Part 5
USE 1. See here what a graceless-like thing it is for people to content themselves to be like neighbour and others. Ah, Sirs, though all the world should approve you, if God condemn you, what will it avail? They that pin their faith or holiness on other people's sleeve, have neither faith nor holiness, and will never see heaven.
2. See the necessity of a religion beyond the reach of the common gang of the world; Zech. 3:8. Ye must not satisfy yourselves with the religion that most part do; but press forward to leave them behind you, because they do not walk with God.
3dly, His constancy in the way of the Lord; he "walked incessantly" as the word signifies. He did not take his religion by fits and starts, as many do, but he kept a constant course of it. Ver. 22 tells us, he walked with God three hundred years, all the time he lived after he begat Methuselah. Though perhaps he was a good man while he lived single in his young days, yet his last days were his best days. His greatest eminency for piety was in the days of his married life; while his family was increasing, his soul was increasing too.
OBSERVE. A married state is a state of life very consistent with the soul's flourishing in religion.
USE. How unreasonable, then, is that excuse, which goes mighty far with the world; Luke 14:20, "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come?" It was not so with Enoch; the comforts of it did not so bewitch him, nor the cares of it so rack his spirit, but that he was one of the holiest and heavenliest men that ever lived. What a pity is it, that that state should be a state of declining in religion to so many, and that as their family increases, their soul's case goes to wreck? So that of their marriage-day it may be said, as John 6:66, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." It is a holy state, and a helpful one, by God's appointment. It must needs be a dreadful business, where the one proves a snare to the other, for apostasy from the life of God.
Secondly, There is Enoch's happy removal into a better world.
1. Consider his leaving of this world; "He was not:" no more in this world. Of all the rest it is said, they "died;" but of him only, "he was not," for he died not, but got out of the world without dying. He was taken off,
1st, Soon, being only three hundred and sixty-five years of age. That was in the midst of his days; for there were none of the patriarchs before the flood, but lived more than as long again.
OBSERVE. God ofttimes takes them soonest out of the world that are dearest to him. Why then should we be fond of long life? He was a man that was dear to God, and useful for God. And if he did not live long, he lived fast, and did more in his few days, than others in double the time. He had no loss, for the remainder of his days he got in heaven.
2dly, Suddenly; so the phrase seems to import; Psalm 37:36, and so the nature of the thing requires it to be; as in the case of Elijah; 2 Kings 2:11, and those who shall be changed; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52, cases parallel to this. He evanished.
OBSERVE. A sudden removal out of the world may befal the best of God's children. Why should the Lord's people then be afraid of sudden death? It does but make sore work short work; and they that are in Christ can never be taken habitually at least unprepared; and they that always walk habitually with God, are always actually prepared. Good old Eli died such a death.
2. Consider his transportation to heaven; "God took him;" took him home, took him up soul and body at once to himself into heaven; Heb. 11:5. God made a change on his corruptible body without death, even such a change as will be made on the bodies of the saints that shall be alive at Christ's second coming. So there was as great a difference betwixt his removal and that of others, as betwixt his life and theirs.
OBSERVE. When the saints leave the world, God takes them home to himself.
All the patriarchs mentioned in this chapter were alive at Enoch's translation, except Adam, who died some time before, and Noah, who was born some time after. Adam himself had heard the voice of God, and Noah got an eminent confirmation of his faith in his preservation in the ark. Enoch's translation might be confirming to the rest, in the faith of a future happy state of the saints, both in soul
and body. And it was a sure pledge of the resurrection, that was then far off, and not yet come.
OBSERVE. The weight of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which God so early confirmed. It is worthy to be remarked, how Enoch's body was carried to heaven before the law, Elijah's under the law, and Christ's under the gospel. So that each of the three great periods of the world's age had in it a notable pledge of the resurrection of the body.
USE. Let us then live and die in the faith of it; and while we live, live as those that look for it.
Having thus given a large practical explication of the text, I proceed to observe a point of doctrine from them, as the ground of some further discourse.
DOCTRINE. The life of religion lies in walking with God; or, the great thing we should aim at for practical godliness, is to walk with God.
Here I shall,
I. Explain this walking with God.
II. Confirm the doctrine, that the life of religion lies in walking with God.
III. Lastly. Apply.
I. For explication of this walking with God, I shall consider it,
1. In the foundation thereof, with respect to our state.
2. In the matter of it, in respect of our frame and conversation.
3. In the properties thereof.
FIRST. I am to consider walking with God in the foundation thereof, with respect to our state. And so it pre-supposes,
First, Spiritual life restored to the soul in regeneration. Men are naturally dead to God and holiness; Eph. 2:1, "dead in trespasses and sins." A dead man cannot walk, and a dead soul cannot walk with God. Before Lazarus once in his grave could move again, he behoved to be quickened and raised again. No wonder that many cannot walk with God, seeing they are strangers to the life of God. They live as they were born in a natural state. Consider,
1. The eye of the understanding is out, and man naturally is blind; Eph. 5:8. Walking with God is a regular walk; how then can the blind soul walk so? To walk at random is to walk contrary to God; Lev. 26:21. Heb. Never a soul will stumble on the way of God; for while in the state of blindness, Satan and lusts lead the soul. Therefore we must be cured by divine illumination; and for this cause the gospel is preached; Acts 26:18, "to open men's eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light."
2. The feet of the soul, the will and affections, are quite indisposed for walking with God, and they must be cured. Hence is the promise, Ezek. 36:26, 27, "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."
(1.) They are distorted, disjointed, and cannot ply to the way of God; Jer. 13:23, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." They have got a set to backsliding from the Lord, and they cannot be cured without a miracle of grace. That must give them a new set, or we are undone for ever; Psalm 85 ult., "Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps."
(2.) They are weak, and unable to bear us in his way, Rom. 5:6. We lost our strength in the loins of our first parents, and never recover it till we be in Christ, to partake of his Spirit. If the soul aim to rise, it cannot; if to walk, the legs fail under us. Nay,
(3.) They are powerless, John 15:5, and 6:44. There is power in them to carry us still further out of God's way, but they are absolutely unable to move heavenward, till they be endowed with power from on high. Therefore we are to be concerned for the new nature, the principle of spiritual life.
