Five Sermons, Sermon 4
SERMON IV.
Walking with GOD.
GENESIS V. 24.
And Enoch walked with God, and he was not: for God took him.
VARIOUS are the Pleas and Arguments which Men of corrupt Minds frequently urge againſt yielding Obedience to the juſt and holy Commands of God—But perhaps, one of the moſt common Objections that they make is this, viz. That our Lord's Commands are not practicable, becauſe contrary to Fleſh and Blood; and conſequently, that he is an hard Maſter, reaping where he has not ſown, and gathering where he has not ſtrawed—Theſe we find were the Sentiments that were entertained by that wicked and ſlothful Servant mentioned in the 25th of St. Matthew; and are undoubtedly the ſame with many which obtain in the preſent wicked and adulterous Generation—The Holy Ghoſt foreſeeing this, hath taken care to inſpire holy Men of Old, to record the Examples of many holy Men and Women; who, even under the Old Teſtament Diſpenſation, were enabled chearfully to take Chriſt's Yoak upon them, and counted his Service perfect Freedom.—The large Catalogue of Saints, Confeſſors, and Martyrs, drawn up in the 11th Chapter to the Hebrews, abundantly evidences the Truth of this Obſervation—What a great Cloud of Witneſſes have we there preſented to our View? All eminent for their Faith, but ſome ſhining with a greater Degree of Luſtre than the others.—The Proto-Martyr Abel, leads the Van—And next to him, we find Enoch mentioned, not only becauſe he was next in Order of Time, but alſo on account of his exalted Piety.—He is ſpoken of in the Words of the Text in a very extraordinary Manner—We have here a ſhort, but very full and glorious Account, both of his Behaviour in this World, and in the triumphant Manner of his entering into the next—The former is contained in theſe Words—And Enoch walked with God—The latter in theſe, and he was not: for God took him. He was not; i. e. He was not found, he was not taken away in the common Manner, he did not ſee Death; for Heb. xi. 5. God had tranſlated him. Who this Enoch was, does not appear ſo plainly.—To me, he ſeems to have been a Perſon of publick Character— I ſuppoſe, like Noah, a Preacher of Righteouſneſs—And, if we may credit the Apoſtle J…d…, he was a flaming Preacher—For he … one of his Prophecies, wherein he ſaith, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten Thouſand of … Saints—To execute Judgment upon all, and … convince all that are Ungodly among them, of all their ungodly Deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard Speeches, which ungodly Sinners have ſpoken againſt him—B…t whether a publick or private Perſon, he has a noble Teſtimony given him in the lively Oracles. The Author of the Epiſtle to the Hebrews ſaith, that before his Tranſlation he had this Teſtimony, that he pleaſed God; and his being tranſlated, was a Proof of it beyond all Doubt—And I wou'd obſerve by the by, that it was wonderful Wiſdom in God to tranſlate Enoch and Elijah under the Old Teſtament Diſpenſation, that hereafter when it ſhould be aſſerted, that the Lord Jeſus was carried into Heaven, it might not ſeem a Thing altogether incredible to the Jews; ſince they themſelves confeſſed, that two of their own Prophets had been tranſlated ſeveral hundred Years before.—But it is not my Deſign to detain you any longer, by Enlarging, or making Obſervations on Enoch's ſhort, but comprehenſive Character—The Thing I have in view, being to give a Diſcourſe as the Lord ſhall enable, upon a weighty and very important Subject, I mean, Walking with God—And Enoch walked with God—If ſo much as this can be truly ſaid of you and me after our Deceaſe, we ſhall not have any Reaſon to complain, that we have lived in vain.—
In handling my intended Subject, I ſhall, Firſt, endeavour to ſhew, what is implied in theſe Words, Walked with God—Secondly, I ſhall preſcribe ſome Means, upon the due Obſervance of which, Believers may keep up and maintain their Walk with God—And, Thirdly, Offer ſome Motives to ſtir us up, if we never walked with God before, to come and walk with God now—The Whole ſhall be cloſed with a Word▪ or two of Application.—
And, Firſt, I am to ſhew what is implied in theſe Words, Walked with God; or in other Words, what we are to underſtand by this Term, Walking with God.—
