they should find Callis in her heart And so it may be said of Saints whose Conversations are in Heaven I speak not of all Professors of Religion for it 's said of bodies when Paul speaks of the resurrection there are bodies Celestial and bodies Terrestial so I may say There are Professors Celestial and Professors Terrestial but as for such whose Conversations are in Heaven who walk with God and live here the lives of Heaven upon Earth If they were rip'd up you should find Heaven in their hearts un-rip many mens hearts and there 's nothing but the earth uncleanness and baseness suppose God should come this moment and rip up all your hearts and disclose them to all the men of the world what a deal of filthy stuff would be found in many of your hearts but for such whose Conversations are in Heaven they would be ready to have God unrip their hearts when he pleaseth Lord try Lord search me Lord examine and see what is in my heart I 'le but put this now to you as in the Name of God and let conscience answer What do you think would be found in your hearts if they should be unrip'd now and if your consciences tell you Oh Lord if my heart should be rip'd up now there would be a filthy deal of ugly and abominable stuff there surely I have not had my Conversation in Heaven my heart hath been sinking even down to low and base things but now for those whom this text concerns it will be an exceeding comfort to them and I hope that there are divers of you that may be able to say if the Lord should at this present rip our hearts and shew them to all the world I hope the world should see that Heaven is stamped upon our hearts We account it sad weather when we cannot see the Heavens for many daies when we cannot see Heaven many times for a week together and we account it an ill dwelling where men dwell in narrow lanes in the City so that they can scarce see the Heavens except they go abroad in the fields My brethren surely it 's a sad time with a gracious heart when any one day passes without converse with Heaven without the sight of Heaven and meditations of Heaven and having their hearts there Thus it should be with Christians whose Conversations are in Heaven they should never love such dwellings wherein they cannot see the beams of the Sun It 's a most comfortable thing for to see the light a man that dwels in some dark house it 's very comfortable for him to walk out into the open air and to behold the Heavens Oh my brethren our souls dwell in dark houses every one of us for our bodies are to our souls like a dark and low celler but the Lord gives us liberty to go abroad to be conversing with the things of Heaven that he hath revealed in his Word and in his Ordinances And as many Citizens that live in dark rooms keep a long time close to their work yet at such times as they cal days of Recreation they walk abroad in the Fields and take the fresh air and oh how delightsom is it to them The same should be to a gracious heart that hath a great many businesses indeed in the world I but on the Lords day Oh that he may now enjoy God in his Ordinances more than before his thoughts are upon those waies wherein he may come to have more of Heaven Oh! that I may come to converse more with God than at other times And upon that the Sabbaths are the joy of his soul his delight he longs after the Sabbath he thirsts after Ordinances for indeed his heart is in them for he finds there is more of Heaven in them than in other things and in that regard the Saints having their thoughts and hearts in Heaven thus he proves to have his Conversation to be in Heaven Moses never came to Canaan and yet God gave Moses a sight of it carried him up to mount Nebo Heavenly meditations are as it were mount Nebo whereby when the heart is raised a little upon the mount it 's able to see Heaven behold the glorious things there The Scripture speaks of Lucifer that he had his nest among the stars A Saint hath as it were his nest his dwelling among the stars yea above the stars in the highest Heavens As 't is with wicked men that when they seem to draw nigh to God yet their hearts are far from him then they are in their shops they are among their ships when they seem to be worshipping of God So when the Saints seem in regard of their bodies to be far from God yet their hearts are in Heaven in the mean time Sixtly For the opening of a Heavenly Conversation it consists in this When in the course of mens lives they do converse and delight in the same things that are done in Heaven they make their happiness the same happiness that is in Heaven and make their exercise to be the same exercise that is in Heaven As for instance What is there in Heaven There is the fight of the face of God Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God And the Angels Alwaies behold the face of God So the Saints may be said to have their Conversations in Heaven because their exercise here while they live it is in the beholding the face of God in standing before God seeing his face the greatest delight and contentment of their souls it is that they can see somewhat of God What 's to be done further The Work of Heaven it is in the Praisings and Blessings of God What do the Saints and Angels of Heaven but continually blesse and magnifie and praise the Name of that God whom they see to be so infinitly worthy of all praise and honor from his creatures Then is a mans Conversation in Heaven when as he doth the same things when he joyns with Angels Saints in doing of the same work of magnifying and blessing and praising God What 's done in Heaven but the keeping of a perpetual Sabbath Then are our conversations in Heaven when we delight in Gods Sabbath yea and indeed to keep a constant Sabbath unto God though busied about earthly things yet still we keep a Sabbath to God in resting from sin and being spiritually imployed And that 's a Sixth thing Seventhly Then our Conversation is in Heaven When in Earthly imployments yet we are Heavenly when we use earthly things after a heavenly manner it is not the place that God looks at so much where his Saints are But what they do Though while we live in the earth we use earthly things yet when we can use them in an heavenly manner then our Conversation may be in heaven though we upon earth As thus first When in the use of earthly things we do quickly passe through earthly things to God we make use of them but
