Chrift. The faint that doth not live above the world, he lives beneath himfelf.

7. It is a ftedfaft walk; Be ye ficdfaft and unmoveable, 1 Cor. xv. 58. It is progreflive, and yet ftedfaft; for, as I have formerly obferved, the very word WALKING, imports progrefs and permanency. There is a conftant progrefs in it; "The righteous holdeth on his way, and he that hath clean hands, waxeth fronger and ftronger. The path of the juft is as the fhining light, that fhineth more and more unto the perfect day." True grace is of a growing nature. It is true, the believer may not be fenfible of his growth, as we do not fee ourfelves or others grow; but that we are grown, is plain; neither do we fee how much the light increafes, by every step of the fun's rifing higher; it is by imperceptible inftances or degrees. When power of refifting temptations, and mortifying lufts, which before were too hard for us doth appear, we may fee our growth; as we fee our fhadows are fhortened, when the fun rifes higher, but how much in a minute we fee not; yet it is a progreffive walk. If the believer be not walking forward, he is not walking in Chrift; for, when he walks in Chrift, he is always coming fpeed and this walk in Chrift, or living by faith on him, is the only ftedfaft and abiding life and walk. Though the mariners, when they put to sea, may quickly lofe fight of land, yet they never lofe fight of heaven; how far foever they fail, in whatever tempeft, yet ftill, if they look up, they will fee the fame heaven: even fo, the man that walks in Chrift, and lives by faith, his faith never lofes its fight of its rock; he may lofe fight of land, fight of friends, fight of relations, and enjoyments of time, and all human props; but faith acted, will never lofe fight of God, and Christ, and the promise: though all fenfible enjoyments fly off, yet the man who lives by faith, is at no lofs: What can he lack, who hath him that is ALL IN ALL?

8. It is a familiar walk; So walk ye in him. O! who can walk more familiarly, one with another, than this, for one to walk In another? Walk IN bim! Two cannot walk together, except they be agreed: here is the sweetest agreement and familiarity. There are feveral acts of fa

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miliarity,

miliarity, by which this intimate walk is expreffed in fcripture; and each of them might alfo be matter for our trial, whether we know this familiar walk. There is communion between Chrift and the believer; " Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with the Son, thro' the Spirit. He fups with them, and they with him.". There is communication; "The fecret of the Lord is with them;" and they impart their fecrets to him.There is cohabitation; he dwells in them by his Spirit; "I will put my Spirit within you. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be one in us:" and they dwell in him by faith.-There is co-ambulation; he walks with them, and they walk with him; "He walks in the midft of the golden candlesticks:" they fhall walk with him all the day long.-There is confabulation; he fpeaks to them, and they to him: they converfe together: "Thou Haidt, Seek ye my face; my heart faid unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I feek."-There is mutual vifitation; he vifits them in a way of grace, and they him in a way of duty. There is mutual feafting and banquetting; "He brought me to the banquetting-houfe, and his banner over me was love."-There is mutual falutation and embracement; they greet each other with a holy kifs: "Let him kifs me with the kiffes of his mouth; for his love is better than wine." And they learn to kifs the Son, left he be angry.-But I enlarge not upon these now: what know you of these things, when thus you fee what fort of a walk it is, this walking in Chrift?-Try yourfelves, by fearching into the fcriptural qualities of it.

2dly, Try this walk by the GOSPEL-PROVISION for it. All that know this walk, and truly walk in Chrift, they are provided for the journey: God fends none a warefare on their own charges; nor doth call any to walk in him, without providing them for the way. And there are thefe eight things that travellers need for their journey, and all these things fpiritual travellers have in Chrift; yea, and communicate from him, according to the exigencies of their journey.

1. The traveller muft have a guide to direct him: even fo, if ye walk in Chrift, ye have a guide; Chrift himself is the guide: "This God is our God for ever and ever, and will be our guide even unto death."-He

is

is a fkilful guide, that knows every ftep of the way.-A faithful guide, that doth not mislead his people.—A tender guide, that helps the weak traveller.-And a continual guide, that never leaves them nor forfakes them.Now, what know you of his guiding you by his word and Spirit? Do you ever hear the voice behind you, faying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when you go to the righthand, or to the left? And have you been made to refign yourselves to his conduct?

2. The traveller must have light, for it is hard to walk in the dark; and fight, that his eye may be upon the road for though a traveller have light, yet if he fhut his eyes, or fuffer them to gaud, or to wander, without noticing the way, he is ready to ftumble, or turn afide; fo the spiritual traveller, that walks in Chrift, he gets light and fight: and indeed Chrift himself is his light; for, "He is the light of the world: and his Spirit is given to the believer, as a Spirit of wisdom and revelation; and it is he that gives him fight as well as light, and fixes his eye: hence prays the Pfalmift, "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken me in thy way," Pfal. cxix. 37. Right walking is influenced by the light of the knowledge of Chrift: the more we know of Chrift, the more will we walk in him; yea, and the more we walk in him, the more will we know him: He that doth his will, fhall know his doctrine: they influence one-another. Even as the body warms the cloaths, and then the cloaths warm the body: fo, the knowledge of Chrift leads to gofpel-practice; and gofpel-practice leads to more knowledge.

