Enoch's Character and Translation Explained; with a Description of Walking with God, as That in Which the Life of Religion Lies

Thomas Boston, 1676–1732

Genesis 5:24, "And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him."

IT is too evident, that the generation we live in is in a declining condition; that professors are few, but real Christians fewer by far. Religion with many is turned to be the object of their ridicule; and among those that own it, to merely dry and sapless notions, for the most part. Few now are added to the church, or brought over out of the devil's camp. True godliness languishes, and serious experimental religion wears out. Therefore I would press religion in the life and power of it, on those that would save themselves from this untoward generation.

Here shines the brightest star in the patriarchal age, which having given light to the lower world for a time, was afterwards translated into a higher sphere, and passed out of the world in as un usual a manner as he lived in it. For as men live in the world, so ordinarily they go out of it.

There is a long account here, where nothing is marked but names and numbers, men's living and dying, until we come to Enoch, whose singular piety is recorded. OBSERVE. The life of man is for the most part a vain thing, of which, by the sleeping of some, and the slumbering of others, nothing remains remarkable, but that they I lived and died. But close walking with God serves another and better purpose, than to cause one just fill up room in the world for a while.

From the short history of these antediluvian patriarchs, we may learn one lesson, that will serve us all our days, namely, That we must die, however long we live. It is reported of one, that by hearing this chapter read in the church, he got such an impression of his own death, that he turned religious, that he might die well.

But from the history of Enoch we may learn two lessons. 1. How to live well in this world. 2. The happiness that abides those in another world, who so live here; even eternal happiness of soul and body with the Lord.

In the words there is remarked a real preaching that was given to the old world by Enoch; a life-preaching; for his conversation preached to them, what religion was, and what was their great duty, namely, walking with God; a removal-preaching, (we cannot say his death preached, for he did not die; but his passage out of this world preached), that there is another and a better life with God in another world, both for soul and body. And this is no doubt marked, to show us the mercy bestowed on that generation, that the godly in it might be encouraged, and the wicked left without excuse, while such a bright star shone so fair in that dark age. For it is observable, that his walking with God is twice told, once, verse 22, and here again in the text, in conjunction with his happy removal, giving us a compendious body of divinity, written for the use of that age especially, (not excluding others), in this man's life and translation out of the world. So that God left not himself without a witness in that degenerate age. They not only heard, but saw in him, the power of godliness, and the reward of it too.

OBSERVE, Men will not only have the best instructions and warnings they get from the world, but those they get from the examples of holy men, to answer for in the day of accounts. There are silent preachers, who yet speak home, as Noah, who "being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world;" Hebrews 11:7; and the men, of Nineveh, and the queen of the south, of whom our Lord says, Matthew 12:41, 42, "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here." Examples of a holy life, if they do not lead spectators to Heaven, will drive them more deeply into destruction.

Though it is charitably thought, that all the patriarchs were good men, yet surely the age wherein Enoch lived was a very degenerate and profane age, Methuselah his son died the same year the deluge came on. He lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years. Enoch walked with God three hundred years. So from his translation there were six hundred and sixty-nine to the deluge. Of that they got one hundred and twenty years' warning of the deluge; so that to that time there were but five hundred and forty-nine years. There were none of those here mentioned but they lived more than seven hundred years. And God's Spirit had been long striving with the generation before the last hundred and twenty years. So that we may well reckon that many of those who lived in Enoch's days, were of those God's Spirit had so long striven with, and that were swept away by the deluge; and consequently that it was a very degenerate and profane age he lived in, wherein men had come the length to talk and act boldly against the God that made them, as appears from Jude 14, 15, "Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him."

OBSERVE, Be the times never so bad, it is men's own fault they are bad too. Eminent holiness, and intimate communion with God, may be attained in the worst of limes. While that generation was running to ruin, Enoch walked with God.

The reasons are,

1. Because however men grow worse and worse, Heaven in still as good and bountiful as ever; Isaiah 59:1, 2, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, that he will not hear." God's door still stands open, though the generation conspire to trouble it very little for supply. Our Lord will never shut his door upon his people, because they are few; but it shall stand open as long as there is one that has business in his house; Micah 2:7, "O you that are named the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walks uprightly?"

2. Because those that mind for Heaven, must row against the stream always; and if they do not, they will be called down the stream in the best of times; for, says our Lord, Matthew 11:12, "From the days of John the Baptist, until now, the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." If people will ply the throne of grace, and resolutely set themselves against the epidemic disease of their day, they may keep lively in the midst of a dead crew, though with much difficulty, as our Lord observes; Revelation 3:4, "You have a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments."

3. The badness of the times affords matter to excite God's people the more to their duty, and close walking with God. The profaneness and formality of those they live among, and the dishonor done to God thereby, should be like oil to the flame of their holy love and zeal, as it was to David; Psalm 119:126, 127, "It is time for you, Lord, to work, for they have made void your law. Therefore I love your commandments above gold, yes, above fine gold." The prospect of what must needs be the issue of such apostasy of a generation may also quicken them; even as one is the more concerned to see to his own safety, that the rest of the family are pulling down the house about their own ears; as was the case with Noah, who, among a very wicked and abandoned people, had this character, "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God," Genesis 6:9.

4. Lastly. Because as the Lord shows himself most concerned for the welfare of those who are most concerned for his honor; so the worse the times are, they that cleave to him closely may expect to fare the better, as Noah also did, when the Lord said to him, "Come you, and all your house into the ark: for you have I seen righteous before me in this generation," Genesis 7:1. Moses never had a more glorious manifestation of God, than at the time when the Israelites had fallen into the idolatry of the golden calf, and God was about to destroy the whole nation; as you will find by comparing Exodus 32:10, and chapter 33 and 34.

USE 1. Learn that those who keep not up communion with God, in the life and power of religion, in evil times, are in God's account joined and embarked with the generation of his wrath; and be who they will, they will smart with the rest for it, though they pot not forth their hands to the notorious abominations of the times they live in. Hence is that threatening, Zephaniah 1:12, "It shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees; that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil." It is a heavy word that sets formal hypocrites and profane wretches on one and the same bottom; Psalm 125., "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity."

2. Bad example with its influence will not excuse people before the Lord. While it is no comfort to go to Hell with company, there can be no safety in following a multitude to do evil. What! will men think that because the conspiracy against God and holiness is strong, therefore they may join in it; that because serious godliness is going over the brae, therefore they may give it a push? But we will be to them that give an unhallowed touch to God's wain when it is at the halting.

3. To be complaining of the evil of the times, sighing and going backward in religion, is a fruitless unavailing complaint, neither pleasing to God, nor profitable to one's self. For at no time does religion consist in talking, but in walking with God. And that is but to condemn ourselves out of our own months.

4. Lastly. Let us be exhorted to study the power and reality of religion in these dregs of time. Let us draw the nearer to God, that we see so many going far from him. And as we would not bring the wrath of God on ourselves, let us neither join with a profane generation, nor continue on our lees with a formal dead-hearted generation, strangers to the power of godliness. Consider here,

1. Enoch's holy life in this world.

2. His happy removal into a better world.

FIRST, Let us consider Enoch's holy life in this world; "Enoch walked with God." The Spirit of God puts a special remark on this. It is Enoch's honor, that he did not walk as others did, after their lusts. Yes, he walked more holily and closely with God, than other good men of that age.

OBSERVE 1. God takes special notice of those who are best when others are worst, Genesis 6:9. We see this in the instance of Noah in the old world, and of Lot in Sodom; likewise of those mentioned Ezekiel 9:4, concerning whom the Lord said, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof;" and those taken notice of Malachi 3:16, 17, "Then they that feared the Lord, spoke often I one to another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son that serves him."

1. To be thus argues a sincere spirit, a love to the Lord for himself, and a love to his way for its likeness to himself; that the soul is carried thus to it against the stream of the corruption of the age.

2. It argues not only grace, but the strength of grace. It must be strong faith, love, etc. that so much bear out against the strong temptation to apostasy, arising from the combination of a generation against God and his way. To be holy when the helps to a holy life are least in the world, argues the vigor of grace in the heart.

USE. Labor you then to be best while others are worst, to confront the impiety of the generation wherein you live. Do they indulge themselves in licentiousness? be you the more strict and holy in your walk. Do they take up with mere externals in religion? strive you the rather to get into the inner court, to taste and see, and here to have communion with God.

OBSERVE. 2. It is the honor of a professor of religion, to outdo others in the matter of close walking with God. God himself is glorious in holiness. The more holy one is, the more like is he to God. The liker he is to God, the more honorable is he.

USE 1. This lets us see what would be a blessed emulation among professors, namely, that we were striving who should be most tender, holy, and circumspect. O that that were brought in, in the room of all our strifes and contests about practices and opinions, which eat out the life of religion in our day! But alas! real holiness is little regarded, and therefore little striven for.

2. It must be a godless-like mark in any person, to have the serpentine grudge rise in their breasts against others, as they see them eminent for holy and tender walking. These are the persons most beloved and honored of God; and it looks devilish-like to hate them, and have one's heart rise against them, for that very reason for which God loves them.

In the first part of the words we have,

1. The person characterized; and that is Enoch. There was another of this name descended from Cain, who had a city called after his name; Genesis 4:17. Immortality is desired of all; and because men cannot stave off death, they follow after a shadow of immortality, that at least their name may live when they are gone. Therefore that has been an ancient custom, for men to call their lands after their own names; Psalm 49:11. How much better was it with this Enoch, that took that course to get on him the name of the city of God, which Christ promises to write on all his people? Revelation 3:12. The city called by the name of the other Enoch was destroyed by the deluge, and is now unknown; but the city of God lasts still, and will last forever.

OBSERVE. True piety is the best way to honor, even to true honor. For "the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance," when "the memory of the wicked shall rot."

Enoch signifies dedicated, initiated, instructed. His life answered his name, for he lived as one devoted to the Lord. OBSERVE. It is the duty of those devoted to God by their godly parents, to devote themselves to the Lord. And where grace comes in with good education, it ordinarily makes men famous in their generation, and signally serviceable to God.

