Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 5
SERMON V.
GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
I Have handled divers Propoſitions, we are now come to the main, It's the greateſt commendation that can be given to a man or woman, that they are ſuch as walk with God in their Generation: it is the excellency of the creature upon earth to walk with God. I ſhall come to the Second Part,
And that is, the Chriſtians External walking with God. To ſhew what is this external walking with God; It is either in its general or particular calling. Or he walks with God,
Firſt, In thoſe things that do more nearly concern God himſelf. And Secondly, He walks with God in the waies of his Calling and Employment in the World. And Thirdly, He walks with God in the ſeveral Relations that God hath placed him in. To ſpeak to the firſt of theſe: And a Chriſtian then walks with God,
1. Firſt of all, When he walks by rule; this is the firſt ſtep of his acceptable walking with God, I ſay, when he walks by rule: he knows that his heart is ready to go aſide, to decline from truth and righteouſneſs, and therefore he continually looks back for a rule to walk by, leſt he turn aſide; he knows that he is a creature, and his dependance is on God, and that the creature muſt walk by rule that the Creator gives forth, he knows that whatſoever is without rule, is an abomination unto the Lord, though it may ſeem never ſo good, never ſo ſpecious to the eye, yet if there be not a rule for it, it's an abomination unto the Lord, and God ſaies, Who hath required this at your hand, as in Hoſ. 8. 14. For Iſrael hath forgotten his maker, and builded Temples, and Judah hath multiplied fenced Cities, but I will ſend a Fire upon his Cities, and it ſhall devour the places thereof: One would have thought this had been no forgetting of God, to build Temples unto God, and yet ſee how the ſpirit of God doth Interpret it, Iſrael hath built Temples, and therefore hath forgotten his maker; they did it in remembrance of God, but God bid him not do it, and therefore he had no rule, no command from God; nay, God commands that there ſhould be but one Temple, and for them to multiply Temples for their own devotion, this was beſides Gods rule, and therefore God did not approve of it. Now he that walks with God walks by rule, and he that walks by rule hath this only rule as that which is revealed in his Word, as the Sun when it ſhines upon the Dial, it directs a rule for you to walk by. There are corrupt rules; in times paſt ye walked according to the common courſe of the world; they walked by rule, but it was a wicked rule, not of Gods making; they walked according to the common courſe of the world; ſome men walk by the Example of others, they make that their rule, the example of the multitude, great men, and ſuch as are counted wiſe, learned, judicious and prudent men, and the like, but this is a walking according to the courſe of the world; ſome make their own wills and luſts their rule, whatſoever ſeems good in their own eyes, a rule to walk by: but he that walks with God, walks by no other rule than the rule of the Word, and therefore he ſtands in the way and enquires: he enquires for the way, as God commanded the Prophet Jeremiah, Jer. 6. 16. ſaying, Stand ye in the waies and ſee, and ask for the old Paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye ſhall find reſt for your ſouls: he bids them ſtand in the way, and enquire for the good old way, and he enquired at the mouth of God. So did David: in all his Enterpriſes he takes God along with him, in 2 Sam. 1. 1. Shall I go up and fight againſt this people? Shall I go up? he enquires of the Lord, his recourſe is to God continually; Shall I go up or not? Lord ſhall I take ſuch a courſe? Shall I take upon me ſuch an Imployment? Shall I enter into ſuch a relation? What is the mind of God? ſhall I go? or ſhall I not go up? And when the Will of God is cleared up to him, he reſts ſatisfied, he cares for no more; he knows it's good to take God along with him, he would not go without God, nor take any thing in hand without God, and therefore he continually looks up to him for grace: That's the firſt part, or firſt ſtep, he walks by rule. Again,
