thing or to have any delight in any thing in this world when there is a sutable object to the facultie that 's his Communion with the Creature As now a Drunkard there is a kind of Communion that he hath meerly with lude company and with the creature to please his sence for a while there 's all the communion that he hath But what a different Conversation is this for one meerly to please his sence in meat and drink a little while and another to have communion with Father Son and holy Ghost The Saints here in this world have not an Imaginary but a Real Communion with the Father Son and holy Ghost Communion you will say what 's that By Communion with God we mean this The acting of the soul upon God and the receiving in the influence of the goodness and love and mercy of God into the soul When there is a mutual acting of the soul upon God and God upon the soul again as when friends have Communion one with another that is that one acts for the Comfort of the other there is a mutual imbracing and opening of hearts one upon another for the satisfying of the Spirits one of another So communion with God is the mutual actings of the soul upon God and God upon the soul again The Saints they see the face of God and God delights in the face of the Saints And they let out their hearts to God and God lets out his heart to them We cannot expresse this to strangers a stranger shall not meddle with this joy this is a mystery a riddle to the carnal world Do but you consider this that what Communion you have with your lude company to sit and eat and drink and play and tell stories all day long this you think is a brave life but now that the communion of the Saints is raised higher and the comfort of the Saints is not in such poor low base things as thine is the Saints have comfort in God the Father Son and holy Ghost in an infinite higher way and in that respect their Conversations are said to be in Heaven And especially when they are with God in his Ordinances they cannot be content except they have Communion with God there it 's notenough for them to call upon the Name of God to kneel down and to use some humble broken hearted expressions Oh but what communion have I with God and Jesus Christ and the holy Ghost in my duties at this time I come to the Word and other Ordinances Oh! but what communion have I with God in them I cannot be satisfied except I tast and see how good the Lord is I cannot go abroad about my businesse but with a heavy heart except I hear some thing from Heaven this morning all the comfort of their lives do depend upon this in having communion with Father Son and holy Ghost Fourthly Their Conversation may be said to be in Heaven Because they do live according to the Laws of Heaven They do not here in this world live according to the Laws of men the lusts of men but they look for their direction from Heaven What rule is there from Heaven to guide me There must be some word from the God of Heaven to order and guide them in their waies or else they cannot tell how to sute with them Indeed while they live in the Cities of the world they must obey the Laws of men but still it is in order to the Laws of Heaven the main thing that they submit to is the Statute Laws of Jesus Christ the great Law giver because there is a Law of Heaven that doth require them for to obey the Laws of men that are according to those Laws of Heaven therefore they do obey them but the Laws of Heaven are those that the Saints look after for their direction in all their waies such and such a thing I have a mind to but will the Law of Heaven justifie me in this have I any word from Jesus Christ to guide me in such a way I dare not do otherwise than according to the Will and Scepter of Christ they must be my rule in all my waies whereas before thy lust was thy rule and thy own ends thy rule and the common course of the world thy rule but now the Laws of Heaven are thy rule and therfore their Conversations are in Heaven because they are guided by the Laws of Heaven Heaven is their aim They are acted by heavenly Principles They converse with the God of heaven And then fourthly They live according to the Laws of heaven Fiftly Their thoughts and hearts are set upon heaven as he saith The soul is where it loves rather than where it lives where the heart is there 's the soul there the man may be said to be Now the Saints have their hearts in heaven their thoughts in heaven their meditations in heaven working there When I awake I am alwaies with thee saith David And Oh how sweet are the thoughts of heaven unto the Saints While thou art mudling in the world and plodding for thy self in the things of this world If God should come to thee and say Where art thou as he said to Adam yea sometimes while thou art at prayer and hearing the Word Where are thy thoughts and about what even as we say in the proverb are running about a Wool-gathering But now come to one whose Conversation is in Heaven he keeps his thoughts and meditations there continually meditating on the glorious things that are reserved in Heaven As I remember I have read of that holy man Mr. Ward that being in the midst of a dinner and people wondering what he was a musing about he presently breaks out For ever for ever for ever for almost half a quarter of an hour he could not be still'd but he cries for ever for ever for ever So far as any man or woman hath their Conversation in Heaven their thoughts are there thinking Oh eternity eternitie to be for ever in Heaven to live for ever with Christ and God and Oh the Crown of glory that is there when will that blessed day come when I shall come to enjoy those good things that are there his thoughts will be there and he is longing to be there his love and desires and affections will be working there It 's said of the people of Israel Acts 7. 39. That their hearts turned back again to Egypt they never returned in their bodies to Egypt but their hearts were there they would fain have the Onions and Flesh-pots that were in Egypt their hearts were there So it may be said of many that though they come and hear the Word yet their hearts are in their shops their hearts are after their covetousness but it 's contrary with the Saints Though they live here in this world yet their hearts are in Heaven As I remember it 's written of Queen Mary that she said If they rip'd her open
