Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 1
SERMON I.
GEN. 5. … And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
YOu have an Hiſtory in this Chapter of the ten firſt Patriarchs, from Adam unto Noah: In every Age God had ſome to bear up his Name in the World; and amongſt thoſe, theſe ten Fathers were choice Pillars: But here is ſomething remarkably ſpoken of Enoch, here was accounted more of him than all the reſt: Enoch walked with God, and he was not. He ſaith of all the reſt, they lived ſo long, ſo many years, and then they died, but Enoch walked with God, and he was not; therefore we ſhould conſider who this Enoch was: the New Teſtament bears witneſs of him, and ſpeaks of this Enoch as one that was a choice piece in his Generation; the Apoſtle Jude tells you that he was a Prophet, as you may read in that Epiſtle, the 14 Verſe, Enoch alſo the ſeventh from Adam, propheſieth of thee, ſaying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thouſand of his Saints to execute Judgement upon all, &c. Enoch the ſeventh from Adam, ſo Jude deſcribes him. Some put a great deal in this myſterie; The ſeventh from Adam; and I think there was ſomething in it as he was a Type of Chriſt: he was a Type of that Chriſt that was to be the Reſt of his people, that was to give perpetual Reſt, everlaſting reſt unto his Sains: his name Enoch ſignifies one that was dedicated or ſeparated unto the Lord; and ſo he was a Type of Chriſt that was choſen out among his Brethren, and he was ſeparated and dedicated unto the Lord, He walked with God; and ſo did Chriſt, and therein he was a Type of him: he was well pleaſing unto God, He had this Teſtimony, ſaith the Apoſtle to the Hebrews, he pleaſed God, Heb. 11. 5▪ Chriſt was the object of the Fathers good pleaſure in a ſpecial manner, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleaſed. But I rather think the Apoſtle intended no more than Enoch: but only to diſtinguiſh him from another Enoch that was in that Generation, as you may read of him in Gen. 4. 17. And Cain knew his wife, and ſhe conceived and bare Enoch; and he builded a City, and called the City after the Name of his ſon Enoch: So this Enoch, in Gen. 5. was a third from Adam, for he was not the ſon of Cain, but the ſon of Jared, and of Adam's poſterity by Seth and Rubin Cain; he came of that ſeed that was given inſtead of Abel; when Abel was ſlain, God gave another ſeed inſtead of Abel, and Enoch came of that ſeed.
The Church of Chriſt ſhall loſe nothing by perſecution: if Abel be taken away by bloody hands, the Lord will raiſe up another ſeed; and Enoch a choice man is of that ſeed to hold up the name of God in the World. When John Baptiſt was put in Priſon, Chriſt himſelf goes forth to Preach the Goſpel; the Church of Chriſt ſhall not loſe by Perſecution, out of the very aſhes of the Saints that are ſlain ſhall ariſe new ones, men upon whom a double meaſure of the Spirit ſhall be given; as it was to Eliſha when Elias was taken away. And this by the way, Let us now more ſtrictly conſider what it is that is ſpoken of this Enoch: There are two remarkable things, the one is concerning his Life, and the other concerning his Death: Touching his Life it's ſaid that Enoch walked with God, he walked with God; nay, through his whole life he walked with God: ſo many years as he lived after he begat his firſt ſon, three hundred years and upwards, the Apoſtle to the Hebrews ſaith, That he pleaſed God, that is his walking with God; in Heb. 11. 5. By Faith Enoch was tranſlated that he ſhould not ſee death; before his tranſlation it's ſaid, He had this teſtimony, that he pleaſed God; at the latter end of the Verſe, He walked with God: it was his conſtant aim to pleaſe God, in all things he aimed at God in the whole courſe of his life: He had this teſtimony, that he pleaſed God; he lived in Faith and Obedience, and by Faith he pleaſed God, For without Faith, it's ſaid, it's impoſſible to pleaſe God. He continually exerciſed Faith upon the promiſed Meſſiah that was to come, he lived in expectation to ſee his day: and he ſaw it before-hand (as Abraham did by Faith) and rejoiced: and ſo he walked with God, and by Faith he pleaſed God. And here is ſomething ſpoken of his death, or of his change: It's ſaid, that after he walked with God, He was not: He walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
