done, though not in the same degree by all, yet according to the measure of their holiness, by every one that lives by faith.

CHAP. II.

The Manner of Walking with God.

HAVING told you what it is to walk with God, as to the matter of it, I shall more briefly tell you as to the manner. The nature of God, of man, and of the work, will tell it you.

1. That our walk with God must be with the greatest reverence: were we ever so much assured of his special love to us, and never so full of faith and joy, our reverence must be never the less for this. Though love cast out that guilty fear which discourageth the sinner from hoping and seeking for the mercy which would save him, and which disposeth him to hate and fly from God, yet doth it not cast out that reverence of God which we owe him as his creatures, so infinitely below him as we are. It cannot be that God should be known and remembered as God, without some admiring and awful apprehensions of him. Infiniteness, omnipotency, and inaccessible majesty and glory, must needs affect the soul that knoweth them, with reverence and selfabasement. Though "we receive a kingdom that cannot be moved," yet if we will " serve God acceptably," we must "serve him with reverence and godly fear," as knowing he " is our God," so he is

also a "consuming fire." We must so worship him as those that remember that we are worms and guilty sinners, and that he is most high and holy, and will be "sanctified in them that come nigh him, and before all the people he will be glorified." Irreverence showeth a kind of atheistical contempt of God, or else a sleepiness and inconsiderateness of the soul. The sense of the goodness and love of God, must consist with the sense of his holiness and omnipotency. It is presumption, pride, or blockish stupidity, which excludeth reverence; which faith doth cause and not oppose.

2. Our walking with God must be a work of humble boldness and familiarity. The reverence of his holiness and greatness, must not overcome or exclude the sense of his goodness and compassion, nor the full assurance of faith and hope. Though by sin we are enemies and strangers to God, and stand afar off, yet in Christ we are reconciled to him, and brought near. "For he is our peace, who hath taken down the partition, and abolished the enmity, and reconciled Jew and Gentile unto God." "And through him we have all an access to the Father by one Spirit. We are now no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the household of God." "In him we have boldness and access with confidence by the belief of him.” Though of ourselves we are unworthy to be called his children, and may well stand afar off with the publican, and not dare to lift up our faces towards heaven, but smite our breasts, and say, "O Lord, be merciful to me a sinner." Yet "have we boldness to enter into the holiest, by the blood of Jesus,

by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. And having an High Priest over the house of God, we may draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." Therefore whensoever we are afraid at the sight of sin and justice, let us remember that "we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, even Jesus the Son of God. And therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." He that alloweth us to walk with him, doth allow us such humble familiarity as beseemeth those that walk together with him.

3. Our walking with God must be a work of some holy pleasure and delight. We may willingly be dragged into the presence of an enemy, and serve as drudges upon mere necessity or fear. But walking together is the loving and delightful converse of friends. When we take sweet counsel of the Lord, and set him always at our right hand, and are glad to hear from him, and glad to speak to him, and glad to withdraw our thoughts from all the things and persons in the world, that we may solace ourselves in the contemplations of his excellency, and the admiration of his love and glory, this is indeed to walk with God. You converse with him as with a stranger, an enemy, or your destroyer, and not as with God, while you had rather be far from him, and only tremble in his presence, and are glad when you have done and are got away, but have no delight or pleasure in him. If we can take delight in our walking with a friend, a friend that is truly loving and constant, a friend that is learned, wise and holy!

if their wise and heavenly discourse be better to us than our recreations, meat, or drink, or clothes! What delight then should we find in our secret converse with the most high, most wise and gracious God! How glad should we be to find him willing and ready to entertain us! How glad should we be that we may employ our thoughts on so high and excellent an object! What cause have we to say,

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My meditation of him shall be sweet, and I will be glad in the Lord." "In the multitude of my thoughts within me (my sorrowful, troublesome, weary thoughts) thy comforts do delight my soul." Let others take pleasure in childish vanity or sensuality, but say thou as David, "I haye rejoiced in the ways of thy commandments, as much as in all riches: I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways: I will delight myself in thy statutes, and will not forget thy word. I will delight myself in thy commandments which I have loved." Let 66 scorners delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge," but "make me to go in the path of thy commandments, for therein do I delight.” If thou wouldst experimentally know the safety and glory of a holy life," delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desire of thy heart." Especially when we draw near him in his solemn worship, and when we separate ourselves on his holy days from all our common worldly thoughts, to be conversant, as in heaven, with the blessed God; then we may with the holy Apostle, be " in the Spirit on the Lord's day." "And if we turn away our foot from the Sabbath, from doing our pleasure on that holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy

of the Lord, honourable, and shall honour him, not doing our own ways, nor finding our own pleasure, nor speaking our own words, then shall we delight ourselves in the Lord," and understand how great a privilege it is, to have the liberty of those holy days and duties, for our sweet and heavenly converse with God.

4. Our walking with God must be a matter of industry and diligence. It is not an occasional idle converse, but a life of observance, obedience, and employment, that this phrase importeth. The sluggish, idle wishes of the hypocrite, whose hands refuse to labour, are not this walking with God; nor "the sacrifice of fools," who are hasty to utter the overflowings of their fantasy before the Lord, while they "keep not their foot, nor hearken to the law, nor consider that they do evil." "He that cometh to God, and will walk with him, must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him: God is with you while you are with him, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”. Up, and be doing, and the Lord will be with you." If you would meet with God in the way of mercy, "take diligent heed to do the commandment and law, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart, and with all your soul."

5. Our walking with God is a matter of some constancy; it signifieth our course and trade of life, and not some accidental action by the by. A man may walk with a stranger for a visit, or in compliment, or upon some unusual occasion; but this walk with God, is the act of those that dwell with him in his