Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 9
SERMON IX.
GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
YOU have heard of Enoch's walking, here's Enoch's Reſt: here's recorded what befell him at the end of his Journey, he went a ſtep out of ſight, He walked with God, and he was not, God took him: He was not, the phraſe is ſometimes applied unto thoſe whom God takes away by ordinary death; ſo ſaies Jacob of his ſons, whom he ſuppoſed to be dead, in Gen. 42. 36. Joſeph is not, and Simeon is not: and ſo in Jer. 31. 15. you ſhall ſee this phraſe applied to thoſe that God takes away by ordinary death, Thus ſaith the Lord, a voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her Children, and refuſed to be comforted, becauſe her Children they were not: and ſo ſome do conceive that Enoch was taken away, as other men are, beca…e it's appointed for all men once to die; but the Apoſtle muſt be our Interpreter: he tells us the meaning of that phraſe, as applied to Enoch, He was not, for God took him; in Heb 11. 5. By Faith Enoch was tranſlated, that he ſhould not ſee death, and was not found, becauſe God had tranſlated him: he was not found, ſaith the Apoſtle, for God had tranſlated him, he was not found amongſt men, he was no longer of this world, nor in this world, he was taken into another world, into another place, for God had tranſlated him, and he was not found, and it was not in an ordinary way as other men: he was tranſlated, God took him. And ſo it may be ſaid, God takes and receives all the ſpirits of his ſervants: but Enoch's departure, his farewel to the world, was in an extraordinary way, God did not take him as he takes others of his ſervants by death, but God took him from death, he was tranſlated that he ſhould not ſee death, ſaies the Apoſtle. There are many particulars that may be uſeful to us before we come to the main, concerning Enoch, which we ſhall hardly reach at this time.
But to Conſider that phraſe, He was not. He was not in the world, of the world; you muſt not think that Enoch ceaſed to be, he did not loſe his Being: the Text ſaies, He was not, neither do any of the ſervants of God loſe their Being when they are tranſlated, when taken away by death, but he had no being as to the things of this world, he had a being as to God and Heaven, and as to an inviſible world, ſo he was; and ſo it may be ſaid of all Gods people that leave this world, They are not, they are not as to the world; they have no being as to their comforts, relations, friends, employments, and callings; ſo they are not; but as to God, Chriſt, and Heaven, and to the things of an inviſible world, their being is not loſt but perfected; they have no being as to their relations, death cuts that aſunder. You ſhall ſee what Job ſaies, Job 7. he complains there, that all relations ceaſe there, and the Servant is free from the Maſter; as this relation, ſo all other relations when death comes, ſo that a man he is not, he is no longer as to his friends and relations. And ſo he is as to the comforts of this world, ſee Job 7. 9. As the Cloud is conſumed and vaniſheth away, ſo he that goeth down to the grave ſhall come up no more: he ſhall return no more to ſee his houſe, neither ſhall his place know him more, he is conſumed like a Cloud, and gone down to the Grave; and what, hath he no being? No, he ſpeaks only in relation to the things here, and to the comforts and enjoyments, as to his houſe, and ſo to all other comforts of his, he ſhall not return to his houſe, neither ſhall his comforts know him any more. Take notice of this, it will hold forth ſomething that is uſeful to us: It will teach you three things.
1. Firſt of all, It will teach Chriſtians to mind the things of God and Heaven more, to be more taken up with the things of the world that is to come; why, as to all the things of this life, as to all your friends, comforts, relations, houſe and land, and other accommodations, you ſhall not be e're long, and therefore ſeek more after the things of God and Chriſt, where you ſhall have a being to eternity. Think upon this, Chriſtians, when you are ready to loſe God in the World, when you ſleep over head and ears in your worldly employments; Oh, think of this, the time is a coming, the time is at hand when it ſhall be ſaid, That you are no more of the world, and you ſhall have no being at all as to the things of the world, your friends ſhall know you no more, and your relations, your comforts, your houſe ſhall know you no more, you ſhall be to all theſe things as if you had not been, as if you had no being, or as if you had no relation to them; Oh, then whilſt you are in the world don't live as thoſe that are of the world, but ſay as Chriſt did, Now, Father, I am no more of this world; live more there where your being ſhall be to eternity: Live more upon God and Chriſt, and be more exerciſed in the contemplation of the things of the inviſible world, there your being ſhall be to eternity; and don't live ſo much upon thoſe poor low outward things, where you ſhall have no being e're long; but when the world ſhall ſpeak of you, they ſhall ſay, You are not, even as it was of Enoch here, Enoch was not, as to this world he was not.