Some conceive that all this is ſpoken of his walking with God: He walked with God, and he was not, he was not in himſelf, he walked in God and not in himſelf, he denied himſelf and followed God, he made a reſignation of himſelf up to God, God took him up to himſelf, but this is ſomething ſtrange! I rather think the latter part doth conſider the change of Enoch, his tranſlation out of this life, He was not, for God took him; and we have good ground for this Interpretation, becauſe the Apoſtle gives it thus in that place before▪ in Heb. 11. 5. it's ſaid, By Faith Enoch was tranſlated that he ſhould not ſee death, and was not found, becauſe God had tranſlated him: ſo he was not, that is, he was not of the World, he was not found any more amongſt men. He is ſaid to walk with God here upon earth, after he had walked with God three hundred years, and he was not, for God took him. It implies a ſpecial way and manner of Enoch's change, which was not ordinary: he died not as the reſt did, but only he was changed, as thoſe ſhall be, that ſhall be found alive when Chriſt ſhall come to be Judge of the World, they ſhall not die, but they ſhall be changed: ſo Enoch died not, but he was changed, his body did put on Incorruption, it did not ceaſe to be, but it was changed and tranſlated, ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, He was tranſlated, that he ſhould not ſee death. God took him up in ſome extraordinary way as he did Elias; Elias was tranſlated that he ſhould not ſee death, he was taken up in the ſight of all his friends, Chariots and Horſes of Fire took him up, and carried him into Heaven, and ſo 'tis very likely, that Enoch was carried up ſome ſuch way to Heaven: He was taken away from his friends, and they knew not what was become of him, God took him, they knew not where he was; He was not found, ſaies the Apoſtle, which doth intimate, that his friends ſought him, as the friends of Elias, they went to ſeek him when he was taken up to Heaven, ſo it's like he was ſought for, when he was taken up to heaven, but he was not found, God took him up; the manner of his tranſlation was extraordinary, even as that of Elias▪ Enoch before the Law, and Elias under the Law, were taken up into heaven. But more of that hereafter. I ſhall only for the preſent make ſome entrance, and look upon this Enoch as a man that was a choice piece in his Age, in his Generation: ſpecial notice is taken of him more than of all the reſt, Enoch walked with God.
You may obſerve, That in all Ages God hath ſome of his Servants that are more eminent than others; God hath ſome in all Ages, that walk more cloſe with him, that are in a very remarkable manner holy, and gracious, and hold forth a great deal of God to the World; all the ten Patriarchs that were ſpoken of in the Text, they were gracious men, and they all walked with God: but it's ſaid of Enoch as if he was alone; Enoch walked with God, which doth intimate, that he walked with God in a remarkable manner, he walked more cloſe with God than all the reſt of his Brethren, than all the reſt of his Generation: Enoch walked with God; God hath ſome choice ſervants in all Ages: he loves all his Children dearly, as a father loves all his Children dearly, but ſome are nearer him than others, ſome are ſet upon the knee, and laid in the boſom when others ſtand by: choice affections are in the Lord to ſome, and made known to ſome. A Prince ſhall carry it reſpectively to all his Favorites, he'll ſhew favour to all: but yet ſome come nearer him than others, they know more of his mind, and are more intimate with him, they are taken into his privy Chamber, into his ſecret Galleries there to walk with him. And thus the Lord deals with ſome of his Saints: Enoch was a favorite in his Generation: Afterward comes Noah, and Noah was a favorite in his Generation; ſee Gen. 6. 