others have Oh how happy should I be how happy are such and such men that do enjoy such earthly things at their will in their dwellings their furniture their comings in Oh these are the brave things these are the delightful things these are THE things wherein felicity and happiness doth consist When men shall promise to themselves felicity in any earthly things then they mind earthly things I remember golden mouth'd Chrysostom hath a speech of a covetous man That he looks upon his Money and he sees more beauty in his Money than in the very Sun it self that shines in the Firmament When men look upon the things of the earth as the most beautiful things in their eyes Certainly that man is in a distemper when he puts such a high esteem upon any earthly things this esteem is not according to what God and his Saints do put upon earthly things God never puts any great eminencie on any earthly thing he never made any earthly things to be any great Conduit or means of Conveyance of any great good from himsel unto his Creature If you would know what your heart are you may know it by this one sign as much as any What do you account your excellencie according to what any man or woman accounts their excellency to consist in so are their hearts their hearts are sutable in the 27. chap. of Genesis 28. 39. verses You shall find there Isaac blessing of Jacob and Esau he blesses them both but now what I would observe is this the difference in the placing of them you shall observe the blessing of Jacob in the 28. verse therefore God giveth of the dew of Heaven and the fatness of the earth and plenty of Corn and Wine that 's Jacob's blessing Now look to Esau's blessing for the blessing was sutable to their disposition and Jacob's father answered and said unto him behold thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth and of the dew of Heaven from above mark Isaac blesses them both with the dew of Heaven and fatness of the earth but now in Jacob's blessing the dew of Heaven is first and the fatness of the earth is in the second place but in Esau's blessing the fatness of the earth is first and then the dew of Heaven noting this That a godly man indeed doth stand in need of the things of the earth as Christ saith your father knows you stand in need of this things I but the great thing in the first place that a godly heart doth mind it t s The dew of Heaven and then in the second place The blessing of the erath But now a carnal heart doth think it hath some need of the things of Heaven it will acknowledge that I but in the first place it's the fatness of the earth they desire and secondly the dew of Heaven So that that 's the first thing Earthly minded men look upon these things as the high and chief things and hence it is that the choise of the thoughts of an earthly-minded man is carried out on worldly objects Secondly When the Cream and choise of the thoughts of men and women are busied about earthly things then they mind earthly things in a sinful manner You may know what your hearts are by your thoughts as much as any thing the thoughts are the immediate ebulitions or risings up of the heart as I may so call them that is the bubbles that come from the heart immediately a man cannot know what is in his heart so much by words and actions as by the thoughts because the thoughts immediately spring from the heart as thus I can tell what the water is in such a fountain better from that that bubbles up immediatly from the fountain-head than I can tell by the water that runs in the stream a mile or two off for there may many things intervene in the stream a mile or two off that never came from the fountain-head but that that immediately bubbles from the fountain-head that discovers of what nature the fountain is So the thoughts are as it were the first born of the heart and therefore the heart may be known what it is by the thoughts Prov. 23. 7. saith the holy Ghost there As he thinketh in his heart so is he That which is here spoken in a particular case may be applied in the general As a man thinks in his heart so is he as his thoughts are so is he So is the heart as the thoughts of the mind are Men may keep in words and actions out of by-respects I but if you could know what the heart is and look into the haunts of it in secret that would discover to your selves what you are as now Many of your servants when they are in your presence before you or before others they may out of divers respects carry themselves fairly but if you would find them out labour to know what they do when they are alone in their private haunts So would you know your own hearts do not so much look at them and take a scantling of them by how you behave your selves in words and actions before others but what they are in your private chambers what they are in the inward thoughts of the mind there the heart comes to be discovered most And by these thoughts I do not mean every kind of injection or suggestion for sometimes the Devil may cast in evil thoughts into the most holy but I mean such thoughts as are sweet to the soul whereby the soul comes to suck out sweetness and contentment for that 's the minding earthly things when you find the strength of your thoughts to be upon the things of the earth and they are more sutable to your hearts than any other It is not when through weakness the mind may be wandring this way or that way or through suggestions or temptations but now when men or women are most themselves when alone and free then for to examine what are the most sutable thoughts to their hearts Can you say when you are alone Oh the very thoughts of God are sweet to me immediate in his Law day and night and suck out sweetness there as from an hony comb But an unclean wretch will suck out sweetness of his unclean thoughts when he is alone and so the earthly minded man will suck out the sweetness of his earthly thoughts and so the Ambitious man the sweetness of his pride when he is alone and these are the most contentful thoughts to him he can run along if it be two or three hours together and take delight and pleasure in them here 's Earthly-mindedness The third thing is this An Earthly-minded man is one whose heart cleaves to the earth for so I told you the word was not only to mind but to savour the things of the earth his heart doth cleave to the earth The Psalmist in a far differing case said that his soul did cleave to the dust but it
peace with God by some thing that he himself must perform but for the point of Free justification by the grace of God in Christ it 's too Divine Spiritual and Heavenly for an earthly-minded man to apprehend in the Spiritualnesse of it an earthly-minded man his apprehensions of God are but in a carnal earthly way as the Prophet speaks in the 1 of Isa The Ox knows his owner and the Ass his masters crib Even after that manner doth an earthly-minded man know God as an Ox his owner and the Ass his masters crib as thus the ox knows his owner because he brings him fodder daily so an earthly-minded man hath no other apprehensions of God but this he thinks God gives him good things in this world God makes his corn to grow or Prospers his voyage An earthly-minded man may rise so high to have apprehensions of God as bringing good things unto him here on earth But one that is spiritual and heavenly doth apprehend God as God doth not look upon God meerly as good in respect of the benefit he receives from God here but he looks upon God as he is in himself he sees the face of God as there 's a great deal of difference between a man that knows another man and a beast that knows a man The ox knows his owner the ox knows the man that brings hay or provender to him but a man knows a man in another way knows what the nature of a man is knows what it is to be a rational creature so one that is spiritual knows what God is in himself he sees the face of God and understands what God is in another way than others do the difference between the knowledge of God that a spiritual soul hath one that is pure in heart and the knowledge of God that an earthly heart hath is just so much difference as comes to this As the ox knows the man that drives him to fat pastures so doth an earthly man know God that gives him good things but a spiritual heart knows God as one man knows another not in his full excellency I mean not so but there is such a kind of difference in some degree between the apprehensions of God in a spiritual heart and the apprehensions of God in an earthly heart And so we might mention in many other Spiritual and Divine Truths that an earthly mind doth apprehend but in an earthly way consider of Heaven its self how doth an earthly mind apprehend that he apprehends that he shall be delivered from pain and shall have some kind of glory but knows not what it is conceives it according to the way of the earth some pompous glotious thing that he shall live in pleasures and not in pain and so apprehends all the glory of Heaven but in sensuality whereas a spiritual heart looks at Heaven in another kind of notion he looks upon the enjoyment of Communion with God and Jesus Christ in Heaven and living of the life of God in Heaven that 's a thing that an earthly heart hath no skill at all in neither doth such an heart so much as savour it Thus I have in these several particulars discovered what an earthly-minded man is Oh that you would lay your hands upon your hearts and every one consider how far these things do reach you But I have besides these divers other convincements to convince the consciences of men and women that yet there is much earthlinesse in them but of them we shall treat of in their order afterwards The Second head to consider is this The great evill that there is in earthly-mindedness They mind earthly things Is that any such great matter you will say indeed we cannot imagine the transcendency of the evil that there is in this We think there 's a great deal of evil in swearing whoring drinking and such kind of scandalous sins and indeed there is But to have an earthly mind we do not think this to be so exceeding evil yet you will find that the Scripture doth speak most dreadful things against this and if God please to set them home upon your hearts I hope there is much glory may come to God by it and much good unto you in particular CHAP. III. Fourteen Evils of Earthly-mindedness The First EVIL Fâ—â—â—â— The Scripture cals it Adultery it is spiritual Adultery in Jude 4. vers Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God They were Adulterers and Adulteresses in respect of their love to the world you that would abhor the thought of a temptation to Adultery yet you may commit spiritual Adultery a man or a woman may be an Adulterer or an Adulteresse before the Lord though they never commit the act of uncleannesse with another yet if their hearts be towards another they be guilty of uncleannesse for Christ saith whosoever doth but look after a woman to lust after her in his heart he hath committed adultery already that is hath sinned against that command that forbids adultery Is it so that if a man do but let his heart go after another woman more than his wife and a wife after another man more than her husband this is adultery before the Lord. So if our hearts be after any things more than the Lord Jesus Christ that we profess our selves married to and he to be our husband this is adultery in Scripture phrase The Second EVIL Yea further A worldly or an earthly-mind in Scripture phrase is called Idolatry in Ephes 5. 5. speaking of divers sins that should not be so much as named among them as it became Saints he hath Covetousness among the rest and he ads this And Covetousness which is Idolatry Now what is Earthly-mindednesse but Covetousnesse which is Idolaitry A man or woman is an Idolater that is of an Earthly mind Now Idolatry which is a worshiping of stocks and stones you all account to be a great sin but do you and al others take heed of another Idolatry that may be as bad that is To have your hearts to make the god of this world to be your God the cursed Mammon of unrighteousnesse to make the things of the earth to be your Christ to fall down and worship the golden-Calfe of the world It 's certain that that thing a mans heart is most taken with and set upon that 's his God and therefore here in this verse out of which my Text is it 's said They made earthly things their bellies their God The Voluptuous and Drunkard makes their Belly their God and the Unclean person makes his Strumpet to be his goddesse and worshppeth that whatsoever thy heart is most upon that 's thy God therefore that you must know to be the meaning of the Commandement Thou shalt have no other Gods before me That is thou shalt give me the strength of thy soul and nothing else So I am a God to my Creature when I have its strength exercised
and in company they have not that freedome of their eyes to see things as at another time Oh! many men com to the word with their thik clay a great deal of filth that doth clam up their very eyes and dead their hearts in the hearing of the Word you know what Christ said to Martha when Mary was sitting at Christs feet and hearing his word but Martha was cumbred with many things so 't is many times with those that come to hear the Word though they are in the presence of Christ and have the sound of the Word in their ears yet their hearts are cumbred about many things there 's a great noise in their hearts they are busied in the world even while they are hearing of the Word as you find it in the 33. of Ezek. 31. ver there is an notable discription I fear it may be of many of you And they come unto thee saith the Lord to the Prophet as the people cometh and they sit before thee as my people and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after thir Covetousness They sit befor thee as my people and they hear thy words mark and they shew much love with their mouth they will commend the Sermon it may be they will say He is an excellent Preacher it 's a very good Sermon that we heard this day they wil shew love with their mouth but yet their hearts go after their covetousnesse for all that they heard a man speak fine things and brought excellent expressions for to set forth his matter that he had in hand but yet their hearts are after the things of the earth and after their Covetousness they had carnal earthly drossie hearts and hence it was that there was no good came unto them by the Ministry of the Word And that famous place which we have for this which shews it cleerly in the 13. of Matt. 22. ver you know the several sorts of ground that had the seed of the Word sown into them but there was but one of them that was good and faithfull and among others there was the thorny ground He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choaks the Word and it becometh unfruitful I beseech you observe it these that our Saviour speaks of here in this parable that get no benefit by the Word are not men that live lewdly your drunkards swearers and whoremasters but those that have earthly hearts it 's said the deceitfulness of riches the things of the earth do not hinder in an open way for thousands of men that have earthly hearts they do not know that they have earthly hearts no it is the deceitfulnesse of riches and it choaks the Word it may be just when they are in hearing of the Word it doth affect them Oh they think it 's sweet and they will remember it but the deceitfulnesse of riches and the cares of this world choaks the word when they come they have businesses about the world and their houses and gardens and comings in and full tables and all the delights that they have in the world comes and possesses the heart that the word is choakt it cannot get down into the soul to sink in there and so to prevail in the soul to bring forth fruit Oh the word is choakt Oh many of you come here three times on the Lords day and have precious seed sown all those times and yet Oh! how it is choakt through the cares of this world and through the deceitfulnesse of the things of this world You bring with you and keep with you and carry along with you earthly minds and hence it is that the Word prevails not with your hearts Oh! what do you loose through this earthlinesse you lose the fruit of the Word that should save your souls a spiritual heart having received some one truth into it afterwards blesses God for it and would not for ten thousand worlds but he had had that truth preached unto his heart at such a time Oh he hath cause to blesse God for such a morning for such a day that he hath had such a goodly pearl of great price presented to him and taking root in his heart I say it 's more than if God had given them thousands of worlds to possess But now many of you having your thoughts and hearts about some petty thing of this world all those blessed Truths that you hear from time to time that the very Angels desire to pry into they are all choak'd and come to be unfruitful What was the reason when the young man came to Christ to know what he should do to the Eternal life that he got no good the Text saith That he had great possessions A man no question may be a rich man and yet a godly man a holy man but when the heart is in the estate mixed with the earth Oh! this it was that hindred the young man from imbracing of Jesus Christ even when he came to him Young men for the most part are rather guilty of fleshlinesse than seeking after the riches of the world yet sometimes it hath been the bain of some young men at their first setting up they were very forward when they were servants Oh! how precious was the Word unto them but when they were got into the world and found the sweetness of it coming in Oh then the Word hath been choak'd to them and they have lost the savour they had in the Word they have lost the relish of the Word it is not now sweet to them as formerly it hath been Oh many examples there hath been this way That 's the great evil of Earthly-mindednesse that it doth hinder the great benefit of the Word and there is much evill in this If you had hearts to receive what is delivered your hearts would tremble at the thought of this Oh Lord what shall I be hindred from profiting by this word 't is the great blessing of God to the world it 's that that must save my soul there 's more worth in it than ten thousand worlds whatsoever should hinder my profiting by thy Word I had need take heed of it take heed of earthly-mindednesse many of your consciences cannot but tell you this sometimes any businesse will keep an earthly-minded man from coming to the Word and when he doth come there is earth in his heart and ears that keeps him from attending upon the Word and when thy thoughts are about earthly things in the hearing of a Sermon it may be there is some truth passes by thy soul that might have sav'd thee eternally and thou hast lost that opportunity which perhaps thou shalt never have again The Seventh Evil opened in Six Particulars Further In the seventh place Earthly-mindedness it causes many foolish lusts in the heart that 's a
draw my heart off from Spiritual and Heavenly things no but I beat down my body saith he There 's no Christian that is Heavenly but he must be very careful and watchful over his sences while he lives here to beat down his body and so he may come to have his Conversation in Heaven The Sixth Rule Labor to be skilful in the mystery of godliness to draw strength from Jesus Christ in every thing you do For my Brethren Christ he is Jacob's Ladder When Jacob lay asleep he saw a ladder on which the Angels did descend and ascend up to Heaven Now this Jacob's Ladder is no other but Jesus Christ to Christians and that must be set up to Heaven if you would go to Heaven and converse with Heaven it must be by Jesus Christ you must be instructed in the mysterie of the Gospel in conversing with God through a Mediator there is such an infinite distance between God and us that except we have Christ the Mediator we can never come to God nor God come to us it is only Christ the Mediator that is the Ladder We need not say Who shall go up to Heaven to fetch Christ down No we may have Christ in our hearts and set up him and so we may go up to Heaven by his Mediation When as a Christian comes to live in this manner what I do expect from God I expect to draw it through a Mediator and all the services that I tender up to God I tender them up through the hand and heart of Christ Now those that are acquainted with this have much converse with Heaven By Jesus Christ the Mediator I may come up there and present my self there though no unclean thing may come there for God looks upon the Saints through him as righteous being cloathed with his righteousness they may come to their Father with boldnesse having their Elder brothers garments upon them they may come and kneel before the Throne of grace come into Heaven as into the Presence Chamber and kneel every morning for their Fathers blessing it 's by him what we have accesse unto the Father Oh! acquaint thy self with the Mystery of godlinesse in drawing all from Christ and tendering all to God through Christ By this Heaven comes down to thee and by this thou climest up to Heaven this is the Jacob's Ladder But those men that only look upon God in a natural way that 's thus Indeed all good things must come from God and so they go to prayer Lord we beseech thee bless us this day for all good things come from thee And they serve God their consciences tell them they must worship and serve God while they live here but it is but in a dull natural way let me leave it in your hearts All good comes from God through a Mediator through Jesus Christ the second Person in Trinity God-Man and all my services are tendered up to God through him there is this Mediator God-Man that unites God and me together and so by him I have acceptance both for my person and all my actions and by him I come to have other manner of blessings than comes from God meerly as Creator God in bounty bestows upon the creature many good things but when we come to deal with God in Christ we come to have Heavenly blessings blessings beyond the power of nature yea beyond all those blessings that nature can be any conveyance of beyond the blessings that the conduits of the creature are able to hold forth they have the blessing from God imediately imediately I mean in respect of the creature it 's by the mediation of Christ they enjoy God in Christ and so come to enjoy God in a Heavenly Supernatural way Oh this is the way to have our Conversations in Heaven and those Christians that are much acquainted with the Gospel of Christ they come to live far more Heavenly Conversations than others that go on in a dull heavie and natural kind of way in serving of God But being not acquainted with this mysterie their hearts lie low upon the earth and know not what it is to have their Conversations in Heaven The Seventh Rule And so the next Rule with which I must close all is this Exercise much the grace of faith There is no way to get above the Creature and above Nature but by exercising the grace of Faith Many Christians think they must exercise love to God and exercise sorrow for sin the grace of Repentance mourning for sin that 's good thou shouldest do that and thou shouldest exercise patience but the great grace that is to be imployed if thou wouldest attain a Heavenly life it is The exercise of Faith and make conscience to put forth that grace much for it 's by that that we do converse with God through Christ Though Christ be the ladder yet it 's faith that carries us up this ladder and brings us down again it 's faith that makes the things of Heaven real to the soul Heb. 11. 1. It 's faith that is an evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for by faith these things come to be made real and substantial things and as present things faith it is that gives a great excellency to all the things of Heaven its self and therefore live much by faith and walk by faith and not by sence and then shalt thou be above the world and live in Heaven and as the fruit of thy faith wait for the appearing of Jesus Christ Our Conversation is in Heawen saith the Apostle from whence also we look for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ c. Where a mans Conversation is there his expectations may be and where the expectations are there a mans Conversation is now our Converstaion is in Heaven from whence also we look for Jesus Christ as if he should say It 's not a motion do not you think that when we speak of Conversing in Heaven that we please our own fancies Oh no saith he we by faith look upon Heaven as the most real thing in the world for we expect the Lord Jesus Christ ere long to appear in glory bodily and we shall see him with these eyes and shall change our vile bodies and make them like his glorious body we by faith looking upon such glorious things to be so real and so at hand and we waiting for these things it 's this that makes our Conversation to be in Heaven our hearts and all are there because that we expect that these things will be made good to us quickly Oh Christians do but exercise your faith in this in Jesus Christ and put forth this fruit of faith in waiting for the appearing of Jesus Christ when he shall come and appear in his glory this will help to make your Conversations to be in Heaven Oh what a blessed time will that be when Jesus Christ shall come from the Heavens and appear to those that have been waiting for