He was the seventh from Adam, and a prophet, who foretold the last judgment, even in that early age of the church; Jude 14, above cited. He was like Noah, a preacher of righteousness in his day; and like John Baptist, a burning and shining light, burning in his conversation, shining in his doctrine.

OBSERVE. They that live near God, are most likely to be put upon his secrets, and to know most of his mind; Psalm 25:14, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant."

2. His character; he "walked with God." He lived like a man of another world; a life of close communion with God. It imports,

(1.) That he was really religious; not only religious before men, but before God. OBSERVE. Religion lies inwardly. We are that really which we are before the Lord; Romans 2., "He is a Jew which is one inwardly."

(2.) He was eminently religious. OBSERVE. Men may attain to eminency in religion, in very bad times, by setting the Lord always before them. See here,

1st, What he was; a spiritual traveler through the world; he "walked." Whereas it is said of others, they "lived;" it is said of Enoch, "He walked with God." He looked on himself as a pilgrim and stranger in this present world; Hebrews 11:13, compare verse 5, and did not sit down in it to take up his abode on this side Jordan.

OBSERVE. They that would live a life of communion with God, must live as pilgrims in this world, as travelers through it to a better country.

1. Their hearts must be loosed from the world, bidding an eternal farewell to it as a portion; 1 John 2:15. The heart gone from God naturally sits down on the creature, to suck the sap of it, and to pursue it as its chief good. Now, the first step to the sours thriving, is to lift the heart from the creature, and once fairly to give up with the vain world.

2. They must be fixed on the better country; Hebrews 11:14. They must look to the land that is afar off, resolutely aiming to be there, and therefore habitually keeping it in their eye, as the mark they desire to hit; Philippians 3:20. Thus we shall be heavenly in the frame and disposition of our spirits.

3. They must keep death much in their view, the passage out of this world into the other; Job 14:14, "If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait until my change come." See what a familiarity he had contracted with it; chapter 17:14, "I have said to corruption, You are my father; to the worm, You are my mother and my sister." This is the way to wean our hearts from the world, and to stir us up to converse much with another world.

4. Lastly. They must beware of dipping deep in things of this life, but go through the world lightly, like travelers, who serve themselves with a passing view of those parts they go through; 1 Corinthians 7:29–31, "But this I say, brethren, the time is short. It remains, that both they that have wives, be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it; for the fashion of this world passes away."

The reason is, because the world is one of the great make-bates between God and a soul. And so far as it gets in between God and us, it causes an eclipse of the light of the Lord's countenance.

USE. As ever you would live a life of communion with God, live as pilgrims in this world. The manna never fell from Heaven in the wilderness, until the provision brought from Egypt was spent and done. Deny yourselves to this world, if you would have the taste of things of a better world. When the vessels of your hearts are emptied of the love of the world, the oil of grace will run.

2dly, The company he kept while he was in the way; "He walked with God." He did not walk with the generation he lived in; did not go on with the multitude, thinking it enough to do as they did; but he "walked with God," being a follower of the Lord, keeping his eye on him.

OBSERVE. True religion makes one give up with the way of the world, and set God before them for all. It is the way of strangers from God to follow the course of this world; Ephesians 2:2. They that mind for Heaven, must be nonconformists to the world; Romans 12:2. They must be practical separatists from the world, in life and conversation; Psalm 12:7, as it was with Joshua, who said, chapter 24:15, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

USE 1. See here what a graceless-like thing it is for people to content themselves to be like neighbor 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; Zechariah 3:8. You 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. Verse 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 often 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 Corinthians 15:51, 52, cases parallel to this. He evanished.

OBSERVE. A sudden removal out of the world may befall 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; Hebrews 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 between his removal and that of others, as between 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; Ephesians 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 behooved 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; Ephesians 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; Leviticus 26:21. Hebrews 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, Ezekiel 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 you shall keep my judgments, and do them."

(1.) They are distorted, disjointed, and cannot ply to the way of God; Jeremiah 13:23, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may you 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 forever; Psalm 85, "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, Romans 5:6. We lost our strength in the loins of our first parents, and never recover it until 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, until 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, Hebrews 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. Whoever would walk with God,

1. Must take God for their God in the covenant, Hebrews 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 veiled 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 yourself with him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto you." 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; Hosea 5:6, "They shall go—to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him, he has 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 says, What have you to do to declare my statutes, or that you should take my covenant in your 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 favor 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 a-dealing. Sometimes there are strokes on the body, 1 Corinthians 10:1–6; strokes on the soul, Malachi 1. See how it was with the Israelites in the wilderness; Psalm 106:15, "He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul." Wherefore let us labor 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, Hosea 14:1. Our hearts are turned away from himself; our feet are turned away from his way. We must turn back again before we can walk with him.

1. Our hearts must be brought off the world to God; Canticles 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, Jeremiah 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, etc., off the creature, and set on God.

2. Our hearts must be brought from our lusts to the Lord, from our sins to our Savior; we must say, "That which I see not, teach you 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, Isaiah 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; Jeremiah 31:18–20, "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn you me, and I shall be turned, for you are 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, yes, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spoke against him I do earnestly remember him still, therefore my affections are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, says 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 before we can walk with God. And,

(1.) Out of our self-wisdom, put in the room of Christ as a prophet For thus says God to all that would walk with him, "I will instruct you, and teach you in the way which you shall go; I will guide you with mine eye," Psalm 32:8. Whoever 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, Hebrews 11:8, who, at God's call, went out, not knowing where 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 favor of God. For what stress is laid on them that way, derogates from the honor of him on whom the Father has laid help, and is inconsistent with the character of the true circumcision, Philippians 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 willful, 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, "Your 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 Corinthians 10:5.

Man also naturally goes into himself for strength with which 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 trusts in his own heart is a fool; but whoever walks wisely, he shall be delivered," Proverbs 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, Genesis 16:13, "You God see me," Let us fix on our hearts awful apprehensions of his omniscience and omnipresence, as Psalm 139:7, "Where shall I go from your spirit, or where shall I flee from your presence?" There is a root of Atheism in our hearts that says, "The Lord has forsaken the earth, and the Lord sees not," Ezekiel 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, Hebrews 4:13. His eye is on us where no other eye can see us, yes, 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 with which 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, Romans 14:10. Let us remember and often have in our mind, that word which at length will reach our ears, "Rise you 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, Romans 2:16; Ecclesiastes 12. We can never say there is more than a step between 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, Habakkuk 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 pretenses nor fair colors can deceive. Let us remember when we come there, our crimes cannot be hidden for want of evidence; for the omniscient Judge himself is witness to all, and that omniscience will pierce through all the veils with which we now cloak our sins.

(3.) Let us walk as under the eye of an impartial Judge. He is one that cannot be biased either by feud or favor. 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 abandon our own cause without partiality.

3. Eye him as our Redeemer and Savior; Isaiah 45:22, "Look unto me, and be you 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; Isaiah 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 hidden all the guilt of our walk. It reaches deep and extends very far, Psalm 86:13, "Great is your mercy toward me: and you have 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; Isaiah 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, Hebrews 12:22, 24. If you have come up into Christ's chariot of the covenant, the covering of it is a covert of purple, that is ever over your head. When conscience is wounded with guilt, it is like a thorn got into the foot of the traveler, who can walk no more until it be drawn out, Hebrews 9:14.

4. Eye him as the fountain of strength, Isaiah 45:24, forfeited. 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 traveler 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; Hebrews 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 your Lord, and worship you him." See how the spouse comes out of the wilderness walking with God, even leaning on him as her Head and Husband; Canticles 8:5. We must walk with him, as obedient servants with a master, dutiful subjects with a king, etc. Whoever others serve, let it be our resolution to serve the Lord; Joshua 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, yes, twice, yet men regard it not."

(2.) To do his bidding; "Lord, what will you 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 you 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 Corinthians 7:34, to give content to the heart of Christ in whatever we do; Colossians 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 your ear; forget also your own people, and your father's house."

6. Lastly. Eye him as our chief end. As he who 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." Romans 11., "For of him, and through him, and to him are all things; to whom be glory forever. Amen." This implies two things,

(1.) Aiming at his glory in all things; 1 Corinthians 10:31. We must make that the great scope of all our actions, and of our whole life. He who walks with God displaces self, which is the dead sea into which all our actions naturally run, and sets up the honor of God instead thereof; reckoning his life no more useful in the world than it tends to the honor 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 you would walk with God,

(1.) You 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. You must not stay in the shell, nor in the outer court; but seek to believe, taste, and feel; Psalm 34:8. You must seek him in providences; Psalm 94:4, merciful and favorable, smiling and frowning. He will be the sap of mercies to the walker with God; Genesis 33:10, and they will see his name in cross dispensations; Micah 6:9.

(2.) You must seek to enjoy him in Heaven hereafter. If you walk through the world with God, you will walk as pilgrims bound for another and better country, keeping that in your view as your only rest; Hebrews 11:13, 16. He who 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;" Hosea 11:10, "following the Lord;" Numbers 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 you 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; Hebrews 11:5. God is a Spirit, and our souls are spirits. The way of communion between 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; Galatians 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; Hebrews 11:13. He who walks with God, does not only believe the great leading promises of the covenant, of God himself 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 Corinthians 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; Proverbs 3:9, 10, etc.