And, Firſt, Walking with God, implies, that the prevailing Power of the Enmity of a Perſon's Heart, be taken away by the bleſſed Spirit of God.—Perhaps it may ſeem a hard Saying to ſome, but our own Experience daily proves what the Scriptures in many Places aſſert, that the carnal Mind, the Mind of the unconverted, natural Man, nay, the Mind of the Regenerate, ſo far as any Part of him remains unrenewed, is Enmity, not only an Enemy, but Enmity itſelf againſt God; ſo that it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can it be—Indeed one may well wonder that any Creature, eſpecially that lovely Creature Man, made after his Maker's own Image, ſhould ever have any Enmity, much leſs a prevailing Enmity againſt that very God in whom …he lives, and moves, and hath his Being—But alas! ſo it is—Our firſt Parents contracted it when they fell from God by eating the forbidden Fruit, and the bitter and malig…ant Contagion of it, hath deſcended to, and quite overſpread their whole Poſterity—This Enmity diſcovered itſelf in Adam's endeavouring to hide himſelf in the Trees of the Garden—When he heard the Voice of the Lord God, …nſtead of running, with an open Heart, ſaying, Here am I; alas! he now wanted no Communion with God; and ſtill more diſcovered his lately contracted Enmity by the Excuſe he made to the moſt High—The Woman, or This Woman thou gaveſt to be with me, ſhe gave me … the Tree, and I did eat—By ſaying thus, h… … Effect lays all the Fault upon God; as tho' …e had ſaid, If thou hadſt not given me this Woman, I had not ſinned againſt thee, ſo thou mayſt thank thyſelf for my Tranſgreſſion—In this ſame Manner this Enmity works in …e Hearts of Adam's Children—They now …d again find ſomething riſing againſt God, and ſaying even unto God, What doeſt thou? It ſcorns any meaner Competitor (ſays the learned Dr. Owen in his excellent Treatiſe on Indwelling Sin) than God himſelf—Its Command is like that of the Aſſyrians in reſpect to Ahab, ſhoot only at the King—And it ſtrikes againſt every Thing that has the Appearance of real Piety, as the Aſſyrians ſhot at Jehoſaphat in Ahab's Clothes—But its Oppoſition ceaſes when it finds that it is only an Appearance, as the Aſſyrians left off ſhooting at Jehoſaphat, when they perceived it was not Ahab they were ſhooting at—This Enmity diſcover'd itſelf in accurſed Cain; he hated and flew his Brother Abel, becauſe Abel loved, and was peculiarly favoured by his God—And this ſame Enmity rules and prevails in every Man that is naturally engendered of the Offspring of Adam—Hence that Averſeneſs to Prayer and holy Duties, which we find in Children, and very often in grown Perſons, who have notwithſtanding, been bleſſed with a religious Education—And all that open Sin and Wickedneſs, which like a Deluge has overflowed th… World, are only ſo many Streams runni… from this dreadful, contagious Fountain; … mean the Enmity of Man's deſperately wicked and deceitful Heart—He that cannot ſet his Seal to this, knows nothing yet, in a ſaving Manner, of the holy Scriptures, or of th… Power of God—And all that do know this will readily acknowledge, that before a Perſon can be ſaid to walk with God, the prevailing Power of this Heart-Enmity muſt be deſtroyed—For Perſons do not uſe to walk and keep …ompany together, who entertain an irrecon…ble Enmity and Hatred againſt one another—Obſerve me, I ſay the prevailing Power of this Enmity muſt be taken away—For the …being of it will never be totally removed, … we bow down our Heads and give up the Ghoſt—The Apoſtle Paul no doubt ſpeaks of himſelf, and that too not when he was a Phariſee, but a real Chriſtian; when he complains, that when he would do Good, Evil was preſent with him; not having Dominion over him, but oppoſing and reſiſting his good Intentions and Actions, ſo that he could not do the Things which he would, in that Perfection which the new Man deſired—This is what he calls▪ Sin dwelling in him—And this is that foreign which, to uſe the Words of th… Ninth Article of our Church, ſome do expound the Wiſdom, ſome Senſuality, ſome the Affectation, ſome the Deſire of the Fleſh, which doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated—But as for its prevailing Power, … deſtroyed in every Soul that is truly born God, and gradually more and more weak…ed as the Believer grows in Grace, and the … of God gains a greater and greater … in the Heart.