2. Secondly, This may alſo inſtruct you how to carry it towards the loſs of friends and relations: when God ſhall take away any of your friends and relations, take heed you don't let out natural affections towards them when God hath taken them, for they are not, as to you they are not, they are none of yours, you have no relation to them, death hath broken it, they were given you for a time, your Husband, your Wife, your Children, they were given you for a time, to be comforts to you for a time, till the Lord ſhould call for them; but when the Lord hath taken them, they are no longer yours, they are not, as to you: It's ſinful then to let out natural affections towards them, as to look upon them as yours, your Husband, your Wife, your Children, they are not as to you, but they are as to the Lord, compleat in him, and as to you they are not: and therefore it's ſinful unto you, to let out natural affections, when God hath broken your relations. And,
3. Thirdly, This may give ſome comfort in the loſs of friends, when they die in the Lord; they are not loſt, they don't ceaſe to be: If they were annihilated and deſtroyed, and if they had no being any where, there's cauſe to mourn, there's a loſs indeed; they only diſappear unto you, and unto this viſible world, but they are not loſt, they appear in the preſence of God, though you ſee them not, and they have no being as to you, yet as to God in heaven, in another world, they have a being, a glorious being, a perfect being, and therefore there is no cauſe why we ſhould mourn for them as if they were utterly loſt. That's the firſt conſideration, Enoch was not, as to this world, and as to the relations of this life he was not. But again,
2. Secondly, Obſerve how eaſily Enoch was tranſlated, how eaſie God makes Enoch's paſſage to another world; he walks with God, and God took him, and we hear no more of him: he walked all his life with God, and at the end of his courſe God took him along with him; it's ſpoken of him as if he went but a ſtep further, and he was not here, he went but a ſtep further, and he went along with God, God took him to himſelf. We may obſerve that God can make the paſſage of his ſervants eaſie to another world: ſuch as walk with God on earth, God makes their paſſage eaſie to another world, ſo it was with Enoch.
Queſt. But is it ſo to others, Enoch's tranſlation was eaſie, for Enoch, he was not diſſolved, ſoul and body did not part, but both were taken up to live with God, but is it ſo to others?
Anſw. Yea, God can and doth make it ſo unto his people that walk with him: though death may ſeem a ſtrait paſſage, and a dark entry, yet the Lord can make it lightſome, he can make it eaſie unto his ſervants: what an eaſie matter was it for Moſes to die, when he had walked with God all his life? It was ſpoken of him as an ordinary thing, Go up and die, God bid him go up upon the Mount and die there, go and die there, and Moſes went up and God made that death eaſie to him: And ſo it was ſpoken of all the Patriarchs, and thoſe that walked with God in thoſe old Ages, God made this ſtrait paſſage eaſie to them, therefore it's called a falling aſleep, after they had ſerved their Generation they fell aſleep; or they were gathered up to their Fathers; it's ſet forth by ſuch expreſſions; Jacob leaned upon his ſtaff and raiſed up himſelf and bleſſed his Children, and ſpeaking of the things of God and Heaven, and ſo he fell aſleep; God makes it eaſie unto them that walk with him, for they that walk with God gain experiences of him, I ſay, they that walk with God treaſure up experiences of Gods gracious dealings, they ſhall ſee how God hath been with them many a time: he hath been with them in many deaths, he hath been with them in the fire, he hath been with them in the water, he hath been with them in many Jeopardies and dark conditions, he hath delivered them: they have gained many experiences of God, therefore they will truſt in God, they'l truſt in him when they walk through the Valley of the ſhadow of death, he is a ſure friend, he is a tried friend, and therefore they can't but reſt in him. But,
Again, They that walk with God walk by Faith, now it's faith makes death eaſie: all thoſe Worthies ſpoken of in Heb. 11. died willingly, for they died in Faith, Faith makes the ſtrait paſſage eaſie, For,
1. Firſt, Faith diſcovers the Victory of Chriſt, I ſay, it makes diſcovery of the victory of Chriſt over death and the Grave, preſents the Saviour that is the Conquerour, that hath diſarmed the ſtrong man, that hath taken away the ſting of the Serpent: now when the ſoul by Faith ſees that death is diſarmed, and the ſting is taken out, it's eaſie then to grapple with him.
