THERE are yet some farther inferences remaining from the subject we have been upon.

IV. Inference. Since it belongs to the state of persons living in the Spirit to walk in the Spirit; then we have great reason to admire the grace of the Spirit, that renders this a possible thing to us, to walk under its constant governing influence. But this I shall not insist upon, because there is no part or work and office of the Holy Ghost in reference to the spirits of men, on which we have insisted already, but hath given us some occasion to reflect upon its wonderful vouchsafement, that it would have so much to do with such as we are. But as this occasion is renewed to us of considering it, we should renew our observation and admiration of its strange condescension in this thing. For would any of us deign to be obliged to have from day to day the guiding and conducting of all the motions of a worm? And we do not need to be told, how much less considerable we are in reference to the great God and the blessed Spirit, than any the most despicable worm is to us.

V. Inference. Since it belongs unto the state of persons that own themselves christians or to live in the Spirit, (for to own Christianity, and to pretend to a life in the Spirit, is all one; those that profess themselves christians, do not profess

* Preached May 1, 1678.

themselves dead christians, but living ones;) since it belongs, I say, to such to walk in the Spirit; then we may too plainly collect, that there are very many going under that name, that walk so, as doth not belong to the state, unto which they pretend. A plain and sad collection! as the apostle speaks, Phil. 3. 18. Many walk, as I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as enemies of the cross of Christ as those who are driving on a continual hostility against Christianity, and the design for which Christ was cru cified. I doubt there is not less cause now for such a com

plaint, but only less sense. It is very observable, how great a stress is laid upon the visible decorum of a christian's walk, up and down in Scripture; how they are required to be noted that walk disorderly; how earnestly christians are exhorted and besought to walk becomingly and laudably, so that loveliness and amiableness, might appear in their walk. I (Paul) the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, Eph. 4. 1. And he saith to the Thessalonians, 1 Epis. 2. 12. Ye know, how we have exhorted and comforted, (or, encouraged) and warned every one of you, even as a father doth his children; that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. And in the epistle to the Colossians, he prays on the behalf of them, as we find him elsewhere praying for others, (chap. 1. 10.) that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing; so as to make a fair representation of him to the world, that he might be thought well of among men for the sake of them that bear his name and own a relation to him. And so to walk, that is, such worthy and becoming walking, and walking in the Spirit, do manifestly imply one another, Whatsoever is worthy, honourable, graceful in the conversation of christians can never be wanting, if their conversation be under the constant government and regulating influence of this Spirit. And if the conversation of any be otherwise governed in the general course and tenour of it, it is plain that it is under the government of some other principle. Do but see, as to this, the proportionable opposition between two passages, namely, this of the text, If ye live in the Spirit, walk also in the Spirit, and that in Col. 3. 7. In which ye also walked sometime, when ye lived in them: referring to what was mentioned before and after, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry, (ver. 5.) and to anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communications, &c. ver. 8. &c. The course of any one's motion is so conform and agreeable to the principle that lives and rules with him. If we live in the Spirit, we walk in

the Spirit; as it is most befitting we should: but if we live in the flesh, that is, under the government and dominion of fleshly principles, accordingly we shall walk; our walking will easily shew, what principle is regnant and in dominion.

It would therefore be worth our while here, to point out some particular things, that are too observable in the walkings of many, and import a most direct repugnancy and contrariety unto walking in the Spirit; which are a manifest disclaiming of it, as none of the governing principle of those who so walk.

1. A visible conformity to this world speaks a contrariety to walking in the Spirit, and a repugnancy to all its influences and dictates. Plain it is, that the Scripture frequently speaks of a spirit and a spirit, that differently and oppositely influence the walking of men. We are told of the spirit of the world, and of the Spirit that is of God, 1 Cor. 2. 12. And as here we read of walking in the Spirit, the blessed Spirit of God;' so we read of another course of walking, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience; among whom we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind, Eph. 2. 2, 3. As the holy, blessed Spirit of God, wherever that rules, doth conform and frame the course and tenour of any one's conversations, in whom it so rules, unto the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, that course of walking that is directed and prescribed there: so the spirit and genius of the world doth conform men unto this world, and make them shape their course agreeable to it; as that expression with the emphasis signifies, Rom. 12. 2. curxnuatiče, Be not conformed, (be not configured) unto this world, so as that your visible shape, frame and mould, that appear obvious to every eye, should represent this world and hold an agreement with that; but Be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, that we may prove (or, give proof) what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God; as those that are framed according to that, delivered up into the mould by which that will is revealed, to wit, that of the gospel-revelation; as in Rom. 6. 17 Now when the course of any men's walking is such as that of the men of the world in common, what doth it discover, but that these men are acted by the spirit of this world, are ingulphed and swallowed up of that spirit? one spirit animates both the world and them, and makes them one piece with this world. And if we should give characters of the worldly spirit, you would easily see what the walking and conversation of many doth bespeak to be the governing principle of their lives, or the spirit that influenceth their conversations. Plain it is, that the spi

rit of this world is an atheistical spirit, a sensual and earthly spirit, a vain and proud, a malicious and contentious spirit. Concerning what is obvious in the walking of persons, agreeable unto such characters as these, give me leave a little to particularize.

