Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions, Sermon 7
SERMON VII.
GEN. 5. 24. And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
I Have given you part of the Character of one that walked with God, and ſhewed you what he is in thoſe duties that do more immediately concern God himſelf: I ſhewed you (the laſt time I ſpake) what his carriage is in his Calling, in his ordinary employment: he looks upon his Calling as an Ordinance of God. God who is an active Spirit can't endure that any of his creatures ſhould be idle; the very Angels have their employment, there's never an Angel in heaven idle; Are they not all miniſtring ſpirits, ſaies the Apoſtle in Heb. 1. they are all miniſtring ſpirits, ſent forth for the good of them that ſhall be ſaved: And therefore out of this Conſideration he ſubmits unto the way of his Calling, and deſires to be faithful in it; he alſo deſires to do all that he doth to the Lord, even the very works of his calling he doth them to the Lord; he looks upon it as a truſt from God, and by that truſt he is engaged to faithfulneſs; and he deſires to make God his laſt end: there's a further end, beſides the gain of riches and living in the world, there's a further end which he eyes, which is more honourable, more noble, and that is to ſerve God in his Generation, that he may be an inſtrument in the hand of God to do ſome good in his Generation, that God may have the glory of it; this is the laſt end, and ſo he doth all as to the Lord: he deſires alſo to be holy and ſpiritual in the midſt of his Calling, though his hand be to the earth, he deſires that his heart may be upright, he groans under the burden of a carnal heart, it's worſe than death to him to be carnally minded: he rejoices in the promiſe of holineſs, and in that Prophecie in Zachariah, In that day holineſs ſhall be written to the Lord upon the Bells of Horſes; there's a promiſe that Gods people ſhall be holy when they are in the world, in the midſt of their Callings and Employments, holineſs ſhall be written to the Lord upon them; he rejoices to think that that time is a coming, he prays and waits to ſee the accompliſhment of it in his own ſpirit: he deſires to ſanctifie all by the Word and Prayer; he knows it's the bleſſing of the Lord, and not his own endeavours that can make him proſperous in his Calling; he deſires alſo that the things of the world don't ſhut out the things of God; that's another part of his walking with God. Oh how fearful is he to graſp too much of the world, how fearful is he that the things of the world ſhould deprive him of thoſe opportunities of waiting upon God, of communion with the Lord, and with his own ſpirit! He doth not live upon his own endeavours, but he lives by faith, whilſt he works with his hand; he exerciſes faith in the promiſe for protection, bleſſing and acceptance. He deſires alſo to ſhun all thoſe ſnares and temptations that are in the way of his Calling; as every Calling hath its ſpecial ſnare and temptation, he deſires there to be moſt watchful where there is moſt likelihood he ſhould ſlip and fall, and be ſnared and broken; he prays and watches againſt the temptations that are in his way, and is willing to abide with God in his Calling. I ſhall now come to ſhew you what this perſon is in his Relations: One that walks with God you ſhall find active, gracious, carry it graciouſly in his Relations: And I ſhall only ſpeak now of Family Relations, and there's ſome need we ſhould ſpeak of that: It ſeems to be hinted in the Text, That Enoch was faithful with God in his Family; and this was mentioned, That Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuſalem three hundred years, and begat ſons and daughters; and as he begat them ſo he brought them up to God, and was found faithful in his family Relations. There are three ſorts, there's that of Husband and Wife, Parent and Child, and Servant and Maſter: I ſhall not ſpeak largely of all theſe, it would be too large a Subject. I ſhall only now give you ſome hints what that gracious perſon is that walks with God as Enoch did, and how he carries it in thoſe ſeveral Relations.
To begin with the Relation of the Wife and Huſband; hath God ſet ſuch a perſon in the Relation of a Wife; you ſhall behold her gracious carriage.
