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is driven from hypocrisy, and forced to behave himself as in the open light, and to do all as in the sight of all the world, as knowing that the sight of God is of far greater concern and regard. The partiality, corruption and bias of the heart, are detected and shamed by the presence of God. Therefore to walk with God is to walk in the light, and as children of the light, and not in darkness. He that doth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds might be manifest, that they are wrought in God: when every one that doth evil hateth the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved: this is their condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil.' It tends therefore exceedingly to make men wise, to walk with God, because it is a 'walking in the light,' and in such a presence as most powerfully prevails against that hypocrisy, deceitfulness and partiality of the heart, which is the common cause of destructive error.

as well as the most open transgression of the life: for the thoughts of the heart are open to his view. All that is done before God, is done as in the open light: nothing of it can be hid: no sin can have the encouragement of secrecy to embolden it. It is all committed in the presence of the universal king and lawgiver of the world, who hath forbidden it: it is done before him that most abhors it, and will never be reconciled to it. It is done before him that is the judge of the world, and will shortly pass the sentence on us according to what we have done in the body. It stands up in his presence who is of infinite majesty and perfection, and therefore most to be reverenced and honoured; therefore if the presence of a wise, grave, and venerable person, will restrain men from sin, the presence of God, apprehended seriously, will do it much more. It is committed before him that is our dearest friend, tender father, and chief benefactor: therefore ingenuity, gratitude and love, will all rise up against it in those that walk with God. 10. Lastly, they that walk with God are en- There is that in God, before the eyes of those titled by many promises, to the guidance and di- that walk with him, which is most contrary to rection of his Spirit. Blessed are those that sin, and most powerful against it, of any thing have such a guide: at once a light in the world in the world. Every one will confess, that without them, and a light immediately from God if men's eyes were opened to see the Lord within them for so far as he is received and in glory standing over them, it would be the works in them, he will lead them into truth, and most powerful means to restrain them from transsave them from deceit and folly, and having gressing: the drunkard would not then venture 'guided them by his counsel, will afterward take upon his cups: the fornicator would have a coolthem unto glory.' Whereas the ungodly are led ing for his lusts: the swearer would be afraid by the flesh, and often given up to their own to take his Maker's name in vain: the profane hearts' lusts, to walk in their own counsel,' till at would scarce presume to scorn or persecute a last the fools do say in their hearts, There is no holy life. He that walks with God, though he God, and they become corrupt and abominable, see him not corporally, yet sees him by faith, and eating up the people of the Lord as bread, and lives as in his presence; and therefore must needs call not on his name.'-' Deceiving and being be restrained from sin, as having the means which deceived; sensual, having not the Spirit, who is next to the sight of God. If pride should beshall receive the reward of their unrighteous-gin to stir in one that walks with God, O what ness, as accounting it pleasure to riot in the day a powerful remedy is at hand! How effectually would the presence of the great and holy God rebuke it ; and constrain us to say, 'I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.' If worldly love, or carnal lust, should stir in such a one, how powerfully would the terrors of the Lord repress it ; and his majesty rebuke it; and his love and goodness overcome it? If worldly cares or murmuring discontents begin to trouble such a one, how effectually will the goodness, the all-sufficiency and the faithfulness of God allay them, and quiet and satisfy the soul, and cause it to be offended at its own offence, and to chide itself for its repinings and distrust? If passion arise

time.'

SECT. IV. Another benefit of walking with God, is, that it makes men good, as well as wise: it is the most excellent means for the advancement of man's soul to the highest degree of holiness attainable in this life. If conversing with good men doth powerfully tend to make men good; conversing with God must needs be more effectual; which may appear in these particulars.

1. The apprehensions of the presence and attributes of God, do most effectually check the stirrings of corruption, and rebuke all the vicious inclinations and motions of the soul: even the most secret sin of the heart, is rebuked by his presence,

because it entitles to life eternal, but also because it is the beginning and incentive of that life of holiness which will be eternal.

and begin to discompose us; how powerfully | him, and obey him, than himself. It is life eterwill the presence of God rebuke it? and the re-nal to know him in his Son, and that is, not only verence of his majesty, and the sense of his authority and pardoning grace will assuage it, and shame us into silent quietness; who dare let out his passions upon man, in the presence of his Maker, that apprehends his presence? The same I might say of all other sins.

