Two Treatises, Treatise 2 · Chapter 5
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 'tis 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! 'tis 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 be to the heart that walks with God! in the 38. Pſal. 8. 9. They ſhall be abundantly ſatisfied with the fatneſs of thy houſe, and thou ſhalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleaſures; for with thee is the fonntain of life: In thy light ſhall we ſee light. Certainly where God walks there is a glorious light round about, that ſuch a ſoul never walks in darkneſs, the light of God ſhines about it; as we reade of thoſe that walked with Chriſt to Emaus, the text ſaith, Their hearts burn'd within them. Certainly the hearts of the Saints walking with God muſt needs be fild with thoſe influences from God that muſt make their hearts glow within them while they are walking with him: in Pſal. 89. 15, 16. you have a notable Scripture there about the ſatisfaction of the ſoul in walking with God, Bleſſed are the people that know the joyfull ſound: they ſhall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance, In thy Name ſhall they rejoyce all the day, and in thy righteouſneſs ſhall they be exalted. Thoſe that walk with God they walk in the light of Gods Countenance, and in Gods Name ſhal they rejoyce all the day, and in his righteouſneſs ſhall they be exalted. Oh! a bleſſed thing it is to walk with God. The ſpeech of that noble Marques Galiatius that was of great birth in Italy, and forſaking all his honors and friends and coming to Geneve, he had this expreſſion, ſaith he, upon a time feeling his ſweet converſe with God, Curſed (ſaith he) be that man that accounts all the gold and ſilver in the world worth one daies enjoyment of Communion with Jeſus Chriſt. He had left a great deal of gold and ſilver, the Pope himſelf was a neer kinſman to him, and great poſſeſſions and kindred he had, and left it all to come to Geneve, to profeſſe the truth there, and he found all recompenced in Cōmunion with Chriſt, and his heart was ſo ful with it, that he even curſed thoſe that ſhould account all the gold and ſilver in the world worth the enjoyment of one hours communion with Chriſt: Oh an hours walking with Chriſt is more than all the world. I appeal to thoſe ſouls that have been acquainted with this, whether would you have loſt ſuch an hour that you have been converſing with God for all the world? what would you take for the enjoyment of ſuch an hour as that is? Oh not thouſand thouſands of worlds a gracious heart would not take for ſome hours that it hath in enjoyment of communion with God in walking with him; Oh there's infinite ſweetneſs in walking with God. There's a great deal of good to be had in walking with the Saints, as ſometimes I have told you of Dr. Taylor that was the Martyr, when he came to priſon he rejoyced that ever he was put in priſon there to meet with that Angel of God John Bradford: Now if it be comfortable to have communion with the Saints though in priſon, Oh how ſweet is it to have communion with God in walking with him! I remember I have read of a King, that once beholding Plato walking up and down with other Phyloſophers, he cries out thus; Oh life! this is life and true happineſs; yonder is true happineſs: he did not look upon his Kingdom as affording a life to him, and as affording that happineſs as he did beleeve Plato and the Phyloſophers had converſing one with another about Phyloſphie; as if he ſhould ſay, 'tis not the Kings of the earth that live the happy lives, but theſe Phyloſophers that walk and converſe thus one with another. Oh then what life and happineſs it is for the ſoul to walk up and down with God, and to converſe with God himſelf! what though thou walkeſt in the velly of Bacha, yea what though thou walkeſt in the ſhadow of death in reſpect of outward afflictions, yet walking with God is that that will ſhine upon thee, and will ſweeten thy heart even when thou art walking in the vally of Bacha, and in the ſhadow of death. In the 7. of the Revel. ſee whither Jeſus Chriſt leads the ſoul in walking with Him, The Lamb which is in the midſt of the Throne ſhall feed them, and ſhall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God ſhall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Thus when thou walkeſt with Jeſus Chriſt, he leads thee to the living fountains of waters that comfort thee; the comforts that thou hadſt in the world were but as dirty puddles; but thoſe comforts that thou haſt in Chriſt when thou walkeſt with him, they are the fountain of living waters. That's the third thing wherein the excellency of walking with God conſiſts, The abundance of ſoul-ſatisfaction that the heart hath in God.
The fourth Excellency.