2. Secondly, Again, Faith takes hold of the promiſes which are grounded upon the faithfulneſs and truth of God for its ſecurity, I ſay, it takes hold of thoſe promiſes which are made in faithfulneſs and truth: why, the Lord hath ſaid that he will be with his people in all their ſtraits, yea, when they walk through the valley and ſhadow of death, that he will never leave them, he will never forſake them; now the diſcovery of this to the ſoul makes death eaſie.
3. Thirdly, Again, Faith looks beyond death, it's higher, it's taller than death, it can look over the ſhoulders of death, it hath a piercing eye, it can ſee through the darkneſs of the Grave, and it can behold the tops of the Towers of the heavenly Jeruſalem, it can ſee the Land that lies beyond the Land of death, it ſees the dark entry and the low valley that doth over-ſhadow it, it doth lead unto that Land, that Land of bleſſedneſs that the Lord hath prepared for his people, and therefore whilſt faith is thus exerciſed, death is made eaſie, and they that walk with God walk and live by faith, and therefore to them is death made eaſie. Yea,
4. Fourthly, Again, Death is made eaſie to them, for by walking with God they have gained acquaintance with God, and it's acquaintance with God that makes death eaſie: when a ſoul hath walked with God as with his friend all his life, it's not afraid to go to God at laſt, becauſe he is his friend; he knows God thoroughly, and therefore can truſt him, he knows his gracious diſpoſition, and the love that is in his heart, He that comes to God muſt believe that he is, ſaies the Apoſtle, and that He is the rewarder of them that diligently ſeek him: till this grace of the love of God be diſcovered, the ſoul can't come to him on earth, it can't draw nigh to him by faith, much leſs can he come freely to him in heaven. Why this is the cauſe why death is ſo terrible, becauſe his acquaintance is no more with God; but when the ſoul hath lived as in heaven, and converſed with God, and beheld his face, and follows him continually with this acquaintance he hath gained with God, it doth make the paſſage of death (though ſtrait in it ſelf, yet) eaſie: And therefore to apply this.
Ʋſe 1. I beſeech you, you that walk with God, that you would not be diſcouraged through the apprehenſion of the ſtraitneſs of this paſſage: you know not how eaſie God can make it, why ſhould you diſtruſt him? do not fear the greatneſs of the pains, God can make them eaſie, God can allay them, God can take away the ſenſe of them, God can give in that which can ſweeten them; remember who went before you, hath not the Lord Jeſus gone before you? He ſet himſelf in the fore-front of the Battel, the paſſage was a great deal ſtraiter when Chriſt went through it, he hath widened it and made it far more eaſie: Believers, you have ſeen the worſt that death can do to you, you have ſeen it in Chriſt, if it had overcome Chriſt you might have fear'd it, but Chriſt would try the experiment firſt upon himſelf, and you have ſeen the worſt that it can do; Jeſus Chriſt is engaged with you, if you ſhould periſh, Chriſt himſelf had as good have periſhed; it's all one whether he be overcome in his perſon, or in his members; Oh, therefore, I ſay, be not diſcouraged at the apprehenſion of the ſtraitneſs of the paſſage, and darkneſs of the entry, but look to Chriſt that hath gone before you, and only let it be your care whilſt you live, to live by Faith, and to live in conſtant communion with God, God will take care of the reſt: And,
Ʋſe 2. Again, How ſhould you bleſs the Lord Chriſt! What cauſe have you to bleſs the Lord, and to admire the riches of wiſdom, and the riches of power, and the riches of goodneſs that hath made death to be thus eaſie? I tell you, it is not ſo in it ſelf: Chriſtians, you are beholding to Chriſt for this, death is not eaſie in it ſelf, it is moſt terrible in it ſelf, it hath brought down mighty ſpirits of wicked men; Oh! whither ſhall I go, ſaid Nero? when death was at hand: It was not ſo eaſie with Chriſt; oh, it was exceeding ſtrait when he ventured to paſs through, it was for your ſakes that he entred the paſſage firſt: Oh! admire his wiſdom, goodneſs and power, and bleſs his name for this both in life and death. That's a ſecond thing we conſidered, Enoch was not, God took him: his tranſlation is ſpoken of him as a very eaſie thing, he walked a ſtep further, and returned no more, and God took him. There is one Particular more which I ſhall give but a hint on, and that is, He was not found.