Firſt of all, She looks upon her Husband as her head, and ſubmits unto him as one that is ſet over her in the Lord; ſhe knows that there is a priority and a dignity that God hath put upon her husband: the man was firſt, and then the woman, and therefore ſhe ſubmits unto him in all lawful things, though in ſome reſpects he may ſeem to be inferiour to her, though ſhe brought more wealth, though her birth be more honourable, though her parts be more ripe, yet ſhe ſubmits unto him, as one that God hath ſet over her; nay, though he may ſeem unworthy to rule, and unworthy of the dignity, yet ſhe ſubmits for the Lords ſake, becauſe it is the Ordinance and Command of God. There are divers things in this ſubmiſſion which are ſeen in a gracious woman that walks with God. As,
1. Firſt, She thinks and ſpeaks honourably of her Husband, and ſpeaks honourably unto him: you know what was Mary's carriage to Joſeph, though ſhe might ſeem to be above him, ſhe ſaies, Thy Father and I have ſought thee: She doth not ſay, My Father and I, but Thy Father and I have ſought thee; and ſo the Apoſtle Peter ſpeaks graciouſly of ſuch gracious women that ſpeak honourably to their Husbands, in 1 Pet. 3. 6. he doth exhort women to imitate Sarah, Sarah obeyed her husband, and called him Lord.
Again, As ſhe ſpeaks honourably to him, and of him, ſo ſhe labours to pleaſe him in all lawful things, to conform her ſelf as much as may be unto her huſbands diſpoſition, to win him with her love and gracious carriage; ſhe alſo receives his counſels, and is willing to ſubmit to his reproofs in all things lawful, becauſe ſhe looks upon him as one that the Lord hath ſet over her to be head. Again,
2. Secondly, She looks upon her ſelf as one that the Lord hath given unto her, that ſhe might be a meet help unto him; this is another part of the gracious carriage in a woman; ſhe looks upon her ſelf as one that is given to be a meet help unto her husband, and therefore ſhe deſires to do him good all his daies: ſo ſaies Solomon when he ſpeaks of this vertuous woman, in Prov. 21. 12. She will do him good and not evil all the daies of his life; ſhe endeavours to help him, and to do him good in his ſoul, body and eſtate, ſhe'll do him good in every condition, in affliction, in low conditions when the hand of the Lord is upon him, if the hand of the Lord be ſtretched out againſt his eſtate, and bring him low, ſhe ſubmits unto it, and will not upbraid but comfort him, and be content to take part with him in his affliction and low condition, and all this ſhe doth as unto the Lord, becauſe of the Ordinance of the Lord; and thus you ſee how ſuch a perſon as walks with God carries it in the Relation of a wife. Well, if God ſet ſuch a perſon in the relation of a Husband, you ſhall find him alſo walking with God in that relation: he loves his wife dearly, and he loves her eſpecially for that of God he ſees in her; though he dare not love the creature immediately, nor rejoice nor delight in the creature, becauſe he knows that's Idolatry, yet he loves that which he ſees of God in her, and under God, he loves her next to God with the deareſt love: That, that is the moſt near relation, it's nearer than the Relation of Father and Mother, Sons and Daughters; this is not only a natural but ſupernatural relation, it is a Myſtical relation, and there's a great deal of God in making two to become one, and therefore, I ſay, of that love which is due to, and which he may give unto the creature, he gives unto her the greateſt ſhare, as being the neareſt relation: and becauſe he loves her, you ſhall ſee how he carries himſelf towards her.
1. Firſt, He loves her ſoul in the firſt place, and therefore it is that he moſtly deſires to do her good in her ſpirit: therefore it is that he inſtructs and prays with her, and for her, that ſo the Lord may do her good in the inward man: his deareſt love is toward her beſt part, and therefore he rejoices moſt in that when he ſees the work of God upon her heart: when they can live together as heirs, co-heirs of the grace of life, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, that is it that he takes the moſt contentment in. Again,
2. Secondly, Alſo becauſe he loves her, he won't be bitter to her, he will remember that rule in Col. 3. 19. Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter againſt them: he will not be bitter in word nor action; he conſiders her weakneſs, looks upon her as the weaker veſſel, and therefore he will not break her; if he muſt chide and fight, it ſhall be with himſelf, and with thoſe luſts that are within him and war againſt his ſoul, and not with that relation that the Lord hath given to be ſuch a wife and ſuch a comfort unto him in this his Pilgrimage.
