preaching of some men; is it not evident that they walk not with God therein, seek not his glory, have no zeal for it, no care for his name; but rest in the discharge of the duty itself?

(3.) That a man may walk with another, it is required that he have a living principle in him to enable him thereunto. Dead men cannot walk; or if they do, acted by any thing but their own vital principle, and essential form, they are a terror to their companions, not a comfort in their communion. For a dead carcase, or a trunk, to be moved up and down, is not walking. Hence this is everywhere laid down as the principle of our obedience, that we' who were dead are quickened;' that the law of the Spirit of life makes us free from the law of sin and death;' Rom. viii. 2. That we may walk with God, a principle of a new life is required; that we may have power for it, and be pressed to it from that which is within us. Had not a man rather walk alone, than to have a dead carcase taken out of a grave, and acted by an external force and power, to accompany him?

This, I say, is a third consideration. The matter of our walking with God, consists, as shall be shewed, in our obedience, in our performance of duties required. In this, we are all, more or less, engaged; yea, so far, that perhaps it is hard to discover who walks fastest, and with most appearance of strength and vigour. But alas! How many dead souls have we walking amongst us?

[1.] Are there none who are utter strangers to a new spiritual life; a life from above, hid with Christ in God, a life of God; that mock almost at these things, at least that can give no account of any such life in them; that think it strange it should be required of them, that they should give any account of this life, or being begotten again by the Spirit; yea, that make it a most ridiculous thing? What then is it they will yet plead for themselves? Why do they not walk with God? Is not their conversation good and blameless? Who can charge them with any thing? Do they not perform the duties required of them? But friend: Would it be acceptable to thee, to have a dead man taken out of his grave, and carried along with thee in thy way? All thy services, thy company, is no other to God: he smells nothing but a noisome steam from thy presence with him: thy hear

ing, praying, duties, meditations, they are on this account all an abomination to him. Tell me not of thy conversation: if it be from a pure conscience, that is, a conscience purified in the blood of Christ, and faith unfeigned, which is the life, or a fruit of it, whereof we are speaking, it is glorious, and commendable; if from other principles, the Lord abhors it.

[2.] Are there none, who are acted in their obedience and duties, not from inward principles, and spiritualized faculties, but merely from outward considerations and external impressions? The apostle tells us, how believers 'grow' and 'go on to perfection;' Eph. iii. 16. Col. i. 19. Christ is the head; from him, by the Spirit, into every joint and sinew is derived an influence of life, that the body may thereby, and therewith, go on towards perfection. How is it with sundry others? They are set upon their feet by custom or conviction: one joint is supplied by repute, another by fear and shame, a third by self-righteousness, a fourth by the lash of conscience; and so they are driven on by a mere external impress. And these are the principles of the obedience of many. By such things as these are they acted in their walking with God. Do you suppose you shall be accepted? Or that peace will be your latter end? I fear many that hear me this day, may be in this condition. Pardon me if I am jealous with a godly jealously: what means else that hatred of the power of godliness, that darkness in the mystery of the gospel, that cursed formality, that enmity to the Spirit of God, that hatred of reformation, that is found amongst us?

Use. If there be so many things required to walking with God, to fit men for it; and many who do strive to walk with him, are yet lost from a defect of them in the midst of their obedience and performance of duties; what will become of them? Where shall they appear who never once attempted to walk with him; who are wrought upon by no considerations to make it their business so to do? I speak not only of those amongst us, young and old, whose pride, folly, idleness, debauchery, profaneness, hatred of the ways of God, testify to their faces, to all the world, to the shame and danger of the places wherein they live, that they are servants to sin, and walk contrary to God, who also will walk contrary to them, until they are no more. I speak not, I say, of such

as these, who are judged of all: nor yet only of those who are kept to outward observances, merely on the account of the discipline of the place, and the hopes which they have laid up in it, for their outward good, with such other carnal aims but of some also who ought to be leaders of others, and examples to that flock that is amongst us. What endeavours to walk with God are found upon them, or seen in their ways? Vanity, pride in themselves, families, and relations; yea, scoffing at religion and the ways of God, are the examples some give. I wish worldliness, selfishness, hardness, and straitness of bowels, with open vanity, do not eat up all humble walking with God, as to the power of it in others.

The vanity of the highest profession, without this humble walking, which is another deceit, shall be afterward spoken

unto.

