1. The matter. To walk with God is to live an holy life, Gen. V. -22.
2. The modus or manner — liumbly ; or, as the word may be tran- slated, ' Humble thyself to walk with God ; ' i.e., with that submission and reverence which will become such a God. Humility is a voluntary debasement of soul before God, arising from a sense of his greatness and our vileness.
Doct. Walking humbly with God is our great duty, which distin- guisheth the sincere from the hypocrites. I shall show you —
1. What it is.
2. What reasons may enforce it. First, What it is, or what it containeth.
1. A ready submitting or subjection of ourselves to all God's com- mands. Sin biddeth a defiance to God and disowneth his authority ; therefore, Ps. cxix. 21, the proud are described to be those ' that err from God's commandments.' Wicked men shake off the yoke of God, and will not be subject to their maker : Exod. v. 2, ' Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?' This is the language of men's actions, if it be not of their tongues. EvTry wilful sin hath a great deal of pride in it, for it is a lifting up our will against the will of our creator, and so a depreciation or contempt of God's majesty and sovereign authority, and disowning his interest in us: 2 Sam. xii. 9, 'Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do that which is evil in his sight ? ' So Ps. xii. 4, ' With our tongue will we prevail ; our lips are our own : who is lord over us ? ' So it is charged, Neh. ix. 16, ' Our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to God's commandments.' Sin is a pride against God himself. When the prophet inviteth them to repentance, he saith, Jer. xiii. 15, ' Hear ye, and give ear ; be not proud ; ' that is, break off your obstinacy and contempt of God. We humble ourselves then to walk with God when we lie at God's feet, desiring to know his pleasure, claiming no power over ourselves, or anything that we have, but en- tirely submit ourselves to be commanded and governed by him. There are two branches of this ready obedience — (1.) A fear to offend ; (2.) A care to please.
[1.] A tear to offend so great and glorious a majesty, Heb. xi. 28, 29. The more holy any is, the more humble in this sense ; that is, more tender of doing anything that is displeasing to God : as it is said of Michael, the archangel, ovk iT6\fjbr)<T€, Jude 9, ' He durst not bring against him a railing accusation,' <fec. So Prov. xiii. 13, 'Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed ; but whoso feareth the command- ment shall be rewarded.' There is nothing of less account with the carnal-minded than a commandment ; but there is an holy awe upon the gracious ; they dare not proceed if a commandment stop their way.
40G SERMONS OX MECAH VI. 8.
The anthonty of Grod is more than if an angel should stand in the wny to hinder them with a drawn sword. They dare not go over the belly of a commandment to enjoy the things they most affect. This is the first branch, a reverence of God's authority.
[2.] The other is a care to please, or an holy solicitude to approve themselves and their lives to God : Col. i. 10, * Walk worthy of God. unto all pleasing.' He is a God too great to be slighted or negligently nerved, or put off with a little superficial religiousness done by the by. No ; the whole drift and bent of their lives and their chief endeavour is to be well-pleasing unto God : 2 Cor. v. 9, ' Therefore we labour, that, whether present or ab.sent, we may be accepted of him.' And they are still improving themselves herein, and striving to come out of their first weakness ; they cannot satisfy themselves with what they have done : 1 Thes. iv. 1, ' As you have received how to walk, and how to please God, so you would abound therein more and more.' They daily grow better, and mend upun the hand. Surely this is not service be- coming the great God. They are troubled that they know him so little, love him no more, serve him no better ; and therefore still are exciting themselves to more growth and progress in godliness. This is the first and great thing which is included in humbling ourselves to walk with God.
2. It consisteth in a patient contentedness with every condition God bringeth us into; for as we are to subject ourselves to be governed by God's commanding will, so we are to submit oiu'selves to be ordered by his disposing will. Those that would walk with God must follow him wheresoever he leadeth them. They are called to his foot, Isa. xli. 2, to go to and fro at his command as he should appoint them, or sub- mit to l3e disposed of according to his will. And herein consists true humility, meekly to submit to God's corrections, or to humble ourselves under his mighty hand, 1 Peter v. 8. Murmurings are the fruit of pride. The devil, the proudest creature in the woi-ld, is the most discon- tented with his condition. They whose souls are lifted up are opposed to the just who live by faith: Hab. ii. 11, 'Behold his soul, which is lifted up, is not upright in him ; but the just shall live by his faith.' Afflictions are in themselves humbling occasions ; but where they light upon hypocrites, it discovereth their pride and swelling against God's sovereignty that he should have the disposing of us at his pleasure ; whereas the humble and upright soul submits to God, and waiteth for him in the hardest and straitest condition. Therefore, if we would humble ourselves to walk with God, we must be contented with his conduct, that he may lead us to heaven in a way best pleasing to him- self, not thinking ourselves worthy of any better condition than he seeth fit to bring us into ; nor murmuring against it if it be hard and pressing ; yea, accepting the punishment of our iniquity. Lev, xxvi. 41 ; glad it is no worse with us ; for then, and never till then, are our hearts humbled : Ezra ix. 13, ' Thou hast punished us less than we have deserved.' If we are in Babylon, remember we might have been in hell.