3. Again, Becauſe he loves her, he will defend her; this is another part of his gracious carriage; he will be a veil for a covering to her: ſo Abimelech told Sarah, Lo, thy husband is a covering to thee where ever thou goeſt: he will right her cauſe againſt all wrongs and injuries in a lawful way, ſo far as he is able,
4. Again, He covers her weakneſſes; that's another part of his carriage; he remembers that rule that is given unto husbands, Husbands love your Wives, in Epheſ. 5. 25. as Chriſt loved his Church; Why, Chriſt covered the infirmities of the Church: though there be a great deal amiſs, yet he puts his raiment upon her; when ever he preſents his people unto his Father, he preſents them as if there were no ſpot in them, as if they were holy and perfect, Thou art all fair my love, ſaies he, and there is no ſpot in thee: Why, ſo this man that walks with God won't blaze abroad the infirmities of his Wife, but is willing to cover them, for he knows what the Lord Jeſus hath covered in reſpect to him.
5. Again, Fifthly, Becauſe he loves her he will maintain her, that ſhe may want no conveniencies according to his rank and the condition that God hath ſet him in: he won't keep her ſhort of neceſſaries, but provide both for her neceſſity and dignity; he won't ſpend all her portion, and then turn her out of doors to provide for her ſelf: he won't keep her ſhort, that ſhe ſhall have no opportunity to do good, but he gives her allowance to ſhare with him, and to take comfort together of that which God hath given him.
6. Again, Sixthly and laſtly, He will maintain her honour in the Family, and therefore he commands that ſhe be reſpected: he will not ſuffer ſervants nor children to uſurp authority over her, but commands that reverence be ſhewed, and ſubmiſſion given to her over all the Family; he looks upon her as one that God hath ſet (next himſelf) to be the next light of the Family, and therefore deſires that ſhe might ſhare and be reſpected; he knows that God hath given her to be a help, and (ſo under him) to look to the waies of her Family, Children and Maidens, and therefore in this he doth countenance her, leſt the Family be diſordered, and God be diſhonoured in it, this he doth as unto the Lord and for his ſake (though there may be unworthineſs on her part) becauſe it's the Ordinance and appointment of God: Thus you ſee what is the work of the firſt Relation of Husband and Wife.
2. But Secondly, The ſecond Relation in the Family is of Children and Parents: Now if a gracious heart, as one that walks with God, be ſuch in either of theſe relations, you ſhall ſee his gracious carriage.
1. Firſt, to ſpeak in relation to Children: If God hath ſet him as a Child, he deſires to obey his Parents in all things in the Lord; he deſires to give willing ſubmiſſion and obedience unto them, …ay, and that from the very heart, he obeys them as Chriſt obeyed his Father, in Pſal. 40. 7, 8. Lo, I come to do thy Will, I delight to do thy Will, O God, thy Law is in my heart; and this is the carriage of a gracious Child, one that walks with God, to his Parents, he obeys them from the heart.
2. Secondly, He alſo ſubmits unto all their Inſtructions, he embraces the wholſom counſel of his Parents, He will not deſpiſe the counſel of his Father, nor depart from the Law of his Mother, but he wears them as an Ornament of Grace to his head, and as a Chain, as Solomon ſpeaks.
3. He alſo doth ſubmit unto all their reproofs and chaſtenings, becauſe he looks upon them as the reproofs and chaſtenings of a Father, and ſo proceed from love, and they are for his good. He alſo
4. In the fourth place, Is content that they ſhould diſpoſe of him for Calling, for Employment: he is willing that they ſhould diſpoſe of him in Marriage, he knows that they have a great ſhare of him, and therefore he will not diſpoſe of himſelf without their conſent. He alſo in
5. The Fifth and laſt place, Looks upon himſelf as alwaies bound, even all his daies, to love and honour, and to reſpect his Parents; though God hath given him a Family of his own, and though he be ſet free from their Government, yet he looks upon himſelf all his daies bound to honour and reſpect them, and to maintain them, if the hand of the Lord be upon them to ſhorten their comforts, and if his be lengthened our, he looks upon himſelf as bound to relieve their wants, and to be a comfort and ſtay unto them in their old age: this is the carriage of one that walks with God, if he be found in the relation of a Child. But for the relation of a Father.
If he ſtand in the relation of a Parent, you ſhall alſo ſee his gracious carriage:
1. Firſt of all, He looks upon his Children as given him of God, to be brought up for God; he knows that they are but only ſent out to Nurſe (as it were) to him: God hath given him ſuch and ſuch Children to train up in his fear, and therefore it is his great deſire to ſee the Image of God upon them; he is more deſirous that they ſhould be made rich in grace than in gold, therefore he prays for them, counſels them, inſtructs them, gives them good examples, and all that ſo the knowledge of God and Jeſus Chriſt may be communicated unto them; if the Lord have pleaſed (at any time) to work upon the hearts of his Children, Oh how thankful is he unto the Lord for it! And he rejoices a thouſand times more, even in this, that he knows that they are the Lords, than that they are his.