priviledg of the redeemed ones Now this way of walking up unto the Land of Canaan from their captivity it 's typical to typifie the walk of the soul with the Lord. Sixthly For the souls walking with God there is this further done by God Christ the Son of God he takes the soul and brings it unto God the Father as the Spirit leads so Jesus Christ The Lord Jesus Christ he brings the soul unto the Father to render God and the soul familier together In Ephes 2. 18. Through him we have an acccess by one Spirit unto the Father We have an access through him we have a manuduction He brings us unto the Father we have access through Jesus Christ As if a Prince should take a Traytor that is reconciled to his Father having his pardon and his Father being passified towards him the Prince comes takes him by the hand and saith Come I 'le bring you unto my Father and I will walk along with you unto my Father So it is None that ever hath been a sinner can walk with God but Christ must walk together with him Christ walks along with him and so God is ever more rendred sweet aimable and lovely why Because Christ hath him by the hand as I may so say God the Father hath him in one hand and Christ hath him by the other hand and so the soul walks in this blessed walk between the hands of God the Father and the Son and the holy Ghost leads and guides him too CHAP. IV. Walking with God what it is Opened in Nine Particulars BUt now The way of the soul in this walk with God When the soul is thus brought to God and by this means enabled to walk with him Then what 's the way of the soul in walking thus with God Walking with God causes the soul to eye God In the first place Now the soul being come thus to God in all the waies of God it ey 's God and sets God before it Enoch walked with God that is Enoch in the waies of his life set God before him and did eye God in his waies First beholding the infinite beauty there is in God Secondly God being the fountain of al good to the soul Thirdly the soul apprehending God infinitly worthy of all honor These three things causes the eye to be upon God continually The Lord hath infinit excellency and beauty in him The Lord is the fountain of all good to me The Lord is infinitly worthy of all honor and service and a soul walking with God eyes God thus continually In the 26. Psal 3. For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth Oh Lord I see thee aimable lovely and gracious and the fountain of all good and Lord I have walked in thy truth setting God before me so in Psal 16. 8. I have set the Lord alwaies before me that I might not fall A soul that walks with God scarce ey 's any thing but God when it enjoyes the creature yet the eye is upon God as the little child walking with the father looks up to the father every soul that walks with God hath his eye upon him for there 's no such lovely drawing object to the soul as God himself is whereas wicked men they do not find God to be such a lovely object sees no such excellency in him and therfore they rather turn their eyes away from him they look another way Psal 86. 14. They do not set God before them men that walk according to the lusts of their own hearts in their wicked sinful waies the Lord is not in all their thoughts as in the 10. Psalm That 's the first thing in the way of the souls walking with God he eyes God and sees God before him Walking with God causeth a man to carry himself as in Gods Presence Secondly The soul behaves its self as in Gods Presence I see my self in Gods presence and my eye is upon God Oh let me then look to my self that the carriage of my soul be as beseems one who is in the presence of so holy so great so glorious and blessed a God as the Lord is in the 2 Cor. 2. 17. As of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ saith the Apostle when we come to do any thing we do it as of God in the sight of God knowing that we are allwayes before God Augustine speaking concerning Noah's walking with God he hath this expression Noah walked with God that is he had God alwaies present before his eyes walking so holily and so reverenced God This is to walk in the fear of God when the soul upon the apprehention of Gods presence shall labor to compose its self as beseeming the presence before whom it is and this indeed is the walk that you shall find the Saints of God in all day long would you know where to find a Saint you may know his walk you shall all the day long find him walking in the fear of the Lord Preverbs 23. 17. saith the text there Let not thy heart envy sinners but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long He doth not say do thou fear the Lord all the day long but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Oh the walk of a Christian should be so from morning to night to walk in the fear of the Lord and nothing in this world should put him out of this walk no temptations should call him out of it but in the fear of the Lord all the day long This is the walk of a Christian when he labors to behave himself as beseems the presence of God Walking with God is when we make Gods Will the Rule of our will Thirdly The soul may be said to walk with God When the way of it is the same way that God himself goes the soul doth that that God doth What 's the way of God but the way of holiness and righteousness when the soul makes the Will of God to be the rule of it I will not be acted by my own will I will not be acted by any thing but by the Will of God what is it that God wills I will the same thing then the soul walks that way God walks when it doth sute its self with God sets the Lord as an example before it as the Scripture saith Be ye holy as your Heavenly Father is holy I see the holy and the righteous waies of God and I labor as a deer child to follow him and to go in the very same steps that God doth how doth God carry businesses I will labor to carry things so as God doth that my life shall hold forth a resemblance of God himself this is to walk with God to do as God doth to imitate God that 's a third thing in a souls walking with God Walking with God is when a Soul hath the same Ends that God hath The Fourth is this
it 1 It is a walk of humility 316 2 It is a walk of uprightness ibid 3 It is a walk in the fear of God 317 4 The comfort of the holy Ghost is joyned with it 318 5 It is a walk above 319 6 They endeavour to walk as Christ walked ibid CHAP. IX Rules of Direction for walking with God Rule 1 Be sure there be no way of fin in thee 320 Rule 2 Labor to withdraw thy heart from earthly and sensual things 321 Rule 3 Evermore take Christ with thee 322 Rule 4 Be careful to beautifie thy soul 323 Rule 5 Take heed of halting 325 Rule 6 Take heed of formality in holy duties 326 Rule 7 Take heed of secres slidings away from the Truths of God 327 Rule 8 Labor to keep such a tenderness of spirit as to be sensible of the beginnings of declining 329 Rule 9 Labor to be spiritual in thy solitary times 330 Rule 11 Go on with a resolution in holy duties though thou see nothing come of them for the present 331 Rule 12 Make good interpretation of all Gods dealings with thee 332 CHAP. X An objection of Gods hiding his face Answered 1 It is a good sign when thou art sensible of his withdrawings 333 2 Examine whether thou hast not some times shut out God from thee ibid 3 It is better God withdraw than that we withdraw 336 4 Gods withdrawing his comfort is not alwaies the withdrawing his presence ibid 5 If thou canst not see Gods face hearken to hear his voice 337 6 Keep thy self in a waiting frame for God 338 FINIS The Names of several Books Printed by Peter Cole at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil by the Exchange London A Congregational Church is a Catholike Visible Church By Samuel Stone Twelve several Books of Mr. William Bridg Collected into one Volumn Viz. 1 The great Gospel-Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 