9. Theſe are the Generations of Noah: Noah was a juſt man, and perfect in his Generation, and Noah walked with God. Noah was a juſt man, and perfect in his Generation, Noah walked with God in a remarkable manner, he kept more cloſe to God than all the World beſide: But Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord, it's ſaid, when all the World was drowned. Abraham was ſuch a man in his Generation, he was a friend of God, God revealed more to him than to all the World beſides: I will hide nothing from Abraham, ſaies God in Gen. 18. 17, 18, 19. Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do, ſaies God, he'll teach his Children and Servants, I will not hide from Abraham; he was Gods choice favourite, and therefore he will not hide from Abraham the thing that he will do. After Abraham comes Job, he was a favourite in his Generation: it was thought upon good ground, that he lived betwixt Abraham and Moſes; when ever it was, he was a favourite in his Generation, Haſt thou conſidered my Servant Job, that he is a perfect and upright man, one that fears God and eſchews evil, and there is none like him on the earth: Here is a high commendation, he is a man worthy to be conſidered, God himſelf conſiders him, a perfect and upright man, one that walked up cloſe with God, as there was none nigher him in his Generation, there was none like Job, he was the choiceſt Scholar that God had in the World, and God taught him more than all the World beſides, he was the greateſt proficient in all the School of God, God gives him high commendations. And then comes Moſes, he is a favourite in his Generation, He ſaw God face to face: there was none like unto Moſes, none had ſuch communion with God as Moſes had in his Generation, Come thou up into the Mount, he was Gods favourite, he walked with God as Enoch did, and there was none like him. And ſo when Moſes was gone, Joſhua in his Generation was one that Followed God fully, none but Caleb and Joſhua followed God fully, they were the choice in their Generation. And ſo afterward David he was a man after Gods heart, a choice man in his Generation. And ſo Hezekiah, and then Joſiah, of them both there was none like them in their Generation, there was none like Hezekiah in his Generation, and none like Joſiah in his Generation, they were choice favourites in their Generation. Our Lord Jeſus loved all his Diſciples dearly, and took care of them: but there was one of them lay in his boſom, there was one that was alwaies next him, and that was John the beloved Diſciple; Joh. 21. 20, 21. Peter ſaw the Diſciple whom Chriſt loved, who leaned on his Breaſt at the Supper; he was nearer Chriſt than all the reſt; and ſo he inſtructed all the Diſciples, and revealed great myſteries to them all, but the greateſt of myſteries he revealed unto James, Peter, and John, in the Mount; and none ſaw Chriſts transfiguration but they three: they were choice Pillars in their Generation. As it is in the natural body, ſo it is in the body of Chriſt, there are ſome members that are nearer the head than others: all do partake of the ſame life, and of the ſame ſpirit, which runs through the whole body; Ay, but ſome are nearer the head than others, there's a greater dignity put upon ſome than others; ſome are more uſeful than others; ſome are of greater growth than others, and ſome have more ſtrength than others: So 'tis in the body of Chriſt; there are ſome of Chriſts members that he looks upon, and holds forth to the World as choice pieces, ſuch as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Job, Moſes, Joſhua and Caleb, David, Hezekiah and Joſiah were; all have not the ſame helps, and therefore all come not to the ſame growth, all have not the ſame means of knowledge, the ſame means of getting nearer God, and growing up in ſpiritual ſtrength and ſtature, there are ſome that are beloved of God that are but ſeldom rained upon, upon others ſhowers of Heaven do diſtill every day.
