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
Apostasie 't is the example of Demas For Demas saies the Apostle hath forsaken me what 's the matter having loved this present world It was that that made Demas to be an Apostate why what was Demas before compare this Scripture with that you have in the Epistle to the Colossians and you shal see what he was before this time he was a forward Disciple of Paul and the Apostle had some good esteem of him in the last to the Colossians 14. vers mark there in that Epistle where Paul was directed by the holy Ghost Luke the beloved Physitian and Demas greet you Paul doth rank Demas here among the famous Professors of Religion the Apostle writing to the Colossians saith Demas greets you among the rest When we send to our friends and say Such a one commends him to you we use not to name them except they be entire friends So it appears and I find that Interpreters severally do think it was the same Demas and the word gives us some ground for this for in Timothy you find that he names Luke there too It seems that Demas and Luke were two great Assossiates and Paul mentions them together when Demas had forsaken him yet Luke rode with him and when Paul sends them greeting of Luke that was the beloved Physitian he sends the greeting of Demas too But now one was truly godly and whatsoever sufferings Paul met withal one cleaved to him and would not forsake him But when Paul begins to suffer and Demas thought that there 's no thriving for me if I should follow this persecuted Apostle Demas now would have no more of Paul he thanks him for his company and fairly departs from him He hath forsaken me and what 's the root of it He had imbraced this present world And that 's another note that though he was a forward Proffessor yet the heart of Paul was not so much for him for saith he Luke the Beloved Phisitian and Demas great you He doth not say the Beloved Demas it 's true Demas was a forward Proffessor and did seem to wear a cloak of Religion yet Paul was directed by the holy-Ghost only to speak of him as a Proffessor but in that the holy-Ghost directs him to speek of two together that were two companions and gives one an Epethite Beloved and the other only his name By this we may gather that those that have discerning spirits may shew some kind of sign in those that are earthly at least to darken their esteem of them and to make them somwhat jealous of them as now ther 's two men and both very forward and two companions together yet those that are godly old Disciples can savour one more than the other Indeed they are both Proffessors and both have excellant parts and gifts and yet there 's more spiritualness and greater experiences in one than in the other so it appears there was in Luke rather than in Demas and indeed your earthly-minded men afterwards prove to be Apostates usually before their grand Apostasy do manifest some deadnesse and waywardness of spirit to that that 's good yea their spirits before discover themselves to be earthly spirits they smell of the earth As a man before he dies his breath will smell very earthly you will say Oh! such a one cannot live his breath is so earthly so it is with those that are very great proffessors of Religion that those that have intimate acquaintance with them before they do Apostatise they smell their breath to be earthly in their duties in their conferences Oh take heed of earthly-mindedness least it be the root of Apostasie This may be written upon many an Apostates grave This was an earthly minded man or woman in the midest of their profession And hence it is that they fell off from the truth in times of danger when they were brought to the tryal they were base back sliders from God and his truth The Ninth Evil. Earthly-mindednesse doth wonderfully dead the heart in prayer It sinks the spirits of men and straightens them in spiritual duties yea and indeed doth defile every duty of Religion in the 119. Psal 37. ver David you shall find paryes there to God That he will turn away his eyes from beholding vanity and that he would quicken him in his law Certainly by the vanity that he speaks of there he means the things of the world and by his eyes he understands the eyes of his mind chiefly the working of the thoughts of his heart after earthly things for if you will cast your eyes but to the 36. verse faith he there Incline my heart to thy testimonies and not to covetousness Oh Lord let not my heart be inclined to covetousness afterwards Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity to the end that my heart may not be inclin'd to covetousness Lord let not my thoughts be busied about such vain things but quicken me in thy Law as if he should say Lord while my mind is turned to vanity or my heart to covetousnesse after the things of this earth I alwaies find my spirit dull and heavy in any holy duties I have no quickness at all in my inward man when I come in thy presence and by experience I find this to be the cause that my heart is so drossie because my thoughts and mind are set upon earthly things that are but vanity therefore Lord let not mine heart be inclin'd to covetousness nor mine eyes looking after vanity but turn away mine eyes from these things and quicken me in thy Law If you would have your hearts quicken'd in Gods Law in the Duties that God sets you about take heed of your eyes that they look not after vanity your hearts that they follow not after covetousnesse for an earthly