priviledg of the redeemed ones Now this way of walking up unto the Land of Canaan from their captivity it 's typical to typifie the walk of the soul with the Lord. Sixthly For the souls walking with God there is this further done by God Christ the Son of God he takes the soul and brings it unto God the Father as the Spirit leads so Jesus Christ The Lord Jesus Christ he brings the soul unto the Father to render God and the soul familier together In Ephes 2. 18. Through him we have an acccess by one Spirit unto the Father We have an access through him we have a manuduction He brings us unto the Father we have access through Jesus Christ As if a Prince should take a Traytor that is reconciled to his Father having his pardon and his Father being passified towards him the Prince comes takes him by the hand and saith Come I 'le bring you unto my Father and I will walk along with you unto my Father So it is None that ever hath been a sinner can walk with God but Christ must walk together with him Christ walks along with him and so God is ever more rendred sweet aimable and lovely why Because Christ hath him by the hand as I may so say God the Father hath him in one hand and Christ hath him by the other hand and so the soul walks in this blessed walk between the hands of God the Father and the Son and the holy Ghost leads and guides him too CHAP. IV. Walking with God what it is Opened in Nine Particulars BUt now The way of the soul in this walk with God When the soul is thus brought to God and by this means enabled to walk with him Then what 's the way of the soul in walking thus with God Walking with God causes the soul to eye God In the first place Now the soul being come thus to God in all the waies of God it ey 's God and sets God before it Enoch walked with God that is Enoch in the waies of his life set God before him and did eye God in his waies First beholding the infinite beauty there is in God Secondly God being the fountain of al good to the soul Thirdly the soul apprehending God infinitly worthy of all honor These three things causes the eye to be upon God continually The Lord hath infinit excellency and beauty in him The Lord is the fountain of all good to me The Lord is infinitly worthy of all honor and service and a soul walking with God eyes God thus continually In the 26. Psal 3. For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth Oh Lord I see thee aimable lovely and gracious and the fountain of all good and Lord I have walked in thy truth setting God before me so in Psal 16. 8. I have set the Lord alwaies before me that I might not fall A soul that walks with God scarce ey 's any thing but God when it enjoyes the creature yet the eye is upon God as the little child walking with the father looks up to the father every soul that walks with God hath his eye upon him for there 's no such lovely drawing object to the soul as God himself is whereas wicked men they do not find God to be such a lovely object sees no such excellency in him and therfore they rather turn their eyes away from him they look another way Psal 86. 14. They do not set God before them men that walk according to the lusts of their own hearts in their wicked sinful waies the Lord is not in all their thoughts as in the 10. Psalm That 's the first thing in the way of the souls walking with God he eyes God and sees God before him Walking with God causeth a man to carry himself as in Gods Presence Secondly The soul behaves its self as in Gods Presence I see my self in Gods presence and my eye is upon God Oh let me then look to my self that the carriage of my soul be as beseems one who is in the presence of so holy so great so glorious and blessed a God as the Lord is in the 2 Cor. 2. 17. As of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ saith the Apostle when we come to do any thing we do it as of God in the sight of God knowing that we are allwayes before God Augustine speaking concerning Noah's walking with God he hath this expression Noah walked with God that is he had God alwaies present before his eyes walking so holily and so reverenced God This is to walk in the fear of God when the soul upon the apprehention of Gods presence shall labor to compose its self as beseeming the presence before whom it is and this indeed is the walk that you shall find the Saints of God in all day long would you know where to find a Saint you may know his walk you shall all the day long find him walking in the fear of the Lord Preverbs 23. 17. saith the text there Let not thy heart envy sinners but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long He doth not say do thou fear the Lord all the day long but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Oh the walk of a Christian should be so from morning to night to walk in the fear of the Lord and nothing in this world should put him out of this walk no temptations should call him out of it but in the fear of the Lord all the day long This is the walk of a Christian when he labors to behave himself as beseems the presence of God Walking with God is when we make Gods Will the Rule of our will Thirdly The soul may be said to walk with God When the way of it is the same way that God himself goes the soul doth that that God doth What 's the way of God but the way of holiness and righteousness when the soul makes the Will of God to be the rule of it I will not be acted by my own will I will not be acted by any thing but by the Will of God what is it that God wills I will the same thing then the soul walks that way God walks when it doth sute its self with God sets the Lord as an example before it as the Scripture saith Be ye holy as your Heavenly Father is holy I see the holy and the righteous waies of God and I labor as a deer child to follow him and to go in the very same steps that God doth how doth God carry businesses I will labor to carry things so as God doth that my life shall hold forth a resemblance of God himself this is to walk with God to do as God doth to imitate God that 's a third thing in a souls walking with God Walking with God is when a Soul hath the same Ends that God hath The Fourth is this
Not only to do the same thing to make the will of God to be the rule of it But to have the same ends that God hath What 's the end that God hath in all his waies Surely it is that his blessed Name may be magnified that his glory may be set forth I 'le drive on the same design that shall be the great design of my life it 's that that my soul shall aim at as the highest end of all things and all things shall be subordinate to this end even The glory and honor of God it 's that that God aims at and therefore that which I 'le aim at thus the soul goes along with God as now A man may be said to go along with another man when they do both drive on the same designs Oh! this is a blessed thing indeed We shall speak to that hereafter but the very opening what it is shews much of the excellency of it and I beseech you as you go along examine your own hearts see whether by the very mentioning of these things you be not strangers to God examine by the workings of God in bringing your souls to walk with him or otherwise by the way of the soul in eying God in behaving its self as in the presence of God in making the Will of God to be its rule and in driving on the design that God doth Walking with God is the observing the administrations of God and suting the soul to them Fifthly It is the observing of the several administrations of God and the suting of the soule to the several administrations of God in the world I open that thus God sometimes seems to work in one way sometimes in another way now the soul that walks with God observes which are the several waies and administrations of God in the world and let me saith the soul labor to sute my heart with them that 's thus sometimes the Lord is in a way of judgments in the world heavie and dreadful afflictions yea sometimes against his own Saints and People then let me sute my heart according to this Oh Lord we will wait upon thee in the waies of thy judgments saith the Church in Isa Are we under Gods way of judgments in a way of afflictions Lord we will sute our selves to honor thee there according to that way we will labor to exercise those graces that are sutable to these administrations of thine And Lord art thou in a way of mercy we will sute our selves accordingly and labor to draw forth and exercise our graces that are sutable to those waies of thine And art thou in a way of affliction in my family or in a way of mercy Lord I will labor to exercise those graces that are sutable to those waies of thine This is to walk with God As when we walk with a man if he turn this way then I set my self to go with him and if he turns another way then I sute my self to go with him that way so though the waies of God be never so variōus yet the soul that walks with God is sutable to those waies of God Oh this is a great Art a great Mystery to sute a mans self to these several administrations of God in the world You shall have some that if God go in a way of mercy Oh there they can bless praise God and they think that this is to walk with God but if God turns his back upon thee and takes away thy choisestearthly comfort it may be thy deerest yoke-fellow so comes in a way of affictions how canst thou sute with Gods waies then When God was in a way of mercy then my exercise was in joy and thanksgiving and speaking good of his Name but now the Lord is in a way of afflictions now I exercise faith on God now I exercise patience now I exercise Christian wisdom to know what good I can get out of this hand of God that what courses soever God takes yet still a Christian hath several graces to exercise in several conditions and that not only while God is in a smooth path the soul can exercise Joy and Thanksgiving speaking good of his Name But let God go into a rugged path of very great afflictions yet the soul doth sute it's self unto God according to his several administrations this is to walk with God Walking with God is To have a Holy Dependance upon God Opened in Four Particulars Sixthly Walking with God it is To have a holy dependance upon God in all his waies For one to live in a holy dependance upon God for these Four things First In a holy dependance upon God for Direction Oh lead me in the way of thy truth When a Christian looks up to God and depends upon him in the constant course of his life depends upon him for direction Oh Lord teach me thy way Lord lead me in the way of everlasting life Lord send forth thy light and thy truth to guide me Thou shalt be my guide even unto death when the soul dare not go one step further then it sees God going before it and therefore it saith Lord lead me guide me I beseech you examine as you go along can you say that in the course of your lives this you find That you walk in a holy dependance upon God for guidance and direction in every step whatsoever you meddle with yet your walk is thus in a holy dependance upon God for direction in your bufiness and according as the business is of lesse or greater conscequence the heart works more after God for guidance and direction for that business But now the men of the world they are afraid that God should lead them into hard paths into ttoublesom waies and therefore they are shy of Gods Guidance this is the way of wicked hearts I say they are shy of the guidance and direction of God but a gracious heart saith let God lead me and let the way be what it will The wicked are guided by their own thoughts by their own counsels by the examples of other men what 's most sutable to their own ends but the way of the Saints is this Lord guide me Secondly Their holy dependance upon God it is for protection to protect them in what they do Lord I am in the way that thou hast guided me into I may meet with much trouble and affliction but Lord do thou protect me do thou defend me in this way of thine As the child walking with the father if he hears any noise that doth scare him he looks up to the father and depends upon his father to be protected So when a child of God shall in all his waies walk in a holy dependance upon God for protection this is to walk with God Thirdly The soul depends upon God for assistance in any thing that it undertakes Lord this is the work that thou callest me to Oh let me have strength from thy self in
this work I can do nothing without thee Lord and let me have assistance from thee Whereas the wicked they make flesh their arm and therefore there 's a curse pronounc'd against them in Jer. 17. 5. verse they are strangers to any such work as this of dependance upon God for assistance Now and then at a spurt they will say that God must help them and they can do nothing without God I but to have a holy gracious frame of spirit to walk in a holy dependance upon God for assistance in every businesse this is far from the wicked and ungodly Fourthly The soul walks in a holy dependance upon God for a blessing upon all it doth Walk before me and be upright I am thine exceeding great reward As if God should say to Abraham Walk in dependance upon me I am thy reward though thou hast little encouragment in the world yet look up to me for thy reward so when the soul turneth from men and the world and minds not so much what encouragement it hath from the world but looks up to God Lord I depend upon thee for a blessing and how ever things seem to go yet Lord I look up to thee for the bringing all to a good issue here 's now a soul walking with God Walking with God makes a man free and ready in the waies of God Seventhly One that walks with God in all his waies of Holiness and Obedience his heart is free in him he comes off readily to every good work he is not hall'd and pull'd to God but he walks with him There 's a great deal of differenet between one that is dragged after another as if you should drag a prisoner that hath no mind to go that way and another that walks up and down with delight and pleasure with you 'T is not enough to walk with God for to be in the way that God would have you to be or to do the things that God would have you to do except your hearts do come off freely in the waies of obidience except there be a cheerfulness in the waies of obedience except you choose the waies of holiness as the waies that are most sutable to you this is the walking with God In the 119. Psal 45. I will walk at liberty saith David for I seek thy precepts It 's a notable Scripture The men of the world they think that there is no walking at liberty but for them to satisfie their defires to the uttermost to walk after their lusts which is the Scripture phrase No but saith David my liberty is this I seek thy precepts A carnal heart thinks it is the greatest bondage in the world for to seek the precepts of God and to conform to Gods precepts that I must walk according to rule that 's a bondage No I 'le walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts It 's an excellent argument of grace in the heart to account the precepts of God to be the greatest liberty to the soul When I am in the waies of sin I am in the waies of bondage I am a slave to Satan but when I seek thy precepts I am at liberty As a man when he is walking up and down in the fields he is at liberty So when the soul is walking with God it is at liberty but when the soul is walking without God it is in a dungeon a prison but I say when it walks with God it is at liberty it comes off freely in all the waies of obedience Walking with God consists in Communion with God Eighthly Walking with God consists in the Converse and Communion that the soul hath with him in holy duties There are the special walks of the soul with God and of God with the soul in the duties of holy Worship In the 18. of Levit. 4. saith the Lord there Ye shall do my Judgments and keep mine Ordinances to WALK therein I am the Lord your God You must Walk in Gods Ordinances the Ordinances of God they are the Walks of a gracious soul and there the soul meets with God in the 26. of Levit. 11 12. It 's a notable Scripture to shew that in Gods Ordinances there the soul meets with God And I will set my tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor you that is shall delight in you And I will WALK among you and will be your God and ye shall be my people I will set my Tabernacle amongst you What 's that That is mine Ordinances you shall enjoy mine Ordinances you shall have the duties of my Worship and I will Walk among you then God walks among us when we enjoy his Ordinances So that you see in the 18. of Levit. there God saith You shall walk in mine Ordinances the Ordinances are the godly mans walk then in the 26. of Levit. the Ordinances are Gods walk so that we see they walk the same way and there God and a gracious heart meet together The Churches enjoying Ordinances are the Candlesticks that we reade of in the 1 of Revel 13. In the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks was one like unto the son of man cloathed with a garment down to the feet and gird about the paps with a golden girdle The Lord Jesus Christ is in the midst of the Candlesticks that is in the midst of the Churches where there are the Ordinances of God there he is and if you would walk with him you must find him there in the 68. Psal 24. there likewise you may see what the way of a gracious heart is in walking with God They have seen thy goings O God even the going of my God my King where in the Sanctuary If you would walk with another you must know where his goings are observe where he uses to walk and be going there They have seen thy going O God even the goings of my God my King in the Sanctuary there 's the goings of God if you would meet with God and walk with him it must be in the Sanctuary it must be in his Ordinances In the 7. of Cant. 5. verse it is said That the King speaking of Christ is held in the galleries now what 's that but in the Ordinances that 's as it were the galleries of the great King of Heaven and Earth And you know Princes and great men they have their sumptuous galleries wherein they use to walk and only chief favourites are permitted and suffered to be there to walk up and down The King is HELD in his galleries that is when Jesus Christ is in Communion with his Saints in his Ordinances in the duties of Worship Oh 't is the most pleasant galleries to walk in that he hath it 's as pleasant a gallery as he hath in Heaven it's self Oh! he loves to be there The King is Held there Oh! many a sweet and comfortable turn hath a gracious heart in these galleries that is in the Ordinances and Duties of Worship in walking with Jesus Christ When