(3.) Believing his threatenings; Hebrews 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. David was not of a servile legal spirit, when he says, Psalm 119:120, "My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your 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 labors 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 your 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, Malachi 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 backslidden condition that begins to forget him; Jeremiah 2:32. Yes, 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, etc. He is the chief good and the best of beings, which should ever command our love, Deuteronomy 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 Thessalonians 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; Genesis 49:18, "I have waited for your salvation, O Lord." See Moses' practice, Exodus 14:15, and Nehemiah's, before he answered a king, Nehemiah 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, Canticles 2:4, the galleries wherein the king is held by those that walk with him there, Canticles 7:5. Particularly the communion with God is to be sought and kept up,

1. In secret prayer, Matthew 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, Genesis 32:24, and Daniel's, chapter 9:22. The Lord promises his people a particular familiarity with him in that duty; Canticles 7:11, "Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages." And however some may be happy 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 heart-room, but they will be willing to give him house-room too. And there are none that walk with God themselves, but they would gladly all their family walked with God too, Joshua 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; Jeremiah 10., "Pour out your fury upon the heathen that know you not, and upon the families that call not on your 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? You cannot get time for it, because of your business. But are you not afraid of God's curse on that business that shuts out his worship? And if it should thrive, you take the way to get leanness to your souls. It looks not like walking with God to stand off from family worship, until 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 you 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 you draw water out of the wells of salvation," Isaiah 12:3. And every believing soul will reply with David, Psalm 65:4, "Blessed is the man whom you chose, and causes to approach unto you, that he may dwell in your courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, even of your 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 Corinthians 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 you will not find a gracious person but was much addicted to the place where his honor 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, Numbers 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 forbore 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 favors 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 Corinthians 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 you would walk with God in these duties,

(1.) You must make conscience of preparation, even prepare for secret prayer, etc.

(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 you have occasion, otherwise you 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; Hosea 14., "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 whatever. God guides the world by wisdom, and without him second causes cannot move; Ezekiel 1:20. Whether you meet with a mercy or a cross, say in your heart, This is the finger of God; Genesis 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; Habakkuk 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 who walks 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; Ecclesiastes 7:14. For without this we show a contempt of providence, which the Lord takes heinously, as you may see by looking to Isaiah 22:12–14. We must rejoice in his mercies, and walk soberly and concernedly under the strokes of his hand.

3. We must labor to find out the design of providence. Providence has a voice, and it is a voice of speech which may be understood; Ezekiel 1:24. The works of providence are a book which the walker with God labors to read the mind of God in. Merciful dispensations are preachers of repentance, and happy are they that hear their voice; Romans 2:4. Cross dispensations have a language to the same purpose; Micah 6:9, "The Lord's voice cries unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see your name; hear you the rod, and who has appointed it."

To help you to know the particular design of providence in cross dispensations that you 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, "Show me wherefore you contend with me." Compare Matthew 21:22, "All things whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you 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 you met with the cross; even as when men have lost anything, they go back until they come to the place where they are sure they had it.

(3.) Take help of the word in this matter. Consider scripture-threatenings, or examples, that may be apposite to your case. All that you or I meet with is but a fulfilling of the scripture; Hosea 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; Leviticus 10:3, "This is it that the Lord spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come near 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 your teeth, is very likely to be the sin that God is aiming at, as in the case of Joseph's brethren; Genesis 42:21, who "said one to another, We are truly 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 you have had most reproofs for from the word, most checks for by some lesser steps of providence, most challenges for from conscience, and yet you have not reformed. That is likely to be it. For God's rods follow his rebukes, as Absalom did with Joab: Jeremiah 22:21, 22, "I spoke unto you in your prosperity, but you said, I will not hear; this has been your manner from your youth, that you obey not my voice. The wind shall eat up all your pastures, and your lovers shall go into captivity, surely then shall you be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness."

6. Lastly. Consider the nature of the stroke or cross, for very readily there is a discernable affinity between 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; Hosea 4:12, 13; 1 Corinthians 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 endeavor to comply with the designs of providence; Job 36:10, 11. Providences in favorable 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; Hosea 11:2, "As they called them, so they went from them." Jeremiah 6:29, 30, "The bellows are burnt, the lead is consumed of the fire, the founder melts in vain; for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord has rejected them." That is a grievous complaint; Jeremiah 5:3, "You have stricken them, but they have not grieved; you have 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 who walks 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, "You, Lord, have made me glad through your work. I will triumph in the works of your hands?" and said Jacob to his brother Esau; Genesis 33:10, "Therefore have I seen your face, as though I had seen the face of God, and you were 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 whatever you meet 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 you, and teach you in the way which you shall go; I will guide you 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 with which we are tried; Ecclesiastes 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; Habakkuk 3:17, 18. Thus he who walks with God, follows him wherever he goes.

FIFTHLY, We must walk with God in the stations and relations wherein he has placed us. These are the sphere that God has given us to move in, in the world. And whoever 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; Philippians 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 between God and his soul done away, grace actuated, strengthened, and nourished, until 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 labor 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 honorable than ours, our greatest honor 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; etc. Colossians 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, etc., if conscience of duty towards God do not sway them thereto; Ephesians 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. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," is the sum of the second table. No man is born for himself but to be serviceable to God and his fellow-creatures; Romans 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 honor of God; 1 Corinthians 10:31. O the dishonor 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 honor 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 honor 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; Genesis 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 you be a walker with God, it will appear in the relations wherein you stand; for grace makes a good husband, a good wife, a good master, a good servant, etc. 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 Corinthians 10:31, "Whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatever you 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, etc. 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, etc., are duties of the sixth command; and therefore we ought to do them because God has said, "You shall not kill." Wherever there is a divine ordinance respecting any natural action, we ought therein to have respect to that ordinance; 1 Timothy 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 Timothy 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; Matthew 4:4, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds 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; Jeremiah 17:5; Hosea 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 traveler 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; Philippians 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; Genesis 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 Corinthians 7:29–31.

5. We must ascend by the creature unto the Creator, from creature-sweetness to that infinite fullness that is in God; Zechariah 9., "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 anything 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, etc. 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 fulfillment of promises; Deuteronomy 26:3, etc. God has secured our necessary comforts by promise; Isaiah 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 Thessalonians 5:18. We must pay to him verbal Acknowledgments; Hosea 14:2; Deuteronomy 8:10, and real Acknowledgments, 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; Romans 11; and the more liberally he deals with us, the more cheerfully ought we to serve him; Deuteronomy 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 Corinthians 7:24, doing our proper business as to the Lord, who is our great Master; Ephesians 6:7. Thus a man should go about his worldly business, whether for his own or another's advantage because God has said, "You shall 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; Proverbs 3:6. We must pray for it, and trust God for it. Temporal affairs are not excepted; Philippians 4:6, "In everything 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? James 1:17, "Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above." Isaiah 28:26, "For his God does instruct him to discretion, and does 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; Joshua 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; Genesis 13:11, 12.

3. We must depend on the Lord by faith, for the success of our lawful endeavors; 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 everything, that "by strength no man shall prevail;" 1 Samuel 2:9, and that "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong;" Ecclesiastes 9:11. And while people torment themselves with anxiety as to events, he brings their fears often 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 honor 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 veil to it. The honor 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; Matthew 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; Hebrews 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, neighbors, etc. Ephesians 5:15. Be strict and precise observers of common justice, according to the golden rule, "Whatever you would that men should do unto you, do you 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 Corinthians 7:29, 30. Do not give yourselves wholly to them, to relish nothing but what savors of them, as those of Solomon did; Luke 17:28. Let them not steal away your heart, and jostle out religion, like those mentioned, Luke 14:16, etc., 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 with which the Lord sees meet to exercise us, and laboring 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, etc., 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 your 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 who 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 honor 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 you be in duty with others, let God himself be your scope, and take heed of parting the glory between him and yourself. If you 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; Zechariah 10; Psalm 71:16, renouncing all confidence in ourselves; 2 Corinthians 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; Isaiah 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; Philippians 3:3. One that walks with God will not take up with bodily exercise, or lip-labor; but endeavor 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, etc. 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 you come to the galleries, let your aim be to see the King in his glory. And let not the empty chair of state satisfy your soul; for nothing is sufficient for the soul, but the enjoyment of God himself; Psalm 73:25. And if this be your aim, you will pursue it, and thurst forward until you come even to his seat.

6. We must carry in duties as under the eye of God, in a special manner; Psalm 89:7, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints; and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him." That looseness of heart, whereby it wanders here and there at duty, proceeds from the want of a due fear of God upon the soul; and is most contrary to walking with God; Jeremiah 12:2, "You are near in their mouth, and far from their reins." The fixing of the heart under the impressions of his awful presence, that so the soul may carry suitably before him, is to sanctify the Lord in our heart; Leviticus 10:3.

7. We must be frequent in duties; 1 Thessalonians 5:17. They that walk with God are frequent in solemn duties; but in the interval of these they will be taken up with others of a less solemn nature, such as thinking, meditation on God, ejaculations, etc. And thus they will be readily kept in tune for the return of the more solemn duties. And indeed people then cease to walk with God, when they begin to be more remiss and infrequent in solemn duties, and to be less careful of the frame of their hearts in the interval.

8. We must let new occurrences send us to our duty. This has been the practice of walkers with God, that whatever they have met with remarkable, it sent them to God? and "therefore," says the prophet, "I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me;" Micah 7:7. And where can a gracious heart have such a vent, as before the Lord, whatever it be full of, whether joy or grief?

9. Lastly. We must observe the fruit of our duties; Psalm 5:3, carefully notice what speed we come in our applications to the throne; and what effect God's speaking upon his throne has upon us. This is communion with God, to be sending word to, and receiving word from Heaven; to be importing something thither in duties and the exercise of grace, and to be exporting something thence for the spiritual enriching of the soul.

THIRDLY, I shall consider walking with God in the properties thereof. Walking with God is religion; and it is,

1. Practical religion, religion in deed, not in word only; and there is no other sort of religion that will bring us to Heaven; hence says our Lord; John 13:17, "If you know these things, happy are you if you do them." Talk as we will, if we do not walk with God, we are naught. Jacob dissembling with his father was the lively emblem of a hypocrite, the voice Jacob's, the hands Esau's. There is a great difference between saying and doing in religion. The former is easy, the latter is difficult.