to see her son Converted and God did grant her desire and then she found her self willing to die There 's nothing wil make the spiritual heart of a father or mother more willing to depart from this world than to find grace wrought in their children Oh! that I may see before I die my child left under the promise in Covenant with God I this were somwhat-like indeed But those whose cares thoughts are most for these earthlie things in providing for themselves and children that 's a Convincement that their hearts are earthly 3. Conv. A Third Convincement which is very notable and I beseech you all to lay this to heart and consider seriously of it for this evill of earthly-mindedness is a very secret and close sin therefore I am the larger in this point the convincement is this That man that can be content with a slight assurance in the matters of Heaven but for the matters of earth he never thinks himself sure enough but is very careful to make all things so infallable as there can be no way that he can be decived in but he may surely build upon what he hath in the things of this earth This is an argument of an earthly mind Come to men that are earthly and discourse with them concerning matters that concern their souls What assurance have you that you are gone beyond any formal professor that you are better than the stony or thorny grounds that we reade of in Scripture What evidence have you that the saving work of grace is wrought in you that you have shot the gulf that you are translated out of the kingdom of darknesse into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and that your sins are pardoned and your souls justified that you are at peace with God what evidences have you of peace made between God and your souls This answer would be given I hope I am converted I trust in Gods mercy sure I have grace I shall be sav'd God is merciful But what evidences can you shew They know not scarce what belongs to that nay you shall have many of them because they know not what assurance means therefore they will think no body can be assured we may hope well but we cannot come to be assured of it No a heart that is truly gracious and godly would be loth that should be true for a thousand worlds they would not lose their parts in the blessing of that if God would make them Kings or Queens of the earth But thou hast an earthlie drossie heart and doest not much look after assurance for matters of thy soul and eternal estate thou wilt venture those matters and put them upon a peradventure but when it comes to the matters of the earth there thou wilt make all sure and go from this Lawyer to another Lawyer to ask council to see whether the things are good and will inrole them and if there can be any thing done to make more sure if it be any great sum upon which your estates lies you will do it I appeal to you If you could but hear of any of your neighbors what they had done to make such a thing more certain than you have done you would scarce be at rest till you had done so as they have done is it so in matters of your eternal estate do not you hear of many Saints of God that walk comfortably in the midst of all afflictions upon the assurance of Gods love you shall have some will be able to say I and it 's this Scripture I build upon and through Gods mercie such and such hath the work of God been upon my soul in revealing himself to me and such a promise I have suck't abundance of honie from But now generally come to people upon their sick beds all that they say is this They hope in Gods mercie But for the ground of their hope for shewing how God hath been pleased to bring their hearts and the word together and what real effects there hath been upon their spirits by the word that they can shew nothing of thou hast not therefore got that assurance for thy soul and eternal estate as others have got and yet thou canst go on quietly Oh! it concerns thee that art so busie in making all sure for thy outward estate to spend more thoughts and care in the matters of thy soul and eternal estate than ever thou hast done here 's an earthly-minded man that can be contented with slight assurance for the matters of his soul and satisfied with no kind of assurance in the matters of the world but would fain make those things more and more sure continually 4. Conv. Further An earthly-minded man may be convinc'd of his earthlinesse in this He is content with a little degree of Sanctification but for the matters of the world still he would fain have more and more He looks at those that are the most eminent that are in his rank and he would fain get up as high as they in the things of this life but in matters of Religion he looks at the lowest Christians and is content to be as low as they take an earthly-minded man that is of such a trade if there be any of his profession or calling that had as little to begin as he and thrive better he would fain get up as high as he and is troubled that he is not so rich as he is thus it is in the world But now take them in matters of God there 's such men that began since you began and had as little means for the good of their souls as you have had they are thriven and got beyond you abundantly in the matters of God and doth this trouble you and are your thoughts solicitous about this Oh! that I could attain to that degree of grace as such a one hath got such an one hath a spiritual mind and full of the joy of the holy Ghost and full of faith he is able to depend upon God in the want of all outward comforts and certainly injoyes much communion with God but I am far beneath such and such do these thoughts trouble you it is ordinary for earthly spirits if they look but at any one that makes profession of Religion that is low in his profession I did as such a one doth and I have as much as they have and that satisfies them they look upon the meanest Christans and are satisfied that they are like them but for the matters of the world they look upon the highest and are not satified except they come and attain to what they attain to and that 's a fourth evidence 5. Conv. Then a Fift is this Earthly-minded men are very wise in matters of the world but in matters that are spiritual there they are very weak and Simple You shall have many men which I have wondered at sometimes to see that in matters concerning Religion there they are very ignorant if they do but speak in