2. Secondly, Again, He will not bear with that which is evil in them, though they be never ſo nigh to him, though they be of his fleſh, yet he will not bear with that which is a diſhonour to God: he will not ſuffer that in a Child which he abhors in another, which he will reprove, nay (it may be puniſh in a ſervant: but he is impartial in the matters of God, when Gods honour is concerned in it, he won't connive at any wickedneſs in them.
3. Thirdly, And on the other ſide, He is careful not to provoke them to wrath; for that's another extreme; he remembers that that is a Precept, Fathers, provoke not your Children to wrath, but bring them up in the fear and nurture of the Lord; he deſires rather, if it be poſſible, to rule them by love than by fear, he knows that ſlaviſh fear is the ſeed of a great deal of evil, and many times it deſtroies Ingenuity it ſelf; he won't provoke them by cutting words, as Saul did his ſon Jonathan, in the firſt of Samuel, you ſhall ſee what cutting words he gave to Jonathan, a good and gracious ſon, 1 Sam. 20. 30. Then Sauls anger was kindled againſt Jonathan, and he ſaid unto him, Thou ſon of the perverſe rebellious woman, &c.
4. Fourthly, He will not deny them conveniencies, and that education that is fit for them, but he is careful to diſpoſe of them in the way of a lawful Calling, he ſets them in a good way that they may be ſerviceable to the Lord and their Generation, according to the Will of the Lord, when he is dead and gone.
5. Fifthly, He won't fall upon them with violence before he knows the matter and examines the cauſe, leſt he ſhould ſmite them without cauſe; he will not caſt them off for every offence, but he ſeeks the Lord for them, and waits long for their return: he prays and prays again that the Lord would bring them home unto himſelf; and if at any time the Lord gives repentance, he looks upon it as a great mercy, and his heart is drawn forth in thankfulneſs; and this is the carriage of one that walks with God in the relation of a Parent.
There is a third relation in which I ſhall be more ſhort, and that is, That of Servant and Maſter. Now if God ſet a gracious ſoul in this relation, ye ſhall ſee his carriage.
1. Firſt of all, If he be a Servant, he is content with his condition, he remembers that the Lord Jeſus himſelf was found in the form of a Servant, and therefore well may he, a poor worm, ſubmit unto that condition if the Lord ſet him in it, he remembers he is accepted of God in that condition: it is not the work and employment that God looks at, but the faithfulneſs, the faithful carriage of the heart and ſpirit, and the work, though it be never ſo mean, and never ſuch drudgery, if done to the Lord in faithfulneſs, God accepts of it; and thus he is Chriſts freeborn of the freewoman, free in the inward man, and doth more willingly and contentedly ſubmit himſelf unto the condition of a Servant, if the Lord be pleaſed to place him in it.
2. Secondly, Again, As he is a Servant, he yields all due honour, reſpect and obedience unto his Maſter, or to ſuch as God hath ſet over him; he yields obedience in all things in the Lord: He is alſo careful of the good name and eſtate of his Maſter, whatſoever he is inſtructed in, or truſted with, as Joſeph and Jacob were; he is careful of all the eſtate that his Maſter puts into his hand, he will not wrong his Maſter in his eſtate, but he labours by all lawful means to increaſe the eſtate of his Maſter, though he knows he ought not to ſin and deceive for his Maſter, but in all lawful waies he will labour to preſerve and increaſe the eſtate of his Maſter; nay, this he doth in all faithfulneſs, whatſoever his hand finds to do in the Imployment that God hath ſet him in, he doth it in all faithfulneſs, whether the eye of his Maſter be upon him or no, he knows the eye of the Lord is upon him; he won't only work when his Maſter looks on him, but when there is no eye upon him, when his Maſter is gone into a far Country; he doth all to the Lord with all ſingleneſs of heart, and therefore he is faithful in the doing of that work and imployment which is put into his hand.