But ſecondly, Walking with God not only implies, that the prevailing Power of the … of a Man's Heart be taken away, but alſo that a Perſon is actually reconciled to God the Father, in and thro' the all-ſufficient Righteouſneſs and Attonement of his dear Son— … two walk together, ſays Solomon, unleſs the… are agreed? Jeſus is our Peace, as well as o… Peace-maker—When we are juſtified by Faith in Chriſt, then, but not till then, we have Peace with God; and conſequently cannot …e ſaid till then, to walk with him—Walking with a Perſon, being a Sign and Token … we are Friends to that Perſon, or at leaſt, … we have been at Variance, yet now we … reconciled and become Friends again—Th… is the great Errand that Goſpel Miniſters … ſent out upon—To us is committed the … of Reconciliation; as Ambaſſadors for G… ▪ we are to beſeech Sinners, in Chriſt's … be reconciled unto God; and when … comply with the gracious Invitation, and … actually by Faith brought into a State of … conciliation with God, then, and … then, may they be ſaid ſo much as to begin to walk with God.—
F…ther—Walking with God implies, … ſettled, abiding Communion and Fellow▪ … with God, or what in Scripture is called, … Holy Ghoſt dwelling in us—This is what … promiſed when … the holy Spirit ſhould be in, and with them; not to be like a Wayfaring-Man, to ſtay only for a Night, but to reſide and make his Abode in their Hearts—This I am apt to believe is what the Apoſtle John would have us underſtand, when he talks of a Perſon abiding in him, viz. in Chriſt, and walking as he himſelf alſo walked—And this is what is particularly meant in the Words of our Text—And Enoch walked with God, i. e. He kept up and maintained a holy, ſettled, habitual, tho' und…ubtedly not altogether uninterupted Communion and Fellowſhip with God, in and thro' Chriſt Jeſus—So that to ſum up what has been ſaid on this Part of the firſt General Head, Walking with God conſiſts eſpecially in the fixed habitual Bent of the Will for God, in an habitual Dependance upon his Power and Promiſe, in an habitual voluntary Dedication of our All to his Glory, in a habitual Eyeing of his Precept in all we do, and in an habitual Complacence in his Pleaſure in all we ſuffer.—
Fourthly, and Laſtly, Walking with God implies, our making Progreſs or Advances in the divine Life—Walking, in the very firſt Idea of the Word, ſeems to ſuppoſe a progreſſive Motion—A Perſon that walks, tho' he move ſlowly, yet he goes forwards and does not continue in one Stay—And ſo it is with thoſe that walk with God—They go on as the Pſalmiſt ſays, from Strength to Strength; or, in the Language of the Apoſtle Paul, they … from Glory to Glory, even … the Spirit of … Lord.—Indeed in one Senſe, the divine Life admits of neither Increaſe or Decreaſe—When a Soul is born of God, to all In…nts and Purpoſes he is a Child of God; and, tho' …e ſhould live to the Age of Methuſelah, yet he would then be only a Child of God after all.—But in another Senſe, the divine Life admits of Decays and Additions—Hence it is, that we find the People of God charged with Backſlidings, and loſing their firſt Love—And hence it is, that we hear of Babes, young Men and Fathers in Chriſt; and upon this Account it is that the Apoſtle exhorts Timothy, to let his Progreſs be made k…n to all Men—And what is here required of Timothy in particular by St. Peter, is enjoined all Chriſtians in general—But grow in Grace, ſays he, and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt—For the new Creature increaſes in ſpiritual Stature; and tho' a Perſon can but be a new Creature, yet there are ſome that are more conformed to the divine Image than others, and will after Death, be admitted to a greater Degree of Bleſſedneſs—For want of obſerving this Diſtinction, even ſome gracious Souls that have better Hearts than Heads (as well as M…n of corrupt Minds, Reprobates concerning the Faith) have u… wares run into downright Antinomian Principles, denying all Growth of … in a Believer, or any Marks of Grace to … laid down in the Scriptures of Truth—… ſuch Principles, and more eſpecially from Practices naturally conſequent on ſuch Principles, may the Lord of all Lords deliver us!