Secondly, Faith in God through Jesus Christ. We must come to God before we can walk with him, it is by faith we come to him, Heb. 11:6. We are naturally at a distance from God; in the everlasting covenant God offers to meet us in Christ. So by coming to Christ we meet with God, that we may set off in our way with him. Whoso would walk with God,
1. Must take God for their God in the covenant, Heb. 8:10, renouncing all others for him, and accepting him as their God and portion, to walk with him as their covenanted God. The world bears great bulk in sinners' eyes naturally, but we must look over it and above it, to the God that made it, that we may take up our souls' everlasting rest in him. So did Enoch, while the rest were following vanities; he closed his eyes on them, and came to God as his soul's home.
2. They must embrace Christ in the offer of the gospel, seeing in him only we can meet with God. God out of Christ is a consuming fire; but vailed with the flesh of Christ, he is a refreshing son. We cannot walk with an absolute God, more than dry fuel can lie before a consuming fire.
Thirdly. A state of reconciliation with God; Amos 3:3, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Man naturally is in a state of enmity with God. And while that lasts, he can never walk with God
dutifully to him, nor comfortably to himself. For in that state what we do can never be acceptable to God, nor can we look for comfort to ourselves by it; and hence Eliphaz advises, Job 22:21, "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee." Therefore we must be in a justified state, having our sins pardoned for the sake of Christ, and so in a state of peace through the great Peace-maker. When God and a sinner in a state of enmity meet, what can be expected but,
1. Angry looks? No wonder he turn his back on such; so that though they come to Jerusalem, they see not the King's face; Hos. 5:6, "They shall go—to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him, he hath withdrawn himself from them."
2. Angry words? God can speak so as to make the conscience hear, where there is no audible voice; Psalm 50:16, "But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy month?" That is a question that imports anger, upbraiding, accusing, and grief for the contempt put upon him. And O what a sad matter is it to have him angry with us in whose favour life lies; him to upbraid us, who does us all the good we get; him our accuser, who is our only intercessor; and him to be grieved with us, who only can make us glad?
3. Angry strokes? When enemies meet, no wonder there be blows adealing. Sometimes there are strokes on the body, 1 Cor. 10:1–6; strokes on the soul, Mal. 1 ult. See how it was with the Israelites in the wilderness; Psalm 106:15, "He gave them their request, but sent leauness into their soul." Wherefore let us labour to have God for our friend in Christ, that we may walk with him.
Fourthly, Conversion, or turning to God. We are naturally turned away from God, and therefore are called to return to him, Hos. 14:1. Our hearts are turned away from himself; our feet are turned away from his way. We must turn back again ere we can walk with him.
1. Our hearts must be brought off the world to God; Cant. 4:8, "Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards." The first removing of the heart was from God to the creature, from the fountain to the muddy streams and broken cisterns, Jer. 2:13. There men naturally seek their happiness, comfort, and satisfaction. But it must remove again, leave the bulky vanity, the fair deceitful nothing, and return to God. Our hearts must be lifted, our love, joy, delight, &c., off the creature, and set on God.
2. Our hearts must be brought from our lusts to the Lord, from our sins to our Saviour; we must say, "That which I see not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more," Job 34:32. That day the soul returns to the Lord, the idols will be cast to the bats and to the moles, Isa. 2:20. For if God get the throne in the heart, they will get the cross. It was in this case God observed Ephraim, and was well pleased with him; Jer. 31:18–20, "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh; I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still, therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord."
3. We must be brought out of ourselves unto God; Matthew 16:24, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself." Man turning off from God turned into himself, and made himself his chief end, acting from himself and to himself. So we are naturally hemmed in within the cursed circle of self, out of which we must be turned ere we can walk with God. And,
(1.) Out of our self-wisdom, put in the room of Christ as a prophet For thus saith God to all that would walk with him, "I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye," Psalm 32:8. Whoso would give up themselves to the Lord, must, as it were, put out their own eyes, resolving never more to guide themselves, that they may follow the Lord, as Abraham did, Heb. 11:8, who, at God's call, went out, not knowing whither he went.
(2.) Out of our self-righteousness, put in the room of Christ as a priest. We must come up to duties, and then come over them, renouncing all confidence in them, laying no weight on them in the point of oommending us to the favour of God. For what stress is laid on them that way, derogates from the honour of him on whom the Father has laid help, and is inconsistent with the character of the true circumcision, Phil. 3:3. Otherwise we cannot walk with God in duties.
(3.) Out of our self-will and self-ability, put in the room of Christ as a king. Man is naturally wilful, and will have his own liking, and do what seems good in his own eyes. But in the day that one comes to walk with God, he gives up with his own will, saying, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." He gives it to be led as a captive after Christ's chariot wheels, so that he may draw it and drive over it, as seems good in his eyes, 2 Cor. 10:5.
Man also naturally goes into himself for strength wherewith to do commanded duty, being ignorant of Christ as the head of influences for sanctification. But in the day one comes to walk with God, he renounces his own stock as insufficient, and gives up himself to live by Christ, in the way of being daily supplied, John 6:57. For then he sees the truth of that saying, "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool; but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered," Prov. 28:26.
SECONDLY, I shall consider walking with God in the matter of it, in respect of our frame and conversation. And indeed this duty goes as broad as the whole law. I must take it up in some particulars. If we
would have the life of religion in our walk, we must not walk at random.
First, We must walk with God in the way of habitual eyeing of him in all things. It is the neck-break of many, that God is not in all their thoughts, and the ruin of religion among professors, that they forget God, though he is not far from any of us. The heart is like a common inn, so thronged with strangers, that the master is not noticed, but thrust out to make room for others. It was otherwise with David; Psalm 16:1, "I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."