For the present, let me speak to them of whom I have spoken somewhat already. If many shall cry, Lord, Lord,' and not be heard; if' many shall strive to enter, and shall not;' what will be their lot and portion? Poor creatures! You know not the condition of your souls; you cry peace, and sudden destruction is at hand.' Take heed, lest the multitude of sermons and exhortations you have, make you not like the men that dwell by the falls of mills, deaf with their continual noise. God sends his messengers sometimes to make men deaf; Isa. vi. 5. 7. If that be your portion it will be sad with you. Give me leave to ask you two or three questions, and I have done.

1. Do you not please yourselves, some of you, in your ways, and that with contempt of others? Do you not think they are fools, or envious, or hypocrites, or factious, that reprove you; and scorn them in your hearts? Do you not rather love, honour, imitate, such as never pressed you, nor will, to this business of a new life, to walk with God, and so suppose the times ruined, since this new fangled preaching came up amongst you; desiring to hear things finely spoken, and fopperies of men ignorant of God and themselves? Or,

2. Do you not relieve yourselves with the help of profligate souls, that you will be better, you will repent when the

season is better suited for it, and your present condition is changed? Or,

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3. Do not some of you labour to put far from you all thoughts of these things? Amici, dum vivimus, vivamus.' It will be well enough with us, though we add drunkenness to thirst? Do not, I say, one, or all of these rotten, corrupted principles lie at the bottom of your loose walking with God? Take heed, I beseech you, lest the Lord tear you in pieces.

SERMON XXI.

HAVING told you what things are previously required to our walking with God;

2. Our next inquiry is, as to the matter or thing itself: what it is to walk with God.

The expression itself is very frequent in Scripture, both as to the examples of them that did so, and as to precepts for others so to do.

It is said of Enoch, that he walked with God;' Gen. v. 24. And Noah walked with God;' Gen. vi. 9. 'Hezekiah walked before God;' Isa. xxxviii. 3. Abraham is commanded to walk with God, Gen. xvii. 1. yea, and the same thing is almost a hundred times in the Scriptures, with some little variation, so expressed. Sometimes we are said 'to walk with God;' sometimes to walk before him;' sometimes, to follow after him, to follow hard after him;' sometimes to walk in his ways;' all to the same purpose.

The expression you know is metaphorical; by an allusion taken from things natural, spiritual things are expressed therein.

Not to press the metaphor beyond its principal intention, nor to insist on all particulars, wherein any thing of allusion may be found, nor yet insist on the proof of that which is owned and acknowledged: Walking with God in general, consisteth in the performance of that obedience, for matter and manner, which God, in the covenant of grace, requires at our hands.

I shall only manifest unto you some few of the chief con

cernments of this obedience, which give life and significancy to the metaphor, and so pass on."

(1.) That our obedience be walking with God, it is required that we be in covenant with him, and that the obedience be required in the tenour of that covenant.

This, as to the matter of it, was spoken to before, under the head of what was required to this walking with God; namely, that we have peace and agreement with him. Here it is formally considered, from that expression,' with God,' as the spring and rule of our obedience. Therefore this expression is comprehensive of the whole duty of the covenant on our part, as Gen. xvii. 1. 'I am God Almighty,' or ' Allsufficient; that is, unto thee I will be so. As this is comprehensive of the whole of the covenant on the part of God, that he will be unto us an all-sufficient God: so the words that follow are comprehensive of the whole of our duty, 'Walk before me;' which are exegetically explained in the next words, and be thou perfect.' The covenant, the agreement that is between God and us, in Christ, wherein he promises to be our God, and we give up ourselves to be his people, is the bottom and spring of that obedience, which is walking with God; i. e. at an agreement with him, in covenant with him; with whom, out of covenant, we have

no commerce.

(2.) It is an obedience according to the tenour of that covenant, wherein we are agreed with God. Walking with God according to the tenour of the covenant of works was, 'Do this and live.' The state is now changed. The rule now is that of Gen. xvii. 1. Be thou perfect,' or upright before me,' in all the obedience I, require at thy hands.

Now there are sundry things required, 'to our walking with God in obedience, so that it may answer the tenour of the covenant wherein we are agreed.

[1.] That it proceed from faith in God, by Christ the Mediator. Faith in God, in general, is, and must be the principle of all obedience, in what covenant soever; Heb. xi. 6. But faith in God, through Christ the Mediator, is the principle of that obedience, which according to the tenour of the new covenant, is accepted. Hence it is called the obedience of faith;' Rom. i. 5. i. e. of faith in God by