5. Moreover, those that walk with God, have a constant as well as a powerful and universal incentive to exercise and increase their graces. 2. The presence and attributes of God appre- Other helps may be out of the way: their hended by those that walk with him, is the po- preachers may be silenced or removed: their tent remedy against temptations. Who will once friends may be scattered or taken from them: turn an eye to the gold and glory of the world, their books may be forbidden, or not at hand: that is offered him to allure to sin, if he see God but God is always ready and willing: they have stand by; who would be tempted to lust or any leave at all times to come to him, and be welsinful pleasure, if he observe the presence of the come. Whenever they are willing they may go Lord? Satan can never come in so ill a time to him by prayer or contemplation, and find all with his temptations, and have so little hope to in him which they can desire. If they want not speed, as when the soul is contemplating the at-hearts, they shall find no want of any thing in tributes of God, or taken up in prayer with him, God. At what time soever fear would torment or any way apprehensive of his presence. The them, they may draw near and put their trust soul that faithfully walks with God, hath enough at hand in him to answer all temptations. The further any man is from God, and the less he knows him, the more temptations can do upon him.

3. The presence of God, affords the most powerful motives unto good, to those that walk with him. There is no grace in man, but is from God, and may find in God its proper object or incentive. As God is God, above the creature transcendently and infinitely in all perfections, so all the motives to goodness which are drawn from him, are transcendently above all that may be brought from any creature. He that lives always by the fire, or in the sun-shine, is likeliest to be He that is most with God, will be most like to God in holiness. Frequent and serious converse with him, doth most deeply imprint his communicable attributes on the heart, and make there the clearest impression of his image. Believers have learned by their own experience, that one hour's serious prayer, or meditation, in which they can get nigh to God in the spirit, doth more advance their grace, than any help that the creature can afford them.

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4. Moreover, those that walk with God, have not only a powerful, but an universal incentive for the actuating and increasing of every grace. Knowledge, faith, fear, love, trust, hope, obedience, and zeal, and all have in God their proper objects and incentives: one creature may be useful to us in one thing, and another in another thing; but God is the most effectual mover of all his graces: and that in a holy harmony and order. Indeed he hath no greater motive to draw us to love him, fear him, trust

in him. He will be a sure and speedy refuge for them, a very present help in trouble. Whenever coldness or lukewarmness would extinguish the work of grace, they may go to him, and find those streams of flaming love flow from him, those strong attractives, those wonderful rercies, those terrible judgments, of which, while they are musing, the fire may again wax hot within them.

6. Lastly, by way of encouraging reward, Gɔd uses to give abundantly of his grace, to those that walk most faithfully with him he will show most love to those that most love him: he will be nearest to them that most desirously draw nigh to him; while he forsakes those that forsake him, and turns away from those that turn away from him. The hand of our God is for good upon all them that seek him: but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.'

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Thus it is apparent in all these evidences, that walking with God is not only a discovery of the goodness that men have, but the only way to increase their grace, and make them better. what a sweet humility, seriousness, and spirituality appears in the conference, or conversation, or both, of those that newly come from a believing close converse with God; when they that come from men and books, may have but a common mind or life! Those that come from the business and pleasure of the world and flesh, and from the company of foolish, riotous gallants, may come defiled, as the swine out of the mire.

SECT. V. Lastly, to walk with God, is the best preparation for times of suffering, and for the day of death. As we must be judged ac

cording to what we have done in the body: so | world is nothing to us, or but as a dead and the nearer we find ourselves to judgment, the more we shall be constrained to judge ourselves according to what we have done, and shall the more perceive the effect upon our souls.

That this is so excellent a preparative for sufferings and death, will appear by the consideration of these particulars.

lothesome body, what is there left to be very troublesome in any suffering from the world, or to make us loth by death to leave it? It is men that know not God, that overvalue the profits and honours of the world; and men that never felt the comforts of communion with God, that set too much by the pleasures of the flesh and it is men that set too much by these, that make so great a matter of suffering. It is he that basely overvalues wealth, that whines and repines when he comes to poverty: it is he that sets too much by his honour, and being befooled by his pride, doth greatly esteem the thoughts or applauding words of men, that swells against those that disesteem him, and breaks his heart when he falls into disgrace. He that is cheated of his wits by the pomp and splendour of a high and prosperous estate, doth think he is undone when he is brought low. But it is not so with him that walks with God: for being taken up with far higher things, he knows the vanity of these: as he sees not in them any thing that is worthy of his strong desires, so neither any thing that is worthy of much lamentation when they

1. They that walk with God are safest from all destructive sufferings; and shall have none but what are sanctified to their good. They are near to God, where destruction comes not: as the chicken under the wings of the hen: they walk with him that will not lead them to perdition: that will not neglect them, nor sell them for nought, nor expose them to the will of men and devils, though he may suffer them to be tried for their good. No one can take them out of his hands. Be near to him, and you are safe: the destroyer cannot draw you thence. He can draw you, when the time is come, from the side of your merriest companions, and dearest friends; from the presence of the greatest princes; from the strongest tower, or most sumptuous palace, or from your heaps of riches, in your securest health but he cannot take you from the arms of are gone. : Christ, nor from under the wings of your Creator's love. For there is no God like him, in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, who keeps covenant and mercy with his servants, that walk before him with all their heart.' However we are used in our Father's presence, we are sure it shall be for good in the latter end: for he wants neither power nor love to deliver us, if he saw deliverance to be best.

