Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 10
SERMON X.
GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
WE have done with Enoch's walk, we are come to Enoch's Reſt, He was not, for God took him; I have opened the phraſe to you the laſt time I ſpake. But I ſhall proceed to what is ſtill behind in the Text.
He was not, for God took him, And God took him: there is a great diſpute amongſt many, to what place Enoch was taken. There are many both of the Papiſts and others that place Enoch in earthly Paradiſe: they ſay Enoch was not taken into Heaven but into Paradiſe, and that this Enoch and Elijah are thoſe two Witneſſes that ſhall come again at the end of the world to diſcover and deſtroy Antichriſt; there is ſuch a Tradition generally amongſt them, and others have received it from them; but there is not the leaſt ground for it in the Word of God, that Enoch and Elijah ſhould be thoſe Witneſſes ſpoken of in Rev. 11. for certainly thoſe Witneſſes are no other but the ſervants of God ſpoken of, that have ſtood up in all Ages ſince Chriſt, to bear witneſs to the name and truth of Jeſus; and therefore I ſee nothing why we may not aſſert, that Enoch was taken up into Heaven, that he aſcended in body into Heaven. You ſhall ſee in 2 Kings 2. 11. it is ſpoken there of Elijah who was tranſlated even as Enoch, And it came to paſs as they ſtill went on, and talked, that behold (there appeared) a Chariot of fire, and Horſes of fire, and parted them both aſunder, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven: if Elijah went into Heaven, why not Enoch?
Object. But it may be Objected, Is not Jeſus Chriſt the firſt-fruits of them that aſcend? Did not Chriſt open the door by his blood? How then could Enoch or Elijah aſcend into Heaven before Chriſt came and opened the door?
Anſw. To which I Anſwer, It is true that Chriſt is the firſt-fruits of them that aſcend, and the way to Heaven is ſet open by the blood of Chriſt, and there was none ever aſcended but by vertue of the blood of Chriſt, that ſets open the door to them; but the efficacy of the blood of Chriſt did reach to them that lived before him; and therefore in Rev. 13. 8. he is called The Lamb ſlain from the foundations of the World, in the purpoſe of God; yea, it was accepted of God as if done already; God the Father took the Word of his Son for the payment of the Debt, he knew that he was able to make good his word, and would be faithful to him, wherefore he truſted him before he diſcharged the Debt, before the price was actually paid, ſo that the vertue of Chriſts blood did even reach to them, even many thouſand years before he came in the fleſh to ſuffer: for the Father took his word, and the ſon took the Fathers word for the ſalvation of thoſe that ſhould be brought in many hundred years after the debt was paid; the ſalvation of all that belong to God, who ſhould live from Chriſts time to the end of the world: the ſon gave the full price into the fathers hand, and he relies upon him, upon his word for the diſcharge of the debt, and for the receiving of poor ſinners to life and favour, as they ſhall be brought in in all Ages; and therefore, Dear Brethren, I beſeech you, take notice of the mighty vertue of the death of Chriſt, mighty vertue was in it, that he ſhould be accepted before-hand, that it ſhould reach as far as Enoch, as far as Adam, that it ſhould be accepted for thoſe that lived many thouſand years before Chriſt, before the debt was paid, it holds forth the mighty efficacy of the blood of Chriſt; if it had been only available for thoſe that had lived after him, after Chriſt was come in the fleſh, and dead and riſen, and had diſcharged the debt, if it had reach'd only to thoſe, it had not been ſo much: it is not ſo much, ſaies Ezekiah, for the ſhadow to go forward in the Dial, but for the ſhadow to go backward ſo many degrees, that holds forth a deal of the mighty power of God to his conviction; and ſo the blood of Chriſt goes backward ſo many years to them that lived in the beginning of the world, before the price was actually paid: O the infinite vertue and efficacy that is in this blood of Chriſt! Oh, know what ſtrong ground of conſolation there is in this, to you that are Believers now under the Goſpel: if it reach'd ſo far, if it went backward, if it went as far as Enoch, to open the gate of Heaven to him, how much more ſhall this reach you that are believers under the Goſpel, that live directly under the efficacy of the blood of Jeſus Chriſt. God bad Enoch welcom for this blood that was to be ſhed; if he ſet the door open to him, when the price was not actually paid, oh how much more ſhall God bid the Saints welcom, to come in the name of ſuch a Saviour that was dead, is riſen and aſcended, now to ſit at the right-hand of God, and preſent the efficacy of his blood for ever? Oh! how may this be improved, and what ſweet lives might Chriſtians lead, and with what a full wind might they fail, and lanch forth into the Ocean of Eternity, when they live directly under the efficacy of ſuch a blood as this is, that reach'd ſo far backward, even as far as Enoch? for it was by vertue of this blood that Enoch was ſaved.