1. We must eye him as our witness in all things. Let us say everywhere as Hagar, Gen. 16:13, "Thou God seest me," Let us fix on our hearts awful apprehensions of his omniscience and omnipresence, as Psalm 139:7, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" There is a root of Atheism in our hearts that says, "The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not," Ezek. 9:9. And O how ready are the best to forget, though they are ever under the chalk of his eye, that he is a witness to every thought, word, and action! Thus walking with God implies,
(1.) The believing of his all-seeing eye, embracing it with a firm faith, that he is intimately acquainted with all our ways, Heb. 4:13. His eye is on us where no other eye can see us, yea, where our own eyes cannot reach, that is, into our hearts. And where the true faith of this is, it will not want an impression of proportionable depth with the strength of the faith wherewith it is apprehended.
(2.) An habitual minding of this all-seeing eye that is on us, Psalm 16:8. Walkers with God are frequently sisting themselves in the presence of this God; and especially when the temptation comes, they look to him that sees them, and say, "Shall I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"
(3.) A suitable respect to this all-seeing eye, influencing our hearts, lips, and lives, to beware of sin, and to be diligent and upright in duty. The eyes of a child will restrain people sometimes; how much more should the eye of God that is never off us?
2. Eye him as our Judge, to whom at length we must give an account, Rom. 14:10. Let us remember and often have in our mind, that word which at length will reach our ears, "Rise ye dead, and come to judgment." We might walk as we list, if we were never to be called to account. But there is not a thought, word, or action, but what must be judged, Rom. 2:16; Eccl. 12 ult. We can never say there is more than a step betwixt us and the judgment-seat, and therefore there is good reason we should walk as prisoners going to the bar.
(1.) Let us walk as under the eye of an infinitely holy Judge, who cannot look on sin but with abhorrence, Hab. 1:13. He can never be brought by any means to approve of sin, how little soever we think of it. The least spot is offensive to the eyes of his jealousy, and he cannot away with it.
(2.) Let us walk as under the eye of an accurate Judge, from whom no crime can be hid, whose eyes no pretences nor fair colours can deceive. Let us remember when we come there, our crimes cannot be hid for want of evidence; for the omniscient Judge himself is witness to all, and that omniscience will pierce through all the vails wherewith we now cloke our sins.
(3.) Let us walk as under the eye of an impartial Judge. He is one that cannot be biassed either by feud or favour. He is no respecter of persons, but rewards every one according to his work. The belief of this would make us impartial in our own cause; and if we were walking with God, we would sist our own cause without partiality.
3. Eye him as our Redeemer and Saviour; Isa. 45:22, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else." To eye God as our witness and judge, without eyeing him
as a God in Christ, atoned by his blood, would fright us away from him, so as we could never walk with him more. But that a guilty creature may walk with God, let him,
(1.) Eye the mercy of God in a Mediator; Isa. 55:7, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." That is a large covering under which may be hid all the guilt of our walk. It reaches deep and extends very far, Psalm 86:13, "Great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell." In our most accurate walking, and when we have done our utmost, there will be need of grace and mercy. And we must believingly apply to it, that when we have fallen, we may rise up again and walk.
(2.) Eye the righteousness of a Redeemer. Had the most close walker with God nothing to look to but the righteousness of his own works, he would never have ground of joy all the way through the wilderness. But the naughtiness of his own righteousness makes him look often to the imputed righteousness, and there he joys; Isa. 45:24, 25, "Surely, shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength.—In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory."
(3.) Eye the conscience-purging blood, Heb. 12:22, 24. If thou hast come up into Christ's chariot of the covenant, the covering of it is a covert of purple, that is ever over thy head. When conscience is wounded with guilt, it is like a thorn got into the foot of the traveller, who can walk no more till it be drawn out, Heb. 9:14.
4. Eye him as the fountain of strength, Isa. 45:24, forecited. This is the way that David resolved to walk with God, Psalm 71:16, "I will go in the strength of the Lord God." The way we have to go is difficult, we have little strength, and there is much opposition; we need to keep our eye on him in whom the believer's strength lies, Psalm 84:5.
None walk with God but those that draw strength from him, for the whole of their walk. And that lies in two things.
(1.) Believing the promise of strength and furniture, for whatever piece of the way we are called to go through, Psalm 116:9, 10, "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. I believed, therefore have I spoken." The spiritual traveller has many a difficult step in his way to Immanuel's land, but in the covenant there is strength promised to carry him through them all. He must keep his eye on the promise, and firmly believe it, for that is the way to suck the breasts of these consolations.
(2.) Using the means on the credit of the promise. God's institutions have promises annexed to them, and they become effectual, being thus believingly used; Heb. 4:2, compare John 17:17. To pretend to believe without the use of means, is presumption; to use the means without believing the promise, is lifeless formality. Is there a lust to mortify, or a temptation to resist? let us use the means, and believe the promise of sanctification with close application to ourselves.
5. Eye him as our Master, Lord, head, and husband; Psalm 45:11, "He is thy Lord, and worship thou him." See how the spouse comes out of the wilderness walking with God, even leaning on him as her Head and Husband; Cant. 8:5. We must walk with him, as obedient servants with a master, dutiful subjects with a king, &c. Whomsoever others serve, let it be our resolution to serve the Lord; Josh. 24:15. And this imports, that we must be ready,
(1.) To receive his orders, and the least indications of his mind to comply with them, signified to us by his word or providence. How closely did the psalmist thus walk with God? Psalm 123:2, "Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hands of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us." And this is the duty of all pretending to be espoused to Christ. So that it must
needs be great untenderness, that "God speaks once, yea, twice, yet men regard it not."
(2.) To do his bidding; "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" said Paul; Acts 9:6. Our Lord lets us see, that it is not talking of, but thus walking with God, that is religion indeed; Luke 6:46, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" And it is not the hearers, but the doers of the word that shall be justified. There is no walking with God, if we walk not in the road of obedience to his commands. If we take our own way, we walk not with him, but Satan.
(3.) To be careful to please him in all things; 1 Cor. 7:34, to give content to the heart of Christ in whatever we do; Col. 1:10, not only to do the thing he commands, but to do it to his mind, so as he may take pleasure in us, and delight to do us good. For thus the duty of Christ's spouse in walking with God is summed up; Psalm 45:10, "Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house."