2. Walking with God is the surest way to obtain a certainty of his special love, and of our salvation: what an excellent preparative for sufferings or death such assurance is, I need not tell any considerate believer. How easy may it be to us to suffer poverty, disgrace or wrongs, or the pains of sickness or death, when once we are certain that we shall not suffer the pains of hell! How cheerfully may we go out of this troublesome world, and leave the greatest prosperity behind us, when we are sure to live in heaven for ever! Even an infidel will say, that he could suffer or die, if he could but be certain to be glorified in heaven when he is dead.

3. Walking with God doth mortify the flesh, and all the affections and lusts thereof: the soul that is taken up with higher matters, and daily sees things more excellent, becomes as dead to the things below: thus it weans us from all that in the world which seems most desirable to carnal men. When the flesh is mortified, and the

He never thought that a shadow, or feather, or a blast of wind, could make him happy: and he cannot think that the loss of these can make him miserable. He that is taken up with God, hath a higher interest and business, and finds not himself so much concerned in the storms or calms, that are here below, as others are, who know no better, and never minded higher things.

4. Walking with God doth much overcome the fear of man: the fear of him that can destroy both soul and body in hell fire, will extinguish the fear of them that can but kill the body. The threats or frowns of a worm are inconsiderable to him that daily walks with the great and dreadful God, and hath his power and word for his security. As Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, because he had respect to the recompense of reward; so he feared not the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him that is invisible.'

5. Walking with God doth much prepare for sufferings and death, in that it promotes quietness in the conscience: so that when all is at peace within, it will be easy to suffer any thing from without. Though there is no proper merit in our works to comfort us, yet it is an unspeakable consolation to a slandered persecuted man to be able to say, These evil sayings are spoken falsely of me, for the sake of Christ: and I suffer not as an evil doer, but as a Christian.

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walk with God if he should recover! What if the priest absolve this man from all his sins? Doth God therefore absolve him? Or shall he thus be saved? No, it is certain that all the sacraments and absolutions in the world will never serve to save such a soul, without that grace which must make it new and truly holy.

Nay, if you have not walked with God in the Spirit, but walked after the flesh, though your repentance should be sound and true at the last, it will yet very hardly serve to comfort you, though it may serve to your salvation: because you will very hardly get any assurance that it is sincere. It is dangerous lest it should prove but the effect of fear, which will not save, when it comes not till death fright you to it.

It is matter of very great peace to a man that is hasting unto death, to be able to say as Hezekiah, remember now, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight' and as Paul, 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.' Such a testimony of conscience is a precious cordial to a suffering or a dying man the time we have spent in a holy and heavenly conversation, will be exceedingly sweet in the last review, when time spent in sinful vanity, idleness, and in worldly and fleshly designs, will be grievous and tormenting. The day is coming, and is even at hand, when those that are now the most hardened infidels, or obstinate presumptuous sinners, or scornful malicious enemies of holiness, would wish and wish a thousand times, that they had spent that life in a serious, obedient walking with God, which they spent in seeking worldly wealth, and laying up a treasure on earth, and feeding the inordinate desires of their flesh. I tell you, it is walking with God, that is the only way to have a sound and quiet conscience: he that is healing and settling his conscience upon the love of God and the grace of Christ, in the time of prosperity, is making the wisest preparation for adversity: the preparation thus made so long before, perhaps twenty, or forty, or threescore years or more, is as truly useful and comfortable at a dying hour, as that part which is made immediately before. I know that besides this general preparation, there should be also a particular special preparation for sufferings and death; but yet this general part is the chief and most necessary part. A man that hath walked in his life-time with God, shall certainly be saved, though death surprise him unexpectedly, without any more particular pre-fortable is it when the soul can say, 'I know paration but a particular preparation without either such a life, or such a heart as would cause it if he had recovered, is no sufficient preparation at all, and will not serve to any man's salvation. Alas! what a pitiful provision doth that man make for death and for salvation, who neglects his soul, despises the commands of God, and disregards the promises of eternal life, till he is ready to die, and then cries out, I repent, I am sorry for my sin, I would I had lived better,' and this only from the constraint of fear, without any such love to God and holiness which would make him