2 Satans Power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of His People under Temptation 3 Thankfulness required in every Condition 4 Grace for Grace or the Overflowings of Christs Fulness received by all Saints 5 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 6 Evangelical Repentance 7 The Spiritual-Life and In-Being of Christ in all Beleevers 8 The Woman of Canaan 9 The Saints Hiding-Place in time of Gods Anger 10 Christs Coming is at our Midnight 11 A Vindication of Ordinances 12 Grace and Love beyond Gifts Four several Books by Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrology 1 A PHYSICAL DIRECTORY Or a Translation of the Dispensatory made by the Colledg of Physitians of London Whereunto is added The Key to Galen 's Method of Physick 2 A DIRECTORY for Midwives or a Guide for Women 3 GALEN's Art of PHYSICK 4 The ENGLISH PHYSITIAN being an Astrologo-Physical Discourse of the Vulgar Herbs of this Nation wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most Diseases incident to mans Body with such things as grow in England and for three-pence charge Also in the same Book is shewed 1. The time of gathering all Herbs both Vulgarly and Astrologically 2. The way of drying and keeping them and their Juyces 3. The way of making and keeping all manner of useful Compounds made of those Herbs 4. The way of mixing the Medicines according to Cause and mixture of the Disease and the part of the Body afflicted A Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the Word of God at Dedham in Essex The Wonders of the Load-stone by Mr. Samuel Ward of Ipswich An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew by Mr. Ward Clows Chirurgery Marks of Salvation Christians Engagement for the Gospel by John Goodwin Great Church Ordinance of Baptism Mr. Love's Case containing his Petitions Narrative and Speech Vox Pacifica or a Perswasive to Peace Dr. Prestons Saints submission and Satans Overthrow Pious mans practice in Parliament Time A Treatise of the Rickets being a Disease common to Children Wherein is shewed 1. The Essence 2. The Causes 3. The Signs 4. The Remedies of the Disease Published in Latin by Dr. Glisson Dr. Bale and Dr. Regemorter Mr. Symsons Sermon at Westminster Mr. Feaks Sermon before the Lord Major Mr. Phillips Treatise of Hell of Christs Geneology Seven Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published As also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded 1 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4. 11. Wherin is shewed 1. What Contentment is 2. It is an holy Art and Mystery 3. The Excellencies of it 4. The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring the Aggravations of it 2 Gospel-Worship on Levit. 10. 3. Wherin is shewed 1. The right manner of the Worship of God in general and particularly In Hearing the Word Receiving the Lords Supper and Prayer 3 Gospel-Conversation on Phil. 1. 17. Wherin is shewed 1. That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the Light of Nature 2. Beyond those that lived under the Law 3. And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those Men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17. 14. 4 A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness Wherin is shewed 1 What Earthly-mindedness is 2 The great Evil therof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. Vers Also to the same Book is joyned A Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5. 24. and on Phil. 3. 20. 5 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prohesie of Hosea 6 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea A Treatise of Politick Power wherein 7 Questions are Answered 1. Whereof Power is made and for what ordained 2. Whether Kings and Governors have an absolute Power over the People 3. Whether Kings and Governors be subject to the Laws of God or the Laws of their Countries 4. How far the People are to obey their Governors 5. Whether all the People have be their Governors 6. Whether it be Lawful to depose an evil Governor 7. What Confidence is to be given to Princes The Compassionate Samaritan Six Sermons Preached by Dr. Hill collected into one Volumn Dr. Sibbs on the Philippians The Best and Worst Magistrate by Obadiah Sedgwick The craft and cruelty of the churches Adversaries by Matthew Newcomin A sacred Panygrick by Steph. Martial Barriffs Military Discipline The Immortality of Mans Soul The Anatomist Anatomized A TREATISE OF Earthly-mindedness CHAP. I. The Text Opened PHILIP 3. latter part of the 19. verse Who mind Earthly things THIS precious Scripture cleerly holds forth the different disposition of wicked and of godly men especially of such wicked men as set themselves against the Gospel for it relates to such as were professed enemies to the Cross of Christ that labored what they could to
about me to lift up me as the highest good but if there be any thing else that thy soul is set upon as thy highest good that 's thy God and it 's worse than bowing the knee thou bowest thy soul to that thing now the meaner any thing is that we make a God of to our selves the more vile is the Idolatry as when the Egyptians worshiped divers sorts of gods they were accounted the most vile Idolaters whereas other Heathens worshipped more excellent things the Sun Moon and Stars the Egyptians worshiped Dogs Cats Onions and vile things and therefore their Idolatry was vile So the viler any thing is that a man or woman sets their hearts upon the more vile is their Idolatry as for a man that should set his heart upon unclean lusts now to make that to be a god the satisfying of those lusts that 's abominable and to make any earthly thing to be a god to us that 's most vile for of all the things of the works of creation that God hath made the Earth is the meanest 't is the basest and lowest thing and hath the least beauty in it in it's self and it is the most dul and meanest element of all and to make earthly things to be a God to you this is most vile Object You will say for this Idolatry What is there in it Answ There is Two particulars to open the Evil of Idolatry or Earthly-mindednesse First The Evil of your Idolatry it is in this You do depart from God in letting out of your hearts to these things you do as it were go off from God and renounce the protection of God the goodnesse and mercy of God you leave it all by this In the 4. chap. of Hofea 12. verse They are said To go a whoring from under their God It 's a notable phrase that is by going to Idols they did go off from the protection of God whereas while they were worshiping the true God they then were under the protection of God but when they went to Idols they went from under their God from under his protection So when thou settest thy heart upon God and liftest up the infinite First being of all things as the chief good to thy soul thou art under the influence of this Grace and Mercy but when thou doest depart from him and makest other things to be thy Cheef good thou goest from under his protection and from his good and mercy Secondly God is slighted and contemn'd in this When thou choosest rather to make the earth to be thy God than the infinit blessed first-being of all things As a man that doth dispise his wife and it were abominable sin if he should choose to go to a Queen though the most beautifullest woman in the world and forsake his wife but to leave a Queen or Empress that were the beautifullest woman upon the earth and to have the heart cleave to a base dunghil-raker were not this a great contempt to the Queen that were so beautiful Yet so it is when thou doest forsake the blessed eternal God as thy chief good and choosest the things of the earth for the truth is the earth is the fink of all the creatures of Gods making and for thee to leave the most blessed and Eternal One and to make that thy god it must needs be a very vile and abominable thing and therefore the Prophet Jeremiah in speaking of this Idolatry he cals the Heavens and the Earth to be amazed at it Jeremiah 2. 12. Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horrible afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord Why what 's the matter For my people have committed two evils They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water So 't is here thou forsakest the fountain of living waters the blessed God and thy heart cleaves to the dust and seekest thy contentment and happinesse in cisterns that can hold no water let the Heavens be astonished at this horrible wickedness The Third EVIL Thirdly Earthly-mindedness it's enmity against God Thou wouldst be loth to be found an enemy against God certainly it 's a truth and it will be found another day That an earthly-minded man or woman is an enemy to God yea the Scripture makes it to be enmity in the very Abstract James 4. 4. Know ye not that the love of the world is enmity to God Observe this for there 's very much in it if God would be pleased to make us to lay it to heart you will find it by experience that earthly-mindednesse doth make men to be enemies to that that is spiritually good therefore well might the holy-Ghost say 't is enmity to God for whatsoever is enmity to any thing that is spiritually good it is enmity to God so much as my heart or any of your hearts are against any thing that is spiritual so much mine or any of your hearts are enemies to God Now here in the very Text these earthly-minded men are made enemies to the Crosse of Christ that is enemies to the spiritual preaching of Christ and holding forth Christ Indeed If they would have mixt Christ and Circumcision together then they would have been content with it but now this spiritual way of preaching Christ and being justified by faith alone and Christian Religion in the purity of it was that that was not sutable to their carnal hearts and therefore they were enemies to it Oh! earthly-mindednesse doth make us enemies to spiritual things where have you greater enemies unto the things of God unto spiritual things unto the Ministry of the word as we had occasion to hint and to the work of Gods grace upon the hearts of men and women no greater enemies unto these things than earthly minded men men that savour the things of the earth that can go up and down and care not if they can but load themselves with thick clay grow rich in the world and fare deliciously every day with Dives make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof there is an antipathy in their spirits against Jesus Christ and al goodnesse The Fourth EVILL Then Fourthly There is scarce any disposition more opposite more contrary to the work of grace to the work of godlinesse in a mans own heart than earthly-mindednesse 't is so exceeding crosse to the nature of grace that it may as well put men or women to be at a stand and put them upon examination whether there be any grace or no in their hearts if earthly-mindednesse prevail as almost any other thing if God should suffer your corruptions to prevail over you so as you should break forth into some outward notorious sins then it may be you would begin to think can this stand with grace and how can that stand with such workings as I have had before have not I cause to fear that I am but an Hypocrite a rotten professor But now this
earthly-mindednesse hath as much opposition to the nature of grace and the power of godlinesse in the heart as almost any sin that you can name It is so quite contrary to the very beginning of the work of grace not contrary to the degrees only but to the very begining The main work of God at the very first in working grace in the soul is to disingage the soul from the creature it is to take it off from the Earth and from all creatures here below for naturally 't is true That as we are of the earth so we are earthly and have our spirits ingaged to the things of this earth but then comes the work of grace upon the soul and takes it off and discharges the heart from the earth and therefore you find that Christ laies in this as the first lesson That he that will be my Disciple must deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me as if he should say never think of being a Christian except you will deny your selves Self what 's that all natural contentment natural-self and sinful-self to be emptied wholly of your selves and creature-comforts and contentments and take up my Cross to be willing to suffer any thing in regard of earthly comforts to be willing to lay down all at my feet and to give up your interest in all and to take up my Cross this is the very first beginning of Christs bringing Disciples to himself Then saith the soul let me have my sin pardoned and farewel earth it 's Heaven Holiness renewing of the Image of God communion and union with God and living to the eternal praise of his Name in Christ that my heart is upon I say this in the beginning of Gods working the heart to himself The work of Grace when it is first wrought it hath the name of Vocation Calling what is it for a man to be called give diligence to make your calling election sure To be called is this and whereas before thou wert altogether digging and dolving in the earth and seeking for thy happiness in the world now it pleases God to make thee to hear a voice behind thee calling thee and telling thee O poor soul thy happiness is not here there are other things in which thy chief good consists thou art made for higher and better things than these God hath nobler thoughts about man-kind than meerly to let him have a few contentments here in the earth Oh soul come away and look after higher things here 's the first work of grace and the soul answers unto this call of God and saith Lord I come and so gives up it's self to God to dispose of it and this is in the beginning of the work of Grace Now how contrary is earthly-mindednesse to the work of God in bringing grace into the heart Conceive it in these three things 1. The very work of conversion it is set out in Scripture by Gods calling the soul out of the world Whom he hath predestinated him he hath called When God effectually begins to work upon the heart of a sinner he does cause a voice to be heard in the soul Oh soul thou hast been busying thy self about many things but there is one thing necesseary Oh come out of that way of thine that thou