2. There is requii"ed acquaintance, also, to walking together. Two may meet together in the same way, and have no quarrel between them, no enmity ; but if they are mere strangers one to another, they 2^88 by without the least communion together. It doth not suffice that the enmity betwixt God and us be taken away; we must also have acquaintance given us with him. Our not knowing of him is a great cause and a great part of our enmity. Our understandings are " darkened," and we are " alienated from the life of God," etc., Eph. iv. 18. This also, then, must be added, if we ever come to walk with God, which is our wisdom. And this also is hid in the Lord Christ, and comes forth from him. It is true there are sundry other means, * as his word and his works, that God hath given the sons of men, to make a discoveiy of himself unto them, and to give them some acquaintance with him, that, as the apostle speaks. Acts xvii. 27, "they should seek the Lord, if haply they might find him;" but yet, as that knowledge of God which we have by his works is but very weak and imperfect, so that which we have by the word, the letter of it, by reason of our blindness, is not saving to us if we have no other help; for though that be Hght as the sun in the firmament, yet if we have no eyes in our heads, what can it avail us? — no saving- acquaintance with him, that may direct us to walk with him, can be obtained. This also is hid in the Lord Jesus, and comes forth from him, 1 John v. 20, " He hath given us an understanding, that we should know him that is true ;" — all other light whatever without his giving us an understanding, will not do it. He is the true Light, which lighteth every one that is enlightened, John i. 9. He opens our under- standings that we may understand the Scriptures, Luke xxiv. 45 ; — none hath known God at any time, " but he hath revealed him," John i. 18. God dwells in that " light which no man can approach unto," 1 Tim. vi. 1 6. None hath ever had any such acquaintance with him as to be said to have seen him, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Hence he tells the Phai'isees, that notwithstanding all their great knowledge which they pretended, indeed they had " neither heard the voice of God at any time, nor seen his shape," John V. 37. They had no manner of spiiitual acquaintance with
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God, but lie was unto them as a man whom they liad never heard nor seen. There is no acquaintance with God, as love, and full of kindness, patience, grace, and pardoning mercy (on which knowledge of him alone we can walk with him), but only in Christ; but of this fully before. This, then, also is hid in him.
3. There must, moreover, be a luay wherein we must walk with God. God did at the beginning assign us a path to walk in Avith him, even the path of innocency and exact holiness, in a covenant of works. This path, by sin, is so filled with thorns and briers, so stopped up by curses and wrath, that no flesh living can take one step in that path ; a new way for us to walk in must be found out, if ever we think to hold communion with God. And this also lies upon the former account. It is hid in Christ. All the world cannot, but hy and in him, discover a path that a man may walk one step mth God in. And therefore the Holy Ghost tells us that Christ hath conse- crated, dedicated, and set apart for that purpose, " a new and living way" into the holiest of all, Heb. x. 20; a new one, for tlie first, old one was useless ; a living one, for the other is dead : therefore, saith he, verse 22, " Let us draw near;" having a way to walk in, let us draw near. And this way that he hath prepared is no other but himself, John xiv. 6. In answer to them who would go to the Father, and hold communion with him, he tells them, " I am the way ; and no man cometh to the Father but by me." He is the medium of all communication between God and us. In him we meet, in him we walk. All influences of love, kindness, mercy, from God to us, are through him; all our returns of love, delight, faith, obedience unto God, are all through him; — he being that " one way" God so often promiseth his people: and it is a glorious way, Isa. xxxv. 8, — a high way, a way of holiness, a way that none can err in that once enter it; which is farther set out, Isa. xlii. 16. All other ways, all paths but this, go down to the chambers of death; they all lead to walk contrary to God.
4. But suppose all this, — that agreement be made, acquaintance given, and a way provided ; yet if we have no strength to walk in that way, what will all this avail us? This also, then, must be added; of ourselves we are of no strength, Rom. v. 6, — poor weaklings, not able to go a step in the ways of God. When we are set in the way, either we throw ourselves down, or temptations cast us down, and we make no progress: and the Lord Jesus tells us plainly, that " without him we can do nothing," John xv. 5 ; not any thing at all that shall have the least acceptation with God. Neither can all the creatures in heaven and earth yield us the least assistance. Men's contending to do it in their own power, comes to nothing. This part of this Avisdom also is hid in Christ. All strength to walk with God is from him. " I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me,"