spirit will be a dead spirit as the element of earth it 's the sluggishest and deadest element of all so earthlinesse in the heart makes the heart sluggish and dead and listlesse to any holy and spiritual duty I appeal to your consciences in this when you have let out your hearts after the things of this earth and been exercised in the world in abundance of businesses when you have come to enjoy communion with God Oh! how dead have you found your hearts a drossie heart must needs be a dead and a straight heart in heavenly exercises you complain many times of your vain thoughts in performance of holy duties you cry out of dead spirits then but there lies the cause you have given your hearts up so much to the things of the earth at other times and hence when you should come to have converse with God your hearts are so dead and dull straight as they are look at this to be the ground of it this is the great root of all it lies here in your earthly-mindednesse Oh! how many prayers have been quite spoil'd with an earthly heart whereas such as have had spiritual hearts have enjoyed blessed communion with
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
of a man that walks with God Walking with God is a high excellency and whoever hath this testimony hath the highest testimony that can be given unto a man in this world that he walks with God And therefore that 's observable that God mentions him twice as if he loved to mention his poor creatures walking with him at the 22. verse And Enoch walked with God And then in the 24. verse And Enoch walked with God Oh! as if God should say This is that that is the delight of my soul indeed Yea and that 's observable in the testimony of Noah in Gen. 6. 9. perhaps in the reading of it you may not observe that that I shal observe unto you now Noah saith he was a just man and perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God He doth not say thus Noah was a just man and walked with God But mark he repeats Noah twice Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God as if he should say This is the blessed man that lived in a wicked generation and though that generation was sinful and wicked yet he kept close with God Noah was just and perfect and Noah walked with God Oh I take delight in this Noah Consider my servant Noah Noah was thus and Noah walked with God There 's a great Emphasis in doubling of his name and there can be no reason given of it for the sense would be perfect without it as if he should say Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation and walked with God But for the putting of a special incomium upon Noah Oh! Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God Oh! 't is the excellency of a man to walk with God and for God himself to own a man and to say that he walks with him Men may live in a practice of the duties of Religion Eternal duties and go very far that way and yet be strangers unto God never know what it is to walk with God they may have by-waies of their own in which their hearts do walk as the Stars that have a motion turn about by the Primum Mobile the first mover one way but they have a secret motion the other way themselves and so though many in their external profession seem to be moved one way but secretly their hearts move another way they do not walk with God all that while they did pray and reade and hear and come to Sermons and make great profession so as men might think they walked with God but it was not so As it is with a ship you may be bound to such a Port and the ship and the sails blow that way and yet when the ship goes east a man may walk up and down in the ship west-ward so in profession a man seems to be carried east-ward yet his private walks may be another way to his own ends to his own designs but here 's the honor of a man when God himself shall own him as if God should say concerning Enoch I who am a God that am the Seer and Searcher of all mens hearts and I observe the waies of my servant Enoch and I see him not only in the outward profession of godliness but in the secret of his soul he walks with me he hath no bye-walks at all but he keeps himself close with me and walks with me continually Enoch walked with God This phrase Walking with God we have exprest in Scripture in divers other phrases that are to the same purpose as walking before God Gen. 24. 40 The Lord before whom I walk saith Abraham and so God bad Abraham Walk before me and be upright And so in the 116. Psal 9. I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the Living Remember how I have walked before thee it 's said of Hezekiah And sometimes the same thing is expressed by walking after the Lord in the 13. of Deut. 4. Ye shall walk after the Lord. As a child walking after his father though he walks step after step yet he may be said to walk with him And sometimes by walking in the Name of the Lord Micah 4. 5. We will walk in the Name of the Lord our God And then fourthly by walking in the spirit of God Gal. 5. 