art in thou canst never be happy else thou wilt be undone in it the Lord calls the soul out of the world and that I say is the very work of conversion the souls answearing to Gods call Now for one stil to be earthly and to have a heart cleaving to these things surely such a one is not as yet effectually called out of the world 2. And then from thence follows upon the souls answer to this call the Lord difingages the heart from all creature-comforts and teacheth the first lesson to deny himself and to take up Christs Crosse now what 's more opposite to self-denial and the taking up of the Crosse of Christ than earthly-mindednesse the text saith here They are enemies to the Cross of Christ And then a third thing in conversion it is The resigning up of the soul to God as the chief good the soul upon the call of God it learns the lesson of Self-denial and taking up the Crosse and so being disingaged from the creature now it resigns up it self to God as an infinite soul satisfying good for ever now you cannot but in the naming of this see how opposite earthly-mindednesse is to it And then for the work of grace upon the heart after the heart is converted and turned to God First Grace brings a new light into the soul A Spiritual and Divine light is set up in the soul upon the conversion of a sinner to God but now the earth you know it 's the dark part of the world and earthly mindednesse it causeth darknesse to be upon the spirit as the interposition of the earth between us the Sun it doth hinder the sight of the Sun from us And so the interposition that there is of earthlinesse in the soul of man between God and it doth hinder the sight of God from the soul there is a Divine light set up in the soul and when as God works grace that doth discover things of a higher and more excellent and glorious nature than those things were that before the heart did so much cleave unto In the second place the Scirpture sets forth the work of grace by the New creature In the soul all things are made new old things are Past he that is in Crhist is a new creature Now earthly-mindednesse is opposite to the new creation in the soul it 's the old man that is of the earth the first man is of the earth earthly and so it is apparant that thou art still only in the stock of the first man of the earth earthly who art an earthly-minded man But the second man is the Lord from Heaven But now thou that art an earthly-minded man or woman art yet but a child of Adam of the first man and so art of the earth earthly this is opposite to grace grace works a new creation in the soul 3. And grace is of an Elevating nature raises the heart above its self and above the creature yea above the world in some respect above Angels themselves above Principalities and Powers above all created things grace is of a raising nature but an earthly-minded man sinks down to low and base things And grace fourthly is of an Enlarging nature it enlarges the heart so that it cannot be satisfied with any earthly thing though God should give the whole world to a heart that hath grace this would not satisfie that heart why because it is so Enlarged by the work of grace the work of grace it is the Divine nature the Image of God in the soul and therefore works the soul like to God and it 's said of God in the 40. of Isa that all the nations of the earth are to him
faces may shine so that you may see by their Conversations that certainly they have been with God upon the Mount this day Now I appeal to you in this Do you live so as that your family and your neighbors may see that you have bin this morning in Heaven Every morning we should have some converse with Heaven which if we had our Conversations would be convincing all the day long and very profitable it would be to the world Christians that live Heavenly Conversations they are I say of very great use in the places where they live As I remember it 's said concerning Christ When he ascended up to Heaven he gave gifts to men And if we could oftener ascend up to Heaven we should be more able to be beneficial to the world CHAP. XV. An Heavenly Conversation is growing AN Heavenly Conversation is a growing Conversation Oh! they grow mightily they do thrive in grace exceeding much in a very little time they grow to attain to a very great measure of Communion with God the Father and with Jesus Christ and every day they grow more and more spiritual having so much of heaven within them It 's true when they come into Heaven they shall be perfect But now the fetching from Heaven is that that makes them grow it must be the influence from Heaven that must cause the grouth of Saints As now suppose that the ground upon which flowers and herbs grow be never so fertile in its self and the herbs or plants be never so well rooted in the earth yet if there be not an influence of heaven upon them they will not grow much nay not at all but quickly wither So it is with Christians let them have never so much means of growing below never so many Ordinances yet if they have not rich dews from above they wil not grow or if there be any growth yet either they wil bear no fruit or else it will be very shrifled and sowre fruit You know that fruit that hath the most of the beams of the Sun that comes from heaven upon it that fruit grows riper and sweeter than other fruit fruit that grows in the shade that hath the influence of Heaven kept off from it it is sowre fruit And the reason that the Saints have so little fruit and that it is so sowre it is because that they have not more influences from heaven they do not stand in the open Sun their souls are not presented dayly before God and have the warm beams of the Sun of Righteousnesse shining from Heaven upon them but there is something between Heaven and their souls but a Conversation in Heaven as it would be a Convincing Conversation so it would be a Growing Conversation CHAP. XVI An Heavenly Conversation brings much glory to God ANd then It would be a Conversation glorifying God much Oh! the Glory that God would have from a Conversation in Heaven Let your light so shine before men that others beholding your good works may glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Then indeed the Image of the God of Heaven is held forth when mens Conversations are heavenly the Lord takes much delight to have his glory to be dispensed abroad by his Saints to have some reflection upon the world As in a glasse though beams of the Sun do not shine upon a wall yet by a glasse you may take the beams of the Sun and cast the reflection of them upon a wal so those beams of the glory of God that shine in Heaven the Saints by their Heavenly Conversation may as it were by a glasse take them and reflect them upon the world and upon the faces of men the hearts of the Saints should be as a glasse taking the beams of the glory of God and casting them up and down where they are and so your Heavenly Father should come to be glorified by you Let every Christian think thus My Conversation is thus and thus but what glory do I bring to God by my Conversation do others glorifie God by beholding the lustre of the holiness of God in me do