(1.) A conversation or course of walking transacted in the continual neglect of God, is certainly a conversation governed not by the Spirit of God, but by the spirit of this world. Conceive of that Spirit, under what notion you will; they that walk under the governing influence of the Spirit of God, walk as before God: Walk before me, and be thou perfect, or upright, Gen. 17. 1. Walk as in God's sight, as under his eye; as that injunction again and again repeated to Abraham doth import. They walk in the fear of the Lord. Acts 9. 31. They, whose hearts must tell them upon reflection, "I do not use to walk in the fear of the Lord from day to day, my life is led as without God in the world,' as if I were my own, as if my ways were all in my own disposal, as if it were the sense of my heart, Who is Lord over me? I am under my own inspection, as if no account was to be taken of my walk;" it will be too plain for such to collect, that they walk not by the Spirit, or after the Spirit, or in the Spirit. For what! Do we think, that that blessed Spirit can be the author to us of our forgetting God and leading ungodly lives? Doth that cast his fear out of our hearts, which is peculiarly called the Spirit of the fear of the Lord? Isa. 11. 2. Doth that Spirit drive us away from God, or make us unapprehensive of his presence, or make us strangers to him or as persons unrelated?

(2.) A continued over-eager pursuit of the things of this world, speaks a conversation governed by the spirit of the world, and not by the Spirit of God. I shall not speak here of grosser sensualities, when it is the business of men's lives to satisfy the viler lusts of the flesh; about which the case is so plain, that they cannot have the face to pretend, that the Spirit of God should be the author of such things in their conversation. And the antithesis is plain, where we have the same precept before, at the 16th verse of this chapter: "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." So, fulfil the lusts of the flesh, and it is certain you do not walk in the Spirit; for the case is as broad as long. But there is what is more refined, what custom and common practice hath made less scandalous. It is hardly thought scandalous to be an earthly-minded man; one, all whose design and the whole business of whose life is, to lay up and amass together a great deal of the treasures of this earth. And it is a latent evil in very great part; for one man may be very busy in the affairs.

of this world, and another the like, and yet we cannot tell where the hearts of one and the other are. There may be many good thoughts, many holy affections and actings of grace, intermingled with worldly affairs and business. But notwithstanding that, there is much (as I say,) of the air of a man's spirit to be seen in the constant course and tenour of his walking; a certain mien and deportment, that speaks the complexion of his soul. They that are after the flesh, savour the things of the flesh, and carry a scent with them that shews their spirits. We say, that such or such a course of walking, such a word, or such an action is par homini, just like the mun, speaks the spirit of the man. When the apostle comes to distinguish between walking and walking, conversation and conversation; we see how the minding of earthly things, and having a conversation in heaven, are made the distinctive characters of men, Phil. 3. 19, 20. Our business now is to put persons severally upon reflection into their hearts and upon their own walking. It is no matter what we appear, or are thought of by one another: but it greatly concerns us. to be informed ourselves, what principle or spirit it is that governs our walking, or hath the management of our conversation, And it is no such difficult, at least no impossible thing, upon a faithful scrutiny and frequent observation, to understand, what are the great designs that we are driving in this world, and in what channel the main stream of our actions and endeavours run; what are the thoughts of our hearts, what their secret dispositions and propensions. When worldly objects, and worldly thoughts and affections are most tasteful to us, and most habitual and customary, what shall we say y concerning this case? When it is so through the whole course of our walking, who must govern this walk? Will we dare to entitle the Spirit of God unto the conduct and government of such a conversation as that? When my walking from day to day is nothing else but a continual tending towards this earth, a motion downward; is it the Spirit of God that so thrusts me down and depresses my spirit? Is it that, that makes me grovel inthe dust, and lead the life of a worm, when I might lead that of an angel, when I might have my way above, as the way of the wise is ?

(3.) A contentious course of life speaks the Spirit of God to be none of the governor of our walk, but another spirit most surely. When men love wrangles and contentions, cannot endure to live out of the fire, is the Spirit of God the author of that impure fire? It is very much to be observed, what the apostle hath reference to more immediately and directly in this very context, wherein the text lies, He first gives this precept of walking in the Spirit: "This I say