the place where his friend is to go and is sorry that the walk is so short and still desires to converse with his friend So I say this is the difference for all the world in Professors there are some that have some touch of conscience and they see there is no way for them if they have not mercy from God but they must perish and perhaps they will be seeking of God and following of God and crying to God for mercy but if they have not comfort according as they expect they turn away from him and seek for comfort other waies But a gracious heart that is indeed turned to God it doth not only seek to God for mercy for its self that it might be delivered from misery but it sees an excellency in God and finds sweetness in Converse and Communion with God and loves the presence of God and this is the ground of the constancy of his heart in the waies of holiness Because it loves so much of the presence of God and Communion with God it is for God himself that the soul is in those waies and such a one will hold out in the waies of God Indeed one that meerly serves God in a servile way and seeks himself only in seeking of God such a one I say will be ready to turn aside but where the soul walks with God out of a sence of Communion Sweetness and Good that there is in Communion with God such a one goes on in a constant way to the end and is not tir'd in the waies of God as others are You know If you be walking from place to place if you have good company with you you are not weary you account the journy nothing why because you have good company and especially if you have good discourse all along too so it is with Christians Oh the waies of God come to be very easie to them upon this ground and so they hold out CHAP. V. Twelve several Excellencies of walking with God Opened THe next thing is The Excellency that there is in walking with God The first Excellency And this may be in the first place The walking with God Oh there is an Excellency in it If it were only this That it makes the waies of God easie All the waies of God how easie are they to the soul that knows what this means Of walking with God That hath God in his company continually Oh the easiness that there is in the waies of God! it 's that that is worth a world and it 's a very grievous and sad condition that men and women are in who have convinced consciences and dare not wilfully go out of Gods waies but are alwaies drooping and find them grievous and tedious to them But it is because they have not communion with God in them they are in them meerly upon necessity because they ought to be in them But the Saints find the waies of God more easie to them for they have alwaies good company with then When I awake I am alwaies with thee saith David The very nights are pleasant unto them when he awakes still he is with God There 's many men and women cannot lie alone those that cannot sleep when they awake if they have no company with them the nights are tedious but if they cannot sleep and yet when they awake they have some with them the nights are not so tedious to them When I awake I am ever with thee saith David concerning God That 's the first thing for the Excellency of this walking with God The second Excellency But Secondly This walking with God it is most honorable Oh 't is an honorable thing to walk with God Attendance upon Kings and Princes we know is honorable The Maids of Honor that do but attend upon a Queen it 's a great honor the attendance upon a King yea upon Noble Men But now not only attendance but free converse with Princes that 's more than meer attendance to walk with an Emperour as a friend up and down in his Galleries in his Gardens in his Orchyard So it is with the Saints Abraham is called Gods friend You are not my servants but my friends saith Christ God admits the soul to come as a friend and to have converse with him Oh! this is honorable They were accounted blessed that were in the presence of Solomon that were but his servants to wait at his Table much more to sit at his Table to see the order of Solomons Table Then to be alwaies with God and walking with him what a blessed and honourable thing is this It is the honor of Angels themselves that they do but see the face of God the Angels that are in Heaven do behold the face of God what honor is it then for Christians to be alwaies walking with God Honor 't is that that is the great honor and happiness of the Church when she shall be in her glory Mark how Christ doth expresse himself in Revel 3. 4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments What 's promised to them and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy There shall be a glory put upon them and they shall walk with me for they are worthy The walking with Christ that 's the greatest honor that Christ could promise unto them And so in the 14. of the Revelation it 's said of those that stood upon Mount Sion with the Lamb having harps in their hands and singing of a new song in the 4 verse These are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes these were redeemed from among men being the first fruit unto God and to the Lamb. They follow the lamb whithersoever he goes This is the honor that is put upon them Oh the walking with God it is most honorable The third Excellency Thirdly The Excellency of walking with God consists in this In the blessed satisfaction that the soul must needs have in walking with him to walk with life its self with glory with happinesse and that in a constant way this must needs satisfie the soul must I say bring inconceivable satisfaction and peace unto the soul thus walking with Him You know what Philip said Let us see the Father and it sufficeth us What would it suffice Philip to see God Oh then not only to see him but to walk and be continually with him People will run many times but to have the fight of a great man but to be admitted into the same room and to walk with him this is more in the 33. of Exod 14. And he said my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest God promised to Moses that his presence should be with him and then when the presence of God is with the soul Oh the rest that the soul hath by the presence of God! Oh the lettings out of joy that there must needs
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
walk after their own imaginations and in the vanity of their minds they walk in lies and their hearts walk after the sight of their own eyes and they walk after their covetousness We might mention neer twenty such kind of expressions in Scripture and these are the walks of sinners But the waies of the Saints they are to walk with God but those that walk in the way of sinners that is in the vanity of their minds according to the fight of their own eyes after their covetousness and after the flesh and their lusts and lasiviousness and vanity and such kind of expression as we have in Scripture Certainly they shall have the end of their walk to be no other but destruction and eternal misery The Third Vse Thirdly What vile hearts are ours that are so backward to walk with God seeing God is pleased to admit of his Saints to walk with him even those that are godly are to be rebuk'd from hence that they should be so backward to come in to walk with God It is our glory That is that that would make our lives comfortable it would make this wilderness of ours to be a paradice it would make our Gardens to be Edens it would make our Houses to be Churches and make the Church to be a Heaven unto us and yet we are backward unto this Oh that we would but consider of this when we are in our walk there have vain thoughts As ordinarily men that are walking in their pleasant Gardens or it may be pleasant Rooms Oh the vanity and folly of their thoughts I may speak to you who do you walk withal all this while when you are a walking in your Galleries or Parlours or Gardens or alone in the fields who are you parlying withal who are you conversing withal are not you walking many times with the Devil and making provision for the flesh you should be walking with God what are you the Saints of God doth God offer himself to walk and converse with you and will you walk with the flesh and converse with the Devil and be rouling of sin and wickedness up and down in your thoughts Oh what a vile and sinful thing is this The Lord humble you for your sinful walks humble you that are Saints you sometimes have had some walks with God why is it that you walk no more close with God you complain sometimes of your great business in the world and occasions to converse with the world that you have no time for your Communion with God and yet when you are off from the world and when you have time alone wherein you might converse with God and when you have walks to the Citie and from the Citie again what Communion might you have with God! But Oh! how backward are our hearts even unto this that is our happinesse and our glory That 's a third Use by way of reproof even to the Saints which is raised from the consideration of the excellency that there is in our walking with God The Fourth Vse Fourthly By way of exhortation Oh let us keep close to God in our walking with him We reade of Peter that he saw Christ walking upon the water and he would leap to him to walk with him there though it were in afflictions to walk with Christ it should be comfortable to us We reade of Idolators that they would have their children pâ—sse through the fire to get to their Idols Oh let us be willing to pass through any difficulties to get to God the Lord is willing we should coÌ„municate our selves to him and he is willing to communicate himself to us the Lord would communicate word for word promise for promise imbrace for imbrace if we would speak to him he would speak to us if we would let out our hearts to him he would let out his heart to us if we would promise to him he would promise to us The Lord doth often call us to walk with him As sometimes familiar friends will call one another Come let us walk out together and those that are very familiar and loving though they may have some business yet they will lay it aside seeing their deer friends calls them to walk they take so much delight in it many times God our deer friend cals us Come let us walk out together When God at any time doth dart in a Heavenly thought into your minds he doth as it were call you to walk with him there and would have you follow that thought The following that Heavenly thought that 's darted into your minds that 's the answering of Gods call to walk with him Consider of this one note Oh do not refuse this you do not know how your lives may be comforted this way and your hearts may be strengthened The Fifth Vse And then the last thing that I shall name by way of Use is this If there be so much Excellency in our walking with God here what will there be in Heaven then If our converse with him in this world be so sweet Oh how sweet shall our converse with him in Heaven be when we shall walk with him in white when we shall have our garments glorious indeed and our souls fit to converse with God Now the truth is we are very unfit to converse with the Lord because of our blindness and darknesse we do not know God As now let an ignorant man come to converse with a learned man he gets but very little good for he is not able to put a question to him nor able to understand what the man saith especially if he speaks any depth of learning to him So many that are very weak when they are in discourse with those that are strong and godly they are not able to make that use for their discourse as others can and it 's a great excellency for one to be able to improve his converse with some men that have abilities and strength to be able I say to improve their Converse it 's a great excellency Alas we are not able to improve our converse with God here but in Heaven we shall be able to improve our converse with God We shall know as we are known we shall understand God if God doth but communicate himself we shall be fit to receive all the beams of his glory that he shal be pleased to let out Oh! that wil be an excellent thing indeed when we shall be alwaies walking with God and conversing with him continually Saith Bernard in the gracious visitations of the Spirit of God to his soul How sweet if it were not so little but then it shall be constant we shall then follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes and walk with him in white according as he speaks Now the Church cries out and saith Oh draw us and we will run ofter thee The Spirit of God had need to draw us here but then we shall have no such need of drawing but we shall of our selves from the inclination
of our own hearts be alwaies walking and conversing with God we shall have nothing else to do but to walk continually with the Lord I will walk in thy truth unite my heart to fear thy Name Psal 86. 11. It 's an excellent Scripture I will walk in thy Truth saith the Prophet Oh unite my heart to the fear of thy Name As if he should say I find much sweetnesse and good in walking in thy Truth here Oh Lord unite my heart to the fear of thy Name Lord keep me alwaies here it 's good being here as Peter said when Christ was transfigured in his glory So when the soul is walking with God it saith it is good being here Well when thou comest to Heaven thou shalt alwaies be with the Lord as the Scripture speaks and therefore from the excellency that thou findest here learn to long after Heaven where thou shalt be continually with the Lord and take only this one note for the setting out of the excellency of Heaven and I confesse only such as have had much sweetness in walking with God here will understand what I mean by this As suppose that all those sweet manifestations of God to thy soul here and all the dartings in of the Spirit of God all those soul ravishing joys that thou hast had suppose they were put all together that thou hadst them all over again at this instant what a comfortable time would it be At such a time may some soul that knows what the meaning of this point is say Oh the sweet communion I had with God! I would give a world to have it again Well thou hadst it once but it was quickly gone and thou hast had it a second and a third time yea many times when I have been with God I have had wonderful gracious lettings out of God to my soul Oh that I had them again Well suppose thou hadst now in this one quarter of an hour all the comfort and joy that ever thou hadst in all thy life put all the times together what a comfortable quarter of an hour would this be Now in Heaven to all eternity thou shalt have that in a kind infinitely more than that for milions of yeers even for ever Oh! what will Heaven be If I should set out Heaven to a carnal man I must tell him of Crowns of glory And there he shall see glorious sights he shall be freed from all kind of sorrows and there he shall have a Kingdom But if I would set out Heaven to a Saint I must tell him this He shall have communion with God and all those soul-ravishing comforts that he hath had in the presence of God in this world he shall have them all together and infinitly more than them Oh this is that that will make their souls long after Heaven and set prize upon it CHAP. VIII Ten Several Evidences of a mans Walking with God BUt having set out unto you the excellency of walking with God you will say Who is it that doth walk with Him I shall further set out to you the Evidences of those men and women that do walk with God The first Evidence One that walks with God Is one that depends not much upon sence or reason in the course of his life I say one that is above the waies of Sence and Reason in his course he hath received a principle to go higher Most men in the world they walk according to sence and therefore the Scripture saith They walk according to the pleasure of their eyes But now one that walks with God his walk lies beyond Sence and above Reason though things of Sence seem to go this way or that way quite crosse to him yea though Reason seem to go quite crosse to him yet still his heart is not in a hurry but he hath that that can quiet his heart though Sence and Reason seem to be contrary 2 Cor. 5. 7. there you shal see the walk of a godly man For we walk by faith and not by sight saith the Apostle beyond our sight either beyond our sight of sence or the sight of Reason we walk by faith But now this is a great point a Christian walking by faith and therefore I intend to speak to that by its self from this very text God willing in another Treatise The second Evidence One that walks with God you shall find him in private the same that he is in publick what ever holiness doth appear in such a one before others in his walking in the world if you trace him and follow him in his private course you shall find him the same man as you do in publik why because he hath not to deal with man so much he hath to deal with God in all his waies when he hath any thing to do before others he walks with God and when he is alone he is the same man still In the 101. Psal see what David saith there concerning his walk in private in his family I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way saith he Oh when wilt thou come unto me I will walk within my house with a perfect heart As if he should say I will not walk when I am abroad only with a perfect heart but I wil walk within my house with a perfect heart There are many people that when they are abroad in the world they seem to be very strict in their way but follow such men to their houses and there you shall see a great deal of difference You will find many times as much difference between the course of men when they are abroad and in their houses as you find in their cloaths you shall have many men and women when they go abroad they wil be very neat and though they have but little means yet they wil lay it upon their backs so that they may be fine abroad but come to them in their families and they care not what cloaths they wear there It is just so in regard of their lives their lives have as much difference as their cloaths When they are abroad then they put a good face on things and seem to be very fair in their conversations and speak good things but at home there they are froward and perverse and perhaps in their passions will swear there they are prophane and ungodly and vent their corruptions in a most ungodly manner doest thou walk with God If thou hadst to deal with God thou wouldst be the same in thy family that thou art abroad that thy wife children and servants in thy family might give as good a testimony of thee as when thou art abroad with others Yea and if ye could retire with them into their very closets you should find them the same there in any duties of Religion You shall have many when they come abroad and joyn with others Oh how enlarged are they yet dead and dull when they are at home either in family or closet yea their own consciences
that is meant the several graces of the Spirit of God that puts a beauty upon the soul as there is a variety in needle-work that causes a beauty upon the work and so she shall be brought to the King So you must have that that may make you aimable and lovely in the eyes of the King The Fifth Rule or Direction Take heed of halting When you walk with him you must not halt between two but give up your self fully to God you must give up your selves wholly to him in walking with him not to have a distracted heart or a divied heart between two Why halt ye between two opinions saith the Prophet If God be God worship him if Baal worship him So when the heart is not divided up and down and is resolved in the way of God that 's the thing that I mean here that is If I cannot be happy here I am content to be miserable here when the soul is so resolved and doth not halt in Gods way when the soul knows that here is the way that there is happiness to be had in and whatsoever seems to the contrary to flesh and blood yet I know that in these waies there 's happiness to be had there 's enough to blesse my soul for ever and therefore whatsoever becoms of me I am resolved upon these waies this is one that is fit to walk with God he will not halt but will treat strait steps in the waies of God and that the Apostle requires of us in Heb. 12. 13. Make streight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way Make streight paths go on in a streight way not having the heart longing after something else There are some that have some convictions of conscience that have their hearts inclinable to the waies of God and are going on in some of the waies of God yet they have longings of spirit after something else but when the heart indeed walks with God it gives up its self wholly to him and is resolv'd in these waies you have had some good thoughts but if your hearts be divided between God and the world you will turn to be Apostats in time that which is lame will be turn'd out of the way the waies of God will be tedious to you when you do not give up your selves wholly to them and this is the reason of the Apostafie that there is in the world they seem to go on in Gods waies but they go on but lamely because they do not give up themselves wholly to the waies of God The sixth Rule or Direction If you would walk with God Take heed of formality in all holy duties be laborious in holy duties take pains with your hearts in them labor for the power of godliness in holy duties you must strive to get up to God in them It were well if when we perform holie duties we did but keep close to the Duty its self few go so far But it 's one thing to keep close to the Duty and another thing to keep close to God in the Duty we must labor not only to mind what we are about but to keep close to God in the Duty to find God in all duties that we perform and in the use of all ordinances to take pains to find God there and not to satisfie quiet our hearts except we find God in the duties that we do perform we have a notable Scripture for this in Exod. 20. 24. In all places where I record my Name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee That is where ever there is any Ordinance or any holy Duty to be perform'd there 's a recording of Gods Name And saith he I will come unto thee and there I wil bless thee If you would walk with God you must go where God is and be in those places where God uses to come now the walk where God uses to walk it is in his Ordinances in his Worship therefore you must be very spiritual in worship and sanctifie the Name of God there according to that that we have treated upon at large you must take pains there stir up your hearts and all that is within you to walk with God there and not be satisfied except you have something of God there It 's a notable speech of Bernard I never go from thee without thee when ever I come to any holy duty and leave it I never leave it but I have thee with it we must not be satisfied except we meet with God in holy duties The Seventh Rule or Direction Take heed of secret declinings or slidings away from the paths of God into any by paths For those that professe their desires to walk with God they will not in an open way forsake God and his waies but if you be not very watchful over your hearts you will have them secretly decline away from the waies of God from those paths wherein you have had heretofore communion with God Oh take heed of turning out of the paths of God of any allurements from the flesh of any temptations and especially such temptations as are sutable to your corruptions they will be alluring you to lead you aside out of the waies of God and seem to promise waies of contentment to the flesh Oh take heed of any such thing take heed of being allur'd through the deceitfulness of the flesh as the Apostle speaks in the 2 Epist of Peter 2. 18. there he speaks of some false teachers When they speak great swelling words of vanity they allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in error There were some that were escaped from the waies o error from sinful ungodly waies and really escaped that is in their kind they were not hypocrites that is to make shew of one thing and do another but what they did they did according to the light of their consciences but yet it was not through the sanctifying saving work of God but through the strength of a natural conscience and so they were allur'd through the lusts of the flesh and through wantonness by those that taught false Doctrine but they together with their false Doctrine came to that that was sutable to the flesh I beseech you observe it some that have been walking with God and then met with these that come with fair shews with that which is false and you may know it in this that it gives liberty to the flesh they think here 's a fine even and smooth way that I may have content to the flesh in observe it there 's no such way to allure such as have by the power of the Word escaped from the waies of sin in a great measure no such way I say to allure them as to come and shew them how they may make a profession of godliness and yet have liberty to the flesh too Oh the Lord deliver yong beginners from the