16. and here walking with God Walking Before God Walking After God Walking in the Name of God Walking in the Spirit of God Or Walking with God They all come to the same purpose But for the opening of the point there are these Four things that I intend in the handling of it First What it is to walk with God or to discribe the work of God in bringing the soul to walk with him and the way of the soul in walking with God Secondly To shew you the excellency that there is in this walking with God what a blessed thing it is for a Christian to walk with God Thirdly Give you some evidences of a mans walking with God Fourthly To give unto you some Rules how you may come to walk with God to have your lives so as you may have this testimony even from God himself that you do walk with him These are the Four things For the First The discription of walking with God the work of God in bringing the soul to walk with him and the way of the soul in walking with God CHAP. III. How the Soul is brought to Walk with God Discovered in Six Particulars FIrst Every one by nature goes astray from God in the 58. Psal 3. it is said of all the wicked that they are estranged from the wombe they go astray as soon as they are born speaking lies That 's one of the first things wherein wickedness appears in children but 't is from the very womb that they go astray before they can speak 't is natural for the wicked to go astray from God as soon as they have any being The way wherein men naturally do walk it is the way of death it 's the way of their own hearts of their own counsels it 's the common course of the world it is the walk of the flesh But now the work of God in bringing the soul to walk with him it is First To cause the soul to make a stop in the way that men naturally walk in Those that the Lord hath left for a while in the way of nature that walk in the way of death the Lord is pleased to come to them by some mighty work of his to make a stop by considering where am I what 's my way whither am I going is the way that I am in like to the way that befeems an Immortal soul Is the way like to end well that I am walking in It causes the soul to make a stop in it and begin to think where it is whither it is going and so usually causes some fear fearing it is in a way like to miscarry so that it dare not proceed further
the Lord will condemn you from their example and say Did not such and such live in the familie and place where you liv'd and did not you behold their holie and gracious Conversation and shall the example of such and such vile wretches be followed rather than the example of my Saints I say this will stop your mouthes and aggravate your condemnation in the great Audit-day Some there are that are so far from following the example of those whose Conversations are in Heaven as they rage and fret against them and do what they can to darken the glorie of their holie lives and if they can but have any misreport of them they will follow it what possibly they can to the end that they might eclipse the holiness of their lives that so they may stop their own consciences whereas were there not something to darken the luster and beautie of the lives of the Saints certainlie mens hearts would condemn them for walking in contrarie waies unto them and therefore for relief of their consciences that they may not condemn them for walking in waies contrary to them they do what they can to spew upon their glory and are glad if they can hear any ill report of them and will follow them to their uttermost and all because their corrupt hearts are against the holiness of their lives and Conversations And then lastly Let those that profess Religion labor to walk so as their examples may be convincing others Is there such a power in holy examples to prevail with men you that profess Religion make this an argument to work upon your hearts that your Conversation may be more in Heaven that so your example may do the more good in the place where you live you that profess Religion and yet have earthly spirits and live scandalouslie and vilie Oh know you live to do as much mischief almost as a man can do in this world no greater mischief than for one to profess Religion and yet for his Conversation to be wicked and ungodly and so to give the Lye to his profession But for that we spake to heretofore when we treated upon that Scripture Only let your Conversation be as becomes the Gospel CHAP. IV. Two Doctrines observed from the Text. THus we proceed to the principal Doctrinal Truths For our Conversation is in Heaven Our Citie Conversation our Citizen-like behavior or Citie Burges estate for so the word signifies our carriage like free denizens it is in Heaven now from thence you have First That the Saints are the Citizens of Heaven Secondly That their behavior and Conversation even while they are in this world it is in Heaven For the first but briefly to make way to the second The Saints of God they are the Citizens of Heaven they are all free Denizens Burgesses of Heaven In the 2. Ephes 19. there you may see how God hath gathered all the Saints together to be fellow-Citizens of Heaven Now therefore ye are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God They have an Heavenly Citie here in the Church the Church it is a Heaven to the Saints and as a type of that Heaven that they shal come into to live for ever both with the Saints and Angels hereafter And in the 11. Heb. 10. it 's spoken of Abraham He sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob the heirs with him of the same Promise for he looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God It seems then that all the Cities in the world in comparison of this Citie have no foundations Abraham looked for a Citie that hath foundations and whose builder and maker is God The builders and makers of these Cities are men the founders of the most famous Cities in this world have been men and manie times wicked and ungodlie men are the builders of