Two Treatises, Treatise 2 · Chapter 8
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 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 Ʋncircumciſion, 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, Ʋprightneſs; 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 Ʋprightneſs, 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.