have the same confirmation of their blessed estate that the Angels have ibid 7 They have priviledge of a free rtade to Heaven Page 104 8 They have for he present communion with the Angels ib. 9 They have the protection of Heaven ib. CHAP. VI How the Saints have their conversation in Heaven 106 1 The aim of their hearts is heaven-wards 107 2 They are acted by Heavenly principles in their waies 108 1 That God is all in all ib. 2 That God is the infinite First being ib. 3 They have communion with the God of Heaven ib. 4 They live according to the Laws of Heaven 110 5 Their soul is where it loves rather than where it lives 111 6 They deilght in the same things that are done in Heaven 114 1 The sight of Gods face 115 2 The praising of God ib. 3 The keeping a perpetual Sabbath ib. 7 They are heavenly in earthly imployments 115 8 They are heavenly when they converse together 116 9 Their great trade upon earth is for heaven 217 CHAP. VII The Saints trading for Heaven opened 1 They have skill in they commodity they trade for Page 217 2 They have a stock to trade withal 218 3 They take the advantage of the Market for commodities ib. 4 There is much inter course ib. 5 Their chief stock is where they trade 220 6 They are willing to part with any thing here to receive advantage where they trade ib. 7 They trust much 221 CHAP. VII Evidences of mens having their conversations in heaven Evidence 1. They canvilifie all the things on earth 222 Evidence 2 They can be content and live comfortably with little in this world ib. Evidence 3 They can suffer hard things with joyful hearts 223 Evidence 4. Their hearts are filled with heavenly riches 225 Evidence 5 They are willing to purchase the priviledges of Heavne at a dear rate ib. Evidence 6 They are sensible of the stoppages between heaven and their souls Page 26 Evidence 7 Their willingness to die 227 CHAP. IX Reasons why the Saints have their Conversation in heaven ib. 1 Because their souls are from Heaven 228 2 By grace the soul hath a Divine Nature put into it 230 3 Their most choise things are in heaven 231 4 God orders it so to wean their hearts from the world 233 CHAP. X. Use 1. To reprove such as have their conversations in hell 234 CHAP. XI Use 2. To reprove hypocrites 235 CHAP. XII Use 3. Let us not find fault with the strictness of Gods waies Page 237 CHAP. XIII Use 4. To reprove such as are godly and yet fail in this thing 238 CHAP. XIV An Heavenly Conversation is a convincing conversation 241 CHAP. XV. A Heavenly Conversation is growing 243 CHAP. XVI A Heavenly Conversation brings much glory to God 244 CHAP. XVII A Heavenly Conversation brings much glory to the Saints 246 CHAP. XVIII A Heavenly Conversation will make sufferings easie 247 CHAP. XIX A Heavenly Conversation brings much joy 249 CHAP. XX. An Heavenly Conversation is very safe 250 CHAP. XXI An Heavenly Conversation gives abundant entrance into glory ibid CHAP. XXII Directions how to get a Heavenly Conversation Direct 1. Be perswaded that it is attainable Page 251 Direct 2. Labor to keep a cleer conscience 252 Direct 3. Watch opportunities for heavenly exercises ibid Direct 4 Rest not in formality 253 Direct 5. Labor to beat down your bodies 254 Direct 6. Labor to be skilful in the Mystery of godliness to draw strength from Christ in every thing you do ibid Direct 7. Exercise the grace of faith much 256 THE CONTENTS Of the ensuing TREATISE OF WALKING with GOD. GENESIS 45. 24. CHAP. I. TEXT opened Page 261 CHAP. II. Doctrine 'T is the Excellency of a Christian to walk with God 265 CHAP. III. How the soul is brought to walk with God 1 Every one by nature goes astray from God 268 2 The Lord manifesteth to the soul the way of life ibid 3 The Lord makes peace between himself and a sinner 269 4 God renders himself lovely to the soul 270 5 God sends his Holy Spirit to guide him 271 6 Christ takes the soul and brings it to God the Father 271 CHAP. IV What walking with God is 1 It causeth the soul to eye God 272 2 It causeth a man to carry himself as in Gods presence 273 3 He makes Gods will the rule of his will Page 274 4 The soul hath the same ends that God hath 275 5 It suits the soul to the administrations of God 276 6 To have a holy dependance upon God 1 For Direction 277 2 For Protection 278 3 For Assistance ibid 4 For a Blessing upon all it doth ibid 7 It makes a man free and ready in the waies of God 279 8 It consists in communion with God 280 9 It causeth the soule to follow God more as he reveals himself more 282 CHAP. V Excellencies of walking with God Excellency 1 It makes the waies of God easie 286 Excellency 2 It is most honorable 287 Excellency 3 The soul hath blessed satisfaction in it 288 Excellency 4 It is a special part of the Covenant of God on our parts 290 Excellency 5 There is a blessed safety in walking with God 292 Excellency 6 Hence the soul enjoys sweet familiarity with God 293 Excellency 7 To them God communicates his secrets 294 Excellency 8 They find favor in Gods eyes for granting their petitions 295 Excellency 9 There is a glory put upon the soul 296 Excellency 10 Gods presence doth mightily draw forth every grace Page 297 Excellency 11 The presence of God shall never be terrible to the soul neither at death nor judgment 298 Excellency 12 It will be blessedness in the end 299 CHAP. VII Vses of Exhortation Vse 1 Blesse God that he will be pleased to walk thus with his poor creatures 300 Vse 2 What strangers the world are to this walking with God 301 Vse 3 What vile hearts are ours that we are so backward to walk with God 302 Vse 4 Let us keep close to God in our walking wtih him 303 Vse 5 If there be so much excellency in walking with God here what will there be in heaven 304 CHAP. VIII Evidence of our walking with God 306 Evidence 1 He depends not much upon sence and reason in the course of his life 307 Evidence 2 He is the same in private that he is in publick 307 Evidence 3 He hath a serious spirit 309 Evidence 4 They walk in newness of life 310 Evidence 5 When he hath to do with the creature he doth quickly passe through the creature unto God 311 Evidence 6 He loves to be much retired from the world 312 Evidence 7 He is careful to make even his accounts with God 315 Evidence 8 The more spiritual any Truth or Ordinance or any company is the more the soul delights in it 314 Evidence 9 He walk in all the Commandements of God 315 Evidence 10 See how the Scripture describes
things But now a spiritual man is spiritual in earthly things one of a spiritual mind is more heavenly and spiritual when he is about his calling though the meanest as hedging and ditching or when he is pulling his ropes and lines or using his Ax or hammer he is more spiritual I say then than an earthly man is when he is praying or hearing or receiving Sacraments certainly it is so and it will be found to be so at the great day of Judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed that 's the sixt thing when a man seeks earthly things for himself And that that we may add as a seventh is That he is earthly in spiritual things I grant that the best of the Saints may have some earthlinesse in spirtual things but I speak of the predominancie it 's that that doth rule in the heart so that in the performance of spiritual things his very ends are but earthly and the frame of his heart is but earthly in spiritual performances The eight thing wherein we may find an earthly minded man is this That he passes through many and great difficulties in matters of the earth and they are very little to him and though he hath a great deal of toyl for the matters of the earth yet he is never weary with it because he is in his proper element and therefore let there be what difficulties there will be which to another man would be very great he makes of them as nothing and though there be much toyl and labour yet he is not weary why because he is in his own element The fish is not weary with swimming but a man is quickly weary I but the fish is in it's element and a man is not so I beseech you observe this when a mans spirit is in this kind of temper let him but be busied about earthly things wherein earthly advantage comes in no difficulties will hinder him no wind or weather he will rise in cold mornings and go abroad do any thing in the world Oh! what difficulties will men endure In storms at Sea and hazards there and troubles at land many waies for things of the earth and sit up late and rise early and toyl themselves and complain of no wearinesse nor no difficulties But now let them come but to spiritual things to soul-businesses that concern God and their spiritual estates every little difficulty puts them aside and discourages them every mole-hill is a mountain in their way I would do so and so indeed but 't is so hard and 't is tedious to rise in a morning especially in cold winters morning it is very hard and difficult to reade and pray and so he is complaining of the difficulty of these things And to watch over the heart it 's a mighty difficulty to an earthly man any spiritual thing is difficult and the difficulties doth discourage him and in spiritual things Oh how weary are they as they in the 1. of Micha 13. they cryed out What a weariness is it But in the businesse of the world they can follow it from morning to night they are never tired they can work as we say sometimes of men like a horse and yet never out of breath Oh I would but desire you try your hearts once but to endeavour to spend one Sabbath exctly and see what a wearinesse that would be to you resolve but one Sabbath to rise early in the morning to have your thoughts spiritual heavenly as much as you can and then get up pray alone in your closet then reade and hear and meditate and mark what you hear and when you go home think of it and confer about it and when you come again attend upon the word and so spend the whole day in hearing reading meditating and conference about good things Calling your family to account and praying again and see how tiresom this will be unto your hearts if they be carnal But now a spiritual heart will call the Sabbath a delight unto it And the Sabbath unto such an one is no other than that type and fore runner of that eternal day of rest it shall enjoy in the kingdom of heaven one that is spiritual accounts the Sabbath to be a day of rest but an earthly man is quickly tired in spiritual things he will give over his work and not go through it we reade in the 4. of Nehe. 6. verse Nehemiah having spoken of the great difficulties that they met withal in their work and yet saith he the work went on for they bad a mind to it So look how a mans mind is so he will be able to go through his work If a man be an earthly-minded man such a man will go through stich with his work If he take up businesse for the world he will go through with it for he hath a mind to it he is a man of an earthly mind But let him take in hand a spiritual work and he will lay it aside before it be half done he will seldom bring to perfection any spiritual work why because he hath no mind to it whereas were the heart spiritual and there were any spiritual work undertaken such a one would go through with it till all was finished Another note about the discription of an earthly-minded man is this An earthly-minded man is one that doth conceive of the most heavenly Truths that are revealed in the Word in an earthly way according to his mind his genious and disposition of his own heart And I verily think this is in a special manner meant in this place for the Apostle is speaking of those that did oppose him in his Ministery and that were enemies to the Crosse of Christ Now saith he These mind earthly things their mindes are of an earthly temper and therefore no marvell as if he should say though they do not savour those Heavenly and Spiritual Truths that we bring to them for their minds being earthly they only apprehend those things after an earthly manner As now what was the great Truth that the Apostle did bring to the Philippians It was the way of reconciling the world to God of making our peace with God and of our Justification through Jesus Christ Now there is no point of Religion more Spiritual Heavenly and Divine than the Doctrin of Reconciliation and of Justification by Jesus Christ So that one that is of an earthly disposition though he may be convinc'd of a necessity of pardon of sin and peace with God yet he apprehends the making of his peace with God and obtaining pardon of his sin but in an earthly manner he hath carnal thoughts and apprehensions about his peace with God and about obtaining pardon of sin he thinks it is the same way that one man obtains peace with another when he is fallen out and of getting pardon from another man that he hath offended he conceives it in an earthly way he looks upon his making
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
they see in other men they do not regard silver and gold and to be getting all for themselves and they dispise those men that are of such a base covetous way and upon that they think their condition good because they think they are got above that lust but ye see it is no other than that a Mede may get a Heathen may disregard silver and gold but how it is because his spirit is upon another lust that 's the ground of it canst thou say this consider what I am now upon you that seem to scorn Covetousnesse and hate such base sordidnesse as you see in some men can you say it comes from hence The Lord hath made me to see the excellent things of the Gospel the treasures of grace that are fountain'd up in Jesus Christ the Lord hath made me to know what communion with himself in Jesus Christ doth mean and since that time I blesse God my heart hath been above all these earthly things and that 's the ground that makes me look upon all these earthly things as vanity because the Lord hath discovered unto me those excellent and glorious things that are infinitly above these earthly things I that 's somewhat indeed if you can be above earthlinesse upon this ground that 's a good argument therefore examine upon what ground it is that your spirit is against such things whether it be upon the sight and experience of better things then it 's right but certainly men and women may go far in seeming to be above earthly things in respect of the sin of covetousnesse and yet still have earthlie minde wherefore to give you convicements besides things that have been hinted As how a man doth value himself and value others is it not because that others or your selves have much of the things of the earth can you value a poor man that is godly above the richest man that is wicked and so can you value your selves for the least work of grace upon your hearts to make you more excellent thā the greatest cōmings-in of your estates but these things we have hinted And then where lies the chief Joy and chief Sorrow of mens hearts what 's that that doth most trouble your hearts is it the losse of the light of the face of God or the losse of an estate the losse of a voyage or the commission of a sin So what 's your chief Joy your profitting by the word or gaining by your bargains you have come to the word and there somtimes God hath reveal'd some truth to you and you have profited can you go away rejoycing because God hath made you to know his Law the Lord hath darted some truth into my soul this morning Oh! I go away rejoycing and having my heart fil'd with more joy than ever I have had upon any bargain wherein I have got never so much of the world These be two convincements we hinted not before Nine CONVINCEMENTS of Earthly-mindedness 1. Conv. For the further Convincement of an Earthly-minded man seriously consider this When a man shall rest upon earthly props upon worldly helps for the good that he doth expect If he can have those things then his heart seems to be upon the wing very pleasant but there 's nothing else can revive his heart it 's not a promise that can keep his spirit Now that that a man or woman most trusts unto that certainly they make to be their God for that properly belongs to God to put our trust in Him then we make God to be our God when we roul our selves upon Him Now to trust in earthly things though it be but for the comforts of your life you will say I cannot trust in earthly things to bring me to God nay but to trust in them for the comforts of your life while you are herein this world that 's an Argument of an earthly spirit for the truth is the comfort of a mans life consists not in any earthly thing he doth enjoy Object You will say Do not these comfort our lives Answ Yes so far as God is pleased to let out Himself through them but if thy heart doth rest upon these for comfort and doth not look higher than these for comfort even for thy outward support certainlie thou hast an earthlie heart And so when thou art about any businesse thou hast some earthlie means to further thee Obj. You wil say God would have us take all outward means to help us Ans I but not to trust in any thing If riches encrease set not your hearts upon them so if friends encrease set not your hearts upon them but trust in the living God let it be the living God that you rest on even for all outward things in this world 2. Conv. A Second Convincement is this When men make most provision for the things of this world both for themselves and for their children Are not these your thoughts I do not know what I may want hereafter and I see many that have lived finely when they have been young yet afterwards they have lived very miserably and therefore I must make provision for after-times Thus for the earth But now Do you reason thus for the things of Heaven do not I see many that have made a great blaze of Religion and yet afterwards they have come to nothing they have gone out in a snuffe as men that God hath forsaken and they have died in horror of Conscience and therfore let me lay up provision now against an evil time that I may not miscarrie in the matters of my soul so as others have done this were a sign your minds were not earthly And for your children God hath sent you children and Oh! how you toile and labour and your thoughts run in the night and as soon as you awake in the morning about what you shall get for their portions and for an estate for them Now I appeal to your conscience before God the searcher of all hearts Have your cares been to provide in a sutable way for their souls for their spiritual and eternal estates No question but it 's lawful for parents to provide in a Providential way for their children and they that do not are worse than Infidels but what is your chief provision for are your thoughts more solicitous to provide portions for them than that they should have instruction in the fear of God an interest in Christ than that they should have grace wrought in their hearts You are loth to die before you can bring your estate so clear as you may leave it to your children Oh are you not loth die before such time as you see some work of grace wrought in the hearts of your children Oh! these would your thoughts be if you were spiritual Oh! could I discern but some seeds of grace sown before I was disolved I could rejoyce abundantlie As ti 's repeated of Austen's Mother that the great thing that she desired to live for was
fair and beautiful wheresoever they come and be as sombody in the world these do thus and thus these forsake the truths of God and seek to provide for themselves in the things of the flesh Fiftly Men naturally never knew better things than the things of the earth and therefore no marvel though they mind earthly things so much Children that are born in a dungeon and never knew any better place they can play up and down in the dungeon So it is with men that never knew what the things of heaven and eternal life meant they can mind earthly things better than those but when once the Lord opens the eyes of their understandings to see into the reality excellency and glory of spiritual things they then wonder at their former blindness in minding such poor low mean foolish rattles as the things of the earth are Sixtly There are earthly principles continually dropt into men by converse with other men that are men of the earth 49. Psal 11. and 13. Their inward thoughts is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling place to all generations they call their lands after their own names Their hearts are set upon these things then in the 13. verse This their way is their folly yet their posterity approve their sayings They are applauded by men they see that every body do applaud them in these waies and when they converse one with another they do converse about the things of the earth and the common example of men they see every body following the things of the earth and are greedy after these toyes and that likewise doth incline their minds to the things of the earth Lastly The sensible experience they have had of the sweetnesse that there is in the things of the earth This is that that takes off their minds from spiritual things and makes them to mind the things of the earth But though these be the reasons why men do thus mind the things of the earth and an earthly-minded man blesses himself in his way and thinks he hath good reason for what he doth and thinks all men fools that do not grovel in the ground like a mole with himself and looks upon the matter of Religion but as meer words and talk let them do what they will I find contentment here yet certainly at length it will prove folly this their way as the holy Ghost saith in the 49 Psal This their way it is but their folly and in the end the wise men of the earth those that have sought the things of the earth and blesse themselves in their way they will prove to be the greatest fools the holy Ghost accounts them so In the 17. of Jere. 11. verse As the Partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall be a fool He applauds himself for the present in what he hath got but at the end he shall be a fool CHAP. V. NOW the main thing that is still behind in the Point It is therefore to endeavour to take off the minds of men and women from the things of this earth that so by it I may make preparation to the next Point which is of infinite concernment The Conversations in Heaven But because their conversations cannot be in Heaven till their minds be taken off from the earth till the disease of Earthly-mindednesse be cur'd therefore we must now propound those things that may help to take off the minds of men from the earth Eleven Considerations to take off mens hearts from Earthly-mindedness First Consider this That all the things of the earth that thy mind and heart is upon if thou couldst possess them all as thine own yet there is not so much good in them as to countervail the evil of the least sin not of the least sin of thought thy heart is mudling upon the things of the earth and thinkest that thou shouldest be blest if thou badst thus and thus as others have Let me tell thee if thou hast but one sinful thought there is more evil in that than there 's good in all that ever thou shalt get all the daies of thy life in the world and if this be so that there is more evil in the least fin than there is good in all the things of the earth it concerns thee rather to have thy mind how to avoid sin or how to get the evil of sin to be remov'd and how to get thy sin to be mortified that concerns thee more than the minding and plodding about the things of the earth that 's one consideration A Second Consideration A second is this that may take off the hearts of men from the things of the earth That the chief things that are in the earth yea name what terrene excellency possibly a man may be crowned with under Heaven hath been the portion of Reprobates heretofore and is to this day and shall be the portion of multitudes whom God hates and hath set apart to glorifie his infinite Justice upon eternally Shall thy mind and heart be set upon such things as are the portion of Reprobates will a Reprobates portion content thee will it serve thee art thou satisfied with dogs meat If it will not content thee why is it that thy mind is so much upon the things of the earth It may be thou that art poor and mean in the world thy mind is upon some little matter thou canst never expect to have any great things in the world and yet thou mindest them as if that there were thy portion and thy happiness some small pittance to furnish thy house to provide for thy self and thy poor family Oh friend if it were possible for thee to get the Empire of the whol world under thy foot yet thou shouldest get no more than hath been the portion of such as God hath hated and if so be that Kingdoms and Empires have been the portion of Reprobates why doest thou mind things that are lower abundantly and let the strength of thine heart flow out upon such things as these are A Third Consideration A third consideration is this Surely God hath made man for higher things than the things of this earth Oh! if thou hadst but thy thoughts often working this way Wherefore do I think in my conscience hath God made the children of men for what end why hath he sent them hither into the world Of all the creatures that God hath here upon the earth he hath none capable to know him the infinite First being of all things but only the children of men God hath given them such a nature as is capable of some converse with him surely then there be other things that God made man for than to have meat and drink and cloathes and here to live a while only to enjoy creatures Do not we reade often That Jesus Christ was God and Man took
