The Holy Walk and Glorious Translation of Enoch, Application
USE.
I come now to apply what has been ſaid, and I might go into a very copious Application, but I muſt limit and reſtrain my ſelf.
WILL God indeed take thoſe to himſelf in another and better World that walk with Him here?
1. THEN firſt, Let us all be exhorted and excited to begin, and go on and perſevere in a holy and bleſſed walk with God. Has there not eno' been ſaid, tho' little on ſo glorious a Subject, to perſwade and prevail on us to enter on a walk with God? View only the bleſſed End of it, to be taken up by God unto himſelf for ever and ever. O unknown happineſs and immenſe felicity! which eye has not ſeen, nor ear heard, neither hath enter'd into the heart of man to conceive of! Or if Paul after his rapture into the third heavens were to ſpeak of to us, he could only ſay, that the things were neither lawful nor poſſible to be told us.
How much does it concern us then to ask our ſelves, Whether we have indeed begun this walk with God and to him? Whither are we going? what are we doing? how do we live and act? and what will become of us a few days hence? Will God take us? take us on the wings of Angels and in their Arms to his own Preſence and Glory? or will death drag us out of the body, and devils take us away to their abodes of darkneſs and of fire unquenchable!
O let it be a loud call to Sinners, to walk no more in the counſel of the ungodly, nor go any further aſtray from God; but to return ſpeedily to God with ſincere and deep repentance, and go in the way of good men and the bleſſed paths of the righteous; for the way of the ungodly ſhall periſh, and their stops take hold of hall; They are going down to the pit, the pit of devils, and God will cast them from his face for ever, unleſs they repent. But if you have made a Covenant with death, and are at agreement with bell; if you would renounce God and Heaven, and are content not to be taken up to him when you go hence and are here no more; then walk on, walk on in the ways of Sin and fy down in ſorrow.
O how would the late Servant of Christ and of Souls (who now lies by the Wall (as we ſpeak) and his Mouth is ſtop by Death from ſpeaking to us any more, and whom we hop'd when he laſt ſpake in this place to have heard again the next Week) how would he if he now ſtood in my place, have play'd the Artillery of Heaven, upon careleſs and inſenſible Sinners; and ſet all the Terrors of God in array before them; and told them how far they are from the bleſſedneſs of Enoch in his end, being ſtrangers to his walk with God? alienated from ſuch a life, they muſt never be where he is; but on them his Propheſy is to take place for ever, Behold the Lord comes with ten thouſand of his Saints to execuls Judgment on them for their ungodly deeds, Jude v.15.
O you that are walking in the road to hell, after the prince of the power of the air, and whoſe fellowſhip is with devils; hear your doom from the mouth of Chriſt in the laſt Day, Depart from Me ye curſed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.— Go on now if you dare: God will take you away in his wrath.— So when Enoch had been long taken up, the Sinners whom he warn'd, but they would not believe or repent, ſunk down together as a ſtone in the Flood. Even ſo at the end of the World when the Godly ſhall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, the world of the ungodly (left below) will fly to the rocks and mountains to cover and hide them.—O awful and amazing difference between Man and man at the coming of Chriſt! Luk. 17.34, 35. In that night two men ſhall be in one bed, the one ſhall be taken and the other left; two women ſhall be grinding together, the one ſhall be taken & the other left; two men ſhall be in the field, the one ſhall be taken and the other left.