them The first Citie that we reade of was built by Cain The builders and makers I say of these Cities are men laboring men But Abraham look'd for a Citie that had foundations whose builder and maker is God And in the 12. Heb. 22. But ye are come unto mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem mark and to an innumerable company of Angels so that you are to have them your fellow Citizens The Heavenly Jerusalem that is here in the Church which is in comparison of Jerusalem that was in Canaan called the Heavenly Jerusalem so that they are Citizens of Heaven even as they are Members of the Church the Saints of God here in the Church are said to dwell in Heaven but in that their Citie there are an innumerable company of Angels also that plainly notes that it hath reference unto the glorious Heaven of the Saints that they are the Citizens of the Saints are the Citizens of Heaven there they dwell in the 13. of the Revelation 6 and 8. verses this would serve for proof of this thing and so for the other point that remains That their Conversation it is in Heaven And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme his Name and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in Heaven And it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them Now these were not in Heaven that is in their bodies they were not in Heaven for the present But they are said to dwell in Heaven because they are of the Church here and they are free Denizens of Heaven too of the Heaven of the Saints that they shall live in hereafter in a more glorious way They are Now Citizens of it and they may be said to dwell in Heaven as we shall see afterward in the opening of their Conversations being in Heaven CHAP. V. How the Saints are Citizens of Heaven opened in Nine Particulars NOW the Saints are Citizens of Heaven For First Their names are all inrold in Heaven They are written in Heaven in the 10. Luke 20. Rejoyce in this That your names are written in Heaven In Heaven is the Books of life where all the Names of the Saints are written Philip. 4. 3. Whose names saith he are written in the Books of life Secondly The Saints are the Citizens of Heaven for they have Christ their Head gone before to take possession of Heaven in their names therefore they have a right to Heaven As a man may be a Citizen although he should travel in another Country yet his name being inrol'd there and he having possession there he may be said to be a Citizen though he be in a strange land for the present in his body So the Saints have their names inrold in Heaven they have Jesus Christ their head that is gone before in their names to take possession for them and to provide Mantions for them as in the 14. John Thirdly When ever they do actually beleeve they do take up their
speak the very language of Canaan but it is in such company where they may gain respect by it but still are but as meteors that hang between heaven and earth whereas the truth is while they seem to be so high above others and so heavenly yet their hearts are groveling upon the earth many times while they have most excellent expressions in prayer yet God sees their hearts basely cleaving to some earthly thing there is some base earthly contentment that their hearts are upon while they seem to be so heavenly much like to the Kite that flies on high as if it were an Eagle but the eye of it while it is above in the air is fixed upon some carrion upon some prey that it hath upon the earth and as soon as ever it sees a fit opportunity to seise upon the prey it comes down to seise upon it and that 's the place the Kite would be at that 's the place he doth most delight in to be upon his prey And so an hypocrite though he rises high in some actions yet the truth is his eye is upon some earthly prey and when he sees his opportunity thither he goes and finks down to those things and that 's his most proper place there he takes most delight and content in his Conversation though his actions may seem to be Heavenly and therefore he will fall down and never attain to the highest Heavens that the Saints shall go to but to hell at the last CHAP. XII The Third Vse THE Third Use is this The Saints Conversation is in Heaven Hence then for shame let us not find fault with strictness in the waies of God let not man speak against the waies of God as being too strict and what need we be so Circumspect and so precise and so pure what need we labor to do so much what canst thou attain to a more strict and holy Conversation than a Heavenly Conversation It is a very carnal expression that some have Why we cannot be Saints we are not Saints yes the holy Ghost cals all beleevers all that have the very least degree of true grace he call them Saints When we come to Heaven then we shall live better but while we are in this world we cannot Yeâ— while you are in this world your Conversation is to be in Heaven surely men either are not acquainted with the Word or they shut their eyes and will not see and consider what the Word saith about a strict Conversation Sometimes you find in Scripture that we are commanded to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect It 's a strange speech and yet it 's the speech of Christ himself And we must walk as Christ walked and he that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure and then our Conversation is in Heaven Put these together Perfect as our Heavenly father is perfect Walk as Christ walked Purge our selves as he is pure