him; and that is the best that is the most serviceable to his master: yet with this very great difference, that man being a more noble and capacious creature, is admitted not only into a state of service, but of sonship, and friendship, and communion with God; and is allowed and appointed to share more in the pleasure and fruits of his services, and to put in his own felicity and delight into his end; not only because self-love is natural and necessary to the creature, but also because he is under the promise of a reward; and, (more than either,) because he is a lover, and not only a servant, and his work is principally a work of love, and therefore his end is the end of a lover, which is mutual complacency in the exercises of love.

If

He that seeketh not first the kingdom and righteousness of God, and referreth not other things to him, but seeks first the creature, and God only for it, doth but deny God in his heart, and basely subject him to the works of his own hands, and doth not walk with God, but vilify and reject him. you live not to God, even to obey, and please, and honour him, you do not walk with him, but walk contrary to him, (by living to his enemies, the flesh, the world, and the devil,) and therefore God will "walk contrary to you." You were both created and redeemed, though for your own felicity, yet principally for the glory and pleasure of your Creator and Redeemer; and for no felicity of your own, but what consisteth in pleasing him, glorifying him, and enjoying him: "Whether therefore we eat or drink, or whatever we do, it should all be done to the glory of God." He that regardeth a

day, or regardeth it not; he that eateth not, must do it to the Lord.

eateth, or that And though a

good intention will not sanctify a forbidden action, yet sins of ignorance and mere frailty are forborne and pardoned of God, when it is his glory and service that is sincerely intended, though there be a mistake in the choice of means. "None of us

liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself: for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." Our walking with God is a serious" labouring, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him." To this the love of our Redeemer must constrain us: "For he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again." Religion, therefore, is called the seeking of God, because the soul doth press after him, and labour to enjoy him, as the runner seeks to reach the prize; or as a suitor seeketh the love and fruition of the person beloved. And all the particular acts of religion are oft denominated from this intention of the end, and following after it, and are all called " a seeking the Lord." Conversion is called " a seeking the Lord." "Seek ye the Lord while he may

be found."

"The children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God." "They do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him." Men that are called to conversion, are called to seek God. "Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to

seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." The converted children of "Israel and Judah shall go weeping together to seek the Lord their God." The wicked are described to be men

that" do not seek the Lord."

The holy covenant If therefore you would

walk with God, let him be the mark, the prize, the treasure, the happiness, the heaven itself which you aim at, and sincerely seek. "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God." Glory ye in his holy name. Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

"

Seek the Lord and his

As the life

strength, seek his face for evermore." of a covetous man is a seeking of riches, and the life of an ambitious man is a seeking of worldly honour and applause, so the life of a man that liveth to God, is a seeking him; to please him, honour him, and enjoy him: and so much of this as he attaineth, so much doth he attain of satisfaction and content. If you live to God, and seek him as your end and all, the want of any thing will be tolerable to you, which is but consistent with the fruition of his love. If he be pleased, man's displeasure may be borne. The loss of all things, if Christ be won, will not undo us. Man's condemnation of us signifieth but little, if God the absolute Judge justify us. He walketh not with God, that liveth not to him as his only happiness and end.

4. Moreover our walking with God includeth our -subjection to his authority, and our taking his wisdom and will to be our guide, and his laws in nature and Scripture for our rule. You must not walk with him as his equals, but as his subjects: nor give him

the honour of an ordinary superior, but of the universal King. In our doubts he must resolve us; and in our straits we must ask counsel of the Lord. "Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?" is one of the first words of a penitent soul. When sensual worldlings do first ask the flesh, or those that can do it hurt or good, what they would have them be or do, none of Christ's true subjects do call any man father or master on earth, but in subordination to their highest Lord. The authority of God doth awe them, and govern them more than the fear of the greatest upon earth. Indeed they know no power but God's, and that which he committeth to man. And therefore they can obey no man against God, whatever it cost them: but under God they are most readily and faithfully subject to their governors; not merely as to men that have power to hurt them if they disobey, but as to the officers of the Lord, whose authority they discern and reverence in them. But when they have to do with the enemies of Christ, who usurp a power which he never gave them against his kingdom and the souls of men, they think it easy to resolve the question, "Whether it be better to obey God or men?" As the commands of a rebellious constable, or other fellow-subject, are of no authority against the king's commands; so the commands of all the men on earth are of so small authority with them against the laws of God, that they fully approve of the ready and resolute answer of those witnesses, "We are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, &c. But if not, be it known unto thee,

O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." Worldlings are ruled by their fleshly interest, and wisdom, and self-will, and by the will of man so far as it doth comport with these. By these you may handle them and lead them up and down the world: by these doth Satan hold them in captivity. But believers feel themselves in subjection to a higher Lord, and better law, which they faithfully, though imperfectly, observe. Therefore our walking with God is called a "walking in his law;" a "walking in his statutes, and keeping and doing his commands;" "walking in his paths." It is our "following the Lamb, which way soever he goeth." To be given up to our own heart's lusts, and to walk in our counsels, is contrary to this holy walk with God, and is the course of those that are departed from him: and they that are far from him shall perish: he destroyeth those that go a whoring from him. But it is good for us to draw near to God.

5. Our walking with God doth imply that as we are ruled by his will, so we fear no punishment like his threatened displeasure: and that the threats of death from mortal men, will not prevail with us so much as his threats of hell. If God say, I will condemn thee to everlasting punishment if thou wilt not keep my laws;' and if men say, We will condemn thee to imprisonment or death if thou keep them,' the believer more feareth God than man. The law of the king doth condemn Daniel to the lions' den, if he forbear not to pray for a certain time. But he more feareth God, that will deny those that deny him, and forsake those that forsake