3. Thirdly, Again, He ſubmits unto all reproofs and corrections of his Maſter; he won't Anſwer, murmur, repine, nor turn again when he is ſmitten, but ſubmits unto his Maſter: he looks upon him as one that God hath ſet over him in the Lord; yea, though he meet with much hardſhip, he is not willing to defame his Maſter, nor that it ſhould be known, but if he be uſed moſt cruelly, in ſuch cruelty as he muſt complain, he will complain in an orderly way, as to the Magiſtrate with all meekneſs, that it may be remedied. There is one particular more and I have done, and that is,
2. Secondly, The relation of the Maſter, you ſhall ſee a gracious heart walking with God in this relation alſo that God hath ſet him in as a Maſter. Why,
1. Firſt, He ſeeks after the good of the ſouls of his Servants: he doth not only look to their bodies and no further; he does not uſe his Servant, as he doth his Cattle, only to work and toil them, and ſeek no further, but he looks upon them as committed by God and man unto his truſt, and therefore he is bound to be faithful to them, in ſeeking the good of their ſouls in the firſt place: therefore it is that he counſels, inſtructs and prays for them, and above all, he labours to give them good examples in the Family, for he knows all the reſt is nothing, his inſtruction will do no good, his counſels are of no efficacy, if his examples don't go along with them; and ſo Servants may ſee his gracious behaviour and carriage, which will be exceeding convincing unto them.
2. Secondly, Again, He alſo takes care of their outward man; he remembers it's written, that He that provides not for his Family is worſe than an Infidel, and therefore he endeavours to provide food and raiment for them, leſt he ſhould put them upon temptations and provoke them to ſin, and put them upon temptation to lie and ſteal, and be extravagant; and this is occaſioned many times through the unfaithfulneſs of the Maſter in this particular; he is careful not to expreſs cruelty, one that walks with God won't be cruel to his Servant in laying too much upon him, he knows the groans of his ſervant in this caſe will reach up to heaven; the Iſraelites were ſervants to the Egyptians, and you know when they laid heavy burdens upon them, then their cry was heard, and reacht up to heaven; and it was the deſtruction of the Egyptians: A good Maſter won't be cruel in his work.
3. Thirdly, Neither will he be cruel in his correction: If he doth correct he will do it in meaſure, he knows he is called the Father of the Family, therefore he ought to carry it as a Father unto his Family, and therefore if he will correct them, he will correct them as his own Children, he'll hate to be cruel to them: And therefore he'll in the
4. Fourth place, Take good counſel from him: a gracious heart, if he ſhall ſpeak to him of God and Chriſt in humility of any diſorders he meets withal in a Family, a gracious heart will receive counſel from an inferiour; you know how Naaman carried it, in 2 Kings 5. 23. now Naaman did not reject their counſel though he was a great and mighty Warrier; he doth not ſay, What have you to do to teach me? to inſtruct me? Why, ſaies he, it's good counſel, and it's from God, and he had cauſe afterward to bleſs God, that he did through them give him that counſel, for if he had not been, he had ever been Leprous. But,
5. Again, He takes care of his Servants: a gracious man pities them in their need, as the Centurion, My Servant, ſaies he, lies (at home) ſick of a Palſie, and deſires that Chriſt would ſpeak a word for his healing: he does not turn him out of doors, and ſend him to provide for himſelf, but he tenders him, and goes to the Phyſician Chriſt himſelf, and deſires that he would pleaſe to heal his Servant. And then
6. Sixthly and laſtly, He will not ſend his Servant away empty; that's another part of his carriage: when they have ſerved him many years, and he hath found their faithfulneſs, and the bleſſing of the Lord hath been upon him whilſt they have been with him in the Family, he won't ſend them empty away: God hath laid it as an injunction upon the Iſraelites, that when their Servants had ſerved them ſo many years, they ſhould not ſend them empty away, but that they ſhould give them ſomething, ſomething of all that they had got: It was the ſin of Laban, Jacob had ſerved him fourteen years night and day, and for Jacob' ſake the Lord bleſſed Laban, now it was his ſin, The Lord hath ſeen thy cruelty, and the Lord hath rebuked thee; This is part of the carriage of a gracious heart that walks with God; you have ſeen what he is in all theſe Family Relations that God hath ſet him in, in relation of a Husband and Wife, of Parents and Children, of Maſters and Servants. And ſo much for this time.