(1.) One may talk well of God and the things of God, and yet have nothing of the truth of religion. He may have a clear head in matters of religion, that has a dark heart; he may have a ready tongue to speak of them, whose feet are shackled with divers lusts, that he cannot walk in the way he speaks of; 1 Corinthians 13:2. How many are ready in the history of the Bible, that are strangers to the mystery of practical godliness? It is said of Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, that people were chained to her rather by the ear than by the eyes. So many, if you hear them speak, they are something; but if you look to their life, they are naught.

(2.) One may talk well for God, and yet have nothing of the truth of religion. But though they talk for him, they walk contrary to him. A man may preach for God, and teach others the way, that yet he never sets his foot on himself; Matthew 23:4. Being like a boatman that ferries others over the water, but still with his own back towards the shore. Both ministers and professors may contend zealously for the faith of doctrine, while they are utter strangers to the life of faith; like a physician prescribing remedies to others, while himself is dying of his disease, without applying of proper remedies.

(3.) One may talk well to God, that yet never walks with him. Many speak fair to the Lord, whose walk is ever foul, never cleansed; as in Israel's case; Deuteronomy 5:27, 29. Fair professions, resolutions, promises, are often seen going up as dust. Look to their words, they are like Napthali giving goodly words, but still as Rachel, though beautiful yet barren; Matthew 7:21, "Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven."

But religion being a practical thing, let no man think he has begun to be religious, until he come to practice; James 2:16, 17.—"faith, if it has not works, is dead being alone."

2. It is inward and heart religion; 1 Peter 3:4. They that have no religion but what is visible to the world, have no true religion; for God is the invisible God, and walking with him must be so too; Romans 2:28, 29, "He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God." It may be very hard to make any difference between the life of a hypocrite and a sincere person; when the thread of hypocrisy is fine spun, it may pass the skill of the best discerner to discover it. And therefore one that walks with God, has a view beyond what he can see in others, or others can see in him. You must distinguish between two things in religion.

(1.) The shell of it; and that is all you can see of my religion, or I of yours. This shell is religious bodily exercise, preaching, praying, works of piety, justice, mercy, and charity; 1 Tim 4:8. These things are not very frequent in the world; but at the great day many of them will be found like deaf nuts, which being cracked and their inside discovered, are cast into the fire.

(2.) The kernel of it; and that is what none can see but God and their own consciences that have it; and that is soul-exercise, heart-work; 1 Timothy 4:7; Acts 24:16. That only is godliness, and not the other. Preaching and praying, though it were with tears and the greatest seeming seriousness, is not godliness; it is the faith, fear, love, humiliation of heart, hatred of sin, resignation to the will of God, and conformity of the heart to his mind, which is in the preaching or prayer, that is religion in God's account. It is not the works of piety, etc., themselves, but the love to God for his own sake, and love to our neighbor for his, the holiness of the principle, manner, motives, ends that is in these works, that is religion. The bodily exercise is but the vehicle, in which these sacred drops are taken.

Let no man deceive himself. No kernel grows without a shell, and none can have the power of godliness without the form of it; but there is many a shell without a kernel, and much form where there is nothing of the power.

3. It is heavenly religion; Philippians 3:20. According to men's state and their nature, so will their actions be; for as is the tree, so will the fruit be. The heart of man, according as grace or corruption reigns in it, will tincture everything that comes through it. Hence a natural man's very religion is carnal and earthly; James 3:15. His best things in religion smell of the earth. If a gale blow at any time on his soul, it rises low; if he sorrow for sin, it is the sorrow of the world; if he offer fire, it is strange fire. On the other hand, religion tinctures the very natural actions of one that walks with God; for this is a walking as one of another world.

Walking with God is indeed walking like one of the other world, namely, the upper world. The man conforms no more to the way of this world; Romans 12:2, keeps no more its course; Ephesians 2:2, but is coming through it as a pilgrim, and coming out of it; Canticles 4:8. And,

(1.) His root in this lower world is loosed, that he may be in due time transplanted into the upper world. The believer is no more one of the "world's own;" John 15:19. There is a certain sweetness to a man in his native soil; and so there is to natural men in the world, they are rooted in it by the greedy gripe their hearts take of it; Psalm 17:14. But when grace comes, that gripe is loosed, and fixes on Heaven; and so that sweetness goes off, and the world turns the weary land to him; Isaiah 32:2. They do not find that sweet in it which others find, and which they themselves sometimes found in it. Their hearts are on the way-gate.

(2.) The other world is the main thing he has in view; 2 Corinthians 4:18. While the present world bears most bulk in the eyes of others, the world to come bears most bulk in the eyes of those that walk with God. That is their designed and desired rest, that sways them in the course of their life; their desires, hopes, and endeavors center there. They overlook, and put on a holy regardlessness both of the good and ill of the present world, if by any means they may escape the ill of the world to come, and attain the good thereof. The purchase they design lies there.

(3.) He is making way to the other world, as a man on his journey; Canticles 8:5; not only by the course of nature, as all others, but in heart and affections, by which the soul moves; hence the apostle says, Philippians 1:23, "I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better." It is true, when grace is not in exercise, a believer may be for building tabernacles here, he may be very unwilling to pass over Jordan; but then he is not walking with God, but standing still. Sometimes when believers are in the dark as to their state, or for some other reasons, they may be crying, as Psalm 39:13, "O spare me, that that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more." Nevertheless there is never a groan they give under the body of death, never a desire they have of perfection of holiness, but there is enrapt up in it a desire to be with Christ, which is best of all.

(4.) He is conforming himself to the fashions of the other world; Psalm 45:10. It is his own country, being born from above; he is a pilgrim here, and therefore a man wondered at, as one of strange fashions. He sets himself to be like God in holiness, for that is the happiness of those that are above. As men serve an apprenticeship in a trade, that afterwards they may set up in it; so the life of a walker with God is an apprenticeship in holiness here, to set up in glory hereafter.

(5.) Lastly. He draws his great comfort from the unseen things of another world; Hebrews 11:27. The apostle will have those in the Christian race to look off to Christ, "who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God;" Hebrews 12:2. When this world smiles, his chief encouragement is not from it, but from the other world. When it frowns, thence is his support; Hebrews 10:18. This has made the saints choose rather poverty and reproach, confinement, banishment, prisons, and death, than to act against the laws of Heaven; and to undergo these joyfully, while the world wondered how they could bear up under them.

4. It is lively and active religion, being a walking with the living God, wherein there is not only grace, but grace in exercise; Canticles 1:12, That is a remarkable character given to Christians; 1 Peter 2:5, "You also as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house." What? "Stones," and yet "lively? Lively," and yet "stones?" Yes. The power of godliness is a compound of these two. It makes men lively in God's matters, yet as stones for solidity; solid, yet active, such as their spirits will stir within them in these matters. There are three sorts that cannot be walkers with God,

(1.) Dead people; they must be borne to their place, for they cannot go. Unregenerate graceless people cannot walk with God. What is the reason that so few walk with God. Why, truly the most part of gospel-hearers are dead people; Ephesians 2:2; and until they be raised out of the grave of a natural state, it is not to be expected of them. There was a great cry in Egypt while one was dead in every family; but alas! there are many so in many families.

(2.) Sleeping people; they are not fit for walking; and sleeping Christians cannot walk with God; Canticles 5:2. Sometimes the saints are going pleasantly on their way in the exercise of grace; their desires, love, faith, etc., are awake and stirring. But though unwatchfulness, security creeps on; and then they must lie down, they can go no further, until the Lord waken them; Matthew 25:5. And this is one reason why there are so many that have the root of the matter in them, who are not walking with God at this day.

(3.) Lame and wounded people, that have got broken bones by some grievous fall into sin; Psalm 51:8. They that have a thorn of guilt in their conscience, cannot walk until it be drawn out. For the conscience is defiled, the power of grace is weakened, the soul's communion with God marred; and they cannot recover their liveliness until they make new application of the blood of Christ, and renew their repentance.

5. It is regular religion, and uniform; for he who walks with God must needs walk by a constant rule, eyeing him not in some things only, but in all; Galatians 6:16; Psalm 16:8. He gives one rule of walking, extending to man's whole conversation; and so he who walks with him, walks regularly, aiming at a holy niceness, preciseness, and exactness, in conformity to that rule in all things; Ephesians 5:15, [Gr. Noticing carefully the prints of his feet with whom be walks.] Now this imports,

(1.) A design and fixed purpose in religion, namely, a purpose of conformity to God in it; Acts 11:23.—"and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." The words are emphatic, "that they would cleave unto the Lord," abide by his side; "with purpose of heart," laid down and determined beforehand. A man may do a good thing in religion, which yet will not be reckoned good indeed to him; because though he did it, he had no mind to please God in it. Religion's chance customers will never be esteemed walkers with God; Leviticus 26 "walking contrary;" [Hebrews By accident, at all adventures.]

(2.) A constancy in religion, in opposition to wavering; Hebrews 10:23. Hither and thither in religion is not walking with God, who "is of one mind, and who can turn him?" Job 23:13. They that walk with men, or according to their own affections and inclinations, it is no wonder to see them at one time destroying what at another time they were building up; of one way in religion today, and another tomorrow; for these are changeable like the moon. But walking with God, people would go even forward, and keep their way they were on; neither going off on the right hand, because others go off at the left; nor going off at the left, because others go off at the right; Proverbs 4:25–27.

(3.) An evenness in religion, in opposition to a detestable uneveness; Matthew 23:23. To run with vigor in the lesser things of religion, and move like a snail in the greatest matters of it, is not walking with God. A wide conscience in substantial, and a narrow one in circumstantials, is a conscience of a profane and godless make and mold; hence is that intimation; Hosea 6:6, "I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God, more than burnt-offerings." A sincere conforming of ourselves to the duties required in the ten commands, summed up in love to God and our neighbor, is true holiness. Instituted ordinances are the means of holiness, which will be laid aside in Heaven, when perfection in holiness is obtained. Now to be hot in these last, and cold in the other, is as detestable as to be concerned to give meat to your neighbor, while in the meantime you stab him to the heart, to take away his life.

