himself; as the inspired Psalmist speaks: "Righteousness shall go before him, and shall set us in the way of his steps." Now this way of righteousness, revealed in the sacred scriptures, is the rule of a godly life: he who walketh according to God's law, is said to walk before God, (compare 1 Kings viii. 25. with 2 Chron. vi. 16.) So that he who walketh according to God's will in the various changes and conditions of life, keeping himself to this rule, walketh with God.

3. He that liveth a godly life, walketh after the Spirit, not after the flesh. He is "led by the Spirit of God," having him for his guide; wherefore in this respect also he is said to walk with God.

4. He that walketh with God, sees, by the eye of faith, God present with him in all his actions; seriously thinking of him upon all occasions, remembering him in his ways, setting the Lord always before him, as David did; seeing him that is invisible, as Moses did; doing all things, as St. Paul did, as of God, in the sight of God. Now he who so walketh that he always observeth God's presence, and keepeth him still in his view in the course of his life, not only with a general and habitual, but, as much as he can, with an actual intention to please and glorify God, this man may be said to walk with God.

Thus you may know when you walk with God: (1.) When you daily go on to repent of sins past, believe in Jesus Christ for pardon, and believe his word for direction. (2.) When you walk not according to the will of man, but of God. (3.) When you walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

(4.) When you set God before you, and walk as in his sight, then you walk with, before, after, and according to God: for all these are understood in

one sense.

That you may walk with God, consider these arguments farther to convince and induce

you.

II. Reasons why Christians should walk with God.

1. You are commanded to walk as Christ walked; and it concerns you so to do, if you would approve yourself to be a member of his body: for it is monstrous, nay, impossible, that the head should go one way, and the body another. Now, our Saviour himself observed all these methods of walking with God, justifying faith and repentance only excepted, because he was without sin.

For

2. It is all which the Lord requireth of you, for all his love and goodness shown unto you, in creating, preserving, redeeming, and saving you. what doth the Lord require of you, but to "do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

3. If you walk with God, and keep close to him, you will be sure to go in the right way, in that good old way, which is called the way of holiness; in a most straight, most sure, and (to a spiritual man) most pleasant way, the paths of which are peace; the very happiness and rest of the soul. God teacheth his children to choose this way. And if

they happen to err, or to doubt of their way, they shall hear the voice of God's Spirit behind them, saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

4. If you walk with God, you shall walk safely; you will not need to fear, though ten thousand set themselves against you; for his presence is with is with you, and for you. His holy angels encamp about you; and while you walk in his ways, they are charged to support you, lest you should receive any harm.

5. When you walk with God (though you be alone, separate from all other society) you still walk with the best company, even such whereof there is most need, and best use. While God and you walk together, you have an advantage above all that walk not with him; for you have a blessed opportunity of a holy acquaintance with God, which is expressed. You have opportunity to speak unto him, praying with assurance of a gracious hearing. Abraham and his faithful servant made use of their

walking with God for these purposes. Is it not a special favour that the most high God, whose throne is in heaven, should condescend to walk on earth with sinful man? nay, rather to call up man from earth to heaven, to walk with him? It would be therefore shameful ingratitude not to accept this offer, and not to obey this charge.

6. To set the Lord always in your sight, is an excellent preservative and restraint from sin. With this shield Joseph did repel and quench the fiery darts of the temptations of his designing mistress. For who is so foolish, and shameless, as wilfully to transgress the just laws of a father, king, and judge, knowing that he is present, and observes him with detestation if he so do?

7. To set the Lord always before you, is an excellent remedy against spiritual sloth and negligence

in duties, and it is a sharp spur to quicken, and make you diligent and abundant in the work of the Lord. What servant can be slothful and careless in his master's sight? And what master will keep a servant that will not observe him, and do his commands, while he himself looketh on.

8. Walking with God in manner aforesaid, doth exceedingly please God. It also pleases God's holy angels. It pleases God's faithful ministers, and doth please and strengthen all the good people of God, with whom you do converse. It is to "walk worthy of God in all well pleasing."

9. Thus walking with God, you shall be assured of God's mercy and gracious favour. He keepeth "covenant and mercy with all his servants, that walk before him with all their heart.” When you

There is no condem

Your flesh, when For to them that set

do thus walk in the light, you have a gracious fellowship with God, and "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth you from all sin." nation to you who thus walk. you die, shall rest in hope. God before them, he doth show the path of life, which will bring them into his glorious presence, where are fulness of joys, and pleasures for evermore.

Any one of these motives, seriously thought upon by a humble Christian, is enough to persuade him to this holy walking with God.

Notwithstanding, it is sad to consider, how few there be who walk thus. For most men seek not after God, God is not in all their thoughts; they walk in the vanity of their minds, after, their own lusts; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life; walking according to the course

of this world, according to the will of Satan, the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; who refuse to return, or to call themselves into question concerning their ways, though God doth wait and hearken for it, no, not so much as to say, What have we done? but every one runneth to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.

Now, concerning all that walk thus contrary to God, God hath said, that he will set his face against them, and punish them seven times; even with many and sore plagues. And if yet they will walk contrary to him, he will walk contrary to them in fury, and punish them seven times more for their sins. And if yet they will walk in impenitency, notwithstanding God's offer of mercy to them in Christ, St. Paul could not speak of such with dry eyes, but peremptorily pronounceth that their end is destruc

tion.

Weigh well, therefore, these premises; compare the way, wherein you walk with God, with all other ways; compare this company with all other company, and the issues and end of this way with the issues and end of all other ways, and the proper choice of your walk will easily and quickly be made.

Thus much may be said in general of walking with God.

III. Walking with God, to be Constant and

Universal.

The commandment to walk with God is indefinite, without limitation, therefore must be understood to