2. Secondly, No oppoſition, no difficulty in his way, no ſad event can turn him aſide from doing his duty; this is another part of the Character of him that walks with God; I ſay, when his duty is revealed to him, and made known by the Word, there's no difficulty, no diſcouragement can turn him aſide, or cauſe him to deſiſt from that which is his duty: though he meet with diſcouragements from within and from without, even his own bowels riſe up againſt him, the corruptions that are within him do oppoſe the work of the Lord in the performance of his duty; his unbelieving heart tells him, he had as good deſiſt and give over, he ſhall never prevail nor do good on't, nor be a proficient in the way of God; notwithſtanding his diſcouragements, he looks upon the ſtrength of Chriſt and goes on. Sometimes the Devil ſets upon him, temptation doth back corruption, and he meets with many a ſtorm to blow him back again from following after God: but he looks to the promiſe and goes on, The God of Peace ſhall tread down Satan ſhortly; he looks to Jeſus who was tempted, and is able to ſuccour thoſe that are tempted, and therefore ſtill he goes on. Sometimes he meets with diſcouragements from the world, there are reproaches caſt in the way, ſlanders caſt in the way, Perſecutions many times lie in the way; Ay, but ſtill he goes on, and remembers that the Lord Jeſus himſelf went through this way, and remembers that all that will live godly in Chriſt Jeſus, muſt walk through this way, believes that there is a time when God will roul away all the reproaches of his ſervants, and therefore notwithſtanding all oppoſition, goes on, not looking to the event; ſuch a duty may coſt him his liberty and life, but he looks whether it be his duty, and conſiders not the event, he will truſt God for it: So did the three Children in Dan. 3. when the King threatens to caſt them into the Fiery Furnace, the 15, 16, 17 Verſes, ſay they, Oh King we are not careful to anſwer thee in this matter, our God whom we ſerve is able to deliver us; however we will not worſhip thine Image: he looks, I ſay, to his duty, that walks with God, and truſts him for the event; nay, though friends be againſt him, which is very ſad, ſometimes by their perſwaſions, ſometimes by their frowns and threatnings, it's a great temptation; Ay, but ſtill he goes on: So did Paul in Acts 21. 13. you ſhall ſee there when they would have diſſwaded him from his duty, becauſe of danger that was in his way; Why, (ſaies he there) why, what do you mean to weep, and to break my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but alſo to die at Jeruſalem, for the name of the Lord Jeſus: What do you mean, to weep and break my heart? there's no ſad event can diſcourage me from that which is revealed to me to be my duty; nay, God himſelf when he ſeems to break him, and to turn againſt him, to ſmite him in his body and eſtate and Children, though the hand of the Lord ſeems to be gone out againſt him, yet he will not deſiſt from walking with God. Pſal. 44. 17. ſee what they ſay there, All this is come upon us, yet have not we forſaken thee, nor dealt falſely in thy Covenant; and therefore he follows God in the Wilderneſs, when he is left deſtitute of all creature comforts; ſo did Iſrael in Jer. 2. 2. I remember the kindneſs of thy youth, when thou didſt follow me in the Wilderneſs, in a Land that was not ſown; David was ſtill carried after God, though he was in a Land where no water is, My ſoul breaths after thee, O Lord, in a dry and thirſty Land where no water is; when God and the creature ſtand in competition, he falls on Gods ſide, and when he and the creature muſt part, he chooſes to follow God, though he follows him naked, though naked of all outward comforts, yea, and God ſhall not have the leſs of him though he takes away all his comforts: he ſhall not have the leſs love, nor the leſs ſervice, nor the leſs praiſe, though God ſtrips him naked of all, this ſhall be no diſcouragement; and thus it was with Job, Job 1. the latter end, when all was taken from him he bleſſes the name of the Lord, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and bleſſed be the name of the Lord; in all this Job ſinned not. This is another part of his walking with God, there is no oppoſition, no diſcouragement that he meets withal, can turn him back to decline his duty. Again,