From what then has been ſaid, we may now … what is implied in theſe Words, walked … God, viz. Our having the prevailing En…y of our Hearts taken away by the Power of the Spirit of God; our being actually reconciled and united to him by Faith in Jeſus Chriſt; our having and keeping up a ſettled Communion and Fellowſhip with him; and … making a daily Progreſs in this Fellowſhip, in as to be conformed to the divine Image more and more.—
How this is done, or in other Words, by what Means Believers keep up and maintain their Walk with God, comes to be conſidered under our Second General Head.—
And, Firſt, Believers keep up and maintain their Walk with God, by reading of his Holy Word—Search the Scriptures, ſays our bleſſed Lord, for theſe are they that teſtify of … —And the royal Pſalmiſt tells us, that God's Word was as a Light unto his Feet, and a Lanthorn unto his Paths; and he makes it one Property of a good Man, that his Delight … in the Law of the Lord, and that he exer…es himſelf therein Day and Night—Give thyſelf to Reading, ſays Paul to Timothy; And this Book of the Law, ſays God to Joſhua, ſhall not go out of thy Mouth: For whatſoever was written afore time, was written for our Learning.—And the Word of God is profitable for Reproof, Correction, and Inſtruction in Righteouſneſs, and every way ſufficient to make every true Child of God throughly furniſhed to every good Work.—If we once get above our Bibles, and ceaſe making the written Word of God our ſole Rule, both as to Faith and Practice, we ſhall ſoon lie open to all Manner of Deluſion, and be in great Danger of making Ship-wreck of Faith and a good Conſcience—Our bleſſed Lord, tho' he had the Spirit of God without Meaſure, yet always was governed by, and fought the Devil with an, It is written. This the Apoſtle calls the Sword of the Spirit—We may ſay of it as David ſaid of Goliah's Sword, None like this—The Scriptures are called the lively Oracles of God—Not only becauſe they are generally made uſe of to beget us into new Life, but alſo to keep up and increaſe it in the Soul.—The Apoſtle Peter, in his 2d Epiſtle, prefers it even to ſeeing Chriſt transfigured upon the Mount—For after he had ſaid Chap, i. 18. That the Voice which came from Heaven we heard, when we were with him in the Holy Mount.—He adds, Verſe 19. We have alſo a more ſure Word of Prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take …eed, as unto a Light ſhining in a dark Place, until the Day dawn, and the Day-ſtar ariſe in your Hearts: i. e. Till we ſhake off theſe Bodies, and ſee Jeſus Face to Face—Till we muſt ſee and converſe with him through the Glaſs of his Word.—We muſt make his Teſtimonies our Councellors, and daily, with Mary, ſit at Jeſu's Feet, by Faith hearing his Word. We ſhall then by happy Experience find, that they are Spirit and Life, Meat indeed, and Drink indeed, to our Souls.—
Secondly, Believers keep up and maintain their Walk with God by ſecret Prayer—The Spirit of Grace is always accompanied with the Spirit of Supplication—It is the very Breath of the New-Creature, the Fan of the divine Life, whereby the Spark of holy Fire kindled in the Soul by God, is not only kept in, but raiſed into a Flame—A Neglect of ſecret Prayer, has been frequently an Inlet to many ſpiritual Diſeaſes, and has been attended with fatal Conſequences.—Origen obſerved, That the Day he offered Incenſe to an Idol, he went out of his Cloſet without making uſe of ſecret Prayer—It is one of the Moſt noble Parts of the Believer's ſpiritual Armour—Praying always, ſays the Apoſtle, with all Manner of Supplication—And watch and pray, ſays our Lord, that ye enter not into Temptation—And he ſpake a Parable, that his Diſciples ſhould … not faint—Not that our Lord would have us always upon our Knees, or in our Cloſets, to the Neglect of our other relative Duties—But he means that our Souls ſhould be kept in a Praying-Frame, ſo that we might be able to ſay, as a good Man in Scotland once ſaid to his Friends on a Death-bed, Could theſe Curtains, or could theſe Walls ſpeak, they would tell you what ſweet Communion I have had with my God here.—Oh Prayer, Prayer! It brings and keeps God and Man together—It raiſes Man up to God, and brings God down to Man.—If you wou'd therefore, O Believers, keep up your Walk with God▪ Pray, Pray without ceaſing—Be much in ſecret, ſet Prayer—And when you are about the common Buſineſs of Life, be much in ejaculatory Prayer, and ſend, from time to time, ſhort Letters poſt to Heaven upon the Wings of Faith—They will reach the very Heart of God, and return to you again loaded with ſpiritual Bleſſings.
Holy and frequent Meditation is another bleſſed Means of keeping up a Believer's Walk with God—Prayer, Reading, Temptation, and Meditation, ſays Luther, make a Miniſter—And they alſo make, and keep a Chriſtian—Meditation to the Soul, is the …ame as Digeſtion to the Body—Holy David found it ſo, and therefore he was frequently employed in Meditation, even in the Night Seaſon.—We read alſo of Iſaac's going out into the Fields to meditate in the Evening; or as it is in the Margin to pray—For Meditation is a Kind of ſilent Prayer, whereby the Soul is frequently, as it were, carried out of it ſelf to God, and in a Degree made like unto thoſe bleſſed Spirits, who by a Kind of immediate Intuition always behold the Face of our heavenly Father—None but thoſe happy Souls that have been accuſtomed to this divine Employ, can tell what a bleſſed Promoter of the divine Life Meditation is—Whilſt I was Muſing, ſays David; the Fire kindled—And whi…e the Believer is muſing on the Works and Word of God; eſpecially that Work of Works, that Wonder of Wonders, that Myſtery of Godlineſs, God manifeſt in the Fleſh, the Lamb of God ſlain for the Sins of the World: He frequently feels the Fire of divine Love kindle, ſo that he is obliged to ſpeak with his Tongue, and tell of the Loving-kindneſs of the Lord to his Soul—Be frequent therefore in Meditation all ye that deſire to keep up and maintain a cloſe and uniform Walk with the moſt High God:
Fourthly, Believers keep up their Walk with God, by watching and noting his providential Dealings with them—If we believe the Scriptures, we muſt believe what our Lord hath declared therein, viz. That the very Hairs of his Diſciples Heads are all numbred; and that a Sparrow does not fall to the Ground, either to pick up a Grain of Corn, or when ſhot by a Fowler, without the Knowledge of our Heavenl… Father—Every Croſs has a Ca…l in it, and every particular Diſpenſation of divine Providence, has ſome particular End to anſwer in thoſe to whom it is ſent—If it be of an afflictive Nature, God does thereby ſay, "My Son, keep thy ſelf fr… Idols:" If Proſperous, he does as it were by a ſmall, ſtill Voice, ſay, "My Son, give me thy Heart"—If Believers therefore wou'd keep up their Walk with God, they muſt from time to time hear what the Lord has to ſay concerning them in the Voice of his Providence—Thus we find Abraham's Servant, when he went to fetch a Wife for his Maſter Iſaac, eyed and watched the Providence of God, and by that Means found out the Perſon that was deſign'd for his Maſter's Wife—"For a little Hint from Providence," ſays pious Biſhop Hall, is enough for Faith to feed upon.—And as I believe it will be one Part of our Happineſs in Heaven, to take a View of, and look back upon, the various Links of the Golden-Chain which drew us there; ſo thoſe that enjoy moſt of Heaven below, I believe will be moſt minute in remarking God's various Dealings with them, in reſpect to his providential Diſpenſations here on Earth.—
Fifthly, In order to walk cloſely with God, his Children muſt not only watch the Motions of God's Providence without them, but the Motions alſo of his bleſſed Spirit in their Hearts—As many as are the Sons of God, are led by the Spirit of God, and give up themſelves to be guided by the Holy Ghoſt, as a little Child gives its Hand to be led by a Nurſe or Parent. It is no doubt in this Senſe, that we are to be converted, and become like little Children—And tho' it is the Quinteſcence of Enthuſiaſm, to pretend to be guided by the Spirit without the written Word; yet it is every Chriſtian's bounden Duty to be guided by the Spirit, in Conjunction with the written Word of God—Watch therefore, I pray you, O Believers, the Motions of God's bleſſed Spirit in your Souls, and always try the Suggeſtions or Impreſſions that you may at any time feel, by the unerring Rule of God's moſt holy Word—And if they are not found to be agreeable to that, reject them as diabolical and deluſive—By obſerving this Caution, you will ſteer a middle Courſe between the two dangerous Extremes many of this Generation are in Danger of running into; I mean, Enthuſiaſm, on the one Hand, and Deiſm, and downright Infidelity, on the other.—
Sixthly, Thoſe that would maintain a holy Walk with God, muſt walk with him in Ordinances as well as Providences, &c. It is therefore recorded of Zachary and Elizabeth, that they walked in all God's Ordinances as well as Commandments, blameleſs—And all rightly informed Chriſtians will look upon Ordinances not as beggarly Elements, but as …o many Conduit Pipes, whereby the infinitely condeſcending Jehovah conveys his Grace … their Souls—They will look upon them … Childrens Bread, and as their higheſt Pri… ledges—Conſequently they will be glad when they hear others ſay, Come let us go up to … Houſe of the Lord—They will delight to … the Place where God's Honour dwelleth, … be very eager to embrace all Opportuniti… to ſhew forth the Lord Chriſt's Death till … come.—