freedom Their names were there Inrold from all eternity and so Christ at his ascention went and took possession but when they beleeve actually they do as it were take up their freedom in that Citie There 's many men that are born free yet there 's a time when they take it up and so others that have serv'd for their freedom yet it may be a long time before they be made free and so the Saints when they do actually beleeve they come to take up their freedom in the Citie of Heaven and are made Free Burgesses of Heaven And hence in the fourth place They come no more to be as slaves they are not bondslaves as before they are delivered from bondage being made free of Heaven As if so be that forreigners or such as are slaves should come to be Infranchized then they have the same freedom as others have and are admitted to the like City-priviledges and they are no more to be accounted as slaves so those that are by nature bondslaves to sin and Satan yea and such as are under the bondage of the Law yet when they come to beleeve they are infranchized in Heaven and are delivered from the bondage of the Law Sin and Satan they are said to be free-men of the Citie of Heaven Fiftly All the Saints have right to all the common stock Treasury and riches of Heaven whatsoever priviledges belong to the Charter of Heaven the Saints have right and title to them all As in great Cities there is a Common stock and Treasury that is for publick occasions and every Citizen hath some interest in it so the Saints I say have interest in all the Common-stock and Treasury and all the riches that there are in Heaven Sixtly The Saints are the Citizens of Heaven they have for the present the same confirmation of their happy estate that the Angels and those blessed souls have that are rasident in Heaven I say they have this priviledg now by being Citizens of Heaven that though their bodies be not in the highest Heavens yet they have their happiness confirmed as sure as the Angels in Heaven have and as any blessed souls in Abraham bosom look how they are confirmed in a happie estate so as they cannot be made miserable so is every Beleever though he lives in this world he hath this priviledg in being a Citizen of Heaven that he is confirmed in a happie estate that all the powers in hell and in the world can never make this soul to be miserable and this is a mighty priviledg of being a Citizen of Heaven he is more priviledged than Adam in Paradice for Adam he was not confirmed and stablished when he was made in the state of innocencie but every Beleever is confirmed and stablished as the Angels in Heaven are Seventhly They have this priviledg By being Citizens they have priviledg of free-trade to Heaven You know that Free-men in the Citie have priviledg of Trade more than Forreigners have Forreigners are fain to pay Custome and double taxes more than the Free-Citizens So the Saints they have the priviledg of Free-trade in Heaven for any thing that doth concern them they have a Freeintercourse with Heaven which others have not Eightly They have now for the present Communion with the Angels of Heaven there is Cōmunion Commerce between the Saints here and the Angels upon this ground because they are fellow Citizens and in that place of the Hebrews before quoted We are come to the Heavenly Jerusalem and to the innumerable company of Angels There is a great deal of intercourse between the Saints and Angels here upon earth the Angels look upon them as their fellow Citizens and are ministring spirits for the good of the Elect and they do very great services for the Church-men here in this world upon this ground because they look upon them as their fellow Citizens Ninthly They have the protection of Heaven being the Citizens of Heaven I say they have Heavens protection As one that is a Citizen he hath the protection of the Law of the Citie of the power of the Citie to defend him hence we reade of Paul that because he was a Roman it was dangerous to meddle with him as in the 22. of Acts 25. verse as they bound him with thongs Paul said unto the Centurion that stood by Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned As if he should say Take heed what you do I am free of the Citie of Rome And mark saith the Scripture when the Centurion heard that he went and told the chief Captain saying Take heed what thou doest for this man is a Roman he hath the protection of the City Thus the Saints are Citizens of Heaven They are not Romans but of the Heavenly Jerusalem and when any are about to wrong one of them they had need take heed what they do for he is a Citizen of Heaven the King of Heaven is his King to protect him and he sits and laughs at the enemies of the Church And the very Angels themselves they are their guard to guard all these Citizens and to protect them and this is the comfortable estate of all the people of God that they are the Citizens of Heaven Our City Converse All this I note out of the signification of the word in the original and without the understanding of the propriety of the language and the word we should not have the understanding of this truth Wheresore my brethren it being thus it should teach all the people of God to walk as becomes Citizens not to be rude in their behavior 't is a dishonor to Citizens to be rude in their behavior it 's enough for Country people that never had any education to be rude but certainly the Saints of God they have the education of Heaven this may be added for a tenth Particular They have the holy Ghost to be their Instructer to bring them up in holy and good manners that is sutable to Heaven this the Saints have and manifest it in your Conversations be not rude in your way prize your priviledg of being a Citizen of Heaven it 's that that cost Jesus Christ dear to purchase this infranchizement and liberty for you we reade in the 22. of the Acts of the Captain when he heard that Paul was a Roman in the 27. verse their chief Captain came and said to him Tell me art thou a Roman He said Yea. And the chief Captain answered with a great sum obtained I this Freedom And Paul answered I was free-born They were wont to give great sums to purchase freedoms of the City Oh! this City that here we are speaking of hath such priviledges as is beyond any in the world And no man or woman can come to be free of this City but it is by a great purchase No man can say as Paul did here that he was born free no but if he came to be free of