3. Thirdly, He that walks with God labours to do ſome ſingular thing for God, his deſire is to hold forth much of him, much of God in his converſation, to do ſome ſingular thing for God: he knows that he hath ſet him in the world for this end, To bear up the name and honour of God in the world; that God hath poured his Spirit upon him for this end, that ſo in the light of God he might ſhine, and ſhine gloriouſly in a dark world, and therefore he deſires to do ſomething ſingular for God, becauſe he hath done ſingular things for him; as thus, his deſires, his endeavours are to promote the cauſe of God in the world, to help forward the ſervice of his Generation, to be inſtrumental to the Lord (if the Lord pleaſe to employ him) for the helping forward of the great work in his Generation, wherein God hath caſt him; he is willing alſo to lay down himſelf and his comforts, at the foot-ſtool of God, this is a ſingular thing, I ſay, to give up all to God whatſoever he hath; he is willing that the Lord ſhould take him, his comforts, his gifts, his riches, and whatſoever he hath, and improve it for his own honour, that if the Lord ſhould ſay it's mine, if God ſhould call for it, if it ſhall be ſaid the Lord has need of it, he reſigns it, he is preſently willing to let it go, though it be a comfort never ſo dear to him, he counts it an honour if God will take him and his, and whatſoever he is and hath, that God may improve him and his, for his honour; he deſires to lie low before him, even in the duſt. Yea, to follow Goſpel Precepts is another thing which is required, as to love enemies, this alſo he deſires to do; theſe are ſingular things, to pray for them that perſecute, to requite evil with good, to forgive wrongs and injuries, though thy brother offend ſeventy times ſeven in a day, yet if he comes and ſaies, it repents me that I have done thee wrong; theſe are Goſpel Precepts that are hard to fleſh and blood, but he that walks with God, deſires to follow him even in this command alſo; That's the third part of this character of him that walks with God.
4. Fourthly, He deſires to yield obedience unto every Commandment, I ſay, he deſires to yield obedience to every Commandment of the Lord, there's no jot, no tittle of the Word of the Lord but is precious to him, and therefore he hath no reſervation to himſelf: he doth not ſay, I'le do any other but this, I'le obey any Commandment but ſuch a Precept; I can't walk in ſuch a way with God, though it be cleared up to be a duty: but he that walks with God, yields Univerſal obedience, he will not indent with God, no reſervation to himſelf, no exemption from any Word or Law of God, he ſaies not as Nahaman, God be merciful to me in this; no, he deſires to yield univerſal obedience, though he ſees he comes ſhort of his deſires, and his obedience is ſcant, ſo that he dares not rely upon his obedience, he dares not truſt to his obedience, to be juſtified by it, yet it is his deſire to come off in all things, and he hath no reſervation to himſelf, to ſay, if I embrace ſuch a truth, and walk in ſuch a way with God, it won't ſtand with my credit, I ſhall loſe my friends, my name, my eſteem in the world, my cuſtom or trade, and the like; I ſay, he that walks with God hath no ſuch reſervation; That's a fourth. Again,
5. Fifthly, He that walk with God will hold faſt his profeſſion, though all the world forſake him, though he be left alone, or though there be a very few that walk with him: ſo did Elijah, Lord, they have killed thy Prophets, ſaid he, and I am left alone, and they ſeek my life, and yet Elijah did not forſake the truth, nor let go his profeſſion, for he knows that there's a Promiſe that God will be with him; God hath promiſed to be with him, and the preſence of God is inſtead of all creatures, and he ſhall have no cauſe to complain that he is alone ſo long as the Lord is with him: he alſo conſiders that there's a time when multitudes ſhall be given in to Chriſt, and therefore he is not diſcouraged, though there be but few for the preſent; he looks to the promiſe, and there he ſees much cheerfulneſs, there is a promiſe that they ſhall flow as Doves to the windows; it's ſaid that a little one ſhall become a thouſand, and a ſmall one ſhall become a great Nation; the Lord hath ſaid there ſhall be thouſands where there is but one, and a little flock ſhall become a multitude: the Lord hath ſpoken it, and he will haſten it in his time; and therefore though for the preſent he ſees but few that walk with him whilſt he walks with God, yet he is not diſcouraged. But again in the