BUT we are perſwaded better things of many who are here preſent before God, even the Things that do accompany Salvation. Let thoſe that (thro' Grace) are walking humbly with God, ask themſelves how they go on in it? how far they are got in that bleſſed way? and let them ever keep their eye upon their End, the end of their faith, the Salvation of their Souls; which is nearer than when they firſt believed. —O let them humble and chide themſelves that they have walked no more cloſely with God; that they have ſo often ſadly wander'd and ſtray'd from the path of God's Commandments; that they have made ſo many ſtops, yea ſo often lain down and ſlumber'd & ſlept: that they have been ſo ſlow & dull at times in this heavenly walk, ſo ſorrowful and heavy in it, yea ſo often weary and faint; too uncertain and unſteady at the beſt. We need to ſtir up our ſelves, take hold of God and follow hard after him. Let your loins be girt and your lamps burning, and be you as Men that wait for their Lord. — Be we followers of them who thro' Faith and Patience do inherit the Premiſes. And having ſo great a cloud of Witneſſes before us, to lead us on, let us lay aſide every weight, and the ſin that doth moſt eaſily beſet us, and let us run with patience the race that is ſet before us; looking unto Jeſus the Author and Finiſher of our Faith, and our great Example.
BUT this for the first Uſe, which was to exhort, to perſwade and excite all of us to begin, go on & perſevere in a holy Walk with God. The other Uſe is,
2. OF Comfort, Support and great Conſolation to all them that have begun and are going on in a holy Walk with God. The Chariots of God are before them, even thoſe that took Enoch up, to carry them to the Manſions in their Fathers Houſe. This ſhould carry them above the fears of Death, and comfort them in the death of their godly Friends.
1. WALK on with God, and be carried above the fears of death. It is the Wiſdom of mortal Man to fear and prepare for his dying hour; and it is the true Happineſs of Man here in the body to be ready for death and live above the fear of it. A walk with God is the way to both theſe. And tho' many of thoſe that walk humbly with him, are all their life time ſubject to bondage thro' fear of death, yet it is their weakneſs and infirmity; and the Angel of the Lord would ſay to ſuch, as he once did to the Women, Fear not ye, for I know that ye ſeek Jeſus that is riſen from the dead.—Why was Enoch taken up, and why is Chriſt riſer and aſcended, but to rebuke ſuch fears? You may face Death, while you are walking with God, and ſee in it the face of on Angel, coming to take you to God for ever. You may walk on with God down into the valley of the ſhadow of Death, and ſay, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. While you walk with God you may ſay with Chriſt, I walk to day and to morrow, and on the third day I ſhall be perfected. — Do you think that God will leave him at the hour of death, that has been walking with him thro' this life? No, the Angel of God, whoſe thou art, and whom thou ſerveſt, will ſtand by thee in that hour of darkneſs; the Angels of Jeſus will gather about thee and bear thee up in their Arms. — Or if thy Friend & Father ſhould withdraw from thee for a moment, as he did from Chriſt, thy Faith has him ſtill to look and cry to, My God, my God. — Allowance muſt be made for timerous Saints, yea the ſtrongeſt Saints, both while they live and when they come to die. What a mighty Prince before God was Hezekiah? and how did his Faith and prayer prevail? yet when he came to die he remember'd how he had walk'd with God and wept ſore, Iſai. 38.3. Well, let the holy Tears run, they will be ſoon wip'd away for ever. Some are thus taken up weeping to the pleaſures for ever more. — Let the fearing Saint conſider, that Dying after a holy walk with God is in a manner as good as Enoch's being taken up. Where is the difference between the Chariots and horſes of light that took up Elijah, and the Angels that carried the beggars Soul to the boſom of Abraham? Should God leave it to a Saints own choice, which way he would be taken, me thinks he would reſign the matter back again into the pleaſure and will of God; "Lord, as thou pleaſeſt, and mayſt be moſt glorified, one way or the other: they come to one and the ſame End.
2. It ſhould yield us the higheſt Conſolation in the death of our Godly friends, that they have walked with God, and are not, for God has taken them. Had Enoch any mourners? think you: Or how could they weep for him? or for themſelves? Surely only for themſelves As when the Diſciples ſaw Jeſus aſcend up into Heaven, they returned home with great joy. Or as the Sons of the Prophets that foreſaw the Aſcenſion of Elijah, ſpake of it with admiration and delight as to his part in it, and not with grief. Truly ſo there's abundant Comfort to affectionate Survivors in the way and in the end of every godly Perſon: They have walked with God and He has taken them to his Glory. Thus to live is Chriſt and to die is Gain. Whether to chuſe we know not; let God do it. Enochs honour have all the Saints; praiſe ye the Lord. The Apoſtle rebukes immoderate ſorrow over a Saints grave, 1 Theſ. 4.13. I would not have you ignorant, Brethren, concerning them that are aſleep, that ye ſorrow not as thoſe that have no hope: For if we believe that Jeſus died, & roſe again even ſo alſo them that ſleep in Jeſus God will bring with him.