6. Lastly. Eye him as our chief end. As he that walks with God sets off in his way in him and by him, so he walks to him as the great end of his walk; Psalm 16:8, "I have set the Lord always before me." Rom. 11 ult., "For of him, and through him, and to him are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen." This implies two things,
(1.) Aiming at his glory in all things; 1 Cor. 10:31. We must make that the great scope of all our actions, and of our whole life. He that walks with God displaces self, which is the dead sea into which all our actions naturally run, and sets up the honour of God instead thereof; reckoning his life no more useful in the world than it tends to the honour of God. For we are as trees in a vineyard, of no use, but as they bring forth fruit to their master's use; Luke 13:7.
(2.) Seeking to enjoy him as our chief happiness; Psalm 73:25. Man can never be self-sufficient, (no not angels); that is the peculiar prerogative of God, whose perfections are infinite. So he must needs
seek his happiness without himself. While he is without God in a natural state, he seeks it in the creatures; when he comes to God, he takes God for it. And walking with God, he habitually seeks it in the enjoyment of him, and feeds at that table he sits down to in conversion. And so if ye would walk with God,
(1.) Ye must seek to enjoy him in all things, in the measure he is to be enjoyed here; Psalm 27:4; seek to enjoy him in ordinances; Psalm 63:1, 2, public, private, and secret. Ye must not stay in the shell, nor in the outer court; but seek to believe, taste, and feel; Psalm 34:8. Ye must seek him in providences; Psalm 94:4, merciful and favourable, smiling and frowning. He will be the sap and foyson of mercies to the walker with God; Gen. 33:10, and they will see his name in cross dispensations; Micah 6:9.
(2.) Ye must seek to enjoy him in heaven hereafter. If ye walk through the world with God, ye will walk as pilgrims bound for another and better country, keeping that in your view as your only rest; Heb. 11:13, 16. He that walks with God, walks as one living that he may die well, making it the business of this life that he may learn to die, and to get beyond it to a better life.
Secondly, We must walk with God in the way of the heart's going along with him in all things, as the shadow goes with the body. Hence it is called "walking after the Lord;" Hos. 11:10, "following the Lord;" Numb. 14:24. Walking with God is no bodily motion, but a spiritual motion, a moving of the heart and affections; and so it must import necessarily the heart's going along with him. I will take it up in these three things. If ye would walk with God, your hearts must go along with him,
1. In the way of believing in all things. Thus Enoch walked with God; Heb. 11:5. God is a Spirit, and our souls are spirits. The way of communion betwixt God and us is in the way of believing, for we cannot know him to our salvation, but as he has revealed himself to us in his word. So God manifesting himself by his word, we cannot
walk with him, but as our hearts go along with these manifestations of himself, in the way of believing; hence is that account the apostle gives us of his walk; Gal. 2:20, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." So walking with God imports,
(1.) Believing his commands. Faith discerns the stamp of divine authority on the commands, and so gives them a suitable weight on one's own spirit. It esteems and judges them all right and reasonable; Psalm 119:128. So they are believed to be not only from God, but suited to the divine perfections, and to man's real welfare. Which cannot miss to influence the person to obedience.
(2.) Believing his promises, the promises of the gospel; Heb. 11:13. He that walks with God, does not only believe the great leading promises of the covenant, of God himself's being their God, and of eternal salvation, but the lesser promises depending on these. And while others take other things for their heritage, they take the promises for theirs; Psalm 119:111. So the great thing that sways them in their course of life, is the prospect of unseen things; (2 Cor. 4:18,) to be had in another world, and likewise the prospect of what is promised even in this life.
So the promises are apt to influence obedience; and when they do, that is walking with God; when one ventures on, and follows the way of duty on the credit of the promise; e.g. giving out of their substance at God's call, upon the faith of the promise; Prov. 3:9, 10, &c.
(3.) Believing his threatenings; Heb. 11:7. We find holy men have thus walked with God, being influenced to a tender holy walk by the faith of God's threatenings in his word; Job 32 ult. David was not of a servile legal spirit, when he says, Psalm 119:120, "My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments." Hence they that walk with God, will not venture on an ill thing, more than they would take fire into their bosom, because the terror of God makes them afraid of sin.
2. In the way of compliance with his holy will. If we do not thus in all things, we walk contrary to him. When man fell off from God, his own will became his law, and was set in opposition to the will of God. When he returns to God, his will is inclined by grace to God's will; and walking with God it goes along therewith, complying with it in all things. So walking with God imports,
(1.) Complying with the will of his command in all things; Acts 9:6. The heart of the believer is reconciled to, and approves of the law as holy, just, and good; and while he walks with God, he labours sincerely to suit his walk thereunto in all things, being grieved at any reluctancy that is in the heart against any piece of obedience, crying with David, Psalm 119:5, "O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!"
(2.) Complying with the will of his providence, the heart being reconciled to that lot which God is pleased to carve out; Psalm 47:4. O what walking contrary to God is there in this respect, while the proud unhumbled heart will not, cannot accommodate itself to divine dispensations! but murmurs, frets, and repines, and rebels against the Lord, as the sovereign Governor of the world.
3. In the way of habitual moving of the heart towards him. Grace has an attractive virtue in the heart drawing it towards God. And when it is in exercise, it will make the heart to be moving towards him, whereas otherwise it settles on other things besides him. So in walking with God there is,
(1.) Frequent thinking and meditating on him, Mal. 3:16. That is a black character of the wicked; Psalm 10:4, "God is not in all his thoughts." And the saint is in a backgoing condition that begins to forget him; Jer. 2:32. Yea, fleeting thoughts are not sufficient; if we walk with God, he will be the subject of our meditation, both occasional and stated; Psalm 63:6. If we walk with a man, he is ever in our view, and so we cannot miss to think on him.
(2.) Habitual moving of the heart towards him, in love, desire, trust, &c. He is the chief good and the best of beings, which should ever command our love, Deut. 6:5. That is the holy fire that is kept glowing and flaming in the heart of one that walks with God, loving him for himself, and for his goodness to us. Desires after him are the breathings of a soul touched with the love of God, tending to perfect enjoyment. And the continual wants and weakness that such a one finds himself compassed with, turn him very naturally to trust and dependence on him.
