The divine life in three treatises

7. He that walketh with God, hath the great master-truths upon his heart, which are the standard of the rest, and the stock, as it were, out of which they spring. The great truths about God, and Grace and Glory, have a greater power then many hundred truths of an inferior nature. And moreover, such a one is sure that he shall be wise in the greatest and most necessary points. He is guilty of no ignorance or error that shall keep him out of heaven, or hinder his acceptance with his God. And if he be wise enough to please God and to be saved, he is wise indeed: (as before was •inted.)

7. He that walketh with God, hath the great master-truths upon his heart, which are the standard of the rest, and the stock, as it were, out of which they spring. The great truths about God, and Grace and Glory, have a greater power then many hundred truths of an inferiour nature. And moreover, such a one is sure that he shall be wise in the greatest and most necessary points. He is guilty of no ignorance or errour that shall keep him out of heaven, or hinder his acceptance with his God. And if he be wise enough to please God and to be saved, he is wise indeed: (as before was •inted.)

8. Walking with God doth take off the visor of deluding things, and keepeth us out of the reach and power of those objects and arguments which are the instruments of deceit. When a man hath been believingly and seriously with God, how easily can he see through the sophistry of the tempting world! How easily can he practically confute the reasonings of the flesh! and discern the dotage of the seeming subtleties of wicked men, that will needs think they have reason for that which ⟨p. 265⟩is displeasing to their Maker, and tends to the damning of their souls! so far as a man is conversant with God, so far he is sensible, that all things are nothing, which can be offered as a price to hire him to sin: and that the name of preferment, and honour and wealth, or of disgrace and imprisonment and death, are words almost of no signification, as to the tempters ends, to draw the soul from God and duty. It is men that know not God, and know not what it is to walk with him, that think these words so big and powerful, to whom wealth and honour signify more then God and Heaven; and poverty, disgrace and death, do signify more then Gods displeasure and everlasting punishment in hell. As it is easy to cheat a man that is far from the light, so is it easy to deceive the learnedst man that is far from God.