But further, It's ſaid, God took him: That phraſe implies three things.
1. Firſt of all, That Enoch was taken up into a ſtate of Communion with God, of near Communion with God, God took him; God took him to himſelf. He had walked with God whilſt he was upon earth, but he was not taken up into neareſt Communion until now; the Saints in heaven are taken into higheſt Communion; their Communion here upon earth is interrupted many times, God comes now and then and gives a poor ſoul a viſit, but they are not taken in into God till ſuch time as God removes the Mount of this viſible world: they are here put out to School, God will give them good education, he will bring them up for heaven; and therefore it is not alwaies that they have their Fathers preſence, now and then God comes and viſits them: but there is another life in which God ſhall take his people to himſelf, he ſhall ſend for his Children home, and then they ſhall be for ever with the Lord, I ſay, for ever with the Lord; Whilſt we are here, ſaies the Apoſtle, we are abſent from the Lord; Whilſt we are in the body, we are abſent from the Lord and therefore no wonder why the Saints are breathing ſo much after that other life, …ooking for, and haſtning after the appearance of Chriſt, becauſe they are not taken in till then, here they are ſtrangers, and here they are abſent from the Lord in a great meaſure, though they walk with God as Enoch did, yet he will not take them into that neareſt Communion, till they come to end this life.
2. But again, Secondly, As it doth denote a ſtate of near Communion which the Saints enjoy in heaven, ſo it doth hold forth that fulneſs of light, life and glory that the Saints ſhall there enjoy: God took him, he was taken into God, taken up to the enjoyment of the fulneſs that is in God; here they are narrow veſſels, and are not capable of receiving much, but there the ſouls of his Saints ſhall be taken into God, and ſo ſhall be filled with his fulneſs. Believers here walk with God, and God doth dwell in them, but ſo long as they dwell below, they don't dwell ſo much in God: but there is a time a coming when they ſhall dwell wholly in God, they ſhall be taken up into that fulneſs; they ſhall be as ſo many veſſels that are caſt into the Ocean that ſhall be filled; every one ſhall be filled full to the brim: I ſay, this holds forth that phraſe of fulneſs of glory that the Saints do enjoy in Heaven, God took him, and he was taken into God.
3. Again, Thirdly, It holds forth an act of free grace which was put forth towards Enoch as well as others: God took him, or received him, and to receive, it holds forth the free grace of God; Enoch walked with God, but he was not taken for his walking, not becauſe he had walked ſo and ſo with God in his Generation, he was not therefore taken, but he was received; it was free-grace received him: My Brethren, I beſeech you then know, what you can only plead before God, though you have walked with God never ſo long in your Generation, yet you can't at laſt plead to be taken up becauſe you have walked with God; Alas! the Lord ſees ſo many ſlips, ſo many ſtumblings, ſo many falls, there's ſo much crookedneſs in the way of the heart, in the way of the converſation, even in the beſt of Saints, that if the Lord ſhould judge them according to their walkings, they were undone: thoſe Hypocrites plead a great deal, when they cried, Lord, Lord, have we not Propheſied in thy Name, and in thy Name have caſt out Devils, and done many wonders, and yet Chriſt bids them depart for he knew them not; there is no pleading of works, there is no pleading of worthineſs, and of the creatures righteouſneſs, when the creature comes to ſtand before Chriſt; if you could walk with God as many years as Enoch did, yet at the end of your walk, at the end of your courſe, you muſt lay down all, and be willing to enter in as ſinners, that is, at the door of free-grace, not through any door of your own works or righteouſneſs.