(3.) Frequent use of ejaculatory prayer, 1 Thes. 5:17. This is that kind of prayer to which we have access at all times, the darting up of a desire to the Lord, whatever be the lawful business we are about, or whatever be our case. And hardly can people be thought to walk with God, that are not frequently sending these swift, though silent, messengers to heaven. We find Jacob, in the midst of his testament, using such a devout ejaculation; Gen. 49:18, "I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord." See Moses's practice, Exod. 14:15, and Nehemiah's, before he answered a king, Neh. 2:4.
Thirdly, We must walk with God in ordinances, Luke 1:6, submitting to, and seeking communion with God in all ordinances as we have access. The ordinances are the banqueting-house of Christ wherein he feasts his people, Cant. 2:4, the galleries wherein the king is held by those that walk with him there, Cant. 7:5. Particularly the communion with God is to be sought and kept up,
1. In secret prayer, Matth. 6:6. We must walk with God in a due and ordinary observance of that kind of prayer. It is a duty wherein the people of God have had as much communion with God as in any other; witness Jacob's experience, Gen. 32:24, and Daniel's, chap. 9:22. The Lord promises his people a particular familiarity with him in that duty; Cant. 7:11, "Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages." And however some may be blythe to get it shifted, yet the truly-exercised would find it hard, nay, they could not at all live without it. And how people can walk with God,
taking it only now and then, and not making conscience of ordinary observing of it, I see not. And indeed people will readily know by their disposition in secret prayer, whether they be in a thriving case or not.
2. In family prayer, Acts 10:2, 3. Never one that gives Christ heartroom, but they will be willing to give him house-room too. And there are none that walk with God themselves, but they would fain all their family walked with God too, Josh. 24:15. And there are none who have gone about it seriously, but must say, that family worship is an ordinance in which God is to be found. Prayer-less families are in a dangerous condition; they are as if the owners should uncover the roofs of them, that wrath may be showered down on them; Jer. 10 ult., "Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name." And I think if people were walking with God in family-duties, they would not lay by the morning-exercise, as many of you do. And what is it that hinders it? What but the weary world? Ye cannot get time for it, because of your business. But are ye not afraid of God's curse on that business that shuts out his worship? And if it should thrive, ye take the way to get leanness to your souls. It looks not like walking with God to stand off from family worship, till they have no other thing ado, and it is a graceless-like thing to offer only that time to God that costs you nothing.
3. In reading of the word, John 5:39. We find the truly-godly have been great lovers of the Bible. O how does David commend it, especially in the 119th psalm, though it was but a small part of it that was written in his time. One that would walk with God, should even walk through the Bible, reading it, and acquainting themselves with the mind of God in it. And ye will see, that whenever persons come to be in earnest exercised about their case, they will very naturally go to their Bibles in quite another manner than they used to do.
4. In extraordinary prayer, setting time apart for it, either in secret, or in families; of which I have spoken before.*
5. In hearing the word. Whenever the Lord puts an occasion of hearing the word in your hand, he says in effect, Come walk with me in the galleries; and "with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation," Isa. 12:3. And every believing soul will reply with David, Psalm 65:4, "Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple." The Sabbath-day is a day of blessing, the preaching of the gospel is the great means for the salvation of sinners, 1 Cor. 1:21. Is it not then a slighting of communion with God, for people to idle away so many Sabbaths at home, in making so little conscience of attending on public ordinances? Read through the whole Bible, and ye will not find a gracious person but was much addicted to the place where his honour dwells, to public ordinances. And I assure you, the godly in some places would wonder if they could have any good in them at all, that can contentedly sit at home, when they are neither sick nor sore, nor have any providential necessity put upon them. It is very observable, Numb. 9:10–13, "that if any man of Israel, or of their posterity should be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he should keep the passover unto the Lord:—but the man that was clean, and was not in a journey, and forebore to keep the passover; even the same soul should be cut off from his people, because he brought not the offering of the Lord in his appointed season." Whence observe, that as those who against their wills are forced to be absent from God's ordinances, may expect the favours of his grace under their affliction; so those who of choice absent themselves, may expect the tokens of his wrath for their sin.
6. Lastly. In the sacrament of the Lord's supper. That is an ordinance especially appointed for communion with God; 1 Cor. 10:16. And it has been so in the experience of many souls. Wherefore it must be strange how those can walk with God, that never set their foot on that holy ground, though they have one opportunity after another.
And if ye would walk with God in these duties, (1.) Ye must make conscience of preparation, even prepare for secret prayer, &c. (2.)
Seek and press forward for communion with God in these ordinances, and take not up with the external work. (3.) Do not take them by starts, but keep an ordinary, as ye have occasion, otherwise ye cannot be said to walk with God in them.
FOURTHLY. We must walk with God in providences. These are his ways wherein he walks towards us, and we must walk with him in them; Hos. 14 ult., "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them." Sometimes he goes with us in the way of smiling, sometimes of cross providences; but whether he take the high road of lifting up, or the low one of downcasting, we are to follow, and walk with him. This lies in these seven things,
1. We must notice his hand in all that we meet with from any hand whatsoever. God guides the world by wisdom, and without him second causes cannot move; Ezek. 1:20. Whether thou meet with a mercy or a cross, say in thine heart, This is the finger of God; Gen. 33:10. The not noticing of this is a spice of atheism, that God is highly displeased with; Psalm 28:5, "Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up." See how the Pagan Chaldeans do with smiling providences; Hab. 1:16, "They sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous." And see what the Philistines say of their afflictions, "It is a chance." But he that walketh with God, takes all out of the Lord's hand.
2. We must accommodate ourselves to the aspect of providence, whether it be shining or louring; Eccl. 7:14. For without this we shew a contempt of providence, which the Lord takes heinously, as you may see by looking to Isa. 22:12–14. We must rejoice in his mercies, and walk soberly and concernedly under the strokes of his hand.