WE muſt remember the holy walk of our departed Friends and comfort our ſelves. We muſt remember where they now are: They are gone from us; God has taken 'em; they are with Chriſt which is far better; and when Christ ſhall appear they ſhall appear with him in glory,— What would any Believer have or wiſh more concerning thoſe he loves, while they live or when they are dead? As our Lord ſaid to his ſorrowing Diſciples, Joh. 14.28. If ye loved me ye would rejoyce, becauſe I go to the Father.
Go not to the grave to weep there: Why ſhould you ſeek the Living among the dead? Lift up your head and eyes, look up to Heaven & rejoyce: Thither the precious Soul is taken, and there it is for ever comforted.
WHEN Elijah was taken up, there were ſome of his Friends and Sons that would go ſeek his body; It may be (ſaid they) the Spirit of the Lord has dropt it here or there: No, ſaid Eliſha; Indulge no ſuch fear or care about One whom God hath taken. Yet they went and ſought in vain. So you may mourn and afflict your ſelves needleſly about ſuch as God has taken up by Death, after a holy life and walk; But you ought rather to realize their Tranſlation, by a Faith which is the Subſtance of things hoped for, and the Evidence of things unſeen.
THIS is one way of following our Godly Friends to Heaven; which ſhould be our mournful care; that we may walk with God as they did, and that when we have finiſhed our Courſe God may take us up to be with them; where they are beholding his Face for ever.
AND now all that are here preſent very well apprehend the Reaſon and Occaſion of this Diſcourſe. God has this Week taken up from us ONE whom he enabled by his Grace in a ſingular manner to walk with him. We mourn the Deceaſe from us (not his Aſcenſion to God) of the firſt Miniſter in the Town, the firſt in Age, in Gifts and in Grace; as all his Brethren very readily own. I might add (it may be without offence to any) the firſt in the whole Province and Provinces of New England, for univerſal Literature; and extenſive Services. Yea it may be among all the Fathers in theſe Churches, from the beginning of the Country to this day, of whom many have done worthily and greatly; yet none of them amaſs'd together ſo vaſt a Treaſure of Learning, and made ſo much uſe of it, to a variety of pious Intentions, as this our Rev. Brother and Father, Dr. COTTON MATHER.
HIS Name is like to live a great while among us in his printed Works; but yet theſe will not convey to Poſterity, nor give to Strangers, a juſt Idea of the real Worth and great Learning of the Man. His Works will indeed inform all that read them of his great Knowledge, and ſingular Piety, his Zeal for God, and Holineſs and Truth; and his deſire of the Salvation of precious Souls; but it was Converſation and Acquaintance with him, in his familiar and occaſional Diſcourſes and private Communications, that diſcovered the vaſt compaſs of his Knowledge and the Projections of his Piety; more I have ſometimes thought than all his Pulpit Exerciſes. Here he excell'd, here he ſhone; being exceeding communicative, and bringing out of his Treaſury things new & old, without meaſure. Here it was ſeen how his Wit, and Fancy, his Invention, his Quickneſs of thought, and ready Apprehenſion were all conſecrated to God, as well as his Heart Will and Affections; and out of his Abundance within his ups overflow'd, dropt as the honey-comb, f;ed all that came near him, and were as the choice ſilver, for richneſs and brightneſs, pleaſure and profit.