(4.) A universalness in religion; Psalm 119:6. He who makes no bones of balking some steps, walks not with God. They that confine their religion to their religious actions, and extend it not to their natural and civil actions, have no religion at all. What does it avail to pretend to a tenderness of conscience in one thing, and yet in other things to swallow a camel; to a tenderness in dealing with God, while no tenderness appears in their dealings with men? Psalm 119:128; Matthew 23:24. This is one of the causes of atheism and contempt of religion in the generation; Romans 2:23, 24, "You that make your boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonor you God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, through you, as it is written."

6. It is laborious and painful religion; for it is no easy life they have whose trade it is to walk on their feet; Hebrews 6:10. And it is no easy religion to walk with God. Religion is not a business of saying, but doing; not of doing carelessly, but carefully, painfully, and diligently. If you would be religious indeed, you mast put to your hands to work, set down your feet to walk, run the Christian-race, ply all your strength to strive to enter in at the strait gate, wrestle with all your might against principalities and powers, etc. This will be evident, if you consider these following things, (for an easy religion is the ruin of many).

(1.) Consider the scripture-notions of walking with God, in which the life of religion lies, and you will see they imply laboriousness. It is a working and laboring; John 6:27, "Labor not for the meat which perishes, but for that meat which endures unto everlasting life;" [Gr. work.] Here he who works not, shall not eat. It is not only a working, but a "working out;" Philippians 2:12, a bringing the work to perfection, otherwise what is wrought will be lost; 2 John 8. Some labor is easier than other; but religion is compared to that which is the hardest labor.

[1.] It is compared to the husbandman's work, which is no easy labor, ploughing, sowing, reaping; Hosea 10:12, "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground." There is no ground so hard to labor, as the hard heart is to the spiritual gardener. No ground does so quickly and incessantly bring forth thorns and briers as the corrupt nature. And whereas the gardener for ordinary finds his work as he leaves it, the Christian rarely finds it so.

[2.] To the soldier's labor; 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought a good fight." He must watch while others sleep and take their ease, otherwise the enemy will be upon him. He must fight, he must not flee, but so fight as to overcome his spiritual enemies; Revelation 3:21. He must pursue; Hebrews 12:14, namely, as one follows a flier, until he catch him. Heaven must be taken by storm; Matthew 11:12. The gate is strait, there is no entering with ease; men must press into it, else they cannot come thither; Luke 16:16.

[3.] To the wrestler's labor; Ephesians 6:12, such as makes all the body to shake again, ðáëç. They must put forth their utmost strength, as those that are agonizing, wrestling with death; Luke 13:24. This the Christian finds in wrestling with strong lusts and violent temptations.

[4.] To the runner's labor in a race; Hebrews 12:1. That requires patience and great eagerness; Philippians 3:13, 14; for they must so run as to obtain the prize; 1 Corinthians 9:24.

(2.) Consider the way the Christian has to walk in towards Immanuel's laud, and you will see that religion is a laborious business. For,

[1.] It is a difficult way; though plain in itself, yet to us it is difficult to know; Canticles 1:7, 8. How much precious time do the travelers spend in disputing which is the way, that might be better improved in going forward? Nay, many spend all their days in disputing about the way, until the sun go down on them, and night overtake them, before they have begun to set off. Many mistake the way quite and clean; Ecclesiastes 10:15, some going in the way of bare morality, some of drowsy wishes, and some of formality, etc. And many good Christians in the way are brought to that pass, that they know not where to set down the next step; but have hard work to know the road they should take.

[2.] It is a wilderness way, and therefore very solitary; Canticles 3:6. Canaan was a type of Heaven, and to it the Israelites came through the waste howling wilderness, where they had many a weary step. An emblem of the way to Heaven. There the Christian often suffers hunger and thirst, there he is bit with fiery serpents, there he is attacked by furious enemies, and there he has the Jordan of death to pass.

[3.] It is a rising, an upward way; Canticles 8:5. The way of sin is down the hill, easy, and therefore much frequented. But the way to glory lies up the hill; and hence so many are frightened from it at first sight; and many that seem to set fair off once, are quickly out of breath, and so retire. The temple, a type of Heaven, was situate on a hill, Moriah; 1 Kings 10:5. Much hard travel had some of the Jews before they got to Jerusalem, Psalm 84:6, 7; and when they came there, they had the hill of God to ascend into; Psalm 24:3.

(3.) Consider what he has to walk through, that walks with God in the way of the life of religion. He will meet with troops of opposition, but he must break through them all. They must walk through,

[1.] Opposition from the devil; 1 Peter 5:8, 9. No sooner does a soul set on the way of God in earnest, but the armies of Hell are set in battle-array against him. The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the way," etc., but the Christian resolutely walks forward. But it is hard work when a poor Christian is engaged with a malicious and subtle devil, that has had five thousand years' experience of the black are of temptation.

[2.] Opposition from the world. The world agents the devil's cause for him, and never ceases to take the ill cause of the dragon against Michael by the end. But they that mind for Heaven, must set their face against the storm, and weather all the blasts that come from that quarter. They will not want the counsel of the ungodly, but they must refuse it; Psalm 1:1; the mockeries of the wicked, but they must despise them; Psalm 119:51. Nay, sometimes it comes to persecution, and resisting even to blood; but they that walk with God, must go through even a sea of blood when called; Matthew 16:15. Daniel would not leave his prayers for thirty days, when praying was death by the law; Daniel 6:7, 10.

[3.] Opposition from their own hearts' lusts. A man's enemies are those of his own heart; Rom 7:24. Sometimes the false heart will be saying within the man, "Arise and let us. go back to Egypt;" sometimes with Peter, "Master, spare yourself;" sometimes with Judas, "What needs all this waste?" sometimes with Pharaoh, "I will not let you go." But the Christian must, over the belly of all these, walk forward; Matthew 11:12, "The kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."

(4.) Consider what he has to walk over. There are some things in the Christian's way to Heaven, which it may be he cannot get through, but he must go over them.

[1.] Over the belly of discouragements, Hebrews 10:35. Satan plies the engine of discouragement with all his force, and often mightily prevails by it, to make the Christian halt in his Christian course. And they may long sit still, if they mind to sit until they be removed. Nay, they must even break over them and go forward, though it be hard labor to get over them, saying with David, Psalm 42:5, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted in me? hope you in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance."

[2.] Over the belly of stumbling-blocks laid in the way, Matthew 18:7. The world is ruined by offences. Some give the offence, and others take it; that is, some fall in the way, and others cannot go by the stumbling-block, but break their necks over it. But he who walks with God, when he cannot get them removed out of the way, he goes over them; but will not go off his way for them, as people generally do; Job 17:9, "The righteous shall hold on his way, and he who has clean hands shall be stronger and stronger."

[3.] Over the belly of their credit and reputation sometimes. Many a time a Christian must make a stepping stone of his credit, to follow his duty; as David did, when he said unto Michal, "I will yet be more vile than thus, and I will be base in mine own sight," 2 Samuel 6:22. And it is a general rule in the practice of godliness, that they must be fools who will be wise. That is hard; but sometimes they must even make a stepping-stone of their reputation with carnal and untender professors, and lay their account with their obloquy and reproach for following their duty, as you may see Matthew 26:7–10.

[4.] Over the belly of their affections and inclinations. It was Levi's commendation, "Who said unto his father and unto his mother, I have not seen him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children," Deuteronomy 33:9. They have little sense of practical religion, that do not see they must put the knife to the throat of their own inclinations and affections many times, to follow duty laid before them by the Lord. These are not the rule of our walk; but they that walk by their own inclinations and affections, walk not with God, but walk as they that are "sensual, not having the Spirit." And this is hard work, and so much the harder when they meet altogether, as sometimes they do in the case of the godly.

(5.) Lastly, Consider the little strength we have to walk with; 2 Corinthians 3:5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves." We got all of us a bruise in the loins of our first parents. Even such as walk with God are healed but in part, the broken bones are but beginning to knit. Well, if the iron be blunt, he must put to the more strength; the less one has, he mast make the better use of it. All these considerations show that religion is a laborious and painful business.

Well, Sirs, a slothful easy religion is a dangerous business. Take heed to it; it will not be found walking with God. The sluggard is lost by his own sloth; he "will not plow by reason of the cold," says Solomon; "therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing," Proverbs 20:4. He is the unprofitable servant; see his doom, Matthew 25:26–30, "Cast you the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." He is unprofitable to himself, for he neglects his salvation-work; unprofitable to his Master, for he neglects his generation-work. Mark the sentence; he loved darkness to sleep in, he shall have his fill of it, "outer darkness." For carnal mirth, he shall "weep." He would not work because of the cold, in Hell he shall "gnash his teeth."

7. It is self-denied religion; Matthew 16:24, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself." Thus our Lord Jesus walked when he was in the world; and "he who says he abides in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked," 1 John 2:6. Self-denial is one of the first lessons that Christ puts in the hands of his scholars, and they have need of it in practice through the whole of their conversation. In the religion of walkers with God these two things are remarkable, laboriousness and self-denial, which sweetly meet together in it, as the wings of the cherubim over the ark.

(1.) Laboriousness, working as if they were to win Heaven thereby, 1 Corinthians 9:24, following holiness with all eagerness, as knowing that Heaven is not given to loiterers, but laborers; and endeavoring to take the New Jerusalem as by storm. For walking with God, they look on themselves as under his eye, and therefore ply their salvation and generation-work. And the love of Christ constrains them to be serviceable to him, and to ply themselves for conformity to his image.

(2.) Self-denial.

[1.] Overlooking their work and labor, as if God had not required it, putting no confidence in it before the Lord, nor valuing themselves upon it in his sight, Philippians 3:3; but laying the whole stress of their acceptance with God on the merits of Christ. This must needs be so; for,

(1.) He who walks with God is acquainted with the holiness and spotless purity of himself, the exceeding breadth of his law, and the jealousy of his Holy Spirit; and therefore he cannot miss to see the imperfections of his best works in these bright glasses, and say as Psalm 19:12, "Who can understand his errors?" and 130:3, "If you, Lord, should mark iniquities: O Lord, who shall stand?"