3. We must labour to find out the design of providence. Providence has a voice, and it is a voice of speech which may be understood; Ezek. 1:24. The works of providence are a book which the walker with God labours to read the mind of God in. Merciful dispensations are preachers of repentance, and happy are they that hear their voice; Rom. 2:4. Cross dispensations have a language to the same purpose; Micah 6:9, "The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name; hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it."
To help you to know the particular design of providence in cross dispensations that ye meet with.
(1.) Pray in faith for it, believing that God will discover it to you in the use of means, in his own time; Job 10:2, "Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me." Compare Matth. 21:22, "All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." But take good heed that your souls be truly and honestly laid open to divine instruction, that you be disposed to know it at any rate, though it should touch you in a most sensible part; Psalm 25:9, "The meek will he guide in judgment; and the meek will he teach his way."
(2.) Search for it, as the Israelites did for the accursed thing; Psalm 77:6. Think upon it, in order to find it out. Take a view of your way, what it was before and at the time when ye met with the cross; even as when men have lost any thing, they go back till they come to the place where they are sure they had it.
(3.) Take help of the word in this matter. Consider scripturethreatenings, or examples, that may be apposite to your case. All that you or I meet with is but a fulfilling of the scripture; Hos. 7:12. And as providence gives light to the word, so the word gives light to providence. And thus Moses opened up the meaning of a dark providence to Aaron from the word; Lev. 10:3, "This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me,
and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace."
(4.) Listen to the whispers of conscience under the rod. The sin that under the rod conscience casts most in thy teeth, is very likely to be the sin that God is aiming at, as in the case of Joseph's brethren; Gen. 42:21, who "said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us; and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us." Even as the man that has a sore finger, whatever touches his hand, the finger smarts; an evidence that there his sore lies.
(5.) Consider what sin it is that thou hast had most reproofs for from the word, most checks for by some lesser steps of providence, most challenges for from conscience, and yet thou hast not reformed. That is likely to be it. For God's rods follow his rebukes, as Absalom did with Joab: Jer. 22:21, 22, "I spake unto thee in thy prosperity, but thou saidst, I will not hear; this hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyest not my voice. The wind shall eat up all thy pastures, and thy lovers shall go into captivity, surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness."
6. Lastly. Consider the nature of the stroke or cross, for very readily there is a discernable affinity betwixt sin and the stroke. Sometimes God punishes men in the same kind with their sin, as in the case of Adonibezek; Judg. 1:7. Sometimes in the occasion of their sins, as Eli's indulgence to his children was punished by the death of them. Sometimes their punishment is in what is most contrary to their sin, as David's sin in numbering of the people. Sometimes God measures to us in temporals, as we do to him in spirituals; Hos. 4:12, 13; 1 Cor. 11:30, and several other ways.
One that walks with God will have so much ado with these things, that they should very carefully observe them, for daily practice of taking up God's mind in what they meet with.
4. We must endeavour to comply with the designs of providence; Job 36:10, 11. Providences in favourable dispensations are God's cords of love and bands of a man, whereby he draws sinners to himself. In afflicting dispensations they are God's furnace for melting of souls, that they may take on suitable impressions. And O but it is sad when the effect of all is that; Hos. 11:2, "As they called them, so they went from them." Jer. 6:29, 30, "The bellows are burnt, the lead is consumed of the fire, the founder melteth in vain; for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them." That is a grievous complaint; Jer. 5:3, "Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; they have made their faces harder than a rock, they have refused to return." But he that walketh with God makes it his business to comply with the dispensations of providence in the design of them, to serve the Lord more cheerfully that God is kind to him, and to bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness under afflictions.
5. We must notice the harmony of providences with the word; Psalm 48:8, "As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts." This is the way to get communion with God in providences. And a sweet feast they often afford to those that are thus exercised to discern them; hence, says David; Psalm 92:4, "Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work. I will triumph in the works of thy hands?" and said Jacob to his brother Esau; Gen. 33:10, "Therefore have I seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me." The word is the scheme and draught of the government of the world; and the lines of providence are all drawn accordingly. So that whatsoever thou meetest with, it is an accomplishment of scripture-promises, threatenings and doctrines. And a child of God in applying them thus to the rule, may have sweet communion with God.
6. We must follow the conduct of providence in subserviency to the word, keeping our eye on the promise; Psalm 32:8, "I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee
with mine eye." To separate providence from the word, and then make it a rule, is dangerous; Jonah 1:3. But to follow the conduct of it with an eye to the word, is a notable part of the Christian's walking with God. Providence is the hand of the Lord whereby be opens the way in the wilderness to his people, that they may follow him. And go where they will, as long as they can thus keep their eye on their guide, they may judge themselves in the safest way.
7. Lastly. We must live in the exercise of the graces suitable to the dispensations of providence wherewith we are trysted; Eccl. 7:14. Some dispensations are sweet and comfortable; let us by them be stirred up to love the Lord the more; Psalm 116:1. Let any comfort that we find in the creature be used to enlarge our hearts in thankfulness to, desire of, and cheerfulness in serving the Lord. Some are heavy, and require patience; some dark and doubtful, and require faith. Some take away our created supports, and dry up our cisterns, and put out our candle; and such require trust in the Lord, and to rejoice in him; Hab. 3:17, 18. Thus he that walks with God, follows him whithersoever he goes.
FIFTHLY, We must walk with God in the stations and relations wherein he hath placed us. These are the sphere that God hath given us to move in, in the world. And whoso walks not with God in them, will never please him. There are two pieces of work which a Christian has to do.
1. One for himself, and that is his salvation-work; Phil. 2:12. That is, to secure his eternal welfare in the enjoyment of God, so to make sure his gracious state, to maintain a gracious frame and disposition, by getting incident controversies betwixt God and his soul done away, grace actuated, strengthened, and nourished, till he come to the stature of a perfect man in Christ. This lies in his personal walk.