need of other things than of these things what need is there for thee to live upon the earth but in order to providing for eternity and of living to the honor of Christ and the praise of his Gospel I say thou hast no need of any thing on the earth but in subordination to higher things there is no need thou shouldest live but for some other end and therefore let not that be any such argument to plead for earthliness as indeed an earthly spirit is very witty in pleading for its self I shall close this Point with some Exhortation to you and Directions about this Point of Earthly-mindedness CHAP. VII EXHORTATION OH considering what hath been delivered I beseech you lay it seriously to heart especially you that are yong beginners in the way of Religion lest it proves with you as it doth with many that are digging of Veins of gold and silver under ground that while they are digging in those mines for riches the earth many times fals upon them and buries them so that they never come up out of the mine again and so it is with many that are beginning in the way of Religion that are digging in the mines of Salvation for unsearchable riches for that that is abundantly better than gold and silver now while you are thus seeking for grace and godliness Oh take heed that you be not covered with the earth while you are digging in the world but keep wide open some place to Heaven or otherwise if you dig too deep there will come up damps if the earth falls not upon you yet I say there will be damps rise from the earth that may choak you if there be not a wide space open that you may let the air that comes from heaven in to you Those that are digging into Mines they are very careful to leave the place open for fresh air to come in and so though thou maiest follow thy calling and do the work that God sets thee here for as others do be as diligent in thy calling as any yet still keep a passage open to Heaven that there may be fresh gales of grace come into thy soul if at any time thou beest got into the world if thou spendest one day and hast not some spiritual air from Heaven take heed there 's a damp coming up that will choak thee Oh! that Christians would consider of this while they are here below I remember I have read of Austin in his Comment upon the 72. Psal the 19. vers saith the text They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him and his enemies shall lick the dust He in a wittie way applied it to earthlie-minded men saith he If you do so lick the dust by this you will come to be accounted one of the enemies of God It 's true the scope of the place is different but take heed that in this metaphorical sence that you do not lick the dust and so come to be accounted an enemie to God You that would be accounted as friends and seek reconciliation with God Oh do not lick the dust to be alwaies here as Moles upon the earth they say Moles though they be blind yet if they be without the earth then their eyes are opened and then they shake and tremble and so though the earth may close the eyes of men here for a while yet certainly there will be a day when their eyes shall be opened to see how they have gul'd and deceiv'd themselves And now it 's worse too in the time of the Gospel to be earthly-minded than at other times it was not such an evil thing to be an earthly minded man in the time of the Law when all the promises of God were carried in a kind of earthly way Though I do not say that all promises that were made to them under the Law were meer earthly but they were carried in an earthly way therefore you shall find when God promises his people in the time of the Law what great mercies they shall have it is by earthly expressions as of gold and silver and such kind of things and their promises for Heaven it went under the expression of living in the Land of Canaan as being a type of Heaven now though they were taken with earthly things when God reveal'd himself to them in an earthly manner yet now in the time of the Gospel lift up your hearts for your calling is from above now there are Heavenly things revealed he that is from above is come amongst us and the Heavens are broken open and the glory of it doth shine upon the Churches in a far more brighter manner than it did before And therfore Gospel-light doth aggravate the sin of earthly-mindednesse and therefore now above all times should the hearts of men and women be disingaged from the things of the earth CHAP. VII Five Directions how to get our hearts freed from Earthly-mindedness FIrst To that end be watchful over your thoughts do not take liberty to let your hearts run too far in the things of the earth what time you have for meditation let it be as much as can be reserved for spiritual things most men and women think they may take liberty in their thoughts why the thing in its self is not unlawful I but your thoughts will steal upon you and affect your hearts very much therefore watch narrowly over your thoughts keep them within Scripture bounds The Second Direction Be much humbled for sin That will take off the heart much from earthly-mindedness Your earthly-minded men who have earthly and drossie hearts they have not known what the weight and burden of sin hath meant let God but lay the weight and burden of sin upon the soul it will take off the soul from earthly things quickly Oh! those men that have gone on in the world in a secure condition and never knew what trouble of conscience meant for sin they grow seer'd in those earthly Contentments but now those men that have had but the weight of sin lie upon them know what it is to have to deal with an infinite God in the bearing of the burden of the wrath of an incensed Deity such know that they have other things to look after than the things of the earth If God did but humble your hearts the humiliation of your spirits would quicken you and take off the dulness and deadness of your spirits and stir you up to look after other things than the things of this life The Third Direction Further Set the example of the Saints before you that have been the most precious servants of God in former times how they accounted themselves as Pilgrims and strangers here in the earth read at your leisure that Scripture in the 11 of the Heb. at the 13. verse These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and imbraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims
on the earth and mark therefore how it follows in the 37. verse They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in sheeps-skins and goats-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Who were these They were they of whom the world was no tworthy They wandered in deserts and in Mountains and in dens and caves of the earth and yet such precious Saints of God as the world was not worthy of Now when we set before us how joyfully these servants of the most high went through all their wildernesse condition this should make us ashamed of our earthly-mindedness and would be a mighty help to us The Fourth Direction And then if we consider the great accompt that we are to give for all earthly things you only look upon the comfort of them but consider the account you must give for them this would be a means to take off the heart from earthly-mindednesse And consider what if you were now to die and to go the way of all flesh what good would it be to me to remember what contentments and pleasures I had in the earth The fifth Direction But above all the setting Jesus Christ before you and the meditating of the death of Jesus Christ I say that 's the great thing that wil take off the heart from the things of the earth The looking upon Christ Crucified how he that was the Lord of Heaven and Earth yet what a low condition he put Himself into meerly for the redeeming of us The conversing much with the death of Jesus Christ deads the heart much to the world In the 3. to the Philippians we have a notable text for that in the example of Paul he accounted all things as dung and drosse for Jesus Christ at the 8. verse I account all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the liss of all things and do count them but DVNG that I may win Christ And then in the 19. verse That I may know Him and the power of his Resnrrection and the fellowship of His Sufferings being made conformable unto his Death Paul desired to be so conformable to the very Death of Christ that he accounted all things in the world but as dung and drosse in comparison of that Paul had the death of Christ before his eyes and meditated much on the death of Christ and that meditation had a great impression upon his spirit that made him account all these things as drosse as dogs meat in comparison and that he might have fellowship with the death of Christ Perhaps some of you may think of the glory of Christ in Heaven and that may for the present make you lesse worldly but let me intreat you to meditate on the death of Christ and know that there is an excellencie in Conformity even to the death of Christ such an Excellency that may take off your hearts from the things of the world It 's said of the King of France that he asking one once about an Eclypse saith he I have so much businesse in the earth that I take little notice of the things of Heaven Oh my Brethren for the close of all I beseech you let not this be said concerning any of you that you have such and such worldly imployments that you cannot enquire after Jesus Christ Plead not that you have such great businesse that you have so much to do in this earth that you take little notice of the things of Heaven no surely the Saints of God have their businesse in Heaven as we shall see God willing hereafter Their City Business their Trading their Aims their Bent it is higher than the things of this earth There are things that a man may let out his thoughts and affections too as much as he wil This shews the vanity of the things af this world that a man had need be very wary how much he minds them he cannot enjoy the comforts of this earth without some fear but now when he comes to converse with Heaven there he may let out himself to the uttermost that shews the excellency of these things And you that are but poor and mean in the things of this earth be not discomforted because there is a charg from God that men should not mind these things surely there is no great matter in them as God charges that we should not mind them Oh the excellency it lies in things above which are heavenly and spiritual where the Saints have their conversation But of this more at large in this following Treatise of Heavenly Conversation FINIS AN HEAVENLY Conversation PHILIPPIANS 3. 20. For our Conversation is in Heaven CHAP. I. Of Examples of Godly men and how far they should prevail with us Opened in Six Particulars SOme reade this Particle For But But our Conversation is in Heaven Our Conversation is not as theirs Certainly the Apostle doth intend this to make a distinction from or a difference between the Saints waies and the waies of those that were Enemies to the Crosse of Christ They mind Earthly things But our Conversation is in Heaven But because of the particle For our Conversation therefore I think that it hath reference unto the 17 verse for the 18. and 19. verses are in a parenthesis and therefore if you would know the scope of the Apostle in it and what this hath relation to for it is in the 17. verse Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as you have us for an ensample for our Conversation is in Heaven to it is to follow he made a little degression when he said Make us your example then he speaks of others but many there are that walk thus and thus and are enemies to the cross of Christ Whose belly is their god whose glory is their shame whose end is destruction who mind earthly things But our or for our Conversation is in Heaven As if he should say Take heed of following of those whose belly is their god who mind earthly things for their end is destruction but rather follow those whose Conversation is in Heaven for their end is salvation that 's the scope of the words Now then from the scope and the coherance of them follow us for an example For our Conversation is in Heaven so they are to be joyn'd together from whence first before we come to speak of this Heavenly Conversation that the Apostle mentions we have this point That the Examples of men whose Conversations are heavenly are to be followed Follow us as an example for our Conversation is in Heaven They are guided by the spirit of God and the end of their Conversation is good and therefore 't is safe to be followed In Prov. 2. 20. there the Wise man speaks of an argument Why we should imbrace wisdom because that would teach you to walk in the way of good men and to keep the paths of the
and Heaven in our examination come with prepared hearts to let in the Truths God shall reveal unto us the rather because we see such holy godly men have imbraced those truths before us when precious Gospel-Truths are delivered to us by the hands of the servants of Jesus Christ then those very Truths in our eye are like apples of gold in pictures of silver as beautiful as golden fruit in silver dishes Sixtly The example of godly men should prevail thus far as after we have examined and found their way to be according to the Truth indeed then their example should confirm us in the Truth should help to settle us more in the Truth should comfort and encourage us in such and such holy courses because we find not only that we are convinc'd of it and we see it to be the way of God and have experience of it but others see it and they are convinc'd of it others that are so godly they find much communion with God in it now this should mightily strengthen and further us in that we go on in the same way that the Saints of God go on in And indeed it should be a very great grief to any godly man that he should differ from other godly men though it cannot be but that we should differ sometimes because we are imperfect here yea and sometimes a weak Christian knows that which a strong Christian may be ignorant of I say it fals out so sometimes that God in some things reveals himself to those that are weak and hides himself from those that are strong so that here in this world it cannot otherwise be expected for the present till the time that the New Jerusalem shall be let down from God out of Heaven and then the Saints will be all of one mind and walk all in one way but till then there cannot be expected but that there should be different waies of the Saints but yet I say it should be a very great heart-trouble to godly men to see that they are necessitated to go in different waies from other godly men and on the other side a great encouragment and strengthening when the Saints go on in one way together with their faces towards heaven CHAP. II. What 's to be done when Examples of Godly men are contrary IF you say What should we do when we have contrary examples and both sides godly men ye very godly men whose Conversation is in Heaven some go one way and others as godly as they go another way what shall people do then when they see that either way holy men go in Ans To that I answer only these two things First God by this means puts you to more strict examination of things and doth teach you by this that every Christian though never so weak yet should have a bottom and ground for their faith and practice out of the Word themselves and never did God teach this lesson more strongly than now he doth that we should all of us not satisfie our selves in any point of Religion nor in any practice of Religion but what we can our selves find and feel footing for out of the Word In former times Christians were very much led by examples and a few examplary godly professors would carry all the well affected in those places with them all that did pretend towards godliness would be very loth to go in a different way to some eminent godly men but though perhaps their affections were good and God may accept of their good affections yet certainly they were not so grounded and established in the truth as God would have them but now the Lord seems to go another way with his people and puts every one the weakest the meanest servant to search and to find out the truth themselves and to have the knowledge of it themselves and we hope the time is at hand for the fulfilling of that promise That all the people shall be taught of God shall be taught to understand themselves what are the reasons and grounds of the practice of Religion and those tenents and opinions which they hold and when people come to understand the grounds themselves they have a great deal more strength and they will come to be established more than formerly they have been this good will come of it Secondly When you see examples on both sides go contrary one unto the other and both godly yet examine but this Which way hath most earthly inducements for that way that hath most earthly inducements to draw or bias the heart that way lies under the most suspision for men that are godly yet they are but godly in part and though they may be as godly as other men in some other things yet there may be a temptation the temptation for Earthly contentment if it lies more one way than the other you are to be more wary of one than the other But that we may passe this point because it is but from the coherance by way of use but in a word or two CHAP. I Rebuke of those that follow the example of the wicked and reject the example of the godly IF the example of men whose Conversation is in Heaven is to be followed hence then are to be rebuked those that rather follow the example of wicked and ungodly ones if they be great or learned or the example of the multitude will rather follow the example of any than the example of those whose Conversation is in Heaven thou doest thus and thus and yet say Do not others do so but who are they that do so can you say in your consciences that you think that they that do so have their Conversations in Heaven you will do as they do If there be any example that you will follow they should be such that you can take it upon your consciences that these are the men who have their Conversations above you will do as others do in drinking swearing Sabbath-breaking and in all manner of prophaness have these their Conversations in Heaven Certainly you that do so you follow the example of those who have their Conversations in hell But it may be you have some neighbors live by you whose Conversations are blameless yea they are Heavenly and when you are in your good moods your consciences witness to them and you could wish that you might die the death of the righteous are there not some that live in the same families streets or towns where you live that though sometimes your hearts are against them you oppose them and scorn them and speak against them yet when you are in any good temper or afraid of death then you could wish that you were as they are and might die their death now will you not follow their example but rather the example of others whose examples are in such things as are sutable to your vile sinful and base lusts We know that these examples of holie men shall rise up in judgment against you another day
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
