are borne and pardoned of God, when it is his glory and service that is sincerely intended, though there be a mistake in the choice of means: 'none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself: for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's: for to this end Christ both died, rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. Our walking with God, is a serious labouring, 'that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.' To this the love of our Redeemer must constrain us for he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again.' Religion therefore is called the seeking of God, because the soul doth press after him, and labour to enjoy him, as the runner seeks to reach the prize; or as a suitor seeks the love and fruition of the person beloved. All the particular acts of religion are oft denominated from this intention of the end, and following after it, and are all called a seeking the Lord.

3. Our walking with God, doth include our esteeming and intending him as the ultimate end and felicity of our souls. He is not to be sought, or loved, or conversed with, as a means to any greater good, (for there is no greater) nor as inferior, or merely equal unto any; his goodness must be the most powerful attractive of our love: his favour must be valued as our happiness; and the pleasing of him must be our most industrious employment. To walk with him, is to live in the warming, reviving sunshine of his goodness, and to feel a delighting, satisfying virtue in his love and gracious presence. To live as those that are not their own, and that have their lives, faculties, provisions, and helps for their master's service as a horse or dog is of so much worth, as he is of use to him that owns him; and that is the best that is the most serviceable to his master yet with this very great difference, that man being a more noble and capacious creature, is admitted not only into a state of service, but of sonship, friendship, and communion with God; and is allowed and appointed to Conversion is called a seeking the Lord. share more in the pleasure and fruits of his ser- Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found.'vices, and to put in his own felicity and delightThe children of Israel shall return and seek the into his end; not only because self-love is natu- Lord their God.'-' They do not return to the ral and necessary to the creature, but also be- Lord their God, nor seek him.' Men that are cause he is under the promise of a reward; and called to conversion, are called to seek God. because he is a lover, and not only a servant, 'Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to and his work is principally a work of love, and seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteoustherefore his end is the end of a lover, which is ness upon you.' The converted children of ‘Ismutual complacency in the exercises of love. rael and Judah shall go weeping together to seek the Lord their God.' The wicked are described to be men that do not seek the Lord. The holy covenant was to seek the Lord: if therefore you would walk with God, let him be the mark, the prize, the treasure, the happiness, the heaven itself, which you aim at, and sincerely seek. Now set your heart and your souls to seek the Lord your God. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord: seek

He that seeks not first the kingdom and righteousness of God, and refers not other things to him, but seeks first the creature, and God only for it, doth but deny God in his heart, and basely subject him to the works of his own hands, and doth not walk with God, but vilify and reject him. If you live not to God, even to obey, please, and honour him, you do not walk with him; but walk contrary to him, by living to his

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the Lord and his strength, seek his face for evermore.' As the life of a covetous man is a seeking of riches, and the life of an ambitious man is a seeking of worldly honour and applause, so the life of a man that lives to God, is a seeking him; to please him, honour him, and enjoy him; and so much of this as he attains, so much doth he at tain of satisfaction and content. If you live to God, and seek him as your end and all, the want of any thing will be tolerable to you, which is but consistent with the fruition of his love. If he be pleased, man's displeasure may be borne: the loss of all things, if Christ be won, will not undo us. Man's condemnation of us signifies but little, if God the absolute judge do justify us. He walks not with God, that lives not to him, as his only happiness and end.

4. Moreover our walking with God includes our subjection to his authority, and our taking his wisdom and will to be our guide, and his laws in nature and scripture for our rule; you must not walk with him as his equals, but as his subjects: nor give him the honour of an ordinary superior, but of the universal king: in our doubts he must resolve us; and in our straits we must ask counsel of the Lord: Lord, what wouldest thou have me to do,' is one of the first words of a penitent soul. When sensual worldlings do first ask the flesh, or those that can do it hurt or good, what they would have them be or do; none of Christ's true subjects, do call any man father or master on earth, but in subordination to their highest Lord. The authority of God doth awe them, and govern them more than the fear of the greatest upon earth. Indeed they know no power but God's, and that which he committeth unto man. Therefore they can obey no man against God, whatever it cost them: but under God they are most readily and faithfully subject to their governors, not merely as to men that have power to hurt them if they disobey; but as to the officers of the Lord, whose authority they discern and reverence in them: but when they have to do with the enemies of Christ, who usurp a power which he never gave them, against his kingdom and the souls of men, they think it easy to resolve the question, whether it be better to obey God or man? As the commands of a rebellious constable, or other fellowsubject, are of no authority against the king's commands: so the commands of all the men on earth, are of so small authority with them against the laws of God, that they fully approve of the resolute answer of those witnesses in Dan. iii., 'We are not careful to answer thee in this matter: if it be so, our God whom we serve is able