(2.) He honors the Son, living by faith in him, Galatians 2:20. And that is one's going out of himself for all to Jesus Christ, out of his own ill in point of practice and self-loathing, and out of his own good in point of confidence, Isaiah 64:6.

[2.] Overlooking their own strength for working, as mere weakness, 2 Corinthians 3:5. Self-denial makes one go out of himself for sanctification to the Spirit of Christ, as well as for justification to his blood, 1 Corinthians 1:30; Isaiah 45:24. For walking with God is a walking and leaning on him to be carried on the way, Canticles 8:5; a staying one's self upon him, as the traveler does upon his staff. This must needs be so; for,

(1.) Whoever tries the way of walking with God, will quickly find he is not man enough for the opposition he will meet with in the way, not able to go but as he is led, nay nor stand but as he is held up, John 15:5. The least temptation or unmortified lust, how hard is it to one left to grapple with it in his own strength? Peter falls at the voice of a silly maid.

(2.) The scripture declares, that there is no safety in, nor good to be had from, one's working merely from his own inherent stock, Proverbs 28:26, "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool." Nay there is a curse denounced on him that does so, which will cause that he will never bring his work to perfection, Jeremiah 17:5, 6, "Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness." And therefore have we that watchword, Hebrews 3:12, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God."

8. It is humble religion, Micah 6:8. For however any may set up before men, they must needs veil their faces when they see themselves in the presence of a holy God. Proud and conceited religion is of the wrong stamp, for it is quite unlike the Spirit of the holy Jesus; and of the saints, who, the more religious they were, were always the more humble. And the more proud and conceited professors be of their religion, be sure they are so far strangers to walking with God. Now, this humble religion will appear,

(1.) In low thoughts of ourselves, and honorable thoughts of others, in whom the image of God appears, Philippians 2:3. Paul counts himself the chief of sinners, though the chief of New Testament saints. A high conceit of ourselves, with an undervaluing of others, is a shrewd sign of little acquaintance with walking with God. For it is impossible but the man that walks with God, must see more evil in himself, than he can see in any other, that bears anything of the holy image of God. But he who has the foul face, but looks not into the glass, may think it more beautiful than any that he sees.

(2.) In being denied to vain glory, Philippians 2:3. He who walks with God will not have occasion to hunt after the applause of men, unless he go off his way, and so far leave his Leader. It is a sad sign of little walking with God, to affect so much honor and respect from men, and for one to trumpet forth his own praise; a disposition smelling rank of a naughty heart, Proverbs 27:2, "Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth." John 12:43, "They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." It may nourish one to death, but not to life, like the chameleon, to live on air.

(3.) In refusing to stoop to nothing, whereby the honor of God, and the edification of the souls of others may be advanced; as exemplified in our Lord's humbling himself, Philippians 2:5–8. He who walks with God will be content to make a stepping-stone of his credit, ease, etc. for these ends, counting nothing too low for him whereby he may follow the Lord. But alas! there is a cursed respect for ourselves, that so prevails with many, that they count some duties of religion below them. And their pretended credit must spread, though it should darken the heavens, and wrap up the glory of God in a cloud.

(4.) In a kindly accommodating of our spirits to humbling providences, Job 1:21. Sometimes the Lord leads his people very low, through afflictions, crosses, poverty, and wants. The humble will follow him wherever he goes. But the proud, nothing will satisfy them, but rising, and they will blacken the heavens with their murmurings and complaints when they are falling. But if our lot be not brought up to our spirits, let our spirits be brought down to our lot. We are on our journey out of this world, and we may come as soon, and more safely, to an happy end of it, the low way, as the high way.

(5.) Lastly, In an absolute resignation to the will of God, saying in everything, "Not my will, but your be done," Luke 22:42. Walking with God is a following of him as the shadow does the body. It causes men put a blank in the Lord's hand, that he may fill up in it what he pleases. But so far as we come short of the great duty of absolute resignation to the will of God, we come short of walking with God.

9. It is constant religion. Walking is not a rising up and sitting down again, but a continued action, like that of a traveler going on until he come to his journey's end. Enoch walked on through the world, until he was not. It is constant in two respects.

(1.) Without interruption. It is not a religion taken by fits and starts but going on evenly; Psalm 16:8, "I have set the Lord always before me." Some people's religion is like an ague, wherein they have their hot fits and their cold fits. They go to and fro; they will be one day for God, and another for the devil. Whatever good mood they be found in at any time, they do not abide at it, Hosea 6:4. And so they can never bring it to any good account; for they are always beginning, ever learning, but never come to the knowledge of the truth. These people's religion consists in two things.

[1.] Flashes, and that is all they have for Heaven; flashes of affections like those mentioned, Psalm 78:34, "When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God." The spirit of holiness does not rest on them, but some light touches of his common influences they get, which do not abide. Hence with convictions sometimes, and with melted but unsanctified affections, their hearts will be as when in the time of great rain every pool is full, but quickly dry again, because it has no spring. Whereas it is otherwise with those that walk with God; John 4:14, "The water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

[2.] Overleaps into the holy ground; and that is all that Heaven has from them; Job 27:9, 10, "Will God hear his cry when trouble comes upon him? will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? They do not usually feed on God's pastures, but at the table of the world and their lusts. God saw this was the temper of the Israelites, which made him say concerning them, "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever," Deuteronomy 5:29. They will be today crying Hosanna, tomorrow, Crucify him. Religion is not their element, and so they cannot abide with it, Job 24:13.

(2.) Without defection and apostasy. We read of some, John 6:66, that "went back, and walked no more with him." They cast off religion, and laid it by for good and all. These people's walking with God (if we may call it so), will be no more remembered but to their condemnation, Ezekiel 3:20. They will never see Heaven; Luke 9., "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Lot's wife was an emblem of such; she looked back to Sodom, and God turned her to a pillar of salt, for a terror to apostates. For such he abhors, Hebrews 10:38. But they that walk with God will not be,

[1.] Bribed away from him, by the allurements of the world and flesh, which is one engine of Satan whereby he makes many apostates, as Judas, Demas, etc. How many are there who have sometimes, by their addictedness to the way of God, promised great things, and so have gone on for a time flourishing? But afterwards Satan has led them aside by temptations, and always farther and farther off the way, until he has got them to cast off religion altogether.

(2.) Boasted away from him, by the severities they may meet with in following the Lord; Canticles 8:7, "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it." Sometimes Satan plays the fox, by cunning wiles to draw sinners to apostasy; and sometimes the lion, to drive them to it by hardships, mockeries, hard usage, and persecutions. But religion, where it is of the right stamp, will last, whatever methods may be used to put it out.

10. Lastly, It is progressive religion; religion that is going forward; Proverbs 4:18, "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day." There is a mark the soul aims at when it sets off in the Lord's way; and that is perfection in holiness, and walking with God is a pressing forward to it, Philippians 3:13, 14. Such a one is adding a cubit to his spiritual stature. When the seed of grace is sown in the heart in regeneration, the man must walk with God, that so the seed may grow and shoot forth. And so in walking with God the new creature grows,

(1.) Inward, growing into Christ, Ephesians 4:15; uniting more closely with him, and cleaving more firmly to him as the head of influences, which is the spring of all other growth.

(2.) Outward, in good works, in life and conversation. Not only like Naphtali do they give goodly words, but like Joseph they are as fruitful boughs.

(3.) Upward; for their conversation is in Heaven, Philippians 3:20; in heavenly-mindedness and contempt of the world.

(4.) Lastly, Downward, in humility and self-loathing. Thus he who walks with God makes progress in sanctification.

There is also in it a progress in experimental knowledge of religion, 2 Peter 3. The traveler the farther he goes on, he knows the country the better; and he who walks with God gets Christian experience. Not only is his head more filled with raw unfelt notions, but his soul is stored with saving acquaintance with truth. The further be goes on, he becomes the more expert a traveler to the heavenly Canaan. He observes what has worsted, and what bettered his soul's case; and so will labor to eschew the one, and follow the other. And when he comes to a dark step, he can bear out the better, that it is not the first he has gone through.

Thus far of the nature of walking with God.

II. I shall next confirm this doctrine, That the life of religion lies in walking with God. In order to this consider,

1. That religion is not a matter of speculation, but of practice. Whatever light it brings into the mind, it is for moving the heart and affections. And therefore it is called the doctrine according to godliness. And the greatest mysteries of our religion are mysteries of godliness; 1 Timothy 3:16. I think the devil may be a greater speculative divine than the best of us can pretend to be. And the apostle supposes one may understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and yet be nothing; 1 Corinthians 13:2. So little worth is the knowledge of religion without the practice, the word without the power.

2. All other practice of religion, without walking with God, is but bodily exercise, little worth, 1 Timothy 4:8. The Jews wrote on their synagogue-doors, "Prayer without intention is as a body without the spirit." And where walking with God is wanting, there is the carcass of religion, but the soul of it is away. It can never be pleasing to God, because it is not agreeable to his nature, John 4:24.

3. The great difference between the sincere Christian and the hypocrite lies here, Philippians 3:3, "We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." What makes the sincere Christian differ from the hypocrite in his walk? Is it that he performs external duties? No, you cannot pitch upon one of these, but a hypocrite may perform the same? Is it that he knows and can speak of religion better? No, a hypocrite may excel a good Christian in these gifts. Is it that he has sometimes a flood of affections? No; Pharaoh, Esau, and the stony-ground hearers wanted not these. But the hypocrite never comes up to walking with God, which the sincere does, though not always.

4. Without this there is no sanctification, because without it there is no communion with God, and so no sanctifying influences. A man may pray many a prayer, hear many a sermon, and be many a year a professor of religion, and yet never be a whit the more holy unless he walk with God. All without that in this point, is but the washing of a black man, labor in vain. For spiritless lifeless walking will never heal our unholy nature. Hence when the heart is away from God, the man is as "the heath in the wilderness, and shall not see when good comes," Jeremiah 17:5, 6.