they see cause to blesse God that they see so much of the glory of God in me Certainly there is more of the glory of God shines in the gracious holy spiritual Conversation of a Christian than shines in the Sun Moon and Stars than in Heaven and Earth I mean for the works of Creation and Providence that are in Heaven and Earth the creatures that God hath made as the Sun Moon and Stars and here in this world the Seas the Earth the Plants and the like though they have much of the glory of God yet a Heavenly Conversation declares more of the glory of God than all these You know what the Psalmest saith The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament shew his handy work It may be spoken more fully of Heavenly Conversations the Heavenly Conversations of the Saints declare the glory of God and those that shine in the Firmament of the Church are stars for the Church is the firmament and the Saints be there as stars they declare the Handy work of God Now though its true As in Heaven there 's one star differs from another star in glory and so in Christians every one cannot attain to so much glory as another yet every one is a star the meanest Christian that lives the weakest Beleever that is yet should be as a star in the firmament though he cannot shine so gloriously as the Sun or as other stars yet there should be never a Beleever never a godly man or woman in the Church but should shine as a star in the firmament but should be as the Gospel is even a mirror wherein we might behold the glory of God in whom we may behold the glory of God even as it were with open face An Heavenly Conversation is a Conversation glorifying God CHAP. XVII An Heavenly Conversation bringeth much glory to the Sanits AN Heavenly Conversation it 's a Conversation that will bring much glory to your selves Though it's true that the Saints should aim at the glory of God most yet there will come glory to themselves whether they will or no if their Conversations be in Heaven it 's impossible but that in the conscience of men they should be honored walking in a Heavenly Conversation There 's an excellent Scripture that shews that in our glorifying of God we glorifie our selves also 2 Thess 1. 11 12. the Aplostle he praies for them Wherefore also saith he we pray alwaies for you that our God would count you worthy of this Calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power To what end That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ He praies for the Thessalonians That they might walk so that they might have so much of the grace
soon in the Day of Jesus Christ in his appointed time which is at hand FINIS OF WALKING VVITH GOD GENESIS 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took him CHAP. I. TEXT OPENED IN this Chapter we have the Geneologie from Adam to Noah and it 's observable That God passeth all along and saith Adam he lived so long and begat sons and so afterwards they lived and begat sons and daughters and then died He only mentions them briefly till he comes to Enoch and there God seems to make a stop He doth not only tell you how long he lived and begat sons and daughters and died but he addeth Enoch walked with God The holy Ghost spends three verses upon Enoch He tells you how long he lived and begat Methuselah and Enoch walked with God And in the 23. verse there he speaks of him again and in the 24. vers Enoch walked with God again As if the Lord should say Oh my servant Enoch I must not pass by him he was an eminent holy man in his generation I must not pass by him without some especial testimony as if God should say Oh he was the delight of my Soul he walked with me Enoch walked with God Enoch he was a Prophet in his time he conversed much with God and God revealed much of his mind to him We find in the Epistle of Jude 14. there the holy Ghost mentions him again Enoch also the seventh from Adam prophesied of these saying c. Enoch prophesied he was a Prophet Where do we find Enoch's prophesie in all the Book of God we have the Prophesie of Isaiah and Jeremiah and other Prophets but where the Prophesie of Enoch Here the holy Ghost saith That Enoch prophesied saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints c. Now for the prophesie that is here mentioned by the holy Ghost in this Epistle of Jude we have it not set down in words fully but yet we have somewhat set down even in a verse or two before my Text of Enoch's prophesie and that is in the very name of his son Methuselah there is that very prophesie of Enoch that the holy Ghost speaks of in the Epistle of Jude in the name I say of his son Methuselah for Methuselah signifieth thus much he dieth and then the sending out that is the floud he dieth and then comes the floud that 's the signification of the name Methuselah So that Enoch prophesied many hundred yeers before the flouds coming and that prophesie seem'd to go further for Gods dealing with people in those times were but as a type of his dealing with men in after-times That the Lord would send forth a floud against all wicked and ungodly men in due time to destroy them he dieth and then the sending forth of the floud for the floud did come in the very last yeer of Methuselah and that 's observable that this Methuselah he liv'd longer than ever any man liv'd since the world began All the daies of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixtie nine yeers and then he died Now this may be one reason of the lengthening out of his life that he might fulfil the prophesie of Enoch for Enoch prophesied that the floud should come when he died now because God had work to bring about and to defer the floud for a while after therefore Methuselah must live so long God doth lengthen out or shorten mens lives according to the work he hath to do according to the use he hath to make of them But thus much for Enoch The person who it was ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD. Now this phrase of walking with God sometimes it signifies some special ministration before the Lord as in the 1 Sam. 2. 30 35. Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith I said indeed That thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever And then in the 35. I will raise me up a faithfull Priest that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind and I will build him a sure house and he shall WALK before mine anointed for ever That is for a special and holy ministration so it 's taken sometimes But here we are to understand it more largely though it 's true Enoch was a Prophet and he might be said to walk with God in regard of the special ministration of his Prophetical Office that he had for walking with God in waies of righteousness and holiness so walking with God as it 's said of Noah that was his great grand-child in the 6. of Gen. 9. These are the generations of Noah Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation and Noah walked with God This his great-grand-child no question hearing of his fathers walking with God was a great argument for to move him to the like and his walking with God is discribed to be in being righteous and in being perfect with God The 