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
a Lyon but for the Saints it shal not be terrible to them And how much is it worth that when God shall appear in death and at judgment here and hereafter the terrour of God shall be taken away My brethren God appears at death and at the times of Judgment ordinarily in another manner than he doth in the time of prosperity you see no terror in Gods presence now but beware of it when death is approaching wicked men when they lie upon their death-beds how terrible is the presence of God to them then but those that walk with God shall not find it so when they come to die then God appears to them Now am I going to stand before the great God to have my eternal estate determined one way or other But what God is this He is great indeed but he is my friend I have had converse with him all the daies of my life And so when I must come to Judgment here comes Jesus Christ with his thousands of Angels in glory but it is Christ that I have conversed with all the daies of my life this Christ hath been my friend before whom I am This will be the comfort in walking with God The twelfth Excellency And then The end of the walk that makes it belssed indeed Oh! how blessed will that make it It 's a blessed thing to walk with God now but when you come to the End of this walk you shall find it blessed indeed If a man did come to enjoy God at last though it was through never so many difficulties yet he had cause to blesse God If one were going to possess a Kingdom though his way were never such a difficult way and hard yet the end of his way would make it comfortable because it is to go and take a Kingdom But now you that are walking with God you have comfort in your walk but the end of your walk oh that will be glorious indeed it is to possesse a Kingdom it is to have the crown of glory set upon your heads your communion that you have with God here it is but as the forerunner of that glorious Communion that you shall enjoy with him together with the Saints and Angels to all eternity And thus we have given you the heads at least of the Excellency that there is in Walking with God No marvel though the holy Ghost sets such a commendations upon Enoch Above al things That he walked with God seeing there is so much good in it I confesse I had thought not to have left this Head without applying of it and warming it upon your hearts that you might walk so with God that you might not lose the comfort and blessing and sweet Excellency that you have had opened to you in walking with God only let me say thus much Be in love with it Know there is no such good in any other path the Devil doth but gul you and your own hearts and the world doth but deceive you if it promise any good in any other way that will counter vail this Oh no the walking with God it is the good of a Christian it 's his happinesse his glory his commendations Oh that this may be recorded of you as it was of Enoch And Enoch walked with God CHAP. VII Five Vses of Exhortation in walking with God Now we proceed Some Use I shall make of this briefly before I go to the third head about Evidences of walking with God The First Vse First Bless God that he will be pleased to walk thus with his poor creatures bless the Lord for his goodness to us Happy are the Angels that stand before the Lord How happy are we then that may have this free converse with God! What we that were not only strangers but enemies to God a while since now to walk with him Oh! a blessed thing it is Let God be magnified for this his goodness to us even He that humbleth Himself to behold the things that are done in Heaven do but look upon the things that are done in Heaven Psalm 113. and yet he will condescend fo far to His poor creatures even here on earth as to walk with them were we indeed wholly freed from sin it were somewhat but while we are not only so mean in our selves but so sinful and yet that God wiâ—l so walk with us this we have cause to bless God for if we should see his face hereafter though we should never see him in this world but that God should not only grant unto us this That we should hereafter after a wearisome and tedious pilgrimage here in this world come to see His face but that we should have so much converse with Him here Oh magnified and blessed be the Name of God for this The second Vse Secondly What strangers are the most part of the world to this that I am speaking of That which I am speaking of it's a riddle to most men in the world This walking with God is but an empty sound to most men yea for the greatest part of the world they walk as the Scripture speaks after their own counsels you shall find divers notable expressions in Scripture of the walk of sinners of wicked men They walk according to their own counsels They walk after the flesh They walk after their lusts They walk after the course of this world They walk in the vanity of their minds They walk contrary unto God They walk according to men Yea That 's observable unto this That the holy Ghost condemns not only walking according to the course of the world and as men But to walk in the way of Kings is condemn'd in Scripture In 2 Chron. 28. 2. If to follow the course of any men one would think it might be most coÌ„mendable the following of the King but here 's a charge against Ahaz that he walked in the waies of the Kings of Israel and the 2 Kings 17. 8. They walked in the Statutes of the Heathen here 's to walk as Kings walk and then to walk in the Laws of Kings God would not have any men walk in them any further than they are according to his own Statutes Not to say it 's according to Law and I must walk according to Law No this is charged to walk according to the practice of Kings or their Laws being evil And there 's another Scripiure in the I Kings 15. 26. He did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the waies of his father and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin There 's to walk in the way of great men and that 's condemned Secondly to walk in the way of the Laws of the places where we live Thirdly to walk according to our fathers that 's condemned And then lastly to walk according to the common course of the world that 's condemned and yet this is the walk of sinners And further The Scripture saith That wicked men they walk in darkness and they