Again, All have not the ſame Impediments, the ſame hindrances that ſome have, and therefore ſome out-ſtrip others. Grace in ſome of Gods people meets with an abundance of oppoſition, through the abundance of corruption; they meet with more temptations than others, there's more blocks caſt in the way of ſome: the World is a great impediment, and proves a great ſnare to ſome, and they are kept back from getting ſo nigh unto God as others. There are ſome that God doth inable to follow the Lamb where ever he goes; Oh, they get nigh God, they are choice men in their Generation, ſuch as are inabled to follow the Lamb where ever he goes. There are ſome that God makes very attentive unto his Word, their ſouls are continually bent towards God, and towards his Word, and they are liſtning continually to hear what God will ſpeak, and when God will ſpeak, they are nigher God than others; there are ſome that lay up the Word of God in their hearts, ponder the words of Chriſt, as Mary did, ſhe pondered the ſayings of Chriſt in her heart, and hid them in her heart, ſhe pondered them; why, theſe get nearer God than others. There are ſome that God makes wiſe to know their time, and to take their ſeaſon, to improve the opportunity that God puts into their hands, when God calls them to follow him, when the Lord breaths and ſtirs them up, then to ſtir up themſelves, and to take hold of his name; they are taught of God to know the opportunity and ſeaſon in which they may get nigheſt to God by following him. When God draws a ſoul after himſelf, when ſome cord of love is caſt about it, oh it breaths towards God in its ſpirit, when the ſpirit of God is breathing in their hearts; now thoſe whom God thus calls to improve their opportunity, and to do the work of the Lord with all their might, and with all faithfulneſs as Chriſt did when he was upon earth, theſe are the men and women, who get near God, of whom it may be ſaid as of Enoch, that they walked with God above all their Generation. And for the ground of this you muſt know,
That God hath ſeveral works to put his people upon, he hath ſeveral works, ſeveral ſervices, and ſeveral ſufferings, and ſo accordingly he gives out ſtrength, and accordingly he draws into nigher communion with himſelf. There are ſome that God hath appointed for great ſervices in the world, ſuch as theſe had need be exceedingly ſtrengthened by ſweet communion with God, that their ſpirits may be upheld; and ſome God brings forth to great ſufferings, and therefore they had need have a great deal of ſtrength from God that they may be carried through. Job was a choice man, and God had great ſufferings for him, and there was none like him, nor no ſufferings like to his in his Generation, the Lord fitted him with abundance of grace to go through his ſufferings. Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt before he was tempted had abundance of his Father, to his comfort there came a Voice from Heaven, ſaying, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleaſed; a voice from heaven doth evince and declare that he was the Son of God. The Lord Jeſus had great ſufferings, great conflicts, great temptations to grapple with, therefore his Father doth ſtrengthen him exceedingly: there were ſome that were ſet upon a hill, lights ſet upon a hill can't be hid, the eyes of many are upon them, the endeavours of all the powers of darkneſs are to blow out ſuch lights, the name of God is greatly intereſted, and greatly concerned in them, and therefore they had need have a great deal of clear light from Heaven, they had need be exceedingly comforted, and ſtrengthened in their ſpirits by the preſence of God, and by moſt near and intimate fellowſhip and communion with him; therefore the Lord diſpoſes that ſome of his ſervants ſhall be choice and excellent in their Generation, to be near to him as Enoch was who walked with God. Now therefore to apply things.
1. Ʋſe. I beſeech you Brethren, That you would ſeek after this high meaſure of Grace and Holineſs, that you would labour to get nigh unto God, get as cloſe unto God as may be, that you may walk with God in an eminent manner in your Generation, as Enoch did: you have God himſelf for your pattern before you; Oh how the Saints ſhould ſtrive to be thus minded, Be ye perfect, for your heavenly Father is perfect; you have God before you, you have Chriſt before you for your pattern. I do not ſay, be as holy and perfect as the reſt of your friends and neighbours, and meaſure your holineſs by theirs; but you ſhould ſtrive to go beyond all, beyond all creatures, look at none as your pattern but God and Chriſt: labour to get up to the height of eminency, the life of God in Chriſt; you can never get too nigh God, you can never have too much of him, there is no danger in following hard after God, there is certainty in the things of God. A man may have too much of the things of the world, there's danger in it, but a man cannot have too much of the knowledge of God, and of communion with God; a man may have more, and too much of the World, as he cannot uſe it to the glory of God; Oh there is danger in the World in ſtriving to be the greateſt, to be the richeſt in the World, there is great danger; but there is no danger in ſtriving to be eminent in grace, in ſtriving to get nearer to God, and to walk cloſe with God: this is the very glory of Heaven, it's worth the ſeeking after. My Brethren, preſs hard to get more nigh to God, to ſtick cloſe to God; it's the glory of heaven: heaven differs only in degrees from that which is given out to the Saints here; it's the ſame in eſſence; it's the glory of heaven to know God, to enjoy God, to walk with God, To follow the Lamb whereſoever he goes; it's the glory of heaven: and therefore I beſeech you, that you would now look upon it as your glory to follow God fully, as your glory to follow the Lamb whereſoever he goes.