2. One for God, and that is his generation-work; Acts 13:36. This lies in his relative walk. Whence we may conclude, that so far as a man or woman is defective in their relative duties, so far they are useless for
God, and take up room in the world for no purpose. And so far as they do ill instead of good in their relations, they walk contrary to God. We see how the Lord in the works of nature has joined together the creatures, the sun to shine by day, and the moon by night, the beasts to serve man, and the earth with the products thereof to serve both. The beauty of the world lies in every one's keeping their place, and being serviceable in the place wherein God has set them. And so relations are the joints of society; and they that would walk with God, must walk with him in them.
(1.) We must labour faithfully to discharge the duties of our stations and relations, as under the eye of God, who is our common Overseer, Witness, and Judge; Psalm 101:2. God has shaped out our work to us, whether in the church, commonwealth, or family, wherein some are as eyes, some as hands, and some as feet. Though the work of others may be higher and more honourable than ours, our greatest honour will be to approve ourselves to God in our own part. God observes how every one does his duty, the husband, the wife, the master, the servant. And they that walk with God, will behave themselves in these things as under the eye of God, as well as when they are at prayers; &c. Col. 3:22.
(2.) We must do the duties of our relations under a sense of the command of God. It is not enough that the husband love his wife, or the wife submit herself to her husband, &c., if conscience of duty towards God do not sway them thereto; Eph. 5:21. We must make God our great party in all these things, otherwise we do not walk with God in them. There is no relation one stands in, but God has set them their duty; and so the performance of these duties is as much the trial of our obedience, as the most religions actions we are capable of.
(3.) We must do the duties of our relations with an eye to the real good of our relatives. "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," is the sum of the second table. No man is born for himself but to be serviceable to God and his fellow-creatures; Rom. 15:2. And the more
useful we are to others, the more we serve God, and the more we are like him; for he does good unto all, even unto the unholy and unthankful.
(4.) Lastly. We must do the duties of our relations with an eye to the honour of God; 1 Cor. 10:31. O the dishonour that is done to God by the little conscience that is made of relative duties, by crying relative sins. Should the fabric of the world run into confusion, sun, moon, stars, day and night, go out of their courses, where were the honour of God arising from the beauty of an orderly management of the world? But ah! how often are the foundations in churches, states, and families out of course, and there nothing but disorder and confusion, contention and opposition, every one going out of their course; and so the honour of God, and their own good and comfort lying buried in the ruinous heap? This is walking contrary to God.
This walking with God is particularly noticed concerning Enoch; Gen. 5:22, "And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters." He walked with God in his family, as a father and a husband, in the married state. So if thou be a walker with God, it will appear in the relations wherein thou standest; for grace makes a good husband, a good wife, a good master, a good servant, &c. And the duties of relations will readily try both the reality and strength of grace.
SIXTHLY, We must walk with God in all our actions, whether natural, civil, or religious; 1 Cor. 10:31, "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Religion is to our conversation like salt to meat, necessary to season our whole life, whatever it is that we are about.
First, We must walk with God in our natural actions, such as eating, drinking, sleeping, &c. These are common to us with the beasts; but we must not be like the beasts in the use of them, but walk with God therein. Now, if we would walk with God in these things,
1. We must do them under a sense of the command of God. Eating and drinking, &c., are duties of the sixth command; and therefore we ought to do them because God has said, "Thou shalt not kill." Wherever there is a divine ordinance respecting any natural action, we ought therein to have respect to that ordinance; 1 Tim. 4:4, 5, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." Our bodies are the Lord's, and he binds us by all lawful means to preserve them; and then do men walk with God in these things, while they patch up the mud-wall house under the sense of the command of the owner.
2. We must depend on the Lord for benefit by them; 1 Tim. 4:5. Without the blessing on the means, the end cannot be obtained. Without God our meat cannot nourish us, nor our clothes warm us; so that the emptiness of the creature points us to God at every turn, agreeable to what our Lord says; Matth. 4:4, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." It is no less than spiritual idolatry to overlook the Lord, and look for the benefit from the creature itself; Jer. 17:5; Hos. 4:10. If he would say the word, we might eat and not be filled, sleep and not be refreshed. So that even in these we are called to walk by faith with God, looking for the benefit of God's ordinance and appointment about these things.
3. We must use them for God and his service; as the traveller takes his staff in his hand, not to be a burden or a carriage to him, but to help him on his journey. While the soul is in the body, it has a mighty dependence thereon; and so it is as the horse that must be cared for, to the end we may accomplish the journey; 2 Kings 3:15. So walking with God in these things, would make us use them so, as may most fit us for the work of our Christian calling, haring that as our great scope before our eye.
4. We must keep a holy Christian moderation in these things; Phil. 4:5. We must be like Gideon's lappers, even when waters of a full cup
are set before us. People may easily fall into a sinful eagerness in these things; Gen. 25:30, and sink their hearts into these things, wherein they should only lightly go along with wariness; Luke 21:31, regulating ourselves in the use of them, by what is best to fit us for our salvation and generation-work, which is the true rule of moderation. For the heart must not sit down on them as its end and rest; but pass through them as a means and way; 1 Cor. 7:29–31.
5. We must ascend by the creature unto the Creator, from creaturesweetness to that infinite fulness that is in God; Zech. 9 ult., "How great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty! corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids." Seeing all perfection in the creature is originally from God, it must be in him, and that infinitely. If there be any thing desirable in the streams, it must be more so in the fountain. If the light of the sun be so pleasant to the eyes, be who is light itself must be infinitely more so. Whatever pleasure or delight we find in meat, drink, &c. it points us to God, from whom that sweetness is derived, as drops from the ocean.
6. We must look on them as covenant mercies, and the fulfilment of promises; Deut. 26:3, &c. God has secured our necessary comforts by promise; Isa. 33:16. "Bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure." Psalm 127:2, and 84:11. So when we receive them, we should look on them as such; and then however coarse the meat be, being served up in the dish, not of common providence, but of the covenant, it will have an uncommon sweetness, and we will have communion with God in that which others find no more in than beasts do.