Our Conversation is in Heaven what do all these things tend to Surely it tends to a great deal of strictness and holiness of life And these things shew that the work of a Christian here in this world is a busie work that a Christian-life it is not an idle dull heavy or sluggish life you that are Christians you had need quicken up your selves you had need awaken those drousie spirits of yours if this be required of you that you should be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect Walk as Christ walked Purifie your selves as he is pure Holy as he is holy and to have your Conversations in Heaven surely there need be a great deal of quickness and life in the hearts of Christians and you are not to content your selves in a meer possession and doing some little matter in the way of Religion or being somewhat better than others you are to aim at heaven look up there and make that to be your pattern CHAP. XIII The Fourth Vse AND that rebukes even such as are truly godly many that yet do fail exceeding much in this thing Oh! their Conversations are too low are too earthly If they would examine their hearts strictly they cannot say that their Conversations are in heaven I am a stranger upon earth saith David But many may say that they are strangers in heaven Whereas earth should be the place of our pilgrimage and heaven our home but it 's quite otherwaies heaven is rather the place where most professors are strangers and earth is the place of their habitation they cast up a thought now and then to heaven as now and then men will cast up their eyes and look upon heaven but where 's your heart where 's the great workings of your spirits It 's a speech of the Lord saith he Heaven is my Throne and Earth is my Foot-stool Spiritual things they are to be look'd upon as the good things as the Throne of God those earthly things only as the things of Gods foot-stool but now How many are there that have Earth their throne and Heaven their foot-stool that is Heavenly things are made subordinate to earthly things Oh! this should not be in any of those that professe themselves to be Christians none of the Saints should satisfie themselves in any life but this to be able to say I blesse God my Conversation is in Heaven though God let me live upon the earth yet my conversation is in Heaven What an unworthy thing it is for one that doth professe to have his portion and his inheritance in Heaven yet to have the heart so mingled here with the earth In Gen 45. 20. saith Joseph in sending for his father Regard not your stuffe for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours Regard not the stuff do not let it grieve you to forsake your stuff leave all your lumber behind you for all the good things of Egypt are yours Oh what a shameful thing is it that Christians should regard their stuff so much as they do that hope to have the good things not of Egypt but of Heaven its self to be theirs Surely if we have seen the things of Heaven one would think that all the things of the earth should be darkened in our eyes 2 Cor. 3. 10. That which was glorious saies the text had no glory in comparison of the greater glory That Scripture I confesse is spoken in comparing of the Law and the Gospel there was a glory in the delivering of the Law but that had no glory in comparison of the greater glory that is in comparison of the Gospel for in the Gospel we behold as in a glasse with open face the glory of God and are changed into the same image as from glory to glory But we may apply it thus As the things of the earth that were glorious before in your eyes yet in comparison of the greater glory should not at all be glorious though before conversion these things were glorious grant it that there is some kind
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
in that way that it hath been walking in all this while though never so pleasant a way though never so sutable to the flesh the Lord forbid that I should go on in that way that I have walked in There 's a stop caused Secondly The Lord manifests to the soul the way of life what the way of life is This stop of the soul is just like to that we reade of Saul that when he was posting on in the way of death there did shine a light round about him and caused him to stop so that he could go no further But then I say the Lord manifests to the soul what the way of life is In the 30. of Isa 21. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it Oh! how many are there that can tell this by experience that they have been walking in the waies of death of eternal misery and blest themselves in those waies But there was a blessed time wherein God caused them to hear a voice as it were behind them saying This is the way walk-in it you are out of the way but here 's the way of life if you would not perish eternally here 's the way walk in this way It is a secret voice that the Lord causes to be heard in the soul but yet a powerful voice perhaps you have come to the Word and have heard what the way of life is but yet that never hath given a turn to your hearts but when God would have the soul to come in to walk with him he causes the soul besides the outward voice of the Word to hear a voice behind in secret and yet powerfully saying Oh! this is the way Oh thou poor soul that are wandring from the way of life and art going on in the way of eternall death Come in come in here 's another way This is the way walk in it And so the Lord gives a mighty turn to the soul by that secret voice Thirdly The Lord makes peace between himself and a sinner He doth reveal the doctrine of Reconciliation For a sinner at first when he comes to have his eyes enlightened when he comes to know himself and to know God Certainly God at first cannot but appear terrible to a sinner that hath walked in the waies of death formerly and though I see my way to be dangerous and I see another way to be good Oh but God is terrible to me and how can two walk together that are not at peace In Amos 3. 