6. Moreover, to walk with God is an excellent preparation for sufferings and death, because it tends to acquaint the soul with God, and to embolden it both to go to him in prayer, and to trust on him, and expect salvation from him. He that walks with God is so much used to holy prayer, that he is a man of prayer, and is skilled in it, and hath tried what prayer can do with God: so that in the hour of his extremity, he is not to seek, either for a God to pray to, or a mediator to intercede for him, or a spirit of adoption to enable him as a child to fly for help to his reconciled Father. Having not only been frequently with God, but frequently entertained and accepted by him, and had his prayers heard and granted, it is a great encouragement to an afflicted soul in the hour of distress, to go to such a God for help. And it is a dreadful thing when a soul is ready to go out of the world, to have no comfortable knowledge of God, or skill to pray to him, or encouragement to expect acceptance with him: to think that he must presently appear before a God whom he never knew, nor heartily loved, being never acquainted with that communion with him, in the way of grace, which is the way to communion in glory, O what a terrible thought is this! But how com

whom I have believed? The God that afflicts me is he that loves me, and hath manifested his love to me by his daily attractive, assisting and accepting grace! I am going by death to see him intuitively, whom I have often seen by the eye of faith, and to live with him in heaven, with whom I lived here on earth; from whom, and through whom, and to whom was my life! I go not to an enemy, nor an utter stranger, but to that God who was the spring, the ruler, the guide, the strength, and the comfort of my life. He hath heard me so often, that I cannot

think he will now reject me: he hath so often | and daughters, saith the Lord almighty.' Do you comforted my soul, that I will not believe he will draw back, as if you repented of your covenant; now thrust me into hell: he hath mercifully re- and were not only weary of the duty, but of the ceived me so often, that I cannot believe he will privileges and benefits of your relation? You now refuse me: those that come to him in the may have access to God, when others are shut way of grace, I have found he will in no wise out your prayers may be heard, when the cast out. As strangeness to God doth fill the prayers of the wicked are abominable: you may soul with distrusting fears, so walking with him be welcome when the worldlings, ambitious, and breeds that humble confidence which is a won- carnal are despised: he that dwells in the highderful comfort in the hour of distress, and a est heaven, is willing to look to you with respect, happy preparation to sufferings and death.' and dwell with you, when he beholds the proud afar off. Yet will you not come that may be welcome? Doth he put such a difference between you and others, as to feed you as children at his table, while others are called dogs, and are without the doors, and have but your crumbs, and yet will you be so foolish and unthankful, as to run out of and Father's presence, your choose to be without, among the dogs? How came your Father's presence to be so grievous to you; and the privileges of his family to seem so vile? Is it not some unchildlike carriage; the guilt of some disobedience or contempt that hath first caused this? Or have you fallen again in love with fleshly pleasures, and some vanity of the world? Or have you had enough of God and godliness, till you begin to grow weary him? If so, you never truly knew him. However it be, if you grow as indifferent to God, do not wonder if shortly you find him set as light by you: believe it, the day is not far off, in which the fatherly relation of God, and the pri vileges of children, will be more esteemed by you: when all things else forsake you in your last distress, you will be loth that God should then forsake you, or seem as a stranger to hide his face then you will cry out, as the afflicted church, look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory where is thy zeal and thy strength; the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies towards me; are they restrained? Doubtless thou art our Father: though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not, thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting.'

7. Lastly, to walk with God, doth increase the love of God in the soul, which is the heavenly tincture, and inclines it to look upward, and being weary of a sinful flesh and world, to desire to be perfected with God. How happy a preparation for death is this, when it is but the passage to that God with whom we desire to be, and to that place where we would dwell for ever! To love the state and place that we are going to, being made connatural and suitable thereto, will much overcome the fears of death. But for a soul that is acquainted with nothing but this life, and savours nothing but earth and flesh, and hath no co-naturality with the things above, for such a soul to be surprised with the tidings of death, alas, how dreadful must it be!

Thus I have showed you the benefits that come by walking with God, which if you love yourselves with a rational love, methinks should resolve every impartial, considerate reader, to give up himself without delay, to so desirable a course of life! Or, if he have begun it, to follow it more cheerfully and faithfully than he had done.

CHAP. VII.

DUTY OF WALKING WITH GOD, AND THE
DANGER OF NEGLECTING IT.

I am next to show you that believers have special obligations to this holy course of life, and therefore are doubly faulty if they neglect it: though indeed, to neglect it totally, or in the main drift of their lives, is a thing inconsistent with a living faith.

Consider, 1. If you are true Christians, your relations engage you to walk with God: is he not your reconciled Father, and you his children in a special sense? Whom should children dwell with, but with their Father? You were glad when he received you into his covenant that he would enter into so near a relation to you, as he expresses, I will receive you, and will be a father to you, and ye shall be my sons

Nothing but God, and his fatherly relation, will then support you: attend him therefore, and with reverent, obedient cheerfulness and delight, converse with him as with your dearest father. For since the beginning of the world, men have not known by sensible evidence, either of the ear or the eye, besides God himself, what he hath 'prepared for him that waits for him. Though he be wroth with us because we have sinned, yet doth he meet him that rejoices and

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