to deliver us,' &c. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.' Worldlings are ruled by their fleshly interest, wisdom, and self-will, and by the will of man so far as it doth comport with these: by these you may handle them and lead them up and down the world: by these doth satan hold them in captivity. But believers feel themselves in subjection to a higher Lord, and better law, which they faithfully, though imperfectly observe: therefore our walking with God is called a walking in his law, a walking in his statutes, and keeping and doing his commands,-walking in his paths. It is our following the Lamb, which way soever he goeth: to be given up to our own hearts' lusts, and to walk in our counsels, is contrary to this holy walk with God, and is the course of those that are departed from him; and they that are far from him shall perish; he destroyeth those that go a whoring from him: but it is good for us to draw near to God.'

5. Our walking with God doth imply that as we are ruled by his will, so we fear no punishment like his threatened displeasure: and that the threats of death from mortal men, will not prevail with us so much as his threats of hell.' If God say, I will condemn thee to everlasting punishment if thou wilt not keep my laws. If men say, we will condemn thee to imprisonment or death, if thou keep them, the believer fears God more than man: the law of the king doth condemn Daniel to the lion's den, if he forbear not to pray for a certain time. But he fears God more, that will deny those that deny him, and forsake those that forsake him: therefore the forementioned witnesses ventured on the fiery furnace, because God threatened a more dreadful fire. Therefore a true believer dare not live, when an unbeliever dare not die he dare not save his life from God, lest he lose it; but loseth it that he may save it. But unbelievers that walk not with God, but after the flesh, do most fear them that they observe most powerful in the world, and will be more moved with the penalty of some worldly loss or suffering, than with God's most dreadful threats of hell: for that which they see not, is to them as nothing, while they want that faith by which it is foreknown, and must be escaped.

6. Moreover he that walks with God, doth from God expect his full reward. He ceases not his holy course, though no man observe him, or none commend him or approve him; though all about him hate him and condemn him; though he be so far from gaining by it with men that it

cost him all that he hath or hoped for in the world: for he knows that godliness is of itself great gain, and that it hath the promise of this life, and that to come, and none can make God's promise void: he knows that his Father which seeth in secret will reward him openly,' and that he shall have a treasure in heaven who parts with all on earth for Christ. He hath such respect to this promised recompense of reward, that for it he can suffer with the people of God, and account the very reproach of Christ a greater treasure than court or country can afford him in a way of sin. He accounts them blessed that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. He judges it a cause of exceeding joy, to be reviled and persecuted, and to have all manner of evil falsely spoken of us for the sake of Christ, because our reward in heaven is great. For he verily believes, that as sure as these transitory pleasures will have an end, and forsake those miserable souls that were deluded by them, so certainly is there a life of endless joys, to be possessed in heaven with God and all the holy ones; and this he will trust to, as that which will fully repair his losses, and repay his cost, and not deceive him: let others trust to what they will, it is this that he is resolved to trust to, and venture all to make it sure, when he is sure that all is nothing which he ventures, and that by the adventure he can never be a loser, nor ever save by choosing that which itself must perish. Thus he that truly walks with God expects his reward from God, and with God, and thence is encouraged in all his duty, and thence is emboldened in all his conflicts, and thence is upheld and comforted in his sufferings: when man is the rewarder, as well as the chief ruler, of the hypocrite, then earthly things are the poise and motives to his earthly mind.

7. Our walking with God imports that as we expect our reward from him, so also that we take his promise for our security for that reward. Believing his word and trusting his fidelity to the quieting and emboldening of the soul, is part of our holy walking with him. A promise of God is greater satisfaction and encouragement to a true believer, than all the visible things on earth: a promise of God can do more, and prevail further with an upright soul, than all the sensible objects in the world. He will do more, and go further upon such a promise, than he will for all that man can give him. Peruse the life of Christ's apostles, and see what a promise of Christ can do; how it made them forsake all earthly pleasures, possessions and hopes, and part with friends, houses, and country, and travel up and

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down the world, in dangers, sufferings, and unwearied labours, despised and abused by great and small and all this to preach the gospel of the kingdom, which they had never seen, and to attain that everlasting happiness, and help others to attain it, for which they had nothing but the promise of their Lord. See what a promise well believed in will make a Christian do and suffer. Believers did those noble acts, and the martyrs underwent those torments, which are mentioned, Heb. xi. because they judged him faithful that had promised.' They considered not difficulties, and defect of means, and improbabilities as to second causes, nor staggered at the promise of God through unbelief; but being strong in faith, gave glory to God; being fully persuaded, that what he had promised he was also able to perform,' as it is said of Abraham.