Seventhly, and Laſtly, If you would Wal… with God, you muſt aſſociate and keep Company with thoſe that do Walk with him—My Delight, ſays holy David, is in … that do excel in Virtue—They were in his Sight the excellent Ones of the Earth—And the primitive Chriſtians no doubt kept up their Vigour and firſt Love, by continuing in Fellowſhip one with another—The Apoſtle Paul knew this full well, and therefore exhorts the Chriſtians to ſee to it, that they did not forſake the Aſſembling of themſelves together—For how can one …e warm alone… And has not the wiſeſt of Men told us, that … Iron ſharp'neth Iron, ſo doth the Countenance of a Man his Friend? If we look therefore into Church Hiſtory, or make a juſt Obſervation of our own Times, I believe we ſhall find, that as the Power of God prevails, Chriſtian Societies, and Fellowſhip Meetings, prevail proportionably—And as one decays, the other has inſenſibly decayed and dwindled away at the ſame Time—So neceſſary is it for thoſe that wou'd Walk with God, and keep up the Life of Religion, to meet together as they have Opportunity, in order to provoke one another to Love and good Works.—
Proceed we now to the third general Thing propoſed, viz. To offer ſome Motives to excite all to come and walk with God.—
And Firſt, Walking with God is a very honourable Thing—This generally is a prevailing Motive to Perſons of all Ranks, to ſtir them up to any important Undertaking—Oh that it may have its due Weight and Influence with you, in reſpect to the Matter now before us! I ſuppoſe you would all think it a very high Honour to be admitted into an Earthly Prince's Privy Council, to be truſted with his Secrets, and to have his Ear at all Times, and at all Seaſons—It ſeems Haman thought it ſo, when he boaſted, that beſides his being advanced, Eſther v. 11. above the Princes and Servants of the King—Yea, moreover ſaid he, Verſe 12, Eſther the Queen did let no Man come in with the King unto the Banquet that ſhe had prepared, but myſelf; and To-morrow am I invited unto her alſ… with the King—And when afterwards a Queſtion was put to this ſame Haman, Chap. vi. 6. What ſhall be done unto the Man whom the King delighteth to honour? He anſwered, Verſe 8. Let the Royal Apparel be brought which the King uſed to wear, and the Horſe that the King rideth upon, and the Crown Royal which is ſet upon his Head; And Verſe 9. let this Apparel and Horſe be delivered to the Hand of one of the King's moſt noble Princes, that they may aray the Man withal whom the King delights to honour, and bring him on Horſe-back thro' the Street of the City, and proclaim before him, Thus ſhall it be done to the Man whom the King delighteth to-honour.—This was all then it ſeems that an ambitious Haman could aſk, and the moſt valuable Thing that he thought Ahaſuerus, the greateſt Monarch upon Earth, could give—But alas, what is this Honour in Compariſon of that which the meaneſt of thoſe enjoy, that Walk with God! Think ye it a ſmall Thing, Sirs, to have the Secret of the Lord of Lords with you, and to be called the Friends of God? And ſuch Honour have all God's Saints: The Secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and Henceforth, ſays the bleſſed Jeſus, call I you no longer Servants, but Friends; for the Servant knoweth not the Will of his Maſter.—Whatever you may think of it, holy David was ſo ſenſible of the Honour attending a Walk with God, that he declares he had rather be a Door-keeper in his Houſe, than to dwell even in the Tents of Ungodlineſs—Oh that all were like-minded with him!—
But, ſecondly, As it is an honourable, ſo it is a pleaſing Thing to walk with God—The wiſeſt of Men has told us, that Wiſdom's Ways are Ways of Pleaſantneſs, and all her Paths P…ace—And I remember pious Mr. Henry, when he was juſt about to expire, ſaid to a Friend, You have heard many Mens dying Words, and theſe are mine, A Life ſpent in Communion with God, is the pleaſanteſt Life in the World. I am ſure I can ſet to my Seal that this is true.—Indeed I have been liſted under Jeſu's Banner only for a few Years; but I have enjoyed more ſolid Pleaſure in one Moments Communion with my God, than I …hould or could have enjoyed in the Ways of Sin, tho' I had continued to have went on in them for Thouſands of Years—And may I not appeal to all you that fear and walk with God, for the Truth of this? Has not one Day in the Lord's Courts, been better than a Thouſand? In keeping God's Commandments, Have you not found a Preſent and very great Reward? Has not his Word been ſweeter to you than the Honey, or the Honey-comb? Oh what have you felt, when Jacob-like you have been wreſtling with your God? Has not Jeſus often met you when meditating in the Fields, and been made known to you over and over again in Breaking of Bread? Has not the Holy Ghoſt frequently ſhed the divine Love abroad in your Hearts abundantly, and filled you with Joy unſpeakable, even Joy that is full of Glory? I know you will anſwer all theſe Queſtions in the Affirmative, and freely acknowledge the Yoak of Chriſt to be eaſy, and his Burden light; or (to uſe the Words of one of our Collects) That his Service is perfect Freedom—And what need we then any further Motive to excite us to walk with God?