And again, How does this call upon the people of God to be exceeding careful to receive Chriſt? Oh! receive him freely, he receives you freely here, and he will receive you freely hereafter: how are you engaged to receive him freely, to cloſe fully with him, and with the tenders of life and grace, of righteouſneſs and holineſs, which are held forth in and through him? Receive Chriſt freely, and receive the Word of Chriſt freely, though it be never ſo contrary to fleſh and blood, though it croſſes your beloved luſts, though it croſs your profits, though it croſs your delights, though it be the Word and Truth for which you muſt ſuffer; yet, oh why ſhould not you receive Chriſt and his Word freely, ſeeing he will receive you ſo freely another day? He won't be aſhamed to take his people and to own them before all the world, theſe are mine, my Jewels: and if Chriſt won't be aſhamed of you, oh what a ſhame is it that you ſhould either be aſhamed or afraid to receive him and his Word, and his Truth, and to hold it forth in a time of oppoſition and ſuffering The free-grace of God in receiving his people at laſt, is a mighty engagement unto them, now to receive Chriſt, and every word of Chriſt, whilſt they are in this Pilgrimage, where God hath ſet them to bear up his name in the world. But,
Further, God took Enoch: When was Enoch taken? When he had lived three hundred ſixty and five years, that you find in the Chapter to be the term of his life, three hundred ſixty and five years: if you compare the years of Enoch with the years of others, of the holy men that lived in that Generation, you ſhall find his life exceeding ſhort; his father lived above nine hundred and ſixty years, and his ſon Mathuſalem lived longer; yea, all the time of all the Patriarchs (there) in this Chapter, even amongſt them all, Enoch was the ſhorteſt liver: a holy man, a gracious man, and one that was moſt eminent in his Generation, and none there was that walked with God in his Generation as Enoch did, and yet Enoch's daies are ſhortened; I ſay, ſometimes the Lord ſhortens the daies of his Children, that have walked and lived with him in an abundance of love and mercy.
You will ſay, What time is that? and when is it a mercy? When does God ſhorten the daies of his ſervants in love?
1. Firſt of all, God hath ſome of his ſervants that lie under great preſſures, their combatings are extraordinary, and ſometimes he ſhortens the term of their life in mercy and love. We ſhall conſider thoſe particular combats which ſome of the Lords people are in an extraordinary manner exerciſed with, and ſometimes in pity, mercy and love the Lord ſhortens their daies on earth. As,
1. Firſt, There is ſome of Gods ſervants that have extraordinary warrings with corruptions within them, I ſay, with corruptions within them, and this proves a moſt heavy burden to them, and makes their very lives uncomfortable, a continual burden to them: Oh, theſe daughters of Heth were a continual vexation unto Rebecca; the Apoſtle Paul was a man able to bear much, and he bore a great deal of affliction which he met withal in his Pilgrim…ge, that he could rejoice in afflictions, and glory in tribulations, they were nothing to him: but when he comes to combate with ſin, luſt and corruption that was within him, he was forc'd to cry out, to cry out for help; he could rejoice in other affliction, but herein he could not rejoice, O miſerable man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from this body of death? I ſay, ſome have extraordinary combatings with corruption more than others; Oh theſe Monſters! as ſoon as one head is cut off another ſprings up in the room, never at peace, the war is never at an end: the Lord ſhortens their warfare in that.
2. Again, Secondly, God hath ſome of his ſervants that are extraordinarily imployed with temptation; oh they are hunted up and down, and continually baited, baited with Satans moſt horrible temptations: winds and ſtorms are ever beating, fiery darts are ever thrown in; before one wound is healed another is given: Well, the Lord looks out from Heaven, he looks down, he ſees the combate, and many times he makes this the way of deliverance, he puts out his hand, he takes his poor ſervants to himſelf, and ſo delivers them from the baitings of Satans temptations.
3. Again, Thirdly, Some of Gods ſervants are in extraordinary afflictions all their daies, above all the men in the world they are moſt afflicted; I ſay, the way that God leads ſome of his ſervants to heaven, is a very dark and narrow lane, and they ſee more affliction than all their Neighbours: in …am. 3 1. well ſaies the Prophet there, I am the man that have ſeen affliction; I am the man that have ſeen affliction, that's no great matter, who hath not ſeen affliction? Is that ſuch a matter for the Prophet to complain of, that he had ſeen affliction? Ay, but his portion was extraordinary, he had ſeen more than all others in his time, and therefore complains as if he alone had been the man that had ſeen affliction; Well, when afflictions are very great and of long continuance, God hath trained up ſome of his ſervants in this way in this School; yea, he many times ſhortens their journey in love. But you will ſay,
Object. Could not God deliver them ſome other way? Could not God reſcue them out of the hands of affliction, and deliver them from temptation, and make them conquerours over their luſts and corruptions? But muſt he ſhorten their lives by it, and no other way?