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presence:

8. To walk with God, is to live as in his presence, and that with desire and delight. When we believe and apprehend that wherever we are, we are before the Lord, who seeth our hearts and all our ways; who knoweth every thought we think, and every word we speak, and every secret thing which we do: as verily to believe that God is here present and observes all, as we do that we ourselves are here: to compose ou minds, our thoughts, our affections to that holy reverence and seriousness as beseems man before his Maker: to order our words with that care and gravity as beseems those that speak in the hearing of the Lord. That no man's presence do seem more considerable to us than his as we are not moved at the presence of a fly, or worm, or dog, when persons of honour and reverence are present, so should we not comparatively be moved at the presence of man, how great, or rich, or terrible soever, when we know that God himself is present, to whom the greatest of the sons of men, are more inconsiderable than a fly or worm is unto them. As the presence of the king makes ordinary standers by to be unobserved, and the discourses of the learned make us disregard the babblings of children; so the presence of God should make the greatest to be scarce observed or regarded in comparison of him: God, who is still with us, should so much take up our regard, that all others in his presence should be but as a candle in the presence of the sun.

Therefore it is that a believer composes himself to that behaviour which he knows God doth most expect, and beseems those that stand before him: when others accommodate themselves to the persons that are present, observing them, pleasing them, and showing them respect, while

they take no notice of God at all, as if they be- | sanctified to us, while ، Holiness to the Lord is

lieved not that he is there. Hence it is that the men of God were wont to speak, though reverently, yet familiarly of God, as children of their Father with whom they dwell, as being indeed fellow-citizens with the saints, who are his household: Abraham calls him, the Lord before whom I walk;' and Jacob, 'God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked ;' and David resolves, I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.' Yea, God himself is pleased to use the terms of gracious condescending familiarity with them. Christ dwelleth in them by faith, his Spirit dwelleth in them as his house and temple, yea, the Father himself is said to dwell in them, and they in him. He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him.' -'If we love one another, God dwelleth in us.' - Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.' -Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

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written upon all. Though we must not therefore make idols of the creatures, because God appears to us in them, yet must we hear the message which they bring us, and reverence in them the name of the Creator which they bear. By this way of conversing with them, they will not ensnare us, or deceive, or poison us, as they do the carnal unbelieving world: but as the fish brought money to Peter to pay his tribute, so every creature would bring us a greater, even a spiritual gain. When we behold it, we should say with pleasant admiration, This is the work of God, and it is wonderful in our eyes.' This is the true divine philosophy, which seeks, and finds, and contemplates, and admires the great Creator in his works: when that which sticks in the creature itself, whatever discovery it seem to make, is but a childish unprofitable trifling: like learning to shape all the letters aright, without learning to know their signification and sense. It is God appearing in the creatures, that is the

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'God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwell-life, beauty, use, and excellence of all the creaeth in God, and God in him. Yea, God is said | tures; without him they are but useless, vain, said to walk with insignificant things.

to walk in them, as they are him: for ye are the temple of the living God ; 10. Our walking with God contains our willas God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walking and sincere attendance on him in the use of

in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.'

those duties in which he hath appointed us to expect his grace. He is everywhere in his essential presence, but he is not everywhere alike to be found in the communications of his grace. The

Our walking with God then is not only a sense of that common presence which he must needs afford to all; but it is also a believing ap-assemblies of his saints that worship him in holy prehension of his gracious presence, as our God and reconciled Father, with whom we dwell, being brought near unto him by Christ; and who dwells in us by his Spirit.

9. To walk with God, includes not only our believing in his presence, but also that we see him in his creatures, and his daily providence, that we look not on creatures as independent or separated from God; but see them as the glass, and God as the represented face; and see them as the letters and words, and God as the sense of all the creatures that are the first book which he appointed man to read. We must behold his glory declared by the heavens, and see him shining in the sun; and see his power in the fabric of the world, and his wisdom in the admirable order of the whole we must taste the sweetness of his love in the sweetness of our food and in the comforts of our friends, and all our accommodations; we must see, and love his image in his holy ones; and we must hear his voice in the ministry of his messengers. Thus every creature must become a preacher to us, and we must see the name of God upon it: thus all things will be