The fourth Excellency that there is in walking with God is this, It's a ſpecial part of the covenant on our part that God doth make with us, upon which the very bleſſing of the covenant doth in grreat part depend: as that Scripture in the 17. of Gen. doth cleerly ſhew, where God is coming to make a covenant with Abraham, and to be a God to him and to his ſeed; what's that God requires of Abraham now? Walk before me and be upright; Then I am God alſufficient, and I enter into covenant with you, to be a God to you, and a God to your ſeed, Walk before me and be upright. As if that were all the thing that God look'd at, that you ſhould walk with him and be upright: [then] you ſhall have the bleſſing of the Covenant. Oh this is a great excellency, that it is a ſpecial part of the Covenant that God makes with his people on their part: and then on his part, he will be a God unto them. What was it that God requir'd, in the 6. of Micah, 6, 7. verſes, there you may ſee how God prizes walking with him, that it's the great thing that God doth look at, whereas there were ſome that ſaid, Wherewith ſhall I come before the Lord, and bow my ſelf before the high God? ſhall I come before him with burns offerings? with Calves of a yeer old? will the Lord be pleaſed with thouſands of Rams, or with ten thouſands of rivers of Oyl? ſhall I give my firſt born for my tranſgreſſion, the fruit of my body for the ſin of my ſoul? What ſhall I do to pleaſe God? Mark in the 8. verſe, He hath ſhewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do Juſtly, and to love Mercy, and to WALK humbly with thy God? As if he ſhould ſay, This is the great thing, to walk with thy God; not only to exerciſe ſome particular grace of thy Juſtice, and Mercy, but in general, to walk with thy God; Never tell me of any thing that you would do for me, but in the conſtant courſe of thy life, walk humbly with thy God. This therefore was the comfort of Hezekiah when he had the meſſage of death come to him, in the 38. of Iſa. Remember O Lord (ſaith he) how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart; he turned his face to the wall, and (the text ſaith) he wept (it was for joy:) as if he ſhould ſay, Lord, it's true, there hath been many infirmities in me; but Lord, I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart; as if he ſhould ſay, I may boldly challenge, and I do come now Lord to challenge the good of the Covenant, that thou wouldſt remember me according to the riches of thy mercy, for Lord I have walked with thee: as if he ſhould ſay, Lord, was not that the thing that thou didſt require of my father Abraham? why Lord, I have walked before thee, and I have been upright in ſome meaſure; therefore Lord, be a God alſufficient to me, Lord, remember thy Covenant, be a God to me, be All in All to me becauſe of this. Oh my brethren! Is not this worth ten thouſand thouſand worlds, That the ſoul may be able to appeal to God that it hath done that which is a ſpecial thing that is requir'd in the Covenant on our parts; and ſo upon it may have the aſſurance of Gods performing the Covenant on his part.
The Fifth Excellency.
And then the fifth thing is, There is a bleſſed ſafety in walking with God. As in the 23. Pſal. 4. there ſee the Prophet David that was a man much exerciſed in walking with God, ſaith he, Yea though I walk through the vally of the ſhadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy ſtaff doth comfort me: I am walking with thee, and though I be walking in the ſhadow of death, I'le therefore fear no evil. Now is it not a bleſſed thing to be in ſafety alwaies with God? And in the 138. Pſal. 7. ſaith David, Though I walk in the midſt of trouble thou wilt revive me; thou ſhalt ſtretch forth thine hand againſt the wrath of mine enemies: and thy right hand ſhall ſave me. No matter what the trouble be ſo God be with the ſoul; he that walks uprightly walks ſurely, in the 10. of the Proverbs, 9. Whereas it's ſaid of the wicked that they walk upon a ſnare continually: in the 18. of Job, 8. The wicked walk upon a ſnare: The waies of wickedneſſe that you walk in, they may ſeem to be pleaſant and comfortable to you, but certainly you are upon a ſnare, and you may be catch'd and undone for ever, though perhaps thou haſt eſcap'd all this while, yet thou art in continual dangers, Every ſtep (I ſay) thou goeſt on in the waies of ſin, thou art upon a ſnare, and in danger to be catch'd to thy eternal deſtruction; But he that walks uprightly, he walks ſurely, and this is a great excellency, for a man to walk ſurely, I know I am in my way for I am with God: A child doth not fear what way ſoever it goes in, if he can but ſee his father. Now the ſoul may know ſurely, I am in the right way, I am with God; and I am ſafe what ever danger comes, for I am walking with God.
The Sixth Excellency.