But, methinks, I hear ſome among you ſay, How can theſe Things be? For, if Walking with God, as you ſay, is ſuch an honourable and pleaſant Thing, whence is it, that the Name of the People of this Way is caſt out as Evil, and every where ſpoken againſt? How comes it to paſs that they are frequently afflicted, tempted, deſtitute, and tormented? Is this the Honour, this the Pleaſure that you ſpeak of? I Anſwer, Yes. Stop a while, be not over-haſty, Judge not according to Appearance, but Judge righteous Judgment, and all will be well—It is true, we acknowledge the People of this Way, as you and Paul before you, when a Perſecutor called them, have their Names eaſt out as Evil, and are a Sect every where ſpoken againſt—But by whom? Even by the Enemies of the moſt High God—And do you think it … Diſgrace to be ſpoken Evil of then by them? Bleſſed be God we have not ſo learnt Chriſt—Our Royal Maſter has pronounced thoſe bleſſed, who are Perſecuted, and have all Manner …f Evil ſpoken againſt them falſly—He has … manded them to rejoice and be exceeding glad—For it is a Mark of their Diſcipleſhip, and that their Reward will be great in Heaven—He himſelf was thus treated—And can …here be a greater Honour put upon a Creature, than to be conformed to the ever-bleſſed Son of God? And further, it is equally true, that the People of this Way are frequently afflicted, tempted, deſtitute and tormented. But what of all this? Does this deſtroy the Pleaſure of Walking with God? No, in no wiſe—For thoſe that walk with God, are enabled, thro' Chriſt ſtrengthening them, to joy even in Tribulation, and to rejoice when they fall into divers Temptations.—And I believe I may appeal to the Experience of all true and cloſe Walkers with God, Whether or not their Suffering Times, have not frequently been their ſweeteſt Times, and they enjoyed moſt of God▪ when moſt caſt out and deſpiſed by Men? This we find was the Caſe of Chriſt's primitive Servants, when threatened by the Jewiſh … and commanded to preach no more in the Name of Jeſus, they rejoiced, that they were accounted worthy to ſuffer Shame for the Sake of Jeſus—Paul and Silas ſang Praiſes even in a Dungeon—And the Face of Stephen, that glorious Proto-Martyr of the Chriſtian Church, ſhone like the Face of an Angel—And Jeſus is the ſame now, as he was then, and takes care ſo to ſweeten Sufferings and Afflictions with his Love, that his Diſciples find, by happy Experience, that as Afflictions abound, Conſolations do much more abound.—And therefore theſe Objections, in ſtead of deſtroying, do only more enforce the Motives before urged to excite you to walk with God.—
But ſuppoſing the Objections were juſt, and Walkers with God were as deſpicable and unhappy as you would repreſent them to be; yet I have a third Motive to offer, which, if weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary, will over-weigh all Objections, viz. That there is a Heaven at the End of this Walk—For to uſe the Words of pious Biſhop Beveridge, Tho' the Way be narrow, yet it is not long; and tho' the Gate be ſtrait, yet it opens into everlaſting Life—Enoch found it ſo—He walked with God on Earth, and God took him to ſit down with him for ever in the Kingdom of Heaven—Not that we are to expect to be taken away as he was—No—I ſuppoſe we ſhall all die the common Death of all Men—But after Death, the Spirits of thoſe that have walked … God, ſhall return to God that gave them; … at the Morning of the Reſurrection, Soul … Body ſhall be for ever with the Lord—… Bodies ſhall be faſhioned like unto … glorious Body, and their Souls filled … all the Fulneſs of God—They ſhall …it … Thrones—They ſhall judge Angels—They … be enabled to ſuſtain an exceeding and …rnal Weight of Glory, even that Glory …ich Jeſus Chriſt enjoyed with the Father … the World began—"O gloriam quan…am et qualem," ſays the learned and pious …ndt, juſt before he bowed down his Head, … gave up the Ghoſt—The very Thought … it is enough to make us "Wiſh to leap our … ſeventy Years," as good Doctor Watts ex…eſſes himſelf, and to make us break out into … earneſt Language of the Royal Pſalmiſt; … Soul is a-thirſt for God, yea even for the …ing God. When ſhall I come to appear in the … …liate Preſence of my God? I wonder not … a Senſe of this, when under a more than … …ary Irradiation and Influx of divine Life …d Love, cauſes ſome Perſons even to faint … …ay, and for a time loſe the Power of their …nſes—A leſs Sight than this, even a Sight of …lomon's Glory, made Sheba's Queen; and a …ill leſſer Sight than that, even a Sight of …oſeph's Waggons, made holy Jacob faint, …d for a while, as it were, die away—Daniel, …hen admitted to a diſtant View of this excellent Glory, fell down at the Feet of Angel as one Dead.—And if a diſtant Vi… this Glory be ſo excellent, what muſt the t…l Poſſeſſion of it be? If the firſt Fruits ſo glorious, how infinitely muſt the Ha… exceed in Glory?