Heaven it was with a great purchase it was with the purchase of the blood of Jesus Christ that was more worth than all the world And if the Son makes you free then you shall be free indeed and therefore prize this as a great mercie while you live here in this world account it as a great mercie that you are a Citizen of Heaven account your happiness to consist there it is more than to have House and Lands here for a man to have a freedom of some Citie it is more than to have House and Land in the Wilderness What though the Lord doth order things so as while thou livest in the wilderness of this world thou hast no habitation of thine own yet certainly the Lord hath made thee free of Heaven it was purchased for thee by the blood of Jesus Christ Now by that price that it cost thou mayest conclude that there is some great matter in it that thou art a free Denizen of Heaven CHAP. VI. How the Saints have their Conversation in Heaven Opened in Nine Particulars BUt now our Conversation should be answerable and now we come more fully up to the scope of the Apostle But our Conversation is in Heaven The Conversations of the Saints that are free Citizens of Heaven ought to be answerable though their Co-habitations be in this world yet their Conversation it should be in Heaven in the 7. of Dan. 10. 18. there you reade of the excellent estate of the Saints But the Saints of the most High shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever That that is translated here The Saints of the most High it is not only meant of the Most High God but the Saints of the high Places so 't is translated by some for the Saints are the Saints of high places in regard of their interest in Heaven and in regard of their Conversations sutable to the place in the 2. Ephe. 6. And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus The Saints are set in Heavenly places Heavenly dignitie Heavenly privileges Heavenly prerogatives yea and they themselves may be said to be in Heavenly places though their bodies be upon the earth their souls are in Heavenly places their Conversation is in Heaven They are the Saints of the High God and they are set in high places You will say What is this Conversation that is in Heaven that is here spoken of I shall open it in these particulars The first is The aim and scope of their hearts it is Heaven-ward that the Saints look at as their aim and scope is Heaven they look upon themselves in this world as pilgrims and strangers Heaven 's their home and their eye is there their end their scope whatsoever they do it is for Heaven some way or other to fit them for Heaven and to lay in for Heaven against they shall come and live there their Conversation therefore is in Heaven All that they do eating drinking going about their business yet I say their aim it is Heaven I remember it 's reported of Anaragorus a Philosopher that being asked wherefore he liv'd he said he was born to contemplate the Heavens he made it the end of his life for which he was born to contemplate Heaven Being a Phylosopher and having understanding in the motions of the Heavens he took such delight in it that he accounted it the end for which he was born So the Saints look at Heaven as their Center that they aim at that 's their scope we saith the Apostle do not look at things that are seen but at things that are not seen nothing in the Earth is our scope but Heaven is our scope and so their Conversations may be said to be in Heaven in that respect Secondly Their Conversations are in Heaven for they are acted by Heavenly principles in all their waies Heavenly principles you will say What are they This is a Heavenly Principle That God is all in all that 's a Principle that the Saints are guided by in Heaven they look upon God to be all in all unto them so do the Saints here in what they do in what they are in what they enjoy they act upon this Principle that it's God that is all in all whatsoever I see in the creature yet it 's God that is all in all to me I act by vertue of this Principle That God the infinite First-being is infinitely worthy of all love for himself that 's a Heavenly Principle the Saints that are in Heaven they look upon the infinite excellencie and glorie of God they look upon him as the First-Being of all things having all excellencie and glorie enough to satisfie all creatures for ever and look upon him as infinitly worthy of all love and service for himself know this is a heavenly Principle So the Saints their conversation is in Heaven they are acted by heavenly principles I look upon such and such things in the world whereby I may go in credit encrease or comfort this is an earthly principle But when my heart is so upon God that it looks upon him as infinitly excellent and worthy of all love service fear honor and worship for himself alone whatsoever becomes of the creature God is worthy of all for that infinite excellencie in himself this is a heavenly principle and for one to be acted in his life by such a principle as this is this is to be acted by heavenly principles not by such low and base principles as the men of the world are but by heavenly principles Thirdly Their Conversations are in Heaven For here though they live in the world they have communion with the God of Heaven that is above in the whol course of their lives In the 1. Epistle by John 1. chap. you have divers excellent expressions about our communion with God In the 3. verse That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you That ye also may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ And then in another Scripture we reade of the Communion of the holy Ghost Thereis Communion with the Father Son and holy Ghost Now what makes Heaven but God we say where the King is there 's the Court where God is there 's Heaven let God be where he will There is some controversie among some where the Saints shall be after the Resurrection some think it shall be still here and yet with all the glory that the Scripture speaks of Now it 's no great matter where it be so it be where God is those that have Communion with God they are in Heaven their Conversation is in Heaven now it 's that that is the life of the Saints their Communion with God thy life it is to have communion with the Creature that is for thee to close with the contents of the Creature and the faculty that is in man to tast any
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
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
meat for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and Luther that accounted the whol Turkish Empire but a Crumb that the great Master of the Family casts to his dog surely here 's an argument that the Saints have their Conversations in Heaven that can look upon the things of the earth as so mean and so little as indeed they are A second Evidence is this That they can be content with so little in this world and can live such comfortable lives in the enjoyment of so little perhaps you cannot tell how to have comfortable lives except you have so much coming in by the yeer and so much provision but now one that is heavenly a godly man or woman can tell how to live a joyful and happie life in the want of the things of this world though they have but little though but bread and water though but mean habitations mean cloathes though but of mean esteem in the world yet can go through the world with a joyful heart blessing God all his daies nothing but admiring praising and magnifying God for his rich mercie and blessing himself in God and accounting his portion to be a goodly portion and his lot to be fallen into a fair ground I verily beleeve that there are very many poor mean people in this world yet their houses are more fill'd with blessings of God in one day than many Rich Great Noble men have their houses in twenty or fourty yeers now this argues that they have their Conversations in Heaven that though they want comfort never so much in this world yet they can live comfortable lives surely it is somthing that doth rejoyce them when they can so rejoyce in the want of these outward things when their joy depend◠〈◊〉 upon the things of this world men that have earthly hearts if they lose but their outward comforts they cry our Oh we are undone And you may see mightie alteractions in their very countenances they have nothing to joy their hearts when they lose the things of the world but it is no◠so with the Saints whatsoever crosses they meet withal here in this world yet still they rejoyce in Christ blessing God the course of their lives is nothing elle but a continual magnifying and praising God for his mercie and goodness to them surely they have their Conversations in Heaven Thirdly Not onlie can live joyfullie in the want of manie comforts but they can suffer the loss of all yea suffer hard things suffer afflictions suffer torments and tortures with joyful hearts reade but that 11. of the Heb. at your leisure 13 14 verses They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth for they that see such things declare plainly that they seek a Country this Scripture is to be annexed to the second evidence Mark They that seek such things declare plainly that they seek a Countrie surelie there is somthing else that they seek after when they set so light by the things of this world For the Saints are not fools but there is some reason for what they do surely there is somthing in it for they have the same nature as you have and they have need of comfort as well as you and had they not some other comfort besides outward comforts they could not live so comfortably in the want of outward comforts but they that are content with a little as pilgrims and strangers they declare plainly that they seek a Country that is the second Evidence And then For the suffering of tortures and pains for the sake of Christ This is another Evidence and so you have in the 10. Heb. 32. But call to remembrance the former daies in which after ye were illuminated ye endured a great fight of afflictions partly whilst ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions and partly whilst ye became companions of them that were so used and then in the 34. verse And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods Why knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and enduring substance This made them take joyfully the spoiling of their goods What when their goods were spoil'd did they take that joyfully what were they mad men to rejoyce at the plundering of their estates No it was no madness It was because they knew in themselves that they had in Heaven a better and an enduring substance and that made them be willing to wander about in sheeps skins and goats skins in leather cloathes as in the latter end of the 11. of Heb. reade but from the 36. verse to the end this argued their Conversations to be in Heaven If you reade in the storie of the Martyrs you shall find verie often when they came to the stake still their thoughts were in Heaven and their hearts there and encouraging one another what they should have in Heaven and of the glorie that they should have there that being willing to suffer such hard things for Christ and that being able to undergo all with so much joy is an evidence that there have been Christians in the world that have had their Conversations in Heaven A Fourth Evidence of Christians having their Conversations in Heaven is this That their hearts are so fill'd with Heavenly riches It is an Argument of a man that trades much unto such a place when he hath his Warehouse stor'd with the Commodities of such a Countrie As now though no man should tell me which way his trading lies that such a man were a Spanish or Turkish Merchant yet if I come into his Warehouse find that constantlie his Warehouse is fill'd with those Commodities I may conclude that certainlie this man is a Spanish or Turkish Merchant he hath the Commodities of the Countrie continuallie in his warehouse So the Saints have much of the riches of Heaven in their hearts continuallie they have much grace much holinesse much of the Image of God much spiritual life there is there in a Christian and you may see in his Conversation he doth manifest I say much of the Excellencie of Heaven much of the Glorie of Heaven shines in his face surelie his Conversation is in Heaven who hath so much of the riches of Heaven in his heart The heart of the wicked saith the holy Ghost is little worth Look into the heart of a wicked man or woman what is there thy heart that should be thy storehouse what is it fill'd withal it's fill'd with dirt and drosse and filth and uncleanness the hearts of wicked men are stored with those things but now look into the hearts of the Saints they are fill'd with God with Christ with the holie Ghost with Grace that shews that they have traded much in Heaven in a constant way you shal find their hearts fild with grace and manifesting much in their lives and therefore surelie their Conversation is in Heaven A fifth Evidence is this That they are willing to purchase the Priviledges of Heaven at so dear
by hear-say they hear Ministers speak of Heaven and reade it in the Word of God but they know it in themselves they know it by what God hath revealed in their own hearts yea though tâ—â—â—â— were no books that ever they should see more though they be not book-learn'd and though they cannot reade a letter in the book though they should hear no more Sermons yet by what is revealed in themselves They know in themselves that they have a more better and enduring substance That 's a truth But the words may be more proper to the original read thus Kowing that you have Heaven in your selves a Better and Enduring substance Eternal life is begun alreadie in the hearts of the Saints there is Heaven alreadie in the Saints and therefore no marvel though their Conversations be in Heaven The Fourth Reason God hath so ordered things in this world on purpose that he might wean the hearts of the Saints from the world The Lord loves to have the hearts of his Saints to be in Heaven where he hath treasured up such glorious things for them and because that the Saints while they are here in the world have so much of the world in them they would feign be living here in the world therefore God doth so order things that they shall meet with little content in this world that they may be weary of it and be wearied from it and indeed here 's the reason why Gods people have met with such crosses in the world why the Lord hath kept his Saints so low and mean in the world It may be you are ready to draw ill conclusions from thence and to think I am afraid God doth not love me that he keeps me so low and mean and I meet with such crosses and others do not Oh! gather not such ill conclusions as these are It is because he would gather your hearts to Heaven and wean you from the world that you might long to be with him in Heaven for you are absent from him here in this world and the Lord would have the full stream of your affections to run after those things that you shal have with him in Heaven This use you are to make of those afflictions you meet withal and those crosses that befall you in this world And thus we have gone through the Doctrinal point of the Saints having their Conversations in Heaven CHAP. X. WEE have treated long upon that point of An Heavenly Conversation and have opened to you what that Heavenly Conversation is wherein it consists in many particulars But now we shal proceed to the Application of al. Though as I have gone along I have endeavoured not only to speak to your heads but your hearts and to quicken what I have said so as might quicken your hearts yet from the consideration of all there are divers Uses that may be profitable unto you The First Vse The first is this If the Saints live such a Heavenly Conversation as hath been opened to you Oh how far are they from being Saints from being godly Who are so far from having their Conversations in Heaven as they have their Conversations in Hell There are a generation of men that profess themselves to be Christians say that they hope to go to Heaven and yet if you behold their Conversation it is no other than the Conversation of hell Certainly 't is not what men say but how they live that will cast them another day he that is of Heaven or for Heaven his Conversation is in Heaven and he that is for hell his Conversation is hellish now that 's a Conversation in hell that is like to what is done in hell what is there in hell but blaspheming and cursing What is there in hell but hatred and malice what is there in hell but raging and filthiness These things are the Conversations of many men who are even devils incarnate In many families there 's the Name of God blasphemed there 's cursing and railing and malice and wrath and pride so that though they be here in this world yet they manifest to what place they do belong So that as the Saints have their Conversations in Heaven when they die they go to their own place that is to heaven where their Conversations were so on the contrary the wicked having their Conversations in hell when they die they go to their own place as it was said of Judas He went to his own place So a wicked man dying having his Conversation in hell while he liv'd I say when he dies he goes to his own place that 's his own proper place he took content and delight in those things that were done there and so when he dies there he shall go As the tree falls so it lies As thy Conversation is and the bent of thy heart is there so it must lie to all eternity CHAP. XI The Second Vse THis Point likewise rebukes Hypocrites as wicked prophane ones that have their Conversations in hell so there 's another kind of men that are unsound professors Hypocrites and they have their Conversations between Heaven and Earth It 's not in Heaven nor in Hell nor altogether upon the Earth but between Earth and Heaven and Hell Sometimes they seem to be a loft above sometimes very forward and zealous in the profession of Religion sometimes much inlarged in Duties at other times again they are as base earthly spirits as any yea somtimes there 's much of Hell in their hearts and in their waies they professe themselves the seed of Abraham but they are not as the stars of heaven but as Meteors that are between Heaven and Earth we call them blazing stars but they are not so bright as the stars nor are they of such a heavenly nature as the stars they are but made of a few unclean vapours that come out of the earth which being got up neer the heavens do make a shew as if they were some star in heaven but you find a great deal of difference between the stars and them in this for within a little while they fall and vanish and come to nothing and so it is with many hypocrites they by the Word are raised up a little for the present and seem to be above the stars and they have a glittering shew as if they had somthing heavenly in them even like the stars of heaven they seem to be got above others your blazing star a child would think it a great deal bigger than one of the stars that is an hundred times bigger than that is so 't is with many hypocrites they have a greater shew of Religion than many that have truth of Godliness and that are truly gracious they look upon them as wondering at the excellent parts that they have excellent abilities it may be they will discourse sometimes in an excellent manner about heavenly things you shall find some that have no soundness at all yet will have very excellent discourse they
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
of glory upon the things of this world that they are gilded and varnish't over but in comparison of the greater glory they are not glorious at all though they that never saw any thing else as glorious but the things of the world yet thou that hast seen the greater glory shouldst not account these things glorious Oh therefore Christians lift up your hearts to Henven and let your Conversations be in Heaven Though God hath so ordered it that you must live here a while and must be content for indeed to some Christians that have their Conversations in Heaven it 's a great part of their self-denial and of their subjection to God to be willing to live upon the earth and to stay from Heaven till Gods time come This is a riddle and a mystery to many that it should be a part of our Salvation Obedience yea of Self-denial though they had Crowns of Glory though they were Kings and Princes here in this world to be willing to stay here We might come to attain this if our Conversations were in Heaven and our hearts there As we reade of Daniel though God so ordered it that he could not live at Jerusalem where the Temple was yet he would open his window towards Jerusalem he would ever be looking that way And so though God hath so ordered it that we cannot come yet to live in this Heavenly Jerusalem bodily and in that full way as hereafter we expect to do yet we should open our window our eyes and the doors of our hearts should be open towards Heaven I remember I have read of Edward the First King of England that had a mighty mind to go to Jerusalem but because he could not go for death prevented him he gave charge to his Son to carry his heart thither And so it should be with us we should endeavour to have our hearts there and to have as much of Heaven as we can though we cannot be there our selves in nature Every creature hath put into it by the God of nature an instinct to move to its proper place as now because the proper place of fire is above there is an instinct of nature in fire to ascend to its proper place And the proper place of earth is below and therefore it will fall down to the Center a heavie thing that hath much earth in it though it breaks its self to pieces yet it will fall down towards its Center and so it will be with a Christian though he break himself to pieces whatsoever he suffers yet he hath an instinct to carry him to his proper place fire because its proper place is above if it be kept down by violence what a mighty power there is in fire to make way for its self that it may get up that 's the very reason of the mighty force that there is in Guns because there is fire in the pouder that is kept in when the pouder is once fir'd because the fire would get up above therefore it breaks with violence and if it cannot have vent to get out it breaks any thing in the world for it must out that it may get up to it 's own place and so it should be with a Christian there should be a strong impetiousness to get up to his own place that would be an evidence indeed that Heaven is thy proper place Oh Christians lift up your hearts and let your Conversations be in Heaven CHAP. XIV An Heavenly Conversation is a convincing Conversation I Shall not need to come again and tel you what Heavenly Conversation is it hath been opened at large to you but for the setting an edg upon this Exhortation First Know That a Heavenly Conversation will be a very convincing Conversation then you will convince men that you have somwhat more than they have when they see you live Heavenly for the men of the world they know the things of the world are the things that their hearts are upon and that which they mind but now when they see those that professe Religion mingle themselves with the earth as they do then they will think that they are acted by the same principles that themselves are but now Heavenly Conversations will convince them when they behold them walking above in the whol course of their lives when they see an evenness and proportion in their course take them at all times and in all businesses they carry themselves as men of another world As a man that is a stranger to a place may for a while act it so as he may seem to be one that is a native in the place but one that is born in the place will go nigh to find him out in one thing or other and so 't is very hard for men to carry themselves so if they have not true grace though they appear sometimes to be very Heavenly yet one that is a true Citizen of Heaven will discern them at one time or other if they have not grace yea the truth is carnal men wil discover themselves that they are born of the earth and are of their Countrie his speech betrais him he is a Giliadite But when Christians shal in their constant way have their Conversations in Heaven then their Cōversations are very convincing There are the Raies of Heaven about them they have the lustre of Heaven shining wheresoever they go and in all company surely such a man seems to be in Heaven continually So it will force it from the very Consciences of men to say Certainly these are the Citizens of Heaven if there be any Denizens of the new Jerusalem while they live upon the earth these they are I remember it 's said of that Martyr Dr. Taylor That he did rejoyce that he ever came into the prison to be in company with that Angel of God Mr. Bradford Mr. Bradford's Conversation it was Angel-like like an Angel of Heaven and did convince almost every where where he went Oh! 't is of great use that Christians should live convincing Conversations You know what Dives said to Abraham That he would have one sent to warn his brethren that they might not come to that place saith Abraham They have Moses and the Prophets Oh but saith Dives If one rise from the dead they would hear him I may say thus If God should send one from Heaven to live among men and to preach to them surely they would regard him Would it not be a great benefit to the world if God should send some one Saint from Heaven or Angel to converse in a bodily way among us Truly Christians should live so as if they came from Heaven every day as if they had been in Heaven and conversing with God When they go to perform duty in a morning and get alone between God their souls they should never leave striving till they get their hearts so in Heaven and get themselves upon the Mount so as when they come down to their family their very