6. Sixth place, He that walks with God is gracious and conſcientious in his duty in private as well as publick; this is another part of his character, I ſay, he is kept in his duty in private as well as in publick; he dare not be remiſs, though no eye ſee him, though there's none in the world to take notice of it, he knows he is in the eye of the Lord, and what he doth is unto the Lord, and therefore he doth it even with all his might. There are ſome in the world that make a fair ſhew before men, and in the mean time they care not what they are in ſecret: zealous before the world, Jehu like, Come and ſee my zeal, but cold and remiſs in ſecret: and ſo will give fair words before men, good words when there are witneſſes, but when they are in ſecret and in private, in their Families, and the like, they care not what rage they go in, and how they play the Tyrants. But now he that walks with God is as careful of his duty in private as in publick: If it be his duty to give Alms, he'll give as much where there is no witneſs to take notice, as if there were a thouſand eyes before him, as before God and his own ſoul; he dare not be remiſs there, if remiſſneſs ſteal in upon him, it is his burden, and he is never ſatisfied till his ſoul be brought into ſuch a frame, to be as conſcientious of that duty which he owes to God in ſecret and private, as of thoſe duties which the world takes notice of.
7. But again, Seventhly, He that walks with God is careful to uſe all means by which he may get nigher God, and to ſhun all occaſions of ſin which ſet the ſoul at a diſtance from God; I ſay, it deſires to uſe all means that are of Gods appointment for getting nigher unto God; he will wait upon God in every Ordinance, and Adminiſtration of the Word, and ſeals, in reading and prayer, in communion and fellowſhip, he willingly neglects no duty, they are the Inſtitutions of Jeſus Chriſt, he looks upon them all as ſo many Conduit Pipes by which the Lord conveys himſelf unto his people: they are golden pipes through which the Lord pours abundance of golden oyl into the ſouls of thoſe that wait for him; he looks upon the Promiſe that is annexed to them, that God has promiſed to be there and to make them bleſſings to his people, he therefore will wait upon God in them, though it may be for the preſent he don't find thoſe In-comes of grace and ſtrength which his ſoul longs after, though it may be he can't (ſometimes) reliſh the Ordinance and taſte ſweetneſs in it, yet ſtill he looks upon it as the Inſtitution of Jeſus Chriſt, and dares not turn his back on it; he'll rather accuſe himſelf, his own deadneſs, and unbelieving heart, and ſtraitneſs, he will not accuſe Chriſt and the Ordinance of emptineſs, for he knows Chriſt hath bleſſed it, and his people have found ſweetneſs in it, it's the way in which Chriſt hath promiſed to walk, and therefore he will go and lie in the way, he'll go and climb upon the Sycamore Tree, as Zacheus did, he'll climb up on every ordinance, if at any time he may ſee the face of God, if he may ſee Chriſt paſſing by, for his ſatisfaction he uſes all means and Ordinances that are of Chriſts Inſtitution, which may be helps to him in his way to Chriſt, and ſhuns all occaſions to ſin, all provocations unto luſt, he dare not meddle with ſin, no not with the leaſt ſin; he knows that ſin is a moſt woful deceiver, if he have but the leaſt countenance he ſoon winds himſelf into the ſoul, and it's hard to wind him out when he hath got himſelf in: he knows that there's a woful corrupt heart within, and that its natural diſpoſition is like to dry Tinder, and is ready to receive every ſpark of temptation that the Devil is like to ſtrike in, and if a ſpark falls in, how ſoon it ariſes to a flame, and how hard it is to quench it; and therefore how doth he riſe againſt ſin, and the occaſions of ſin! he is afraid of thoſe things which other men count niceties and punctilio's, and the like, or they may go under the colour of lawfulneſs; Ay, but he is fearful of it, he knows that the leaſt ſin coſt blood, the blood of the Son of God, and the guilt of the leaſt tranſgreſſion can't be waſh'd away without the blood of the Son of God, it will coſt blood to waſh away the leaſt ſin as well as the greateſt, and therefore he dare not be bold to meddle with the leaſt ſin, but he ſhuns the very occaſions and provocations unto ſin: That's the ſeventh.