5. This is that part of religion that will remain in Heaven forever, 1 Corinthians 13:8. Thus the happiness of Heaven is held out under the notion of walking with God, Revelation 3:4. All divine institutions tend to this. For this was the course the first Adam was set on, but broke off from; this course the second Adam held; and to be brought back to this will be man's greatest happiness. So that without controversy the soul of religion lies here.

6. Lastly, Our spiritual life lies in communion with God. In ourselves we are dead spiritually, being slain in Adam. Now our life is in Christ, Colossians 3:4, and we cannot partake of that life, but by communion with him, Galatians 2:20, "I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God." It is that communion with Christ that makes men truly lively, and their religion, religion indeed, in so far as it makes men walk with God.

I shall now make some improvement of this subject, in uses of information, reproof, and exhortation.

USE I. Of information. This lets us see,

1. That the religion of those is little worth, that are utter strangers to walking with God. It is but the carcass of religion without the soul. The apostle speaks of "vain religion;" James 1:26, "If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is vain." This is such. It is vain with respect to God's approbation, for be will never approve of it; Romans 2:28, 29; and vain with respect to their own salvation, it will never bring them to Heaven, nor abide the trial; Matthew 7:22.

2. True religion lies not in a form, but has a power with it causing a holy walk; 2 Timothy 3:5. True religion is not a vain inefficacious thing, but has a commanding power with it. It is in the heart like the centurion, when it says to the man, "Go," he "must go;" and when it says, "Come, he comes." It has a restraining power, it binds up the man from sin. Job was tempted to blaspheme, but the power of godliness restrained him. It sets the man in God's way, it keeps him on it, and causes him to go forward in it.

3. That no man has more true religion than what influences his walk. God will never measure people's religion by fair words or a shining profession, but by the course of their life and actions, in faith, love, and other moral duties. God has written his law in the Bible, has transcribed it again into the renewed heart, and they write it over again in their holy conversation.

4. There is little of the life of religion in the world, there is so little walking with God in it. There are few that have the form of godliness in comparison of those that want it; and yet but few of those who have the form, that have the power too. How few are there that eye God in all things, whose hearts go along with him as the shadow with the body, that walk with him in ordinances, in providences, in their stations and relations, and in their actions, natural, civil, and religious! O how rare is practical, inward, heavenly, etc. religion!

USE II. Of reproof. Hence we may reach a reproof to several sorts of persons, that do not walk with God.

1. Those that have never yet risen up from their sin. Walking with God is a motion of the soul from sin to sanctification; Isaiah 1:16, 17. It is like the going up a stair, where the first step raises a man from the ground, and so he goes up by degrees until he come there where he would be. Heaven is the upper room, faith and holiness are the stairs, and the state of sin is the ground. But alas! many have not come the length of the first step yet; they are still in their sins, under the guilt of them, and under the power of them. They have not with Lazarus come out of the grave, with Matthew left the receipt of custom, nor with the palsied man risen out of their bed; and far less with Enoch do they walk with God.

(1.) Consider, we cannot say of you, "You are not far from the kingdom of God;" for truly you are even as far from it as Adam led you and left you. The way to the pleasant land is long, and your day is far spent; but to this day you have not entered on the way, nor stirred a foot from your old sins. Are you not afraid, that your be gone day before you are able to undertake the journey?

(2.) If you lie still, you will never see Heaven. As soon shall Heaven and Hell meet, as you shall get to Heaven in that state and case. If you sit still you die; and therefore rise and walk, and flee from the wrath to come.

2. Those whose life is a mere wandering; Ecclesiastes 10:15, "The labor of the foolish wearies every one of them, because he knows not how to go to the city." Many spend their days thus wandering; among the creatures their souls wander, and from one they go to another; they take a miserable round in the vanities of this world; but never go beyond them to God. They wander up and down in the way of sin; sometimes they fall into one miserable course, sometimes into another, but never into the course of holiness. They walk in a round, whereof the center is Hell, and the circumference sin and vanity. All their life they go from one sin and one vanity to another, and at death, when they leave the world, they are in the same place they were in when they came in to it; that is As they were born in sin they die in it, and tumble down to Hell, their miserable life being not a walking with God, but a wallowing in one puddle of sin all along.

(1.) Your thus wandering is a clear evidence that your natural blindness is not removed; Revelation 3:17. Your plague is in your head, and so your heart cannot be right. You have never yet discovered the excellency of Christ the Captain of our salvation, nor the glory of the land that is afar off, and you know not the way leading to it. Therefore your case is sad.

(2.) Remember the generation that wandered in the wilderness, died there, and never saw the land of Canaan; 1 Corinthians 10:5. This will be your doom, if you continue. You are walking in a mist among fearful precipices and fiery serpents; how can you miss to fall?

3. Backsliders, that have turned their backs on God's way, John 6:66. These, instead of walking with God, fall away from him, back to their old sins. They gave up their names to him, listed themselves under his banner, but now they have turned runaways. They came under bonds to God and his way; but they have broken his bonds, and cast away his cords from them. They once appeared on God's side, but they have got over into the devil's camp.

(1.) Your sin is greater than if you had never set off in the Lord's way. You know that relapses into a disease are most dangerous, and most hopeless; and so "it had been better for you not to have known the way of righteousness, than after you have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto you," 2 Peter 2:21. For then men sin over the belly of more light than before, they cast a particular infamy upon the way of God, as if they would make the world to believe from their experience that Christ's yoke is intolerable.

(2.) Your condemnation will be the greater. It is a fearful word, Hebrews 10:38, "If any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Proverbs 14:14, "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways." As the sorest fall is from the highest place, so the deepest plunge into the lake of fire is from the threshold of Heaven. And when the backslider is taken in the snare of destruction, it will be a peculiar worm in his conscience forever, that once in a day he had well near escaped.

4. Resisters of the Holy Spirit, whom God is using all means with to draw them to his way, but they will not come on it, Jeremiah 2:25, "I have loved strangers, and after them will I go." Not only are they called by the word, but by providence. God meets some in their evil ways, like the angel with the drawn sword in his hand meeting Balaam, and yet they will not leave it. God hedges up their sinful ways with thorns, yet they break through the thorn hedge. Their consciences tell them they are wrong, and give them many a secret blow to drive them into the way: but they follow their corruptions over the belly of their consciences.

(1.) This is dreadful and dangerous work, as being a fighting against God and against yourselves, Acts 7:51. But though the potsherds of the earth strive among themselves, it is miserable folly to strive with their Maker. The voice of the word, providence, and conscience is the voice of God; take heed how you entertain the same.

(2.) The issue must needs be terrible, if it be continued in, Job 9:4. For when God judges, he will overcome. What can be expected of it, but that God be provoked to cease striving with you, and to lay the reins on your neck, Genesis 6:3; Psalm 81:11, and afterwards call you to an account as willful rejecters of salvation?

5. Enemies to the way of God, who not only do not walk in it themselves, but hinder others to walk in it, as the scribes and Pharisees, Matthew 23:13. There are agents for the devil in the world, who have a malignant hatred against the power of godliness, and set themselves to quench the Spirit in others, by mocking, tempting them to sin, etc. Consider,

(1.) That is the devil's trade, and therefore a sad indication of one that is a child of the devil. Let such hear what the Spirit of the Lord says to them, Acts 13:10, "O full of all subtlety, and all mischief, you child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?" God is especially an enemy unto those that are enemies to his ways, and so set themselves to advance the devil's kingdom.

(2.) The blood of souls will be a heavy load; and such as turn others from the way of God, their blood will be upon their head. And those that set themselves that way, they need not doubt but that in such a corrupt world they will always be successful with some, Luke 16:27, 28.

6. Loose and licentious professors, who walk so scandalously that the world may see they do not walk with God, Jeremiah 7:8–10, "Behold, you trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom you know not; and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?" There are many that profess religion, that it were telling religion they did not pretend to it. For hearken to their words, take a view of their life, there is no tenderness to be seen there. The voice is Jacob's, but their rough hands declare them to be profane Esau's. There is nothing that looks like holiness about them, but the profession of the truth; but their tongues and their lives are profane. Whoever sees them, may see their light hearts and offensive lives have nothing of the ballast of the power of godliness. Consider,

(1.) A loose and licentious life, under whatever profession it appear, argues a godless and graceless heart, Philippians 3:18, 19. It is an easy thing for people to make a profession, which costs them not the life of a lust; to addict themselves to this or that opinion, while they do not addict themselves to the study of a holy life; to pin a new creed to an old life. But were grace in the heart, and they made partakers of the new nature, it would make them study holiness in all manner of conversation.

(2.) What will the end of that way be, think you? See Psalm 125., "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity." And if there be a hotter place in Hell than another, the hypocrite that has a profession of religion, but a licentious life, shall get it, Matthew 24. And their profession will serve but to make them so much the more marks for the arrows of God's vengeance.

7. Close hypocrites, whose outward conversation is blameless, but in the meantime they are strangers to the life of religion, and walking with God, "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof," 2 Timothy 3:5. They go about duties, but they are strangers to communion with God; they walk blamelessly, but walk not with God; they abound in bodily exercise, but are estranged to spiritual worship; they exercise gifts, but they have nothing of the exercise of grace. Their souls are estranged from the life of God, and are dead within them; and they are like some dead beasts, there is nothing of them profitable but the skin, that is, the outward form.

(1.) Consider that religion may serve to blind your own eyes, and the eyes of the world, but not the eyes of God. The close hypocrite will be like Ahab in disguise, but the arrow hit him for all that; for there is no deceiving the eyes of the Almighty.

(2.) It will have a miserable issue. God loves to discover hypocrites, Revelation 3:16, "Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth." Sometimes he withdraws his restraint that he has on them, and turns out their inside in this life before the world, as Judas, Ananias, and Sapphira. But he will not fail to do it at the great day, when every one shall be judged according to his works.