And now what ſhall I, or indeed what I well ſay more, to excite you, even you … are yet Strangers to Chriſt, to come and … with God? If you love Honour, Pleaſure, a Crown of Glory, come ſeek it where al… it can be truly found—Come, put ye on … Lord Jeſus—Come, haſte ye away and … with God, and make no longer Proviſion … the Fleſh, to fulfil the Luſt thereof—St… ſtop, O Sinner!—Turn ye, turn ye, O … unconverted Men—For the End of that … you are now walking in, however right it … ſeem in your blinded Eyes, will be Deat… even eternal Deſtruction both of Body … Soul—Make no long tarrying, I ſay: At you… Peril I charge you, ſtep not one Step further on in your preſent Walk—For how knoweſt thou, O Man, … the next Step thou …akeſt may be into He…?—Death may ſeize thee Judgment find thee, and then the great Gulp… will be fixed between thee and endleſs Glory for ever and ever—Oh think of theſe Thing… all ye that are unwilling to come and wal… with God—Lay them to heart—Shew you… ſelves Men, and in the Strength of Jeſus ſa… Farewel Luſt of the Fleſh, I will no more walk with thee! Farewel Luſt of the Eye, and Pride of Life! Farewel carnal Acquaintance, and Enemies of the Croſs, I will no more walk and be intimate with you! Welcome Jeſus, welcome thy Word, welcome thy Ordinances, welcome thy Spirit, welcome thy People, I will henceforth walk with you—Oh that there may be in you … a Mind! God will ſet his Almighty fiat to it, and ſeal it with the Broad Seal of Heaven, even the Signet of his Holy Spirit—Yes he will, tho' you have been walking with, and following after, the Devices and Deſires of your deſperately wicked Hearts, ever ſince you have been born—I the High and Lofty One, ſays the great Jehovah, that inhabiteth Eternity, will dwell with the humble and contrite Heart, …ven with the Man that trembleth at my Word—The Blood, even the precious Blood of Jeſus Chriſt, if you come to the Father in and thro' him, ſhall cleanſe you from all Sin.—
But the Text leads me to ſpeak to you that are Saints, as well as to you that are open or unconverted Sinners—I need not tell you that walking with God is not only honourable, but pleaſant and profitable alſo—For ye know it by happy Experience, and will find it more and more ſo every Day—Only give me leave to ſtir up your pure Minds by Way of Remembrance, and to beſeech you by the Mercies of God in Chriſt Jeſus, to take heed to yourſelves, and walk cloſer with your God, than you have in Days paſt—For the nearer you walk with God, the more you will enjoy of him whoſe Preſence is Life, and be the better prepared, for being placed at his Right Hand, where are Pleaſures for evermore.—Oh do not follow Jeſus afar off!—Oh be not ſo formal, ſo dead and ſtupid in your Attendance on holy Ordinances!—Do not ſo ſhamefully forſake the Aſſembling yourſelves together, or be ſo niggardly, and ſo indifferent about the Things of God—Remember what Jeſus ſays of the Church of Laodicea—Becauſe thou art neither hot nor cold, I will ſpew thee out of my Mouth—Think of the Love of Jeſus, and let that Love conſtrain you to keep near unto him; and tho' you die for him, do not deny him, do not keep at a Diſtance from him in any wiſe.—
One Word to my Brethren in the Miniſtry that are here preſent, and I have done—You ſee my Brethren, my Heart is full—I could almoſt ſay it is too big to ſpeak, and yet too big to be ſilent, without dropping a Word to you—For does not the Text ſpeak in a particular Manner to thoſe who have the Honour of being ſtiled the Ambaſſadors of Chriſt and Stewards of the Myſteries of God? I obſerved at the Beginning of this Diſcourſe, that Enoch in all Probability was a publick Perſon, and aflaming Preacher—Tho' he be dead, does he not yet ſpeak to us, to quicken our Zeal, and make us more active in the Service of our glorious and ever bleſſed Maſter? How did Enoch preach? How did Enoch walk with God, tho' he lived in a wicked and adulterous Generation? Let us then follow him as he followed Jeſus Chriſt, and e're long where he is there ſhall we be alſo—He is now enter'd into his Reſt—Yet a little while and we ſhall enter into ours, and that too, much ſooner than he did—He ſojourned here below Three Hundred Years; but bleſſed be God, the Days of Man are now ſhorten'd, and in a few Days our Work will be over.—The Judge is before the Door—He that cometh will come, and will not tarry—His Reward is with him—And we ſhall all (if we are zealous for the Lord of Hoſts) e're long, ſhine as the Stars in the Firmament, in the Kingdom of our heavenly Father, for ever and ever.—To him, the bleſſed Jeſus, and eternal Spirit, be all Honour and Glory, now, and to all Eternity Amen, and Amen!