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
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
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
the soul is exercised in the Ordinances it hath converse with Christ it hearkens what Christ saith and Christ hearkens what such a soul saith I will hearken what he will say and the soul knows the voice of Christ 5. Cant. 2. It is the voice of my beloved saith the Spouse Oh it knows what the voice of Christ is when they walk together in Ordinances Christ speaks to the soul and the soul knows his voice and the soul speaks again to Jesus Christ there is a blessed converse between them Christ lets himself into the heart and the heart opens its self to Christ Oh! the Communion that a gracious heart hath with Jesus Christ in Ordinances it is unspeakable Only those that are acquainted with it understand what the meaning of conversing with God there means It is with many even as it was with Adam that when God came to walk in the garden we read that he was hid in the bush The Ordinances and Duties of Worship are as Paradice as Eden and God comes many times to walk with us and would feign have communion and converse with us yet Oh! how many times are many of his servants hid in the bush they have walked loosly and contracted some guiltiness upon their spirits and so the presence of God is terrible to them and the more the voice of God and the presence of God is in an Ordinance the more they are afraid because of some guiltinesse they are intangled in the bush when as they should be conversing with God Oh the difference that there is between some Christians and others in the exercising themselves in the Duties of Worship There are some that when they are worshiping of God Oh what sweet and blessed terms have they with God and Communion between God and their souls and others though it may be they have some good in them yet they are intangled in the bryars of the world and though God be in the midst of his Ordinances yet they have no converse no communion with him at all Walking with God causeth the soul to follow God more as be reveals himself more The Ninth Particular is this The soul that walks with God as God reveals himself unto it still more and more so it follows God more and more and still seeks to glorifie God more and more that 's walking There is a progresse in the waies of godliness where there is a walking The soul when first it is led by the hand of Jesus Christ to God and comes and walks with him Oh 't is sweet and comfortable but still as God reveals himself more and more to the soul so the soul still grows up in godlinesse more and more and still is more holy and more gracious and honours God more in the Conversation of it than formerly it hath done it gets neerer and neerer to Heaven every day this is to walk with God There 's a notable Scripture in the 63. Psal 8. David saith there My soul follows hard after thee O Lord thy right hand upholdeth me As a poor child that is walking with the father it may be he is weak and cannot go so fast as it doth desire but the father puts forth his hand and takes hold of him and so upholds and strengthens the child and it follows hard after the father so 't is here Oh Lord thy right hand upholds me If it did not uphold me I could not walk but thy right hand upholds me and then my soul follows hard after thee and so increases in godliness more and more I will praise thee more and more saith David in another place speaking of the honor that he disir'd to give to God in his way he profess'd he would still ad to the praise of God and praise him more and more These are the principal things wherein walking with God consists Now to all these take in that consideration that we have mentioned all along and that makes it up That all these are in a constant course of a mans life This walking with God Some other men that know not what it is to walk with God perhaps they may come and walk a step or two in Gods waies but they quickly turn out again and they find them tedious and irksom to them But the heart that walks with God doth all this that I have named That is Eyes God in all his waies Behaves its self as in the presence of God Walks in the same way God doth Observes Gods designs And so likewise the rest and all this in the constant course of his life It 's true Through the violence of some temptation there may chance to be a step astray or there may be perhaps some fall in the way but still the heart is God-ward and still is towards God it gets up again and walks again in the way it doth not meerly go a step into the way of God as some carnal men do it may be somtimes when Gods hand is upon them or upon the hearing of some Sermon then their hearts are a little touch'd and they seem to be a little froward but take the constant course of their lives and it 's in the way of sin But the constant course of the waies of the Saints are in the waies of God As now a Swine may go through a fair meadow I but that 's not the place that it doth so much regard but it would be in the mire and dirt and there it wallows So it is with many wicked men they will come and hear and pray and do some good duties this is a Swine in a meadow but when they come to those waies that may satisfie the lusts of the flesh there they wallow that 's their proper place and therefore far from walking with God A begger will perhaps follow a man a little way so long as he hath hopes of getting any thing by him but if the man goes still away from him he turns aside to another way he will go no further along with him so 't is with many men even many professors they would seem to follow God perhaps for comfort and for something that they would have from him but if they cannot find presently what they would have from God then they turn aside whereas I beseech you observe this the difference between a friends walking with another out of delight of Communion with him and a begger that only goes along with another man begging for an alms The man that goes along begging for the alms he doth not regard the company of this man any further than he may have hopes of an alms from him if he cannot have what he would have or if he have once what he would have he turns aside from the man But a friend that is walking with his friend that that satisfies him is the company of his friend and the converse that he hath with him while he is walking and so he goes on in a constant way and walks to the end of
tells them so Those that walk with God wil be as spiritual in the one as in the other it may be when they are with others because they are to be the mouth of others they wil sure themselves according to those they pray with yet when they are alone and in their families their hearts are as spiritual and as holy in their duties as when they are with others why because they have to deal with God in all and that 's another Evidence of one that walks with God that he is the same in private as he is in publick The third Evidence A man that walks with God hath a serious spirit walking with God will compose the spirits of men and women will take off that loosness and vanity of spirit Therefore walking in the vanity of the mind that 's quite crosse to walking with God as in the 4. of the Ephe. 17. there it 's spoken of wicked men it 's said that they walk in the vanity of their minds All wicked men they walk in the vanity of their minds then all those that walk with God walk in the seriousness of their minds It must needs be that they must have a seriousness of spirit in all their waies for it 's with God that they have to deal withal they take not that liberty to run this way or that way as others do If servants be walking one with another they can take liberty to go out of their way and talk with this or the other body as they please But if a servant walk with his Master or Mistris he must not take that liberty but must go as they go So many that walk only with the creature they take liberty to run up and down as they please but those that walk with God they must have composed spirits and walk seriously and though they may walk seriously yet cheerfully I beseech you consider of this For that Christian knows not the way of Christian-rejoycing that doth not know how to mix it with seriousness yea Senecha that was a Heathen could say Joy it is a serious thing there is a kind of seriousness in true joy for the joy of a Christian is not frothy it is a composed joy As thus now It 's serious First A Christian in his joy he is able to command himself he can let out his joy so far and yet at a beck he can command himself to the most spiritual duty in the world from his joy he doth not profusely let out his heart so as he cannot call it in again Certainly thou dost not joy as a Christian if thou canst not take off thy heart from creature joyes God gives thee liberty to be merry but so as to have it under thy command as thou shalt be able to call thy heart off from it to the most serious duty in the world Secondly He cannot only command himself to holy duties in the midst of his joy but he finds himself the fitter for holy duties by it now this is a serious joy if it be no other than I can command my self off from it and that that fits me for that which is holy Christians had need take heed of frothinesse slightnesse and vanity for certainly the walking with God cannot but make them serious and those that are slight and vain surely they do not converse with God for God is such a serious object that it 's impossible but it must work a seriousnesse in the spirits of men The Fourth Evidence Those that walk with God they walk in newness of life For this is not our walk naturally our walking with God is that that comes upon a mighty converting that God gives to our spirits our walk naturally it is with our lusts and with the Devil and in the way to Hell but one that walks with God walks in newnesse of life as the Scripture speaks in the 6. Rom. 4. He walk according to the Rule of the new Creature In the 6. Gal. 16. And as many as walk according to this Rule peace be on them and mercy You will say What Rule doth the Apostle mean here I confesse ordinarily you have it applied to this The walk according to the Scriptures I grant it that 's a truth That the Word of God should be the Rule of our walk and of our lives and those that walk according to that Rule shall have peace But I do not think that to be the meaning of this text but the scope is to be taken from the words of the former verse for saith he in the 15. verse In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a new Creature And as many as walk according to this rule that is According to the rule of the new Creature not standing so much upon external things either Circumcision or Uncircumcision not standing so much upon outward duties though in their kind they must be stood upon But the main thing that is to be stood upon it is The walk of the new Creature and those that walk according to the rule of the new Creature those that act the new Creature in their walk peace be unto them And that 's the fourth thing in the Evidences of a Walker with God He walks in newness of life and so according to the rule of the new Creature The Fifth Evidence When he hath to deal with the Creature be doth quickly passe through the Creature unto God Any one I say that is acquainted with this mystery of godliness in walking with God though while he is in this world he hath to deal as other men have with the creatures yet he will not stick in the creatures but soon passes from the creatures to God As thus he receives sweetness from the creatures as well as others but when he hath received or is in receiving the sweetness of the creatures his heart is upon God Oh the sweetness there is in God! Is the creature so sweet how sweet is God then When he is in company with friends is it so sweet to have society with men how sweet is it to have society with God then And when he hath comforts in a wife Oh what comfort is there in the comforts of my Husband Jesus Christ And when he hath comfort in a sweet habitation Oh what comfort is there in God our habitation he is not musling in the world in the creature but he relies upon God in al that he doth injoy Now those that when they have any thing in the Creature there they stick these are not acquainted with this way of walking with God The sixth Evidence A man that walks with God he loves to be much retir'd from the world It 's true he must follow his occasions in the world he doth that in obedience unto God but except he may have his retired times he knows not how to live it 's true when he is in his calling he walks with God there he carries his heart Heavenly There 's
a great deal of difference for one to walk with a friend in company with others and when they are alone though it 's true that while the Saints of God live in the world they must converse with the men of the world and they have somewhat of God there but though they have somewhat of God there yet that 's not so much as when God and their souls are alone this is that that is exceeding sweet and comfortable to them therefore they have their retired times of meditation and retired times of prayer as we reade of Isaac he went out into the field to meditate or to pray for so meditation and prayer is taken sometimes in Scripture for all one I 'le powr forth my meditations to thee sath David that was his prayer So because they should be both joyned together Isaac went out into the field to meditate Those that walk with God if they live in a house and have no retir'd rooms they go abroad and have some time or other to be retir'd by themselves where-as you have other men they know not how to spend any retired times when they are alone their minds wander this way or that way and they gaze after every feather that flies and it 's a prison for them to be alone and they wonder that men and women will shut up themselves alone surely it 's but their melanchollinesse Oh poor wretch thou knowest not what walks they have they are not alone all this time they would be loth to give their retired times for all the times of thy Jollity and Bravery Thou thinkest if thou beest abroad in company and there art feasting and having good cheer and musick and talking and laughing that this is a brave life they would be loth to change their retired times for the times of thy greatest Jolity with thy companions One that walks with God he loves some retir'd times as well as to be busie in the businesse of the world The seventh Evidence One that walks with God he is careful to make even his accompts with God he doth keep his accompts with God even This is a special thing in walking with God when they lie down to consider Are my accompts even with God is there nothing amisse between God and my soul what hath been this day between God and my soul For how can two walk together except they be agreed as the Prophet saith Therefore they are very careful to keep their agreement with God Indeed Jesus Christ the great Reconciler hath first reconciled their souls to God and so they come to walk with him but then afterwards in the course of their lives they must keep up their agreement with God and not to run in areriges with and so to be insnared in the world and insnared in the corruptions of their own hearts as that men and women will be if they be not careful to keep their accompts with God even daily They will insnare their souls in the world and in the lusts of their own hearts till God and their souls come to be strangers yea til they be afraid almost to think of God Here 's the reason that many people are loth to come to prayer loth to come to duties of communion with God why because they have not kept their accompts even with God but have run in areriges with God and their hearts are intangled in the world and in their lusts and now the presence of God comes to be terrible to them Oh poor wretch that thou art what thou that art a Christian and yet in such a case that the presence of God should be grievous to thee Oh thy condition is sad indeed whereas thou shouldst be glad when thou thinkest of God I was glad when they said Come let us go up to the house of the Lord But one that keeps not his accompts with God even his retired times are grievous to him Indeed he dares not but have retired times I but it 's grievous to him why because he hath not kept his accompts even with God But the soul that keeps even with God Oh that soul rejoyceth in those times when it is to go to God or doth but think of God That 's a special thing in a man or womans walking with God they keep their accompts even And I beseech you observe it As it 's an Evidence so it may be given as a Rule to help you to walk with God Oh be careful of keeping your accompts daily Though this point that I am treating upon is perhaps little understood by many yet if so be that God would by his Spirit work your hearts to this to keep your accompts even with God you would know more of the meaning of this point The eighth Evidence That the more spiritual any Truth is or any Ordinance is or any Company is the more doth the soul delight in it One that is used to God and converses with God when such a one meets with a Truth that hath much of God in it Oh how it closes with that Truth when it meets with an Ordinance that hath much of God in it when it meets with Company that hath much of God in it how doth this soul delight in it This is sutable to the heart that converses much with God saith the soul I have had sweet walks with God now me thinks I come into such a Company I see the very Image of God in these and Oh how sweet and delightsom are these to me and so for Truths and Ordinances the more spiritual they are the more such a one doth delight in them whereas a carnal heart that walks according to the flesh in the way of the world if there be some Truths that have some kind of humanity in them as now some sollid discourse that shews strength of reason or strength of judgment in a Sermon he will take delight in that if there be any Wit Rhetorick Eloquence he takes delight in that but for spiritual truths there 's no such delight in them except they be cloathed with some humane excellency But now those that are spiritual the more spiritual any thing is the more delight they take in it As for Ordinances they are but dry meat to those that are carnal except there be something external bring the Ordinances in the plain simplicity of the Gospel to them where there is only communion of Saints sitting about a Table and eating a piece of bread and drinking a little wine they see no excellency there But a gracious heart the lesse of man he sees in an Ordinance and the more of God the more he closes with them and takes delight in them here 's one now that walks with God The Ninth Evidence A man that walks with God is one that walks in all the Commandements of God Endeavours to walk in them before him and blameless before men in the 1. of Luke the 6. it 's said of Zacharias and Elizabeth They were both righteous
