The third Evidence.

A man that walks with God hath a serious spirit: walking with God will compose the spirits of men and women, will take off that loosness and vanity of spirit: Therefore wal∣king in the vanity of the mind, that's quite crosse to wal∣king with God; as in the 4. of the Ephe. 17. there it's spo∣ken of wicked men, it's said that they walk in the vanity of their minds: All wicked men they walk in the vanity of their minds; then all those that walk with God walk in the seriousness of their minds: It must needs be that they must have a seriousness of spirit in all their waies, for it's with God that they have to deal withal, they take not that liberty to run this way or that way as others do. If ser∣vants be walking one with another they can take liberty to go out of their way and talk with this or the other body as they please: But if a servant walk with his Master or Mi∣stris, he must not take that liberty but must go as they go. So, many that walk only with the creature, they take liber∣ty to run up and down as they please; but those that walk with God, they must have composed spirits, and walk seriously, and though they may walk seriously, yet cheer∣fully; I beseech you consider of this: For that Christian knows not the way of Christian-rejoycing that doth not know how to mix it with seriousness; yea, Senecha that was a Heathen could say, Joy, it is a serious thing; there is a kind of seriousness in true joy, for the joy of a Christian is not frothy, it is a composed joy: As thus now, It's se∣rious:

First, A Christian in his joy he is able to command him∣self, he can let out his joy so far and yet at a beck he can Page  310 command himself to the most spiritual duty in the world from his joy, he doth not profusely let out his heart so as he cannot call it in again. Certainly, thou dost not joy as a Christian if thou canst not take off thy heart from creature joyes, God gives thee liberty to be merry, but so, as to have it under thy command, as thou shalt be able to call thy heart off from it to the most serious duty in the world.

Secondly, He cannot only command himself to holy du∣ties in the midst of his joy, but he finds himself the fitter for holy duties by it: now this is a serious joy if it be no other than I can command my self off from it, and that that fits me for that which is holy: Christians had need take heed of frothinesse, slightnesse, and vanity, for certainly the wal∣king with God cannot but make them serious, and those that are slight and vain, surely they do not converse with God, for God is such a serious object that it's impossible but it must work a seriousnesse in the spirits of men.