Anſw. Why Beloved, we muſt know this, the Lord ſees it beſt, and he knows it is needful for them to come to him in this narrow way, and they could not be without thoſe afflictions and warrings of luſts, and without thoſe temptations, and it's the beſt way, infinite wiſdom ſees it the beſt way to lead them to himſelf, and to glory: And therefore when the caſe is thus, that the Lord ſees it ſo needful, that ſo long as they are in the body, they ſhould be in theſe conflicts, afflictions, and temptations, then the Lord (ſometimes) ſees it beſt to ſhorten ſome of their daies to bring them unto himſelf. But you muſt take this caution: Take heed you don't limit the Lord to this way, for though God doth take many of his ſervants this way by death, yet, I ſay, they ought not to limit the holy one of Iſrael. Let not them ſay as Job, Wherefore is life given to a man that is in affliction? Wherefore is life given to a man whoſe way is hid? For if God continues life in afflicted conditions, he ſees good reaſon for it: and therefore, I ſay, you may not abſolutely deſire death becauſe of your affliction, becauſe of your temptations, becauſe of your buffettings; not abſolutely to limit God in this way of deliverance, for though God doth uſe this way many times, yet he will not be confined to it.
And though the Lord doth keep you in affliction, he ſees it is for his honour, it is for his own glory; that he may ſhew his power and goodneſs, his wiſdom in directing you, his power in ſupporting you, in ſtrengthening you, in delivering you, and in making you able to hold out in ſuch difficult afflicted conditions: the Lord can find many waies of deliverance; therefore don't ſay you, Lord, take away my life, my affliction is great, I ſee no way how I ſhall come out of it; this is ſinful: for God hath many waies, I ſay, God chooſes this way ſometimes to free his people from all their corruption and temptations, he ſhortens their lives, and that in abundance of love.
2. Again, Secondly, God ſometimes doth ſhorten the daies of his ſervants in love, when they live in evil times, times in which iniquity doth abound, then God fetches home many of his ſervants in love: It was a very corrupt time that Enoch lived in, The world was corrupt and filled with violence, and therefore it was in love to Enoch that God ſhortened his courſe: the Lord knows how afflictive it is, for his ſervants to live in an evil world, Wo is me, ſaies the Pſalmiſt, that I am conſtrained to ſojourn in Meſech, and to dwell in the Tents of Kedar, Pſal. 120. 5. That righteous ſoul was vexed, Wo is me, &c. Nay, the Lord conſiders that poſſibly his own people may be carried down the ſtream through the ſtrength and violence of the corruption of the times, that they may be drawn aſide from their ſtedfaſtneſs, it's poſſible that even they may be corrupted, even Gods own people may be corrupted, in a corrupt Generation: the Lord conſiders this, and therefore many times he takes them away in an abundance of love and mercy. When the Thiſtles and Nettles do ſo incloſe the Lilies, that they hinder their growth, and communicate of their ill favour unto them, then the Lord ſees it's high time to remove, to tranſplant his Lilies into a better ſoil. And that's a ſecond Particular why the Lord doth ſhorten the daies of his ſervants, it is when they live in a very corrupt and ſinful Generation, that doth both afflict them and endanger them.