So ſaies the Apoſtle to the Hebrews, Heb. 11. 5. He was not found, for God had tranſlated him; He was not found, and that implies, he was ſought for when God had took him, They ſought for him, but he was not found, ſaies the Apoſtle: And ſo it was with Elijah, in 2 Kings 2. latter end of the Chapter, the Prophet ſends out fifty men to ſeek after him; and it's very like they did ſo for Enoch, but he was not found, for God took him.
Obſerve, It is uſual to undervalue mercies whilſt we have them, which are prized dearly when once they are gone; I ſay, it is uſual with the ſons of men to undervalue mercies whilſt they have them, which they would ſeek for when once they are gone: thus we deal with perſons, and thus we deal with other mercies; With Perſons, you know how Samuel was undervalued by Saul whilſt he lived, and the Word of the Lord that he brought to Saul was rejected; but when Samuel was gone, then Saul ſeeks for him; nay, he was ſo violent that he ſeeks him in an unlawful way, even to raiſe him up from the dead, that he might acquaint him with the Will of the Lord. And ſo John Baptiſt was perſecuted and baniſhed, and Herod cut off his head, but when he was gone, then Herod prized him; and ſo when Herod heard of the fame of Jeſus, that he did great things, Surely it is John Baptiſt that is riſen up again: here's mighty works indeed: And thus we deal not only with Perſons,
But thus we deal with other Mercies, whilſt we have them, we undervalue them, that God is forced to take them away, to let us know what the worth of them is: Iſrael did not prize her mercies, outward Mercies, Corn, Wine and Oyl, Flax and Wool, and therefore God was forced to take them away, to let them know the worth of them, I will take away my Corn, my Wine and my Oyl, my Flax and my Wool, Hoſ. 4. Yea, thus we deal with God himſelf, thus we deal with God and Chriſt, and with the great and precious things of God; how did Eſau deſpiſe his birth-right, how contemptibly did he ſpeak of it, whilſt he had it? What will my birth-right do me good, ſaies he, ſeeing I am ready to die? And yet afterward, when it was gone he ſought it with tears, when Jacob had got the bleſſing he ſought it with tears, and he could not obtain it. Yea, this is not only in the hearts of the wicked; if it were only in the wicked it were the leſs: but it is in the hearts of Gods own people to undervalue the things of God, whilſt they enjoy them, and ſo give the Lord cauſe to ſtrip them of them. Iſrael had the preſence of God amongſt them, but they did not prize God, and therefore ſaies God, I will go and return to my firſt place; in their affliction they will ſeek me early. Thus we deal with other of Gods precious ones, many times they are undervalued, and we know not the worth of them, till ſuch time as they are removed, till God takes them away: As it is ſaid concerning the Jews in Matth. 23. that Chriſt was amongſt them, and Preached the everlaſting Goſpel to them, and they received it not: But when the Goſpel was removed from them, then they prized it, Behold your houſe is left unto you deſolate: Why? in Matth. 21. there you have the ſame words, when the Children cried, ſaying, Hoſanna, Hoſanna to the Higheſt, the Jews were offended; when the people ſaid of Chriſt, Hoſanna, and bleſſed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord; they were offended in the 15 Verſe, and Chriſt doth rebuke them for this, Well, ſaies he, (when they cried, Hoſanna, bleſſed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord) you are diſpleaſed, the time is a coming, that you would give all that you enjoy, to ſee ſuch a man as you have ſeen, but I will teach you by the abſence of this mercy, of which you ſhall ſay, Welcom indeed, and bleſſed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord: I ſay, what baſe hearts and ſpirits are within us, that we ſhould put God unto this labour, that we ſhould cauſe God to walk in this way towards us, to take away our mercies, that we may know how to prize them! Oh, it is an unworthy heart, there is a great deal of the ſpirit of Eſau, to deſpiſe the bleſſing whilſt we had it, and then afterwards weep for it, and ſought it with tears, but found it not. And therefore I ſhall conclude with this word of Exhortation.