3. The traveller muft have a cordial, that he faint not by the way: even fo, they that walk in Chrift have a cordial provided; and indeed Chrift, who is the way, is alfo the cordial; for, he is the confolation of Ifrael: and he affords them fometimes ftrong confolation, so as the joy of the Lord is their ftrength. Wifdam's ways are pleafantnefs, though the world reproach it as a melancholy way. Now, what know you of the gofpel-cordial, or of the intimations of divine love, filling your hearts, at fometimes, with joy unfpeakable, and peace that paffeth all natural understanding: This is what he affords,

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affords, now and then, to thofe that walk in him: he hath provided public inus for their refreshment and entertainment; and thefe are the public ordinances of his grace; the banquetting-houfes, where he fatiates and faces his people with himfelf, on the feaft of fat things, even the true bread that cometh down from heaven, and difplays his banner of love over them.

4. The traveller muft have a purfe and money to bear his expences: even fo, they that walk in Chrift, they get unfearchable riches in him; Out of his fulness they receive, and grace for grace: they get what they need, tho' not always what they would; but he is a wife difpenfer, and they have enough in him: yea, are complete in him; in whom is fulnels of merit for their juftification, and fulness of Spirit for their fanctification: Money that cnfwers all things; yea, durable riches and righteoufnefs; riches that will not rot in the grave, nor take the wings of the morning and fly away, as temporal enjoyments do: here is enough to pay all his charges, fatisfy all his creditors, and anfwer all the law-pleas of the devil, of confcience, yea, of juftice, and the law itfelf.-Know you what it is, man, to be fupplied out of this ftock?

5. The traveller must have armour for his journey : even fo, they that walk in Chrift, they get weapons to defend them from robbers and wild beafts, that are ready to bereave them of their life, and of their goods. See the Chriftian's complete armour, Eph. vi. 11,—17. You have the feveral pieces of armour there mentioned; and Chrift himfelf is the great magazine of this military provifion the traveller walks in Chrift, and in him hath all thefe pieces of armour; therefore is called, to be ftrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Are you acquaint with this way of travelling, and walking in arms, depending on the power of a Mediator, to fight all your battles againft fin and Satan?

6. A traveller must have a girdle for his loins, ta keep up his loofe garments, and to keep his loins firm, that he do not weary with the length of his journey: Even fo, they that walk in Chrift, need to gird up the loins of their mind, as the apoftle expreffes it; and to have their loins girt about with truth, Eph. vi. 14. Now,

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as Chrift is the way, fo he is the truth, and can give truth in the inward part; and therefore will provide them of a girdle: "His truth fhall be thy fhield and buckler," Pfal. xci. 4. Spiritual travellers are therefore taught the truth, as it is in Jefus: both the truth, in respect of gofpel-principles; and the truth of God in his promife.

7. The traveller must have fhoes for his feet: even so, they that walk in Chrift, they must have their feet fhod with the preparation of the gofpel of peace; that is, with a heart prepared to adhere to the gofpel, and abide by it: now, this preparation of the heart is from the Lord. Do you find your heart prepared, fortified, and ftrengthened by his grace, notwithstanding of difficulties that are in the way of adhering to his truth, his gofpel, his caufe, and his intereft in the world?

8. The traveller muft have a ftaff in his hand, to help him forward, and to lean upon: even fo, they that walk in Chrift, have a ftaff put in their hand; "Thy rod and thy ftaff, they comfort me," Pfal. xxiii. 4. And, what is the staff they lean upon? CHRIST himself is the main staff; "She goeth up from the wilderness, leaning upon her Beloved." More particularly,

(1.) The ftaff of his all-fufficiency: faith God to Abraham, “I am God all-fufficient, walk before me :" I have enough in myfelf, and enough for every creature; as the fun hath light enough for a whole world, and a fountain of water enough for a whole country. Walk before me: if you want light, you will look to the fun; if you want water, you will go to the fpring; and fo, if you want any good, will you not look up to me, who am goodness itfelf, and infinitely able to fuccour; Allfufficiency itself, and infinitely able to fupply? There is a strong staff.

(2.) The staff of his promife; as when God fays, “I "I am thy fhield, and thy exceeding great reward: Fear not, for I am with thee; I will uphold thee with the right-hand of my righteousnefs." Not only have I all good, all-fuffi ciency, but there is a promife, might he fay, that all the good I can do, I will do it for thee. There is no particular want of the believer, but hath a particular promife. If you knew a man to be fufficient, and to

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