3. Again, Thirdly, Sometimes God ſhortens the daies of his ſervants in love; that they may not ſee when great deſolations are coming, either upon their friends, their relations, their families, or upon the Kingdom they live in: the Lord in mercy calls home thoſe that do walk faithfully with him: and thus it was with Jeroboam's child in 1 Kings 14. 13. Jeroboam's child was taken away, you have the reaſon given there, becauſe great deſolation is coming upon the Family, God threatens there by the Prophet, that he would not leave one perſon alive, and this child ſhall go to his Grave in peace, Becauſe ſome good thing was found in him towards the Lord God of Iſrael; ſome good thing was found in him when the family was corrupt, and therefore God would not have him to ſee what deſolation he would bring upon the family: And ſo when God brings deſolation upon Kingdoms and Nations, he ſometimes calls home his own people. Good King Joſiah, a gracious man, was cut off betimes, becauſe the Lord was about to bring deſolation upon Judah: a great and fearful Captivity which came preſently after, when he was gone; but he feared the Lord, and was fearful when the Word of the Lord came to him, and therefore God took him that he might not ſee that deſolation with his eyes, that ſad deſolation, that God would bring upon Judah. And ſo ſaies the Prophet, Iſa. 57. 1. he gives this as a reaſon why God takes away ſome of his ſervants betimes, The righteous periſheth, and no man layeth it to heart, and the merciful man is taken away, none conſidering that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come: When evil and deſolation is about to come upon a place or a Kingdom, why then God takes away many righteous and merciful men. The Husbandman, when he ſees a ſtorm is a coming, he makes haſte to gather in his Corn, eſpecially, that which is moſt ready to ſhake, that which is moſt like to take harm by the wet, that he'll in withall: And thus the Lord doth with his, when he ſees great deſolation, that may even ſhake thoſe that are his own.
4. Fourthly, God takes way ſome of his ſervants that he may prevent their uneven walking, and their declining and turning aſide from him: the Lord loves to take his ſervants when they are at the beſt, he pulls the Roſe when it's moſt ſweet: ſometimes the Lord ſees many of his ſervants, that if they ſhould ſtand longer they would decline and grow worſe; ſad experience doth teach it; now therefore it is that the Lord takes them at the fit time, that he may prevent that diſhonour, that otherwiſe might be brought to his name, if he ſhould ſuffer them to ſtand longer in the world, they might happily blurr their profeſſion, they might diſhonour God, they might harden their own hearts; and therefore the Lord loves to take them when they are fully ripe: and when he ſees ſuch a one ready to decline and grow worſe, and to loſe of his ſweetneſs, and of his ſavour, it may blurr the name of God, diſhonour him in the world; why, the Lord to prevent all this, takes away ſometimes ſuch a ſervant of his in abundance of love and mercy: and ſo he took away Aſa, and ſo Jehoſaphat, they were good men, but they began to decline in their old daies; Aſa was a good man, his heart was perfect, it is the Teſtimony that God gives of him, all his daies; but he went and declined, he went and relied on the arm of fleſh: when the Prophet tells him of it, he was angry with the Prophet, he impriſons the Prophet, and he began to ſmite the people, and God ſmites Aſa with a diſeaſe in his feet, and ſo took him away; and it was beſt for Aſa that he was taken away before a further declining: and ſo Jehoſapbat did take part with a wicked King, and the Lord did ſhorten his daies in abundance of love.
5. Again▪ Fifthly, God will ſhorten the daies of his ſervants, when they are enabled to do much in a little time; when he hath cauſed them to run amain after himſelf, to follow him hard, and ſo through his grace have done the work of their Generation in a little time, then the Lord ſhortens the daies of their dwelling in the body in abundance of love: when their work is done, the ſooner their work is done, the ſooner they are at reſt; the Lord will not keep his people longer from their reſt than needs muſt, he knows that their daies are as the daies of an Hireling, as Job ſpeaks, full of labour, full of toyl, and full of trouble, full of diſquietneſs and hurryings, no reſt; therefore ſo ſoon as ever they have done their work, God takes them; he loves to have his children bettered, he won't put them to School longer than needs muſt, when he hath trained them up for heaven, he preſently ſends for them home, he hath longing deſires to ſee them: Chriſt would have all his children round about him, and therefore when he hath cauſed them to do his work in a little time, he will then ſend for them, That where I am, you may be alſo; I am gone to prepare a place for you, and I will come again and receive you to glory. It ſhews how the Lord Chriſt doth haſten, he hath longing deſires to ſee them, I am gone away, and I come again as ſoon as ever the work is done, he will not ſtay a minute when he hath fitted glory for them, and fitted them for glory, I will come; I'le come again and take you to my ſelf, he longs for them, and cauſes their hearts alſo to be breathing mightily after him; and therefore they ſhall not be abſent from the Lord longer than needs muſt, but when he hath cauſed them to do the work of their Generation, he will take them away in abundance of love and mercy. There are ſome Objections to Anſwer, as concerning long life as a bleſſing, but ſo much for this time.