8. Lastly, Gracious persons, whose grace is not in exercise, who though they be spiritually alive in respect of their state, yet are not lively, but dead in their frame, Canticles 5:2. They are not walking with God as sometimes they have been, but are fallen asleep, and are going after the way of their own hearts. O Sirs, you are off the way, and I will tell you how you may know it. A gracious person may know that he is not walking with God,

(1.) By the decay of his love to his Guide. This was God's controversy with the church of Ephesus; Revelation 2:4, "I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love." And may not the Lord say to many of his people this day, as Jeremiah 2:2, "I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your espousals, when you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown?" While the soul walks with God, it keeps its eye upon Christ, and seeing him cannot but love him. But the soul loses sight of Christ; then out of sight, out of mind; and what the eye sees not, the heart rues not. A sad sign that you are off the way.

(2.) By decay of love to the fellow-travelers; Matthew 24:12, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." There has been a day wherein the people of God have dearly loved one another, delighted to pray, converse, etc., together; and the wrong done to any one of them was, by reason of their sympathy, as done to them all. But alas! where is that now? Christian love is much decayed. What is the reason? Why, travelers as long as they are going out the road together, have a particular kindness one for another; but when they begin to stay by the way and scatter, one going to his business, and another to his, love wears off. Even so the Lord's people taking different ways, and scattering from one another, their love to each other cools.

(3.) By the decay of zeal for the honor of their Leader. If one would affront a captain on the head of his troop, all the soldiers' hearts would stir within them. But when he is left alone, there is none concerned to resent the injuries done to him. I never like that zeal, that, overlooking the substantial of religion, burns out on the lesser things. But this I will say, that were there more walking with God among us, there would be more zeal for the great things of religion; and if so, then more for the lesser things too. Were we more concerned for the kingdom of Christ within us, we would be more zealous for the kingdom of Christ without us.

(4.) By the decay of tenderness, and care to please the Lord; Colossians 1:10. While David was walking with God, he was tender of the least sin, his heart smote him when he had cut off the lap of Saul's garment. But at another time he lay long under horrible guilt in the matter of Uriah, his heart being hardened. Sometimes Christians could have had no rest without the enjoyment of God in duties; but alas! at other times they are formal in performance of their duty as a task. And an evil deed will not be so heavy to them, as a rash word or vain thought would sometimes have been.

(5.) By the decay of diligence in duties, instead whereof slothfulness creeps in; Ecclesiastes 10:18. He who walks with God will be diligent to note every step of his way; so it is an ill sign when the heart turns careless. He will be much conversant with God in the duties of religion, often found on the road to the throne, because he has much business with Heaven; but when he walks not with God, he remits of his diligence, and comes far short of his former pains in his soul-matters.

(6.) By a decay of heavenly-mindedness, instead of which there creeps in carnality and earthly-mindedness. Walking with God is a heavenly life; Philippians 3:20. And while a child of God holds at it, it tinctures all his thoughts, words, and actions with a savor of Heaven; Canticles 3:6. But when that fails, all these savor of death.

(7.) Lastly. By a decay of liveliness and earnestness in duties. Sometimes a child of God is like Jacob wrestling for the blessing; he is very peremptory, and will not take a naysay; Genesis 32:26. Sometimes again as Ephraim, like a "silly dove, without heart," Hosea 7:11; having neither heart nor hand to ply the throne of grace; a sad sign of not walking with God.

Now, to such I would say two things,

[1.] Horrid ingratitude is stamped on your ceasing to walk with God; Jeremiah 2:31. The pleasantest and most profitable days a Christian ever has, are those wherein he walks with God; and when he gives over that, his real good days are done; Hosea 2:7. Then his bones flourish as an herb, but otherwise they wither like the grass. Therefore may we say, "Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise?" Deuteronomy 32:6.

[2.] It is easy to go off the way, but not so to get on it again; it is easy to halt and sit down, but not to rise up again and walk. You had need to awake in time, lest the Lord give you a fearful wakening, either by some heavy stroke, or, which is worse, by letting you fall into some grievous guilt, as he did David.

USE. Of exhortation. Study the life of religion, in walking with God. Walk not after your lusts, nor in the way of the world, either its way of profaneness, or its way of formality; but go through the world walking with God. I offer the following motives,

MOT. 1. You are going fast through the world, and before long will be at your journey's end. Time runs with a rapid course; and whether you sleep or wake, you will soon find yourselves pass the border of time; Job 9:25, 26. The watch going wrong may run as fast as when she goes right; and the man that walks after his own lusts, makes as great speed to the end of his journey, as he who walks with God. And since we must walk through the world, and cannot abide here, why will we not choose the best company in our way, and walk with God?

2. Walking with God is the only way to get safe to our journey's end; Hebrews 2:10. It was only Caleb and Joshua that got to Canaan, for they followed the Lord fully. All the world is on a journey; but there are two ways, and two companies. There is the way of holiness, and all the saints walk there, with the Lord on their head; and the end of this way is salvation. And there is the way of sin, a broad way, wherein are many roads, bare civility, morality, profaneness, and formality; all the unregenerate walk there, and the God of this world on their head, and the end is destruction. Choose you with whom you will walk.

3. Religion is not a matter of speculation and talking, but a matter of practice and walking with God; Psalm 116:9, "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living." Your eternal state lies at stake, which you will never bring to a comfortable issue without this. Until you enter on this way, you are to begin to be religious, how long soever your standing in a profession has been. After children are born, it is long before they begin to walk; but as soon as one is born again, and becomes a child of God, he immediately falls a walking with God.

4. There is a pleasure, a refined, undreggy pleasure, in walking with God; Proverbs 3:17, "Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." This pleasure arises from the testimony of conscience, which is a feast to the soul; 2 Corinthians 1:12, enough to make a sick man whole; from the intrinsic pleasantness in the way of holiness, which has a surpassing beauty in the eyes of those that are capable to discern; Psalm 119:97 and 165; and from the soul's communion with God which it finds in that way; Psalm 4:6, 7.

OBJECT. But what can it do to us for a through-bearing in the world?

ANSWER. Very much, "having promise of the life that now is," as well as "of that which is to come;" 1 Timothy 4:8. Those that walk with God have a promise of provision in this word; Psalm 37:3; Matthew 6:30. It is no maybe, but as sure as the covenant can make it; Isaiah 33:16, "Bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure." It is true, God's bond is not always paid as it were in money: but if not, it is always paid in money-worth, If they get not the thing itself, they get as good; 2 Corinthians 6:10,—"as having nothing, and yet possessing all things."

6. Walking with God is the best security in evil days. There are sinning and ensnaring times; who can be so safe in them as they that walk with God? even as in a dark day, those that keep closest with their guide, are likeliest to get safest through; Proverbs 11:3, "The integrity of the upright shall guide them." There are suffering times, days of common calamity; and then those that walk with God are likeliest to be brought through, as Noah; Genesis 6:9.

7. Lastly. This is the way all have taken, that have walked through the world to Immanuel's land. God's children only are heirs; and they that are his children must follow him; Ephesians 5:1. There is no walking with God in Heaven, but for those that walk here with him in holiness. And therefore remember," If you live after the flesh you shall die; but if you through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live;" Romans 8:13.

I shall now shut up all with some directions, and advices for walking with God.

1. Labor to be sure you are Christians indeed, and once fairly set on the way, by closing with Christ. Renounce the world and your lusts; and look on yourselves as men bound for another world, under the conduct of the Captain of the Lord's hosts; Canticles 4:8.

2. Lay it down for a certain conclusion, that religion is quite another thing than mere external performances. It is a conforming of the soul to the image of Christ, and of the life and conversation to the holy law, by a participation of the virtue of his blood and Spirit. And therefore there must be constant endeavors to abide close by Jesus Christ, in the exercise of faith, love, and universal tenderness, not only in life, but in heart; Proverbs 4:23.

3. Being set on the way, labor to hold by it. You must learn not to be shamed out of God's way, by the reproaches of the world. Care not for the name of singularity, and be not ashamed to be fools in the world's eyes; 1 Corinthians 3:18, 19, not to be bribed nor boasted out of God's way, by any advantage or loss in the world; Hebrews 11:24.

4. Closely ply the work of mortification; Galatians 5:24. What is your need of Christ, if it be not to save you from your sins? Matthew 1:21. Beware of making Christ the minister of sin, by going the round between sinning and confessing, without suitable endeavors for mortification. Mortification is no easy business; but most necessary.

5. Beware of indulging yourselves in those things that are accounted but small sins, and abstain from all appearances of evil. No man will walk with God, to whom any sin is so small that he will make no bones of it. And those that stand not to go frankly into the borders of sin, will very readily step over.

6. When you fall lie not still, but get up again by a new application of the Redeemer's blood, and renewing your repentance. For no man can walk so but he will stumble; but then the suitable remedies are to be improved for recovery.

7. Be frequent in self-observation and examination. Take notice how often the pulse of your affections beats. Retire into yourselves, and observe the way of your hearts and lives; Hag. 1:7. And examine yourselves often as to your state and case; 2 Corinthians 13:5. Ask yourselves whether you be going forward, or backward, what profit you make of duties?

8. Be diligent observers of providence; Psalm 107., towards yourselves and others.

9. Be tender of waiting on the Lord, to know sin and duty in particular cases.

10. Be diligent in all religious duties, missing none of them, and being frequent in them all. For these are the trysting places for communion with God, which they that walk with him must diligently attend.

11. Prepare for duties before you set about them; not only public duties, but private and secret ones. For the rushing on these without consideration, is the high way to make them vain and fruitless.

12. Labor to be spiritual in all things; in religious duties seeking to exercise grace, and enjoy communion with God; and even in other things, to act as under his eye, and by influence of his command.

13. Lastly. Live by faith; 2 Corinthians 5:7. For it is by faith that the soul is set and kept in this walk.