54 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. XXII.
2. Positively, what is walking with Grod ? There are two terms in the scripture ; there is ' walking ; ' and then walking ' with God/
[1.] Walking, that doth imj^ly a way, and some motion in that way.
(1.) There must be a way. If we walk with God, it must be in his own ways. Now there are several ways of God ; there are ways in which God walks to us, as Ps. xxv. 10, ' All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth.' It is meant of the ways of his providence and dispensations to us ; they are all stamped with the character of mercy and truth. And then there are ways in which we walk to God, and with God, and those are spoken of: Isa. ii. 3, ' He will teach us his ways.' And what is that way ? that is his revealed will in the word. All our steps are but acts of obedience, conformed to the will of God ; our whole course is a declining of evil and doing of good. We walk alone when we go out of the broad path and road of duty : Ps. cxxv. 5, ' They that turn aside to crooked ways shall be led forth with the workers of iniquity.' When they are in any crooked deviations of spirit, Avhich are constant and allowed, they are none of those that God will keep company wuth. God holds communion with us in all his ways. It is a mistake to think our communion with God is only when we are practising duties of the first table, in the exercises of religion; then we do more intimately converse wnth him in meditation, prayer, and hearing. This is indeed the heaven of a christian ; but God holds communion with us also in the necessary duties of our calling — in the shop, as well as in the closet. A man walks with God, it is true, as travellers sometimes may sit down and refresh themselves, but all the day they keep company. That is somewhat like communion w^ith God in ordinances ; but all the day we should keep God company. It is the dotage of foolish men to think all the world must be turned into a cloister, or we can have no company with God. We are indeed to sequester ourselves from the distractions of the world, but not from the employment of the world. There must be an even hand, that we may converse with God in worship, and in the duties of our calling : piety must not make us lazy, nor yet frugal diligence profane.
(2.) Walking doth not only imply choice of a way, but motion. lu this motion there are two things — diligence and progress. (1.) An active diligence. Speculation doth not make us christians ; no, nor a naked profession. We have a race to run ; God cannot endure idlers, and those that merely dress up a profession. Deeds speak louder than words in God's ear ; therefore there must be much spiritual diligence to pre- vent what is displeasing to God, and to practise what is acceptable. Treacherous nature is always apt to draw back and fly out, therefore we had need make a solemn covenant with our mind, will, and senses; with our mind, that we may not think evil, and provoke God with our thoughts ; and with our wills, that we do not consent to evil ; with our senses, that they may not be inlets to a temptation — all must be under the coercion of a severe discipline : Pro v. iv. 23, ' Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.' Christianity was never made for idle ones and lazy persons ; as a bird in the air must always be moving on the wing, so w^e must be always in our flight and motion. There must be a constant diligence to guard the heart, to bring it to a serious performance of the duties of religion, and to keep it upright in duty. (2.) A progress. He that walks makes more steps than one ; so a christian is in a continual journey, and God is in his company. Now
VeR. 5.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 55
we must make a continual progress. It is said, Ps. Ixxxiv. 7, ' They shall go from strength to strength, till they appear before C4odiii Zion.' The original word is, they shall go on from troop to troop ; for it is an allusion to the solemn journey to the temple thrice a year. This was their ambition, who should outreach one another. When they had overtaken one ti'oop, they strove to overtake the other troop : so in their solemn journey to heaven they shall gather new strength and courage, till they come to the triumphant church, and appear before God in Zion. A christian in his journey is like a man going up a sandy hill, if he doth not go forward, he goes backward ; so we go backward when we do not make effectual progress ; or like a man rowing against the tide, if he do not ply the oar, he goes backward — if there be not an effectual progress, there will be a sensible decay.