before God walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blameless here 's a walking with God not only to walk in some one thing but in all Commandements and Ordinances of God and not only so but blameless before men too though it 's true the chief work that he hath it is in converse with God yet he is careful so as to be blameless before men because it concerns much the honor of God that he should be blameless before men Zacharias and Elizabeth they were walkers with God and their lives are described so that they were conscionable in all the Commands of God and walked blameless before men Now as we go along apply it Can you say Lord Thou that knowest al things knowest that there 's no command of thine nor no Ordinance of thine but my soul closes with and I desire to spend my life in them and to walk blamelesly before men There 's a great many that speak much of walking before God and of the Ordinances of God and yet come to them before men and they are careless and negligent do but hearken to what the Lord speaks this day to thee Certainly thou never knewest what it was to walk with God except thou doest walk blamelesly before men too The Tenth Evidence Opened in five Particulars See but how the Scripture describes the walk of the Saints with God there are some four or five particulars that I shal infist upon wherein I shal open some Scriptures describing the Saints walk with God As first Their walk it is a walk of Humility a way very humble The heart that walks with God must needs be very humble in the presence of God you know the place in the 6. of Micah He hath shewn thee O man what he would have thee to do To walk humbly with thy God that 's more than the offering of thousands of Lambs or ten thousand Rivers of Oyl To walk humbly with thy God A proud man or woman never knows what it is to walk with God But the walking with God causes much humility there 's no such thing in the world to humble the heart of a man as to have converse with God do you see a man proud and haughty and high in his carriage surely you may conclude this man hath little converse with God saith Job I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now have mine eyes seen thee what then I abhor my self in dust and ashes Secondly Another thing that the Scripture speaks of the walk of a Christian with God it is Vprightness Walk before me and he upright I might give you twenty Scriptures for that how uprightness is the walk of a Christian with God I 'le give you only one about this and that is in the 3 Epist of John 3. verse there it is exprest in the new Testament by walking in the truth and so sometimes in the Old the walking in Vprightness and walking in the Truth is somewhat the same I rejoyced greatly saith the Apostle when the Brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee even as thou walkest in the truth So that this surely hath reference unto walking according to the truth of the Gospel in the truth and sincerity of our hearts They testified of the truth that is in thee That is The Word of the Gospel that did prevail in thy heart and prevailing in thy heart thou didst walk-in the strength and power of that Truth and according to the truth here 's a walking with God And no marvel though the soul of this man was in so good a condition as indeed it was for you find in the 2. verse of this Epistle a very strange expression of John concerning this Gaius what doth he say of him I wish saith he above al things that then mayest prosper and be in health even as thy soul prospereth It seems this Gaius had but a poor weak sickly body but a very good soul he was and saith John I wish that thou mayest prosper even as thy soul prospereth Oh! that thou hadst but as good a body as a soul It 's a very strange speech It were a curse to many of you I am afraid But John could say concerning Gaius Oh that this man Gaius had as good a body as he hath a soul And how came he to have his soul to prosper He walked in the truth and according to the truth and al that he did was in the truth and sincerity of his heart hence his soul came to prosper and those that have but very weak parts yet if they walk in the truth their souls will prosper The Third thing is Walking in the fear of God And indeed these two are very neer a kin one to another so you have it in the 5. of Nehe. 9. verse Also I said it is not good that ye do Ought ye not to WALK in the fear of our God and he gives an argument there Because of the reproach of the Heathen So may I say to all Christians that would professe themselves Christians and godly ought not ye to walk in the fear of our God whatsoever other men do they do thus and thus and seek to follow their own ends and waies but ought not YE to walk in the fear of our God that 's the walk of a Christian the fear of God it is continually upon him And observe we reade in the 9. of the Acts of the walk of the Christians in the Primitive times upon which they came so to grow up in the waies of godliness as they did at the 31. verse the text saith Then had the Churches rest throughout all Judea and Gallilee and Samaira and were edified and what then They walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost and so came to be multiplied It 's an excellent Scripture would you be built up in godliness let the fear of God be upon you and if you walk in the fear of God you will walk in the joy of the holy Ghost Obj. You will say Fear that may hinder our Joy Ans No But the way to have true joy in the holy Ghost it is To walk in the fear of God and though you have a company of vain and wanton spirits that are nothing but for Jolity and Mirth they cannot admit of any kind of seriousness that we spake to before But certainly their Jolity it 's but frothy and carnal but those have the best Joy in their hearts that walk most in the fear of God When I see a Christian have the fear of God upon him and that in the whol course of his life then he will have much of the comfort of the holy Ghost Fourthly The comfort of the holy Ghost it 's joyned with the fear of God and if you see any that talk never so much of the joy that they have it 's but a frothy carnal joy except the fear of God be upon them Oh
it will be a means to convince others of the excellency of the wales of God when they shall see Christians walk in the fear of God thus saith the text they were multiplied there were many that were convinc'd by it and did joyn with them because they did see such a beauty and excellency in their way walking in the fear of God and in the joy of the holy Ghost and this was at a time when they had much rest many people it may be when they are in danger then they wil seem to walk in the fear of God but mark this was in a time when this people was freed from their danger then they walked in the fear of the Lord and in the joy of the holy Ghost that was encreased in them And this is the walk of the Saints in their walking with God Two or three things more I shall mention As now The walk that they walk it 's above The way of the Saints it is on high it 's a walk above the world they keep themselves on high aloft in a spiritual way it 's true their hearts are humble before God and yet they are on high too though they look not upon themselves as worthy of the least crumb of bread yet they look upon themselves again as too good to be vassals to the world or to their lusts and they look upon themselves as being set by God in too a high condition to be satisfied with all the world to be their portion their hearts are lifted up on high to converse with the most High God and so they come to be delivered from the snares of death that are below Yea and also They endeavor to walk as Christ walked as in the 1 Epist of John 2. 6. They walk as Christ himself walked those that walk with God Who did ever walk with God so as Christ did who had ever that fellowship with the Father and the Son so as Christ had The Saints they labor to walk so as Christ walked to look upon Christ as the pattern of their lives And so as Christ was anointed with the oyl of joy and gladnes above his fellows so they come to have some of the ointment run down upon them they come to have somewhat of that communion that Jesus Christ had with the Father Christ had much communion with the Father in the constant course of his life Now the Saints laboring to walk as Christ walked so they come to have Communion with God The Lord bring you into this walk and keep you in such a blessed walk as this is Now for the Rules of Direction in this our walking with God that 's to be our subject in the next Chapter CHAP. IX Twelve Rules of Direction for walking with God WHat Rules should be observed for a Christian 's walking with God You will say to me You have shewed to us That it is a most blessed thing to walk with God and we are convinced of it But what Rules may there be given for it The First Rule Be sure of this That there be no way of sin in thee Take heed of giving way to any sin especially known sin though it be a little one though it should be but a sin of omision the giving way to any known sin will make the presence of God terrible and make all thy duties empty will estrang God from thy soul there 's more evil in it than thou art aware of thou canst have no Communion with God while thou art in any way of sin especially if it be against Light The least sin that is that a Christian gives way unto is like a thorn in a mans foot but a great sin a sin against knowledg is like a great gash in a mans foot now if a man hath but a thorn in his foot he cannot walk well it will make him halt if a man hath but a little gravel got into his shoo he will not be able to walk along he may walk a step or two but not very long Now small sins are like gravil in the shoo or like a thorn got into the foot but if thou fallest into a great sin a sin against light against conscience Oh that is like a great gash that one may cut with a hatchet or an ax if a man hath cut a great gash in his foot he wil hardly be able to walk with comfort Even so it is when thou fallest into any great sin thou hadst need then go to the Chyriurgeon thou hadst need then have salve applied to thee to heal thy soul or otherwise it wil hinder thee in thy walk with God The second Rule or Direction Secondly Labor to abstract thy heart from earthly and sensual things as much as thou canst that thou mayest be spiritual A drossie earthly sensual heart is unfit to have communion with God God he is a Spirit and thou must be Spiritual in thy converse with him take heed of mingling thy heart with creature comforts thou mayest make use of them but in a spiritual way do not defile thy heart with them let not thy heart close with them as adequat objects of thy desires or of thy love take heed of being intangled of being insnar'd with any creature comforts a man cannot walk if he hath got into a snare when men fetter themselves in the world and intangle themselves with abundance of businesses creature contentments it doth mightily hinder their freedom in walking with God when mens hearts sink down to the creature they cannot walk with God for God is above he is on high and the way of the wise is on high and we must keep our selves on high If so be that Christians have sometimes some good affections their hearts are a little stir'd up to things that are good but at other times their hearts sink down to the world and to sensual and earthly contentments they cannot walk freely with God they can but hault at the best as a man that hath one leg shorter than the other he cannot walk evenly but he haults as he goes so when our affections are up and down sometimes they are stir'd up to Heaven and sometimes down to the world again yea perhaps at the same time when we have some truths heave us upward and yet a drossie spirit to sink us downward this will be but haulting our affections must go even must not be for Heaven and Earth together except it be in subordination one to the other and so while we are on the earth we are in Heaven if we keep our hearts in a subordination to spiritual things when we are busied about earthly Then is a mans heart spiritual and separated from the earth when he knows how to have comfort in God alone when he knows how to make up the want of all creature-comforts in God himself that 's a spiritual heart Now you will say we must not be insnar'd in the things of the earth when is a mans heart spiritual
wantons of our age the wantons that are in our generation that do allure them through the lusts of the flesh and promise liberty to them for so the text saith While they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption THEMSELVES Mark those that promise them liberty and bring such Doctrine of liberty to you they Themselves are in the mean time the servants of corruption Oh take heed of declining to the waies of the flesh after thou hast seem'd to begin in the spirit what hast thou to do in the way of Asher and in the waies of Egypt Oh thou that heretofore didst seem to converse with God and to walk with him what iniquity hast thou found with me saith God So what evil hast thou found in the waies of God Do you find them too difficult for you Oh it is through the baseness of thy heart because thy heart is not changed and made sutable to that that is spiritual and holy Oh that the Lord would be pleased to cause his Angel to meet with some that are declining from his good and blessed waies as we read in the book of Genesis That the Angel met Hager when she was flying from Abrahams family from the Church of God and saith he Hager Sarah's Maid from whence camest thou doest thou come from Abraham's family art thou going from thence and where dost thou think to find so much good as in Abraham's family where the presence of God is So Oh that God would meet with such as are declining from the good waies of God Oh thou soul whither art thou going thou that hast had the Word working upon thy heart and thou wert seem'd to be turned into the good waies of God whither art thou going are these the waies that are like the former waies that thou hast seem'd to walk in Oh what will be the end of these waies that now thou art in Indeed they do give contentment unto the flesh more than former waies but doest thou think that the end of them will be peace Oh that there were such a messenger from God to meet thee in those waies that thou art walking in that thou maiest say as the Church doth in the 2. of Hosea 7. verse I will return to my first husband for then it was better with me than it is now I was wont to have more peace comfort and sweetnes in conversing with God in holy duties than now I find I will return to those waies of God howsoever many loose professors seem to make a scorn of them and deride them but Lord I am sure I found more sweetness in them then than now well I will return to them and labor to walk in them The Eighth Rule or Direction Or if thou beest declined Labor to keep a tenderness of spirit so aâ— to be sensible of the beginnings of declining It 's true we have a great deal of corruption while we remain here in this world and our hearts are drawn quickly from the waies of God I but if we could keep a spirit sensible of the beginnings of declining we might yet keep our walk with God That so soon as we are got but one step from God if we did but begin to bethink our selves where are we what are we doing Oh this would cause us to return and not to go so far off from God For a man to go far from God is very dangerous for then he begins to have many thoughts of dispair and so many times he growes even desperate in his course and gives up himself to excesse even to satisfie the lusts of the flesh with greedinesse There are some men that are convinced in their consciences that they are out of the way and though they be convinced of it yet still they go further and further off from God Why you will say is that possible Yes Because having once made profession of Religion and departing from God now the Devil follows him with dispairing thoughts he thinks now God will not receive him and accept of him upon his returning to him and therefore he is resolved that he will satisfie himself to the full and I verily beleeâ—â— this is the great reason why many Apostates turn so notoriously wicked as they do when you see a man that hath been forward in Religion and afterwards not only fall off but you shall find him to be a drunkard a whoremaster a scorner you may almost conclude that this is the very ground of it that though his conscience be convinc'd that he is out of the way yet he is in a desperate manner set to have his pleasure because he thinks God hath forsaken him and he hath forsaken God and his lusts he will have and poor creature that 's all that he hath to satisfie himself withal Oh take heed of getting far from God hearken to this you that are far from righteousnes as the Scripture speaks Oh it 's a terrible thing to be gone far from God labor to keep thy heart watchful of the beginnings of declining and be tender and sensible of them The Ninth Rule or Direction Labor to be spiritual in thy solitary times If you would walk with God prize much your solitary times and labor to be spiritual in them do not lose those times when you are alone when there 's none but God and your selves together And especially you that have much business in the world alas what little use do you for the most part make of your solitary times when you are alone you know not what to do but a man that would walk with God he had need be careful to be very spiritual there now I am separated from the world now I have to deal with God and mine own soul Oh! let me improve this and get advantage by this Oh! let me not be quiet till I get some converse with God Those Christians that are spiritual in their solitary times they will be very spiritual when they come into company As Moses when he was alone with God upon the mount and came down unto the people his face did shine so as they were not able to bear it Certainly those that are alone with God and are spiritual they will shine in holy conversation when they come down from the mount when they come to converse with others The Tenth Rule or Direction Let Gods presence be more to thee than all the world account it more engagement to thy soul that thou art with God that thou hast Gods presence with thee than though thou hadst the eye of all the world upon thee It would mightily compose the spirits of men and women if they had an awful reverence of the presence of God and did account it more than al the world besides and therefore to do nothing in Gods presence but what thou wouldest do in the sight of all the world or what thou maiest do so as thy conscience may not accuse thee for sin in it Oh look upon
the presence of God as more than all the world unto thee The Eleventh Rule or Direction Go on with a resolution in the performance of holy duties though thou seest nothing come of them for the present Though I have not what comfort I would yet I am doing what duty I am commanded I am yet in Gods way and that should satisfie every gracious heart that though I have not what encouragements I would yet that I am in Gods way and let me keep in that way of God The Twelfth Rule or Direction Make good interpretations of all Gods waies and dealings with thee This is a mighty help to us to keep on in the way of God and to walk with him If God comes in a way of affliction make good interpretation of the affliction do not presently conclude that God appears like an enemy to thee that will discourage thee in the waies of God but look upon God as intending good unto thee in every thing and that will help thee to keep close to him and to walk close with him in every condition If God seems to go out of the way of prosperity and to come in the way of affliction make good interpretations of it do not therefore think that God is therefore leaving of thee and forsaking thee but exercise faith in this and beleeve that God may intend as much good to thee in that way as in any way whatsoever and I ground this rule upon that text in the 12. Heb. In the former part of the chapter the Apostle speaks of Gods chastening of his people My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth and in the 7. verse If ye endure chastening then God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chasieneth not but if ye be without chastisements whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons So still he goes on in the point of chastisement in the 9 10 11. verses he speaks of nothing but of chastisements now then in the 12. verse he draws a conclusion from thence having laid this as a ground that we are to look upon God as a father in his chastisements Wherefore then lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way As if he should say when as you apprehend God in a way of wrath against you and not in a way of love your knees will be feeble and you will not be able to go on with that cheerfulness and to walk with God in that hard way that he seems to call you too But looking upon your selves as sons and God intending good unto you that by chastisements you may be made partakers of his holiness now saith he lift up your hands that hang down and those feeble knees those feeble knees that were so weak whereby you were difinabled to walk with God Those feeble knees will be strengthened if you make good interpretation of the waies of God and beleeve that the Lord intends good unto you And as in other chastisements so among the rest the chastisements of spiritual discertions when God not only comes with outward afflictions upon you but when the Lord shall come against you even himself with spiritual discertions and afflictions even afflicting your souls you must make good interpretations of them You will say That 's hardest to walk with God Indeed we may walk with God and keep on in communion with him notwithstanding outward afflictions but when the Lord seems to withdraw himself and when there is both outward and inward too that 's hard For outward afflictions I will give you one notable Scripture for a child of God following hard after God though God seeme to withdraw himself from the soul in the 63. Psal where by the title of the Psalm you shall find that David was in the wilderness of Judah and that was when Saul did persecute him for his life Saul persecuted David and followed him and David was fain to sculk up and down in the wilderness of Judah from place to place and yet mark O God thou art my God for all that early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is And then in the 8. verse My soul followeth hard after thee though Lord thou seem'st to withdraw thy self from me in regard of these outward administrations yet my soul followeth hard after thee saith David notwithstanding If times of affliction when God seems to withdraw himself by his afflictions yet our souls should follow hard after God Doth God seem to go from us as if he would not walk with us Oh run after him As a poor child if the mother seems to go away from it and gets over a stile before it the child cries and runs after So it was with David when the Lord did seem by those administrations of his to be going away from him saith he My soul follows hard after him And this is an excellent frame of spirit that the more the Lord seems to be gone from a Christian the more hard doth the soul follow after God nothing can satisfie such a one but God himself and therefore he saith Lord my soul thirsteth after Thee in a dry land he doth not say after water but after Thee So in any affliction if thou canst say this Lord it is not so much the deliverance from an affliction that my soul thirsteth after but Oh Lord thou knowest my soul thirsts after thee and may the affliction be but made up in thy self it is sufficient I never find my soul following more earnestly after thee than now in the time of my affliction CHAP. X. An Objection concerning Gods hiding of his face Answered in six Particulars IF it be a spiritual discertion if the Lord seems to withdraw himself from the spirits of his servants What Rules should be given there for one yet to walk with God in the time of Spiritual discertion I have divers things to speak to those that God hath seemed to withdraw himself from Object You will say You have told us of the excellency of walking with God and we account it the happiness of our lives to walk with him Oh but God will not walk with me but withdraws himself from my soul so that I cannot see him and hides himself from me Now I have divers things to say to thee In the first place Be of good comfort It 's a good sign that God hath made thee know what it is to walk with him that canst be sensible of his withdrawings there is a generation of people in the world that go on in a slight kind of way in the profession of Religion and they know not what it is to be sensible of