2. Ʋſe. In the ſecond place, It may be a word of incouragement unto poor Chriſtians, weak Chriſtians, you that are ſenſible you are not the Enochs of your Generation: Oh the diſtance that is in your ſpirits (you ſee) betwixt God and you! Are you preſſing on after God, why then let me ſay to you, That you have the ſame for eſſence, that the beſt of the Saints have, though you have not the ſame in degree; I ſay, you that have the leaſt intereſt in Chriſt, you have the ſame for eſſence which the beſt Saints on earth have, and the ſame which the ſpirits of juſt men made perfect in heaven have, the difference is only in degrees, it's not in kind, and therefore preſs on hard that you may have more of it. It's not impoſſible that you ſhould come to the ſame height with them, becauſe the difference is only in degrees, it's not in kind. It's true, where there is nothing but gifts and parts, there the difference is in kind. If a man hath the moſt excellent parts in the world, he can never attain unto that which a Chriſtian hath; parts can never attain unto grace, but the leaſt meaſure of grace may grow up to the greateſt in time, for the difference is only in degree. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a grain of Muſtard ſeed: why, a grain of Muſtard ſeed when it's ſown, you know how little it is, but it grows up to a great height: where there is rooting in Chriſt, where there is a principle of grace in any ſoul, there ſhall be a growth, and that ſoul ſhall never leave growing till it grow higher and higher, as tall as heaven it ſelf, and there it hath its full growth and its full perfection. But let me tell you that ſay, you ſhall never be eminent in your Generation; let me ſay thus to you, You have the ſame Mediator, that the chiefeſt of the Saints have, even you that are weakeſt; all they have, comes through his hand, and it's for his ſake: you have the ſame Mediator that they have, Oh why do you not improve this Mediator more, that more may be given out through him? If you were more in improving and more in waiting upon him, ſeeing you have the ſame Mediator, you ſhall have the ſame welcom in heaven with the moſt choice of Saints: you have the ſame Fountain to go unto, and therefore do not ſay, you ſhall never be eminent in your Generation, you have the ſame fountain, All we from his fulneſs receive grace for grace; the choiceſt have nothing but what they receive from Chriſt and his fulneſs, and the ſame fountain is as full for you as for them; nay, there is the ſame freedom of acceſs for you as for them, there's the ſame freeneſs in Chriſt to be given out to you; it's a fountain ſet open, ſet open for Judas and for Jeruſalem, it's ſet open for the weakeſt, that they may come and drink and be cheared in their ſpirits; nay, let me tell you that the heart of Chriſt is more careful of you than of others, the heart of Chriſt is moſt careful of his weak ones. Oh, what proviſion doth he make for them? Simon Peter, doſt thou love me? why then keep my Lambs: if thou loveſt me, Peter, by all the love thou beareſt to me, then take care of my weak ones, Feed my Lambs: and he takes care himſelf, great care; in Iſa. 40. 11, 12. it's ſaid there what Chriſt the good Shepherd ſhall do, that He ſhall gather the Lambs with his arms, and carry them in his boſom, and ſhall gently lead thoſe that are with young: there is the ſpecial care that Chriſt takes of you that are weak.