70. in their translation turns this that you have in your books walk with God by the word he pleased God And that 's observable that the holy Ghost in mentioning Enoch in the new Testament doth follow the translation of the Septuagent in the 11. of the Heb. there you shall find that Enoch is mentioned among the Catalogue of the Beleevers there By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God That word that you have here in Genesis rendered he walked with God in the Hebrews it is that he had this testimony That he pleased God indeed it comes to one he walked in the waies that God was pleased and delighted in He pleased God The Calde translates it he walked in the fear of God and so some Interpreters quoting the Jerusalemie Thargum he served or labored in the truth before the Lord and that 's one thing further in the explication that it 's said he walked with God after he begat Methuselab Some now think that Enoch was a wicked man before the time that he begat Methuselah in that sixty and five yeers there 's no mention of his walking with God but Enoch lived sixty five yeers and begat Methuselah and he walked with God after he begat Methuselah but that 's no sufficient ground to conclude because it 's said after that he did not before it might rather be to note the constancy of his walking with God that he continued in the constant course of his life in his walking with God I shall need to speak no further of the explication of this first part of Enoch's walking with God The point of Doctrine from it is this CHAP. II. The Doctrines raised from the Text and the Treatise devided into several parts THat 't is the great excellency and commendations of a godly man to walk with God Or That it is the highest testimony that can be given
Not only to do the same thing to make the will of God to be the rule of it But to have the same ends that God hath What 's the end that God hath in all his waies Surely it is that his blessed Name may be magnified that his glory may be set forth I 'le drive on the same design that shall be the great design of my life it 's that that my soul shall aim at as the highest end of all things and all things shall be subordinate to this end even The glory and honor of God it 's that that God aims at and therefore that which I 'le aim at thus the soul goes along with God as now A man may be said to go along with another man when they do both drive on the same designs Oh! this is a blessed thing indeed We shall speak to that hereafter but the very opening what it is shews much of the excellency of it and I beseech you as you go along examine your own hearts see whether by the very mentioning of these things you be not strangers to God examine by the workings of God in bringing your souls to walk with him or otherwise by the way of the soul in eying God in behaving its self as in the presence of God in making the Will of God to be its rule and in driving on the design that God doth Walking with God is the observing the administrations of God and suting the soul to them Fifthly It is the observing of the several administrations of God and the suting of the soule to the several administrations of God in the world I open that thus God sometimes seems to work in one way sometimes in another way now the soul that walks with God observes which are the several waies and administrations of God in the world and let me saith the soul labor to sute my heart with them that 's thus sometimes the Lord is in a way of judgments in the world heavie and dreadful afflictions yea sometimes against his own Saints and People then let me sute my heart according to this Oh Lord we will wait upon thee in the waies of thy judgments saith the Church in Isa Are we under Gods way of judgments in a way of afflictions Lord we will sute our selves to honor thee there according to that way we will labor to exercise those graces that are sutable to these administrations of thine And Lord art thou in a way of mercy we will sute our selves accordingly and labor to draw forth and exercise our graces that are sutable to those waies of thine And art thou in a way of affliction in my family or in a way of mercy Lord I will labor to exercise those graces that are sutable to those waies of thine This is to walk with God As when we walk with a man if he turn this way then I set my self to go with him and if he turns another way then I sute my self to go with him that way so though the waies of God be never so variōus yet the soul that walks with God is sutable to those waies of God Oh this is a great Art a great Mystery to sute a mans self to these several administrations of God in the world You shall have some that if God go in a way of mercy Oh there they can bless praise God and they think that this is to walk with God but if God turns his back upon thee and takes away thy choisestearthly comfort it may be thy deerest yoke-fellow so comes in a way of affictions how canst thou sute with Gods waies then When God was in a way of mercy then my exercise was in joy and thanksgiving and speaking good of his Name but now the Lord is in a way of afflictions now I exercise faith on God now I exercise patience now I exercise Christian wisdom to know what good I can get out of this hand of God that what courses soever God takes yet still a Christian hath several graces to exercise in several conditions and that not only while God is in a smooth path the soul can exercise Joy and Thanksgiving speaking good of his Name But let God go into a rugged path of very great afflictions yet the soul doth sute it's self unto God according to his several administrations this is to walk with God Walking with God is To have a Holy Dependance upon God Opened in Four Particulars Sixthly Walking with God it is To have a holy dependance upon God in all his waies For one to live in a holy dependance upon God for these Four things First In a holy dependance upon God for Direction Oh lead me in the way of thy truth When a Christian looks up to God and depends upon him in the constant course of his life depends upon him for direction Oh Lord teach me thy way Lord lead me in the way of everlasting life Lord send forth thy light and thy truth to guide me Thou shalt be my guide even unto death when the soul dare not go one step further then it sees God going before it and therefore it saith Lord lead me guide me I beseech you examine as you go along can you say that in the course of your lives this you find That you walk in a holy dependance upon God for guidance and direction in every step whatsoever you meddle with yet your walk is thus in a holy dependance upon God for direction in your bufiness and according as the business is of lesse or greater conscequence the heart works more after God for guidance and direction for that business But now the men of the world they are afraid that God should lead them into hard paths into ttoublesom waies and therefore they are shy of Gods Guidance this is the way of wicked hearts I say they are shy of the guidance and direction of God but a gracious heart saith let God lead me and let the way be what it will The wicked are guided by their own thoughts by their own counsels by the examples of other men what 's most sutable to their own ends but the way of the Saints is this Lord guide me Secondly Their holy dependance upon God it is for protection to protect them in what they do Lord I am in the way that thou hast guided me into I may meet with much trouble and affliction but Lord do thou protect me do thou defend me in this way of thine As the child walking with the father if he hears any noise that doth scare him he looks up to the father and depends upon his father to be protected So when a child of God shall in all his waies walk in a holy dependance upon God for protection this is to walk with God Thirdly The soul depends upon God for assistance in any thing that it undertakes Lord this is the work that thou callest me to Oh let me have strength from thy self in
