Two treatises of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs. The first of earthly-mindedness

The Third Use.

The Third Ʋse.

Thirdly, What vile hearts are ours that are so backward to walk with God, seeing God is pleased to admit of his Saints to walk with him! even those that are godly are to be rebuked from hence that they should be so backward to come in to walk with God: It is our glory, That is that that would make our lives comfortable, it would make this wilderness of ours to be a paradise, it would make our Gardens to be Edens, it would make our Houses to be Churches, and make the Church to be a Heaven unto us, and yet we are backward unto this. Oh that we would but consider of this when we are in our walk & there have vain thoughts: As ordinarily men that are walking in their pleasant Gardens, or it may be pleasant Rooms, Oh the vanity and folly of their thoughts! I may speak to you, who do you walk withal all this while; when you are a walking in your Galleries, or Parlours, or Gardens, or alone in the fields, who are you parleying withal? who are you conversing withal? are not you walking many times with the Devil, and making ⟨p. 303⟩provision for the flesh? you should be walking with God: what are you the Saints of God? doth God offer himself to walk and converse with you, and will you walk with the flesh, and converse with the Devil? and be rolling of sin and wickedness up and down in your thoughts? Oh what a vile and sinful thing is this! The Lord humble you for your sinful walks, humble you that are Saints, you sometimes have had some walks with God, why is it that you walk no more close with God? you complain sometimes of your great business in the world, and occasions to converse with the world that you have no time for your Communion with God; and yet when you are off from the world, and when you have time alone wherein you might converse with God, and when you have walks to the City and from the City again, what Communion might you have with God! But Oh! how backward are our hearts even unto this that is our happiness, and our glory! That's a third Use by way of reproof even to the Saints, which is raised from the consideration of the excellency that there is in our walking with God.