Nay, Further for your incouragement, let me tell you, that there is the ſame bleſſing upon you that is upon the ſtrongeſt of thoſe Saints that God hath upon the earth: therefore there is way made for your growth and increaſe; when God makes the new creature, when ever he brings forth the new creature he bleſſes it: as when he created the World, he gave it his bleſſing, Increaſe and Multiply, and ſo to the Trees, Be fruitful: and ſo where ever the new creature is, there is the ſpecial bleſſing of the Creator goes along with it: he ſaith to them all, Be fruitful and multiply, be fruitful in old age, and in Rev. 22. 11. Let him that is holy, be holy ſtill: there's a bleſſing upon every righteous holy man though never ſo weak, let him be holy ſtill, oh let him be more holy, let him increaſe in holineſs and righteouſneſs; there's the bleſſing of Chriſt in the New Teſtament, oh wait and look for this bleſſing, and know that the bleſſing of Chriſt is prevalent: the Curſe of Chriſt is heavy, it made the Figg-tree die to the very root, wither to the very roots: but the bleſſing of Chriſt can make roots that are withered to ſpring up and flouriſh.
But again (to ſay no more) for your incouragement, Conſider what promiſes the Lord hath made to the weak, to thoſe that are weak of ſtrength, which promiſes are in a ſpecial manner to be accompliſhed in the latter daies, as in Zach. 12. 8. In that day ſhall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem, and he that is feeble among them at that day, ſhall be as David, and the houſe of David ſhall be as God, as the Angel of the Lord before them. Zachariah ſaith that there's a time a coming, that the weak and feeble ſhall be as David, and they who are as David, ſhall be as the Angel of the Lord. David I told you was a choice man in his Generation, he was a man after Gods own heart, that walked with God moſt part of his life, he was ſtrong to do great things for God; now he that is weak ſhall be as David, and he that is as David ſhall be made ſtrong as the Angel of the Lord. When you are in the midſt of the ſenſe of your weakneſs, look upon theſe promiſes, and deſire the Lord, that he would haſten the accompliſhment of them. Well, then I beſeech you ſuffer me to preſs this upon you, that you would labour to get as nigh God as poſſible you may, get as nigh God as may be; do not think it enough that you have an intereſt in Chriſt, that you have that which will carry you to heaven; Oh, let the ſpirit of a Child, of a ſon, this day be ſet upon you: ſeek not enough only to carry you to heaven, but ſeek more than ſo, ſeek that that will make you eminent unto God in your Generation, that which will make you exceeding ſerviceable unto God, and to your Generation in your Age, even this ſtrife ſhould there be to get into the very heart of God, Oh that God would reveal this to you, that you are one of his choice favourites. The nigher you are to Chriſt, the more you ſhall ſee of heaven, the more you ſhall know of his Mind, of his Will, and of his Word: you think that Diſciple was a happy man that leaned on Chriſts boſom, the Diſciple whom Chriſt loved, ſat next him, leaned on his breaſt; Oh how ſhould you preſs after this in ſpirit, to get as nigh Chriſt as may be, to lean on the boſom or breaſt of Chriſt as that beloved Diſciple did! I tell you, you that do ſo, you ſhall hear more from Chriſt than others do. Chriſt ſometimes ſpeaks ſoftly, and there's none hear what Chriſt ſpeaks but thoſe that ſit next him; the ſoul that ſits next him and cleaves cloſeſt unto him, as Enoch did, hears many a word that other Chriſtians cannot hear: Enoch had choice things revealed unto him, God did reveal things to come unto him, becauſe he was the choice of God, and ſat cloſe to God. Oh, that you would labour after this, to get near unto God, there's many ſweet refreſhments that you may meet with, there's many a good bit that you ſhall get of him, which others of his Children don't taſte of, by reaſon they follow him not cloſe. Oh don't loſe the ſweetneſs of this! How ſweet is it to hear a word from Chriſt, and how refreſhing is that portion that Chriſt carves out. Strive in your Generation that you may be like Enoch, who in his Generation ſtuck cloſe to God, and walked with God.