visible benefactors, which their hearts depend upon and thank. It were a shame to them to be so plain as Pharaoh, and to say, "Who is the Lord?" or to speak as openly as Nebuchadnezzar, and say, "Is not this great Babylon that I have built, by the might of my power," &c. (Dan. iv. 30.) Yet the same atheism and self-idolizing is in their hearts, though it be more modestly and cunningly expressed. Hence it is that they that walk with God, have all their receivings sanctified to them, and have in all a divine and spiritual sweetness, which those that take them but as from creatures, do never feel or understand.

12. Lastly, It is contained in our walking with God, that the greatest business of our lives be with him, and for him. It is not a walk for compliment or recreation only, that is here meant; but it is a life of nearness, converse, and employment, as a servant or child that dwelleth with his master or father in the house. God should be always so regarded, that man should stand by as nothing, and be scarce observed in comparison of him. We should begin the day with God, and entertain him in the first and sweetest of our thoughts: We should walk abroad and do our works as in his sight: We must resolve to do no work but his, no not in our trades and ordinary callings: We must be able to say, It is the work which my Master set me to do, and I do it to obey and please his will. At night we must take an account of ourselves, and spread open that account before him, desiring his acceptance of what was well, and his pardon for what we did amiss, that we may thus be ready for our last account. In a word, though men be our fellow-labourers and companions, yet the principal business of our care and diligence, must be our Master's service in the world. And therefore we must look about us, and discern the opportunities of serving him, and of the best improvement of his talents; and must make it our daily study and business, to do him the greatest service we are able, whatever it may cost us through the malice of the enemies, being sure our labour shall not be in vain, and that we cannot serve him at too dear a rate. It is not as idle companions, but as servants, as soldiers, as those that put forth all their strength, to do his work and reach the crown, that we are called to walk with God. And all this is done,

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

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 self-abasement. 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." (Heb. xii. 28, 29.) 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." (Lev. x. 3.) Unreverence sheweth 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. (Ephes. ii. 13.) "For he is our peace, who hath taken down the partition, and abolished

the enmity, and reconciled Jew and Gentile unto God." (ver. 14-16.) 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." (ver. 18, 19.) "In him we have boldness and access with confidence by the belief of him." (Ephes. iii. 12.) 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." (Heb. x. 19–22. 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." (Heb. iv. 14—16.) 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 admirations 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

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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, "My meditation of him shall be sweet, and I will be glad in the Lord." (Psal. civ. 34.) "In the multitude of my thoughts within me (my sorrowful, troublesome, weary thoughts) thy comforts do delight my soul." (Psal. xciv. 19.) Let others take pleasure in childish vanity or sensuality, but say thou as David, "I have 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." (Psal. cxix. 14-16.47.) Let scorners delight in scorning, and fools hate knowledge," (Prov. i. 22,) but "make me to go in the path of thy commandments, for therein do I delight." (Psal: cxix. 35.) 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." (Psal. xxxvii. 4.) 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 may we with the holy apostle be "in the Spirit on the Lord's day," (Rev. i. 10,)" 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," (Isa. lviii. 13, 14,) 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 hypo

crite, 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." (Eccles. v. 1—3.) 66 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." (2 Chron. xv. 2.) "Up and be doing, and the Lord will be with you.” (1 Chron. xxii. 16.) 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." (Josh. xxii. 5.)

5. Our walking with God is a matter of some constancy: It signifieth our course and trade of life, and not some accidental action on 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 family, and do his work. It is not only to step and speak with him, or cry to him for mercy in some great extremity, or to go to church for company or custom, or think or talk of him sometimes heartlessly on the by, as a man will talk of news, or matters that are done in a foreign land, or of persons that we have little to do with: But it is to "be always with him." (Luke xv. 31.) "To seek first his kingdom and righteousness." (Matt. vi. 33.) "Not to labour (comparatively) for the food that perisheth, but for that which endureth to everlasting life." (John vi. 27.) "To delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate in it day and night." (Psal. i. 2.) That his "words be in our hearts, and that we teach them diligently to our children, and talk of them sitting in the house, and walking by the way, lying down, and rising up," &c. (Deut. vi. 6 8.) That "we pray continually." (1 Thess. v. 17.) "And in all things give thanks." But will the hypocrite delight himself in the Almighty, or will he always call upon God?" (Job xxvii. 10.) His goodness is as the morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away." (Hos. vi. 4.)

So much of the description of this walking with God.'