BUT here Love to Chriſt and his Servant commands me to draw a Veil over every Failing: For who is without them? Not Aſcending Elijah Himſelf; who was a man of like Paſſions with his Brethren the Prophets; and we have his Mantle left us wherewith to cover the Defects and Infirmities of Others after their Tranſlation in Spirit. Theſe God remembers no more, and why ſhould we? and He blots out none of their good Deeds, and no more ſhould we.
I truſt therefore we may go on freely to ſay, That my Text was happily Exemplified in Him, even in his Walk with God from his Youth up: In his Cloſet the witneſs of his Prayers and Vigils and Tears; in his hard and conſtant Studies and preparations for the Pulpit and for the Preſs: in his Family, where the daily Sacrifices of Praiſe and Prayer were followed with much of God and Chriſt & Heaven, in an edifying and pleaſant Converſation. His Viſits to his Friends, and theirs to him, bear witneſs for him how much the Love of Chriſt was in his Heart and on his Tongue. Much more his more religious Viſits to the Sick and Afflicted, to the Bereaved and to Mourners, to the Tempted and wounded in Spirit, or theirs to Him, may be ſuppos'd to bear witneſs for him. Not to omit his many charitable Viſits to Priſoners under the Sentence of death, and his Labours with them, to ſave their Souls from the ſecond Death.
IF we follow him to his public Labours, ſtated and occaſional, on Lord's Days & Lectures; how ſervent was he and unwearied, in Prayer and Preaching, in Interceſſions and Exhortations? Here he ſhow'd a flaming Love to Christ and Souls, and a vehement zeal againſt Sin and for Truth and Holineſs. Among the Miniſters in all their Meetings, he was very much the Mouth of God to them as well as theirs to God. The whole Iſrael of God, his Cauſe and Intereſt in a wicked World, lay always much upon his heart, and ſo did the Proteſtant Succeſſion, the Civil and Religious Liberties of Great Britain, and thoſe of his own Country. He truly lov'd his People, and had juſt notions of their true Intereſts. He was in the Gap for them on all Occaſions, and wreſtled in Prayer. He was a zealous Adorer and Aſſertor of the God-head of Christ; all his hope of Salvation ſtanding on it, and the whole Myſtery of Godlineſs.— His Reſignations to the Will of God were wonderful under great Trials; and it ſeem'd one of the chief Aſpirations of his Soul to honour God by Sacrifices, and to have his own Will ſwallowed up entirely in the Will of God. This he preſs'd vehemently on others in an evil and dying World, and this he practic'd himſelf. One of the laſt Words I heard him ſpeak was in Admiration of the Grace of God in ſome of his near Relatives, in their exemplary Patience, Reſignation and Devotion, under a great and ſore Bereavement: He lift up his feeble Hand, and rais'd his ſunk Voice, and earneſtly ſaid with a faultring Tongue, "O they do gloriouſly, they do gloriouſly, to honour God as they do with ſuch a ſacrificing Spirit". He ſought not this World, but was very liberal of his little, in uſes of Piety and Charity. His heart was too good and big for earthly things, and too ſpiritual not to be ſet on higher and better; namely a more enduring Subſtance, a Treaſure in Heaven that faileth not.
NOTHING was more familiar and frequent with him than Death and Eternity. Theſe he was ever ſpeaking of with pleaſure and deſire, as one always ready and willing to be offer'd. And agreably he entertain'd all his Sickneſſes with Conſtancy and Serenity, Tranquility and Peace; not ſhaken in mind nor afraid to die. He told me on the laſt Lord's-Day in the Evening, with what a ſingular Satisfaction he had received the notice of Deaths approach that Morning, hoping to have been with Chriſt that Sacrament-day.
I ſhall only add, That according to the beſt Judgment I am able to make from mary years Obſervation and Converſation with him, he has ſeem'd to enjoy a fixed Peace and full Aſſurance of Faith, as to his Intereſt in Chriſt and a better Life; And this continu'd with him to his laſt breath.
