Now, this moral obedience he refers to three heads: — Doing justly ; loving mercy ; and walking humbly with God.
How the two first are comprehensive of our whole duty in respect of men, containing in them the sum and substance of the second table, I shall not stay to declare.
It is the third head that I have fixed on, which peculiarly regards the first table and the moral duties thereof.
Concerning this I shall do these three things: — T. I shall show what it is to walk with God. II. What it is to walk humbly with God. III. Prove this proposition : Humble walking with God, as our God in covenant, is the great duty and most valuable concern- ment of believers.
I. As to our walking with God, some things are required to it, and some things are required in it:—
1. Some things are required to it; as, —
(1.) Peace and agreement. Amos iii. 3, " Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" And he tells us, that walking with God, when there is no peace with him, is like walking in a forest where and when the lion roareth, verse 8, — when a man can have no thoughts but what are full of expectation of his immediately being torn asun- der and devoured. So God threateneth to deal with them that pre- tend to walk with him, and yet are not at peace with him, Ps. 1. 22, " Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and
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there be none to deliver." Who are these? Those to whom he speaks, verse 1 6, " But unto the wicked, God saith : " the exceptive " but/' distinguishes them from those of whom he spoke before, verse 5, who had made a covenant with him by sacrifice, and so obtained j)eace in the blood of Christ. When Cain and Abel went into the field together, and were not agreed, the issue was, that the one slew the other. When Joram met Jehu in the field, he cried, " Is it peace?" and finding by his answer that they were not agreed, he instantly flew, and cried out for his life. " "Agree/ saith our Saviour, ' with thine adversary whiles thou art in the way/ lest the issue be sad to thee."
You know at what enmity God and man do stand, whilst he is in the state of nature. They are alienated from God by wicked works, — are enemies ; and their carnal mind is enmity to him, Rom. viii. 7 ; and his wrath abideth on them, John iii. 36; — they are children of his wrath, Eph. ii. 3. Were I to pursue this head in particulars, I could manifest from the rise and first breach, from the consider- ation of the parties at variance, the various ways of managing of it, and its issue, that this is the saddest enmity that can possibly be apprehended. You know, also, what our peace and agreement with God is, and whence it doth arise. Christ is "our peace," Eph. ii. 14. He hath made an end of the difference about sin, Dan. ix. 24. He hath made peace for us with God; and by our interest in him, we, who were afar off, are made nigh, and obtain peace, Rom. v. 1 ; Eph. ii. 14, 15.
This, then, I say, in the first place, is required to our walking with God, — that we are at peace with him, and agreement in the blood of Christ ; — that we are by faith actually interested in the atonement ; — that our persons are accepted, as the foundation of the acceptation of our duties. Without this, every attempt for walking with God in obedience, or the performance of any duties, is, —
[1.] Fruitless. All that men do is lost. " The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination ; " their holy things are dung, which God will re- move. In all their duties they labour in the fire; not any of their works shall turn to their eternal account. God looks on all their duties as the gifts of enemies, that are selfish, deceitful, and, of all things, to be abhorred. Such men may have their reward in this life ; but as to what they aim at, their pains are lost, their hearing is lost, their alms are lost, — all is fruitless.
[2.] Presumptuous. They put themselves upon the company of God, who hates them, and is hated by them. Ps. 1. 16, "But unto the wicked saith God" (this is God's language to them in their duties), " Thou bold, presumptuous rebel, what hast thou to do to take my name in thy mouth? Why dost thou howl thus before me, and offer
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swine's blood in my presence? How earnest thou hither, not having a wedding garment? I hate thy most solemn oblations." Indeed, it will be found at the issue, that intolerable presumption lies at the bottom of all unregenerate men's attempts to walk with God. They count it a slight thing to do so ; — they deal with him as one that took very little notice how he is dealt withal.