The ſixth Excellency that there is in walking with God is this, From hence the ſoul comes to enjoy a holy boldneſs and a holy familiarity with God. It may be when the ſoul comes firſt to God, the preſence of the great God ſtrikes ſome fear, there is ſome dread of the Majeſty of God; But when the ſoul hath uſed to converſe with him, there is a holy familiarity that the ſoul hath with God, and a holy boldneſs, it can have free liberty to ſay any thing to him now; and this is the reaſon that ſome now that never knew what the ſpirit of prayer meant, and what the liberty of the ſoul in opening its ſelf to God meant before, yet when they have come to be acquainted with the waies of God; Oh what liberty have they then in their ſpirits to open their hearts to God, yea, they can open their hearts to God as one friend to another. I remember it's ſaid of Luther, that when ever he was praying, he could ſpeak to God as to his friend. In Job, 22. 21. Acqusint now thy ſelf with Him, and be at peace. The ſoul comes to have an acquaintance with God, Oh what a phraſe is here! What, acquaint our ſelves with God, that God ſhould be our acquaintance! I, God is willing to be the acqaintance of the pooreſt Chriſtian in the world, Poor men and women, and Servants, and others that perhaps ſome rich men that is by them wil ſcorn their acquaintance, but they account them rather (as it's ſpoken of ſome vile people) fit to be ſet with the dogs of the flock, yea, perhaps though they be poor godly people, yet they think it too much debaſing themſelves to have any kind of acquaintance with them: Well, but the infinite God though he is ſo high that he humbles himſelf to behold the very things that are done in Heaven, yet this God thinks not much to be one of thy acquaintance, to be of the acquaintance of any one that hath any godlineſs in them; when we ſee a great man, a man of parts and honor come to ſome poor man and ſhake him by the hand, we will ſay, Look what an humble man is this, that will be ſo familiar with the meaneſt of all. Oh! now acquaint thy ſelf with God, This is the bleſſedneſs of walking with God; the ſoul comes to have a familiar converſe with God, and a holy boldneſs.
The ſeventh Excellency.
The ſeventh benefit or Excellency that there is in walking with God is this, The Communication of Gods ſecrets. He that walks with God ſhall come to know the mind of God. It's impoſſible for a man to take delight in walking with another but he muſt diſcover ſecrets from him; there's never any true friendſhip where there is a cloſeneſs of ſpirit. But where there is true friendſhip they will take one another and walk together, and open their hearts each to other: this is comfortable walking indeed. Thus it is in walking with God, this is the bleſſing of it, ſuch ſouls they have the ſecrets of God diſcovered to them, they come to know much of the mind of God; though they are weak in their natural parts, yet (I ſay) they come to know much of Gods mind becauſe they are with God. We reade in the 13. of Proverbs, 20. verſ. ſaith the holy Ghoſt there, He that walketh with wiſe men ſhall be wiſe. Then what ſhall he be that walks with God? Surely if there be wiſdom to be learned from our walking with wiſe men, then there is wiſdom to be learn'd in walking with God: 'Tis from hence that men that are weak in parts they come to have ſuch excellent knowledg in the great myſteries of the Goſpel, and you wonder at it: you ſee ſuch a mean ſervant that a while ago could underſtand nothing at all; yet now comes to underſtand the great myſteries of the Goſpel, and that be yond many great Scholers: How comes this to paſſe? he walks with the God of wiſdom, and the God of wiſdom doth delight to let out himſelf to him, and to open his heart to him, they come to know the counſels of God becauſe they walk with him; thoſe Chriſtians that keep cloſe to God in a holy converſation walking with him, certainly they come to know more of the mind of God than others do; others that walk looſly they know little of the great myſteries of the Goſpel, they may talk ſomething of them, but certainly they have not a ſpiritual inſight into the Great myſteries of the Goſpel ſo as thoſe have that walk with God.
The eighth Excellency.