this work I can do nothing without thee Lord and let me have assistance from thee Whereas the wicked they make flesh their arm and therefore there 's a curse pronounc'd against them in Jer. 17. 5. verse they are strangers to any such work as this of dependance upon God for assistance Now and then at a spurt they will say that God must help them and they can do nothing without God I but to have a holy gracious frame of spirit to walk in a holy dependance upon God for assistance in every businesse this is far from the wicked and ungodly Fourthly The soul walks in a holy dependance upon God for a blessing upon all it doth Walk before me and be upright I am thine exceeding great reward As if God should say to Abraham Walk in dependance upon me I am thy reward though thou hast little encouragment in the world yet look up to me for thy reward so when the soul turneth from men and the world and minds not so much what encouragement it hath from the world but looks up to God Lord I depend upon thee for a blessing and how ever things seem to go yet Lord I look up to thee for the bringing all to a good issue here 's now a soul walking with God Walking with God makes a man free and ready in the waies of God Seventhly One that walks with God in all his waies of Holiness and Obedience his heart is free in him he comes off readily to every good work he is not hall'd and pull'd to God but he walks with him There 's a great deal of differenet between one that is dragged after another as if you should drag a prisoner that hath no mind to go that way and another that walks up and down with delight and pleasure with you 'T is not enough to walk with God for to be in the way that God would have you to be or to do the things that God would have you to do except your hearts do come off freely in the waies of obidience except there be a cheerfulness in the waies of obedience except you choose the waies of holiness as the waies that are most sutable to you this is the walking with God In the 119. Psal 45. I will walk at liberty saith David for I seek thy precepts It 's a notable Scripture The men of the world they think that there is no walking at liberty but for them to satisfie their defires to the uttermost to walk after their lusts which is the Scripture phrase No but saith David my liberty is this I seek thy precepts A carnal heart thinks it is the greatest bondage in the world for to seek the precepts of God and to conform to Gods precepts that I must walk according to rule that 's a bondage No I 'le walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts It 's an excellent argument of grace in the heart to account the precepts of God to be the greatest liberty to the soul When I am in the waies of sin I am in the waies of bondage I am a slave to Satan but when I seek thy precepts I am at liberty As a man when he is walking up and down in the fields he is at liberty So when the soul is walking with God it is at liberty but when the soul is walking without God it is in a dungeon a prison but I say when it walks with God it is at liberty it comes off freely in all the waies of obedience Walking with God consists in Communion with God Eighthly Walking with God consists in the Converse and Communion that the soul hath with him in holy duties There are the special walks of the soul with God and of God with the soul in the duties of holy Worship In the 18. of Levit. 4. saith the Lord there Ye shall do my Judgments and keep mine Ordinances to WALK therein I am the Lord your God You must Walk in Gods Ordinances the Ordinances of God they are the Walks of a gracious soul and there the soul meets with God in the 26. of Levit. 11 12. It 's a notable Scripture to shew that in Gods Ordinances there the soul meets with God And I will set my tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor you that is shall delight in you And I will WALK among you and will be your God and ye shall be my people I will set my Tabernacle amongst you What 's that That is mine Ordinances you shall enjoy mine Ordinances you shall have the duties of my Worship and I will Walk among you then God walks among us when we enjoy his Ordinances So that you see in the 18. of Levit. there God saith You shall walk in mine Ordinances the Ordinances are the godly mans walk then in the 26. of Levit. the Ordinances are Gods walk so that we see they walk the same way and there God and a gracious heart meet together The Churches enjoying Ordinances are the Candlesticks that we reade of in the 1 of Revel 13. In the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks was one like unto the son of man cloathed with a garment down to the feet and gird about the paps with a golden girdle The Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst of the Candlesticks that is in the midst of the Churches where there are the Ordinances of God there he is and if you would walk with him you must find him there in the 68. Psal 24. there likewise you may see what the way of a gracious heart is in walking with God They have seen thy goings O God even the going of my God my King where in the Sanctuary If you would walk with another you must know where his goings are observe where he uses to walk and be going there They have seen thy going O God even the goings of my God my King in the Sanctuary there 's the goings of God if you would meet with God and walk with him it must be in the Sanctuary it must be in his Ordinances In the 7. of Cant. 5. verse it is said That the King speaking of Christ is held in the galleries now what 's that but in the Ordinances that 's as it were the galleries of the great King of Heaven and Earth And you know Princes and great men they have their sumptuous galleries wherein they use to walk and only chief favourites are permitted and suffered to be there to walk up and down The King is HELD in his galleries that is when Jesus Christ is in Communion with his Saints in his Ordinances in the duties of Worship Oh 't is the most pleasant galleries to walk in that he hath it 's as pleasant a gallery as he hath in Heaven it's self Oh! he loves to be there The King is Held there Oh! many a sweet and comfortable turn hath a gracious heart in these galleries that is in the Ordinances and Duties of Worship in walking with Jesus Christ When