3. Can two walk together except they be agreed saith the text Oh there is naturally an enmity between Man and God every man in the world is naturally an enemy to God and can there be two walking together unless they be agreed Oh! you that are going on in the waies of enmity with God surely you are strangers to this way of walking with God can you walk with God before you are agreed no soul can have this testimony given of it that he hath walked with God but such a soul as is reconciled to him God doth manifest that in some measure to the soul before it's able thus to walk with him as here Enoch did and certainly Enoch came to walk with God by this for the holy Ghost in the forenamed place of the 11. of the Heb. saith It was by faith that he did it and without faith it 's impossible to please God that 's as much as without faith it 's impossible to walk with God The holy Ghost means the same thing when the Apostle saith that he did walk by faith and without faith it 's impossible to please God therefore there must be a work of faith to bring the soul to be reconcil'd and that there may be an agreement between the soul and God before it can walk with him That 's the third thing Fourthly Though there be peace made so that God doth not appear as an enemy against the soul yet there may be some strangness after peace made There was peace made between David and Absalom David was passified towards him yet he would not see his face for a while he would have been gone from his presence there should not be that converse with him in that familier way as a child with the father for a while So though there be peace made yet there 's requir'd a further work of God for the souls walking with him that is That God should render himself in loveliness and fulness of mercy and sweetness and delightfulness unto the soul that there may be a familiarity between the soul and God It 's one thing for me to know God is not as an enemy to me that he doth not intend wrath and misery against me and another thing for the soul to apprehend the sweet delightful countenance of God and the imbracements in the arms of his mercy and those condescentions of God that he is willing to come and deal with us as a friend with his friend in a familiar way Therefore that 's a fourth work the Lord is pleased to manifest himself to the soul in the sweetness of his love and his delight Not only thou art that soul that shalt not be damn'd that shalt eternally be sav'd but thou art the soul that my soul delights in thou art one that I take as my friend and that I love to deal with in all sweetness and to bring into a familiarity with my self This is that that is manifested to the soul for the bringing of it to this walking with God that here the holy Ghost speaks of concerning Enoch Fifthly The Lord is pleased to send his holy Spirit to guide the soul To himself and to guide it in walking With himself In the 8. Rom. it 's said All that are the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God As a father when he walks with the child he gives him his hand and leads along the child with himself when any comes to be a child of God God puts forth his hand and leads him and so they walk together As have you not seen somtimes a father and child walking in the garden the father puts forth his finger and the child takes hold of it and so walks along with him even so the Lord puts forth his Spirit into a gracious soul and God and the soul thus walks together being led by the Spirit of God in the 35. Isa 8 9. there you may see what the Lord speaks of the way of the redeemed ones And an high way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holiness the unclean shall not pass over it but it shall be for those the wayfaring men though fools shall not err therein Though they be very weak and fools yet they shall not err therein And no Lyon shall be there nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon it shall not be found there but the redeemed shall walk there that 's the
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
It 's then Spiritual when it knows how to satisfie its self in God alone and to make up the want in all creature comforts in God himself and no Christian can walk with God except he attains to that pitch to know how to make up all in God and use all in order unto God The third Rule or Direction Thirdly If thou wouldst walk with God evermore take Christ with thee God and the Soul cannot walk together but with Christ Christ God and Man that Mediator by that I mean this in all thy converse with God have an eye to Christ look unto God the infinite glorious First Being of all things but through Christ the Mediator or otherwise God will not be rendered amiable and sweet and lovely to thee then is God rendered sweet and amiable and lovely to the soul even as a friend that the soul can have familiarity withal when as he is look't upon through Jesus Christ do thou act all by Christ by the strength of Christ and tender up all thy services to God through Christ those that are not acquainted with the mystery of the Gospel in Christ surely they know but little of this walk with God Quest You will say Enoch did not know much of Christ Answ Oh yes Certainly though it was so long before Christ came yet his eye was upon Christ for in the 11. of the Heb 5. verse the Apostle saith That it was by faith that he walked with him it was all by faith Now Christ is the object of faith and so his eye certainly was upon Christ It was through faith and I will give you one Scripture that will shew the use of eying of Christ in walking with God in the 25. of Exod 21. verse Thou shalt put the Meroy-Seat above upon the Arke and in the Ark thou shalt put the Testimony that I shall give thee and there will I meet with thee and I will commune with thee That is There at the Mercy-Seat They were come to the Ark to look up to the Mercy-Seat and there saith God wil I meet with thee and there will I commune with thee Now what 's the Mercy-Seat but Jesus Chaist we must look upon God in Christ and so God is rendered amiable sweet glorious and lovely unto us in his Son there doth God meet with his Saints and there he communes with them Indeed while we look upon God as he is in himself he is a consuming fire and we cannot epxect to commune with God there and therefore those that look upon God meerly in a legal way look upon him as one that doth exact and require such and such services and duties of them and meerly considering God as a Judge if they perform not such and such duties they do not meet and commune with God But such as look up to the Mercy-Seat look up to Christ by faith when they have to deal with God in Christ Oh these meet with God these commune with God Oh there 's much sweet communion between God and their souls they walk with God because God through Christ comes to be rendered gracious lovely sweet amiable and familier to them The fourth Rule or Direction Be careful to beautifie thy soul or more generally thus First Have a great care of thy spirit look to thy spirit rather than to thy outward actions in thy walking with God God is a Spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and truth One that would walk with God had need be very careful of his spirit keep thy heart with all diligence for it is with thy soul that God converses Indeed 't is the proper spheer of a Christian to be busie about his heart to be busie in the inward man there 's the spheer of a Christian It 's not so much about the outward man if the hear be kept in a right frame the outward man will be brought over of its own accord But be careful of thy spirit that is of the thoughts of thy mind Take heed of admitting of any uncleannesse in thy very thoughts for the soul converses with God in thoughts as well as we converse with men in words how do you commune and converse with men but by speech therefore doth God give speech to men that they may converse one with another what speech is unto men that the thoughts are unto God we converse much with God by our thoughts make conscience of thoughts labor to cleanse thy thoughts and likewise the affections of thy heart and the stirrings of thy heart for God and thy soul doth converse together in the workings and stirrings of thy heart look to thy spirit and labor to beautifie thy soul with that that may make thee aimable and lovely in the eyes of God and then the Lord will delight to converse with thee and walk with thee If you were call'd out to walk with a man that were your superior with some Chief in your parish Gentleman or Knight or Noble man If such a one should call you to walk with him you would labour then so far as you were able to adorne your selves with such cloaths as were sutable unto the company of such a one you that professe your selves Christians God doth call you every day to walk with him and if you would expect to have communion with God and that God should take delight in you you must labor to beautifie your souls to dresse you with those things that may make you aimable in the eyes of God and not to come dirtily and filthy into the presence of God Now that that makes the soul aimable in the eyes of God it is Holinesse for that 's the very Image of God and God delights to walk with one where he can see his own Image the more resplendent the Image of God is in the soul the more doth the Lord delight to walk with such a soul labour for the behavior of thy soul to be sutable unto God When I walk with one that is my superiour I must have such a demenour as is sutable to his presence and as it was said before To walk with God was to walk in the fear of God And that 's the fourth thing Take heed to thy spirit beautifie thy soul in that that may make thee aimable and lovely in Gods eyes and carry thy self so as is sutable to the presence of God I shall only give you one Scripture about the beautifying of the soul in the 45. Psalm where it 's spoken of the Church and of the Saints being brought into the presence of God in the 13. verse The Kings daughter that is the Church is all glorious within Many make great shews of Religion without but the Kings daughter is all glorious within her cloathing is of wrought gold there 's her ornaments mark what follows in the 14. verse She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needle-work She shall be brought to the King to Jesus Christ with garments of needle-work by
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