Ʋſe 3. Let us learn to prize our mercies, I ſay, whilſt we enjoy our mercies, let us learn to prize them, becauſe the time is coming when they ſhall not be to us, they ſhall not be found, we ſhall ſeek them, and ſhall not find them: God hath given you friends and relations; Oh, my Brethren, prize them, uſe them for Gods glory, do all the good you can to them whilſt you have them, receive all the good that may be from them whilſt you have them, for the time is a coming when they ſhall not be to you. It was Job's argument with God, you ſhall ſee in Job 7. the laſt Verſe, and it is a very ſtrong argument, and Why doſt thou not pardon my tranſgreſſion, and take away my iniquity, and pardon it quickly? Speak a good word quickly to thy Servant, I cannot hold out long, Lord, ſaies he, I cannot hold out long, now I ſhall ſleep in the duſt, and thou ſhalt ſeek me in the morning, and I ſhall not be: Lord pardon, pardon thy ſervant Job, whilſt thou haſt a Job to pardon, Lord, do good to me whilſt thou haſt an occaſion to do good to me, e're I ſleep in the duſt: you ſhall ſeek me then, and I ſhall not be: that you ſhall ſay, oh that I had ſuch a friend to do good to, or that I had ſuch a friend to receive good from: Oh, take the preſent opportunity therefore of doing and receiving good; and this is ſpoken not only of all Perſons but of all Things, prize them whilſt you have them, prize them whilſt you enjoy them, for time is coming when they ſhall not be.
And Conſider this, Let me ſay this to you, The Lord is this day tendering grace to you, he ſtands, he knocks, he invites you, he beſeeches you, he deſires you to open, he is willing to pardon multitudes of tranſgreſſions, to waſh away thouſands, and ten thouſands of tranſgreſſions and ſins, and to ſubdue them alſo; Oh, that the Lord would give you hearts to ſeek after this preſent mercy, you'l ſeek them hereafter when they ſhall not be; Oh, take heed leſt Chriſt ſpeak to you as he ſpake to the Jews, which was a fearful ſentence, becauſe of their miſtaking their time, and neglecting their opportunity, Joh. 7. 34. You ſhall ſeek me, ſaies Chriſt, and ſhall not find me, and where I am, you cannot come: he had ſaid a little before, And I am with you, and am coming to them that ſeek me; and afterward, You ſhall ſeek me, and ſhall not find me; Chriſt was with them a little while preaching and holding forth, and urging mercy and grace, beſeeching of them to come in, they refuſe and reject life, Well, ſaies Chriſt, I have ſought you, and you would not be found; you would not follow me; the time is coming when you ſhall ſeek me, and ſhall not find me, and where I am you cannot come; and you that fear the Lord,
I beſeech you, be you warned alſo, take heed you don't ſlight your mercies, your preſent enjoyments of God, leſt the Lord alſo teach you to know the worth by the want; I ſay, take heed that you do not abuſe your mercies, take heed that you do not grow cold, and dead, and looſe, and formal, under the enjoyment of the means of getting nigher God, which you enjoy more than formerly, for what pity is it that we ſhould grow worſe when God is better? That we ſhould be further off from drawing nigh to God, when God is drawing nigh to us? What pity is it that the Sun-ſhine and fair weather ſhould do harm? Doth not ſad experience teach us that many Chriſtians are further off from God now than when the means were leſſer, in their getting near to God; take heed God don't let you know by ſad experience what the loſs of his preſence is, and that he don't let you know by ſad experience what the loſs of Ordinances are, what the want of mercies are; it ſhews abundance of corruption that is in the heart, but it is mercy if God will teach his people any way; it is the ſaddeſt way of teaching that God will make uſe of, to recount what once we had, and what once we enjoyed, and now are ſtript of, for want of improvement: we had the Sabbaths, the teachings of God, we had the Ordinances, but now ſtript of all; and therefore may (as they) ſit down by the waters of Babylon, and weep moſt bitterly; it is a ſad way of teaching, yet it is mercy if God will chooſe any way of teaching and drawing theſe ſad and drowſie hearts of ours more to himſelf. Thus you have had ſome hints of what Enoch was, He was not found, for God had tranſlated him, God took him; the main Point is yet behind, viz. to conſider whither Enoch was tranſlated, and wherefore he was tranſlated, and the year in which he was tranſlated, which was three hundred ſixty five years, and was the ſhorteſt life of all the Patriarchs. But ſo much ſhall ſerve for this time.