Rules for Our Walking With God

Book excerpt: The bible is filled with a theology of walking. This supernatural, and eminently important topic, is the substance of this discourse by master-exegete and preacher Jeremiah Burroughs (1599-1646). This work is laid out in a series of “rules” which demonstrate to the Christian what one looks like who in fact walks with God. Burroughs’ main text is, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Gen. 5:24). His main doctrine from this text is that it is the great excellency and commendation of a godly man to walk with God. Or, that it is the highest testimony that can be given that a man walks with God. He covers how a person is brought to walk with God shown in six particulars. Then he defines, specifically, what it means to walk with God, and their extended excellencies, along with exhortations to both Christians and unbelievers as to their interest in walking with God. Then, he provides ten ways that show people in the church, and even people in the world, that a man is walking with God, or not. Lastly, he demonstrates biblical “rules” toward walking with God in the right manner. The last chapter is actually an extra-added section that Burroughs decided he could not write this work without. That chapter is worth its weight in gold, and alone is worth the time of reading this volume. It houses the objection concerning the manner in which God sometimes may hide his face from his people for their good; though, at the time, it surely doesn’t feel as though desertion is a good thing. Burroughs covers being self-deceived in this, and answers various particulars concerning how to rightly judge whether one is actually walking with God in the right way, whether one is deserted by God, and whether such a desertion warrants repentance or just right thinking. This work is not a scan or facsimile, has been carefully transcribed by hand being made easy to read in modern English, and has an active table of contents for electronic versions.