communion, are places where he is more likely to be found, than in an ale-house or a play-house. You are more likely to have holy converse with him among the holy, that will speak of holy things to your edification, than among the senseless ignorant sensualists, and the scornful enemies of holiness, that are the servants of the devil, whom he uses in his daily work for the deceiving and perdition of the world. Therefore the conversation of the wicked doth grieve and vex a righteous soul, as it is said the Sodomites did by Lot, because all their conversation is ungodly, far from God, not savouring of any true knowledge of him or love to him, but is against him by enmity and provocation. If God himself do dwell and walk in all his holy ones, then they that dwell and walk with them, have the best opportunity to dwell and walk with God. To converse with those in whom God dwelleth, is to converse with him in his image, and to attend him at his dwelling: and wilfully to run among the wicked, is to run far away from God. In his temple doth every man speak of his glory, when among his enemies every man speaks to

the dishonour of him in his word and ways. He is otherwise present with those that are congregated in his name and for his worship, than he is with those that are assembled for wickedness or vanity, or live as mere animals 'without God in the world.' And we must draw as near him as we can, if we would be such as walk with God.

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We must not be strange to him in our thoughts, but make him the object of our most serious meditations: it is said of the wicked that they are far from God ;' and that God is not in all their thoughts. The thoughts are the mind's employment. It dwells on that which it frequently thinks of. It is a walk of the mind, and not of the body which we are treating of. To mind the world, and fleshly things, is contrary to this walk with God: we are far from him, when our thoughts are, ordinarily, far from him. I know that it is lawful and meet to think of the business of our callings, so far as is necessary to the prudent successful management of them; that it is not requisite that our thoughts be always actually upon God: but he that doth manage his calling in holiness doth all in obedience to God's commands, and sees that his work be the work of God, and he intends all to the glory of God, or the pleasing of his blessed will: and he oft renews these actual intentions; and oft interposes thoughts of the presence, or power, or love, or interest of him whom he is serving: he often lifts up his soul in some holy desire or ejaculatory request to God: he oft takes occa sion from what he sees, or hears, or is doing, for some more spiritual meditation or discourse: so that still it is God that his mind is principally employed on or for, even in his ordinary work, while he lives as a christian.

It is not enough to think of God, but we must think of him as God, with such respect, reverence, love, trust, and submission (in our measure) as is due from the creature to his Creator. For as some kind of speaking of him is but a taking his name in vain: so some kind of thinking of him is but a dishonouring of him, by contemptuous or false unworthy thoughts. Most of our walking with God consists in such affectionate apprehensions of him as are suitable to his blessed attributes and relations. All the day long our thoughts should be working either on God, or for God: either upon some work of obedience which he hath imposed on us, and in which we desire to please and honour him, or else directly upon himself. Our hearts must be taken up in contemplating and admiring him, in magnifying his name, his word and works; and

in pleasant contented thoughts of his benignity, and of his glory, and the glory which he confers on his saints. He that is unskilful or unable to manage his own thoughts with some activity, seriousness, and order, will be a stranger to much of the holy converse which believers have with God. They that have given up the government of their thoughts, and turned them loose to go which way fancy pleases, and present sensitive objects do invite them, and to run up and down the world as masterless unruly vagrants, can hardly expect to keep them in any constant attendance upon God, or readiness for any sacred work. The sudden thoughts which they have of God, will be rude and stupid, savouring more of profane contempt, than of holiness, when they should be reverend, serious, affectionate and practical, and such as conduce to a holy composure of their hearts and lives.

As we must walk with God, 1. In our communion with his servants. 2. In our affectionate meditations; so also 3. In all the ordinances which he hath appointed for our edification and his worship.

1. The reading of the word of God, and the explication and application of it in good books, is a means to possess the mind with sound, orderly, and working apprehensions of God, and of his holy truths: so that in such reading our understandings are oft illuminated with a heavenly light, and our hearts are touched with a special delightful relish of that truth; and they are secretly attracted and engaged unto God, and all the powers of our souls are excited and animated to a holy obedient life.

2. The same word preached with a lively voice, with clearness and affection, hath a greater advantage for the same illumination and excitation of the soul. When a minister of Christ that is truly a divine, being filled with the knowledge and love of God, shall copiously and affectionately open to his hearers, the excellencies which he hath seen, and the happiness which he hath foreseen and tasted of himself, it frequently, through the co-operation of the Spirit of Christ, doth wrap up the hearers' hearts to God, and bring them into a more lively knowledge of him, actuating their graces, and enflaming their hearts with a heavenly love, and such desires as God hath promised to satisfy. Christ doth not only send his ministers furnished with authority from him, but also furnished with his Spirit, to speak of spiritual things in a spiritual manner; so that in both respects he might say, 'he that heareth you, heareth me:' and also by the same Spirit doth open and excite the hearts of the

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