7. Lastly. We must be thankful for all our mercies, unto God as the giver; 1 Thess. 5:18. We must pay to him verbal acknowledgements; Hos. 14:2; Deut. 8:10, and real acknowledgements, serving him in the strength of our mercies, and that cheerfully, as he deals graciously with us in these things. What we have from him must be used for him; Rom. 11 ult.; and the more liberally he deals with us, the more cheerfully ought we to serve him; Deut. 28:47, 48.
Secondly. We must walk with God in our civil actions, such as are competent to men in society, as trading, buying, selling, working, and in a word, managing our worldly business: that as we may not act like beasts in the former, so we may not act as men that know not God in the latter. Now, if we would walk with God in managing of our temporal affairs,
1. We must act in these matters as under a sense of a command or appointment of God in them. God has given each his calling, station, and work; and we are to act therein suitably in obedience to him; 1 Cor. 7:24, doing our proper business as to the Lord, who is our great Master; Eph. 6:7. Thus a man should go about his worldly business, whether for his own or another's advantage because God has said, "Thou shalt not steal;" looking on it as a piece of his duty to God.
2. We must depend on him by faith, for direction in our business; Prov. 3:6. We must pray for it, and trust God for it. Temporal affairs are not excepted; Phil. 4:6, "In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Whence is a dexterity and skill to manage a temporal business, to do a piece of work to purpose without or within doors? Is it not from the Lord? Jam. 1:17, "Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above." Isa. 28:26, "For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him." Common influences of the Spirit are as necessary to the exercise of a gift, as saving influences are to the exercise of grace. Remember the error the princes of Israel fell into; Josh. 9:14, "The men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord;" and Lot's unhappy choice, wherein he did not own God; Gen. 13:11, 12.
3. We must depend on the Lord by faith, for the success of our lawful endeavours; Psalm 127:1. Whatever men undertake with an eye to God in it, they may depend on him for the success of it; Psalm 1:3. An unsanctified confidence of success God often blasts, that he may let all men see in every thing, that "by strength no man shall prevail;" 1 Sam. 2:9, and that "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the
strong;" Eccl. 9:11. And while people torment themselves with anxiety as to events, he brings their fears ofttimes on them, and lets them see, that by taking thought no man can add a cubit to his stature.
4. We must cut and carve in them as may be most for the honour of God and our soul's welfare. This is the great mark that we would always keep in view, and according to which we must steer our course. Our eternal interest is our greatest, and all other interests must vail to it. The honour of God is the sheaf to which all others must bow; and the balance is to be cast on that side always on which these are; Matth. 26:26, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Where is the gain where the foot is lost to save the shoe? The world, with whom gain is godliness, and a penny more or less determines them in their affairs, would have thought Moses a foolish man for missing a good bargain; Heb. 11:24. But he acted even as wisely, as a man who cares not for gaining that pound, in gaining which he must lose a talent. Therefore consider in your worldly affairs, what will be best for your souls.
5. We must deal with men as under the eye of God, a holy jealous God, whether we be masters, servants, neighbours, &c. Eph. 5:15. Be strict and precise observers of common justice, according to the golden rule, "Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them." Whatever occasions you have to do an unjust thing, let the eye of God be a sufficient restraint; Job 31:21–23. Let men pretend to what strictness they will otherwise, while they are not strict in their morals this way, they do more ill to religion, than perhaps they will ever be capable to do good.
6. We must observe Christian moderation in these things; 1 Cor. 7:29, 30. Do not give yourselves wholly to them, to relish nothing but what savours of them, as those of Solomon did; Luke 17:28. Let them not steal away your heart, and justle out religion, like those mentioned, Luke 14:16, &c., but remember still you have greater
business in hand than that; and therefore dip no farther into them, than you may do with safety to your soul's case.
7. Lastly. We must be suitably affected with the providence of God in these things; ascribing the success of our affairs to the Lord, and giving him thanks for blessing the work of our hands; acknowledging disappointments and crosses in them to come from the same hand; taking them kindly as trials wherewith the Lord sees meet to exercise us, and labouring to know and comply with the design of them.
Thirdly, We must walk with God in our religious actions, and so distinguish ourselves from hypocrites, who do the things, pray, hear, &c., but do not walk with God in them. Now, if we would walk with God in religious duties,
1. We must do our duty out of respect to the command of God; Psalm 119:4. We must say in this case, as Simon did in another; Luke 5:5, "At thy word I will let down the net." When people are led to duties from a custom, or some such low principles or motives, they do not walk with God in them. He that walks with God in them, discerns the stamp of divine authority on every duty, and that awes his heart into a compliance therewith.
2. We must seek the honour of God in all we do; John 8:50. And indeed if we be let into a view of his glory in duties, the advancing of it will be our great aim. If thou be in duty with others, let God himself be your scope, and take heed of parting the glory betwixt him and thyself. If thou be alone, seek to give him the glory of all his perfections, by acknowledging of, and carrying as under the impression of, the same.
3. We must go about our duty in his own strength; Zech. 10 ult.; Psalm 71:16, renouncing all confidence in ourselves; 2 Cor. 3:5. No gifts are to be trusted to in this, for they may soon be blasted, and no bare gift can make one act graciously. Nay, habitual grace is not to be trusted to for that end; for the fire not blown cannot give us light.
Actual grace needs still to be preserved and fed, else it will fail. Therefore we must lean on the Lord himself for it; Isa. 45:24. And we must stretch out the withered hand in duty, in hopes of influences from him, and set to sea in confidence of the blowings of the Spirit.
4. We must be spiritual in our duties; John 4:24; Phil. 3:3. One that walks with God will not take up with bodily exercise, or lip-labour; but endeavour after inward worship, which is the work of the heart. This lies in loving, fearing, trusting, desiring, humbling of the heart before him; believing his word, &c. And so he will reckon no more to be done in worship of God, than what is done with the heart.
5. We must seek to enjoy God in duties, and not be satisfied without it; Psalm 27:4. When thou comest to the galleries, let thine aim be to see the King in his glory. And let not the empty chair of state satisfy thy soul; for nothing is sufficient for the soul, but the enjoyment of God himself; Psalm 73:25. And if this be thine aim, thou wilt pursue it, and thurst forward till thou come even to his seat.