8. Eighthly, He approves of, and deſires to walk in the ſtricteſt way: This is another part of his Character; he that walks with God approves of and deſires to walk in the ſtricteſt way; he knows it's a great journey, and he had need take the ſtraighteſt line, he is willing to engage himſelf in the ſtricteſt way; if any way hold forth more of God and Chriſt, if any way be more oppoſite to fleſh and blood, if any way be a further ingagement to him to keep cloſe to God, and bind up his heart that it may not ſo ſtart aſide, he is willing to walk with God even in that way, there he knows that that's the rule, Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect; perfection is in his eye, and therefore he knows he can never be be too ſtrict, too holy, walk too cloſe with God, get too nigh God, nor do too much for God: this he laies down as a principle. Some meaſure of holineſs, and of ſtrictneſs many of the world will approve of, but to be ſo ſtrict is to be too imprudent, in their account; but I ſay, he that walks with God, knows that his engagements are ſuch as he can never do too much for God, when he hath done his utmoſt, if he could do ten thouſand times more, he might ſay he is an unprofitable ſervant: That's the Eighth. But again,
9. Ninthly, He that walks with God will uſe no unlawful means to deliver himſelf: this is another part of his Character; he uſes no unlawful means to free himſelf, though his liberty be at ſtake, though his life be at ſtake, he will not deliver himſelf by any unlawful courſe: thus it was with Paul, Paul might have delivered himſelf if he would have taken an unlawful courſe: in Acts 24. it's ſaid there, that Feſtus did expect to have received money from him, in the latter end of the Chapter, and if he would have given a Bribe, he might have been delivered; but he would not uſe ſuch unlawful means for his deliverance, to open a door for ſuch an eſcape, he would not give a Bribe to the corrupt Judge, I ſay, he would rather wait upon God for the opening a door that he may eſcape: in every eſtate and low condition he remembers, he that believes makes not too much haſt, he remembers it's good not to make too much haſt, he won't break Priſon till God ſet him free, till God ſhall open a door for his eſcape, out of any afflicted or tempted condition that he is brought into: That's the Ninth.
10. In the tenth and laſt place, It is his deſire to gain time, to redeem time from the world, and from his employments in the world, that he may converſe more with God, and with his own heart: I ſay, it is his great deſire, his care to redeem time from the world, that he may converſe with God, and converſe with his own heart, and therefore he is a good huſband with time, he husbands his time well, that the great things of God may not be ſhut out; he knows that they are of great concernment, the things of God, and the things of the world to come are of greateſt concernment, he is haſtening to Eternity, here's no ſtay here, here he is upon the bridge and going over to another world, to Eternity, and therefore it concerns him above all to look after the things of that Eternity; he is alwaies beſt when he is with God, he hath found ſweetneſs with God, he knows what it is to enjoy communion with God, and becauſe he hath been with Chriſt upon the Mount, therefore he deſires to go often thither, ſets the world apart, that ſo he may converſe with God, that he may behold the face of Jeſus Chriſt: he knows how deceitful his own heart is, that he had need ſearch continually, make a diligent ſearch; Oh, there's a depth of iniquity, a depth of deceit that can hardly be found out: Oh, it will harbour ſome luſt or other, if diligent ſearch be not made, it's to comply with an enemy, and to harbour ſuch an enemy that will ſeek the very deſtruction of the ſoul: I ſay, theſe things he hath known in part through grace of the great concernments and things of the world to come, and the ſweetneſs, preciouſneſs of that communion which the ſoul hath with Jeſus Chriſt, and therefore it is his daily care to husband his time as well as he may, that he may gain time from the world, and from the ſecular employments thereof; and this is the laſt Character that I ſhall name of him that walks with God: And ſo much ſhall ſerve for this time.