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SERMON XI.

GENESIS v. 24.

And Enoch walked with God, and he was not: for God took him.

THE history of Enoch is very short, but it is extremely important. I shall, first, collect the little which the Scripture speaks of him in different places; and illustrate as I can his character, with a view to enable us to form a just idea of what is meant by walking with God. And this will, secondly, afford us obvious matter of exhortation and address, both to sinners, whether careless or more decent; and also to holy men, and to all who desire to fear God, and to walk with him as Enoch did.

The very singular manner in which Enoch is taken notice of, in the catalogue of the old Patriarchs before the Flood, points out to us a

suspicion that the times he lived in were very wicked and corrupt. However excellent a thing it be to walk with God, it is no more than what all men in all ages ought to do. We are led, then, to suspect that the generality of persons in his time walked not with God, but after the course of this world, "the prince of the power of the air;" not the Spirit of God, but "the spirit which now worketh in the children of disobedience." In truth, the fall of man was presently followed by the most dismal effects. Witness the account given of the blood of righteous Abel; and of the earth being filled with violence; and of all flesh being corrupted in their ways upon the earth. Moreover, the Lord was induced to sweep away the whole generation of mankind, except eight persons, by a flood. But, before things proceeded to this extremity, it pleased God, by an act of singular and distinguished favour towards righteous Enoch, to shew to mankind that there is a God that judgeth the earth; that there is another life, in which his faithful servants shall enjoy their God for ever; and that the present life is too poor and low a scene for immortal spirits to set their affections upon. No doubt, as wickedness increased,

the sense of the distinction between good and evil was very much lost among men; and there wanted not, even then, licentious and arrogant spirits, who would reason wickedly against God, and plead for the unrestrained indulgence of men's lusts, and represent God's future punishments of them as not real at all, or, if real, unjust and cruel. From the analogy of things, one should conclude that it was so then, as it is now, even if there was no positive evidence that this was the case (which we shall presently see we have) in Enoch's time. It was, therefore, a merciful and instructive providence to take Enoch out of the world, and to translate him to a scene of rest and felicity-not only merciful to him, but to the world at large; for what a proof did it give to men that God approves the just man's ways! For it is not to be supposed but that the circumstances of Enoch's translation, whatever they were, were such as to give full evidence that the fact was real; as was the case of Elijah's translation to heaven long after-which event also took place at a period of much wickedness and contempt of God, and at a time when the idol Baal was set up against the living God. And, indeed,

miracles in Scripture are never wasted. They are not done in a corner: they are evidenced in a fully satisfactory manner to the world;-for they are the voice of God; they bear witness for him; and are sermons addressed to the senses and to the passions of wicked, unreasonable men, who would be glad to believe, that God forsakes the earth, and leaves every thing to what is called nature, or chance.

Enoch lived sixty-five years before the birth of his son Methuselah. Whether his pious course commenced before the birth of Methuselah does not appear. However, after the birth of Methuselah he walked with God three hundred years, and had several sons and daughters. Three hundred and sixty-five years was the whole of his existence on earth; and, according to the length of men's lives at that time, he might be called a young person. But he lived long enough to shame an evil world by the light of his piety. While others walked after the sight of their eyes, and according to the imaginations of their hearts, he lived by faith in God. He saw the invisible God with the eyes of his understanding, and walked with him as a friend. He maintained a

connection with him in all he did: his whole course of life was directed to please Him; he received the Law from his mouth, and it was dearer to him than any thing besides. No doubt he conversed with Him by prayer, praise, and meditation, and had a holy and reverent communion with him, such as it becomes obedient creatures to have with their Creator. The account is very short, but doubtless he was reconciled to him by faith in the promised Seed who was to bruise the serpent's head; for Enoch had sin and guilt, as well as other men. He was saved by grace; and he was conscious of a Divine principle

of

grace, which gave him this happy turn of mind, and drew his affections up to God. Were it not for God's revealed promise of grace in Christ, he could have had no comfortable affiance in God from the light of nature, for that teaches no sinner how to obtain reconciliation with God: Revelation alone can do this for any man: and "how can two walk together, except they be agreed?" I may justly apply this sentence of one of the lesser Prophets to the case before us. Enoch was reconciled with God, and therefore walked with him as a friend. Pleasant and precious privilege!