The eighth benefit of walking with God it is, That ſuch find favour in Gods eyes for granting their petitions; for to hear them in their prayers. In the 37. Pſal. 4. ver. Delight thy ſelf in the Lord, and he ſhall give thee the deſire of thine heart; walk with God, and enjoy converſe and communion with him, ſo as to delight thy ſelf with him, and he will give thee thy hearts deſire, thou ſhalt have what thou wouldſt have. As now, if a man have a petition to give to any great man, If he can but obſerve him in his walks, then he thinks that ſurely when he may have ſuch an opportunity, now to preſent it as he hopes to have audiance, and acceptance of the petition. I remember I have read of one that offered to give a great ſum of mony that he might have but liberty to whiſper any thing in the Kings ear every day, why? becauſe thereby he thought that he ſhould have a great many people come to him to deſire his help for to prefer their petitions, and if he might have but that liberty he ſhould get enough that way. Now the ſoul that hath the liberty of walking with God, what a priviledg hath he? and what opportunities to preſent petitions to God? and the Lord delights in hearing of them. If a King will admit a man to walk with him, ſurely ſuch a man whatſoever he preſents it's like to ſpeed. Now my brethren, upon this ground it is thus: you ſhall ſee a great deal of difference in a formal profeſſor's prayer, & the prayer of a godly man that walks with God; the difference in the prayers of theſe two is thus: I'le ſet it out by this ſimilitude. You have your beggers, and they pray for an alms, but they ſtand at the door; but if you a have ſpecial friend, an acquaintance that ſhall come to deſire a favour from you, the door is opened for him, you carry him into the Parlour, and there he opens his mind to you, he hath a great deal of priviledg more than the other: Both come to ask a favour from you, but one ſtands at the door, and the other is let into the Parlour and walks up and down there, and there opens his mind to you. Juſt for all the world is there this difference between the prayers of formal profeſſors, and the prayers of thoſe that walk with God; Thoſe that make but a meer profeſſion of Religion, they will pray as others do, but they are like beggers at the door, they ſee not Gods face all the while, they knock it may be, but the door is not opened for them to come in: But a gracious heart that walks with God, doth not only ſtand knocking at the door, but it is opened and he comes into the Preſence Chamber, and there ſaith God, What is thy requeſt O thou ſoul? As if a friend ſhould hear another that is his dear friend ſtand knocking at the door, he preſently opens the door and carries him into the beſt room that he hath, and there ſaith, Tell me what it is that you would have, I am not able to deny you; and this is the priviledg of thoſe that are gracious and holy, that walk with God: they have much priviledg in prayer, much benefit that way, and freedom with God, and aſſurance of Gods granting of their petitions.
The ninth Excellency.
In the ninth place, There's this Excellency in the ſouls walking with God, There muſt needs be a glory put upon the ſoul. As it was with Moſes, he went up and was but with God fourty daies upon the mount, and when he came down, his face did ſhine that the people were not able to behold it: God appeared in a viſible manner to him; But ſpiritually it's true now, the ſoul that is converſing with God fourty daies, yea, in the conſtant courſe of his life, hath a beauty, a luſtre, a glory put upon it, and ſuch a luſtre and glory that thoſe that have enlightened conſciences and yet are guilty they are ſcarce able to bear the fight of them: As I appeal to you, when you have given liberty to ſome way of ſin, and you have come into the preſence of thoſe that have been godly and walked very cloſe with God, hath it not ſtruck a terror to you? for there is a glory and beauty upon thoſe ſouls that do walk cloſe with God, they do ſhine in the midſt of a crooked and perverce generation. What's the glory of Heaven but the reflection of Gods preſence upon Heaven that makes it ſo glorious? And in its meaſure a gracious heart that walks cloſe with God hath the glory of Heaven upon it.
The Tenth Excellency.
Tenthly, Gods preſence doth mightily act every grace, doth draw forth every grace: (and that I lay down as another diſtinct head in the excellency of walking with God) I ſay, it draws forth every grace, the graces of the Spirit of God are alwaies kept in action: as now, fire will draw fire. The Lord being of infinite holineſſe, when the heare is holy it being in the preſence of God walking with him, (I ſay) all holineſſe muſt needs be drawn forth, and muſt be acted; and this will put a mighty beauty upon men, while they have not only grace in their hearts but it is acted. And this is a great bleſſing to have our graces acted, drawn forth, and enlarged, and this is the benefit of walking with God.
The Eleventh Excellency.
And beſides, The preſence of God, and familiarity of the ſoul in walking with him, will make the preſence of God neither at death or judgment ſhall ever be terrible to it. Thoſe that now walk with God and have much converſe with him, (I ſay) when they come to die, Gods preſence ſhall not be terrible to them; yea when Jeſus Chriſt ſhall come in flaming fire to revenge himſelf upon thoſe that know him not, the preſence of Chriſt ſhal not be terrible to them: Why? Becauſe they walked with Chriſt all the daies of their lives: In the 11. of Hoſea, 10. verſ. They ſhall walk after the Lord: he ſhall roar like a Lyon. Mark how theſe two are joyned together: wicked and ungodly men they ſhall tremble at the roaring of 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.