I leave it to Others to relate the holy Breathings, and abundant gracious Words that flow'd from Him to every one that came about him, all the time of his Sickneſs and in his laſt Day and Hours; which whenever we ſee or hear they will be (it may be) one of the brighteſt Accounts we yet ever had of Grace and Peace, and living Comforts in dying Moments.
THUS he walked with God, and now he is not, as my Text ſays of Enoch. That is to ſay, He is no longer with us. Your eyes that have ſo often ſeen him in this Desk ſhall ſee him here no more, and this Place that has known him, and ſhown ſo much of him, ſhall know him no more. No more ſhall he be heard again in this Lecture, where he has ran ſo long and ſhining a Courſe: No more will he here weep over periſhing Souls in Prayer; no more ſcatter the thunders & lightnings of God in flaming Sermons; no more like another Enoch warn the ungodly of the Lord's coming and judgment: No more is he to weary and ſpend himſelf, as we have often ſeen him wearied and ſpent for your Souls; "never weary of his work, but often wearied in it.
WHEN he ſtood laſt in this Place he was in weakneſs made ſtrong; feeble in body but fervent in Spirit; he ſpar'd not himſelf nor us; profuſe of his own life for the lives of our Souls.
WE have no reaſon to doubt but God has taken him to Himſelf, where he long'd to be; taken him to the Tree of Life, his laſt deſire. He would not be bere again, unleſs for your Souls; And ſo Angels come down gladly, and for ought I know ſo may a Seperate Soul too.
HE is reaping (we believe) a glorious Harveſt of all that he here ſow'd: He ſowed bountifully and we believe reaps bountifully; appearing to have had an abundant Entrance into the Joy of his Lord.
AND if ſo, then He is as much taken up as Elias was, tho' not in the body. He freely went at God's Call, was not taken away by force, was willing to go, went placid and ſerene; Enoch himſelf could ſcarce do more. And to me it ſeems a greater thing to die gladly and aſcend only in Spirit, than to ſtep joyfully, without dying, into Enochs Car. For who could do other than willingly mount the Chariot of light if he ſaw it come down for him with his bodily eyes? but to meet gastly Death, when he comes to take us out of the Body, and willingly go with him, leaving the body behind us to duſt and worms; is ſomething greater. To be able to walk down chearfully to a Grave, is a greater thing than to go up joyfully in the Body. — The Saints that ſhall never die may ſeem to come ſhort of ſome of their Brethren in this; that while they are only caught up into the Air to their Lord, their Brethren have paſs'd thro' Death to go to him. Verily holy dying is a great and bleſſed thing.
THE bereaved Family and Flock I leave to the Directions and Comforts, which their ſurviving Pastor †The Rev. Mr. Ges.may bring them by the help of Grace. May He be strong in the Lord and in the power of his Might. May his bow abide in strength, and his Arms be made strong by the Hands of the mighty God of Jacob: From thence is the Shepherd, the stone of Iſrael. May the God of Iſrael ſay to him, as he did to Joſhua after the death of Moſes: My Servant is dead, now therefore Ariſe Thou.
HIS Brethren in the Miniſtry here are bereaved and weak with him. God has taken their Father as well as his, from their heads this day. He was a Paſtor in the Town when the Eldest of the preſent Paſtors were but Children, and long before moſt of them were born. They are weak indeed when he that is now ſpeaking to them is the first in years among them, in all reſpects elſe the leaſt. What a matter of humiliation this, both to me and them! — But thanks be to God my Younger Brethren have by his Grace, moſt of them come old into the Miniſtry; Young Men and ſtrong in the Grace that is in Chriſt Jeſus. The Deceaſed ſaw this & was glad: He joy'd in them, and in his proſpects thro' Grace from them; and could with comfort leave the Churches in ſuch hands, and them in the hands of Chriſt.
THE Call to us, both Miniſters and People, is to walk more with God, looking for the Grace and Mercy of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt unto Eternal life. The Deaths of your Miniſters ſhould be the loudeſt Sermons to you; and the death of this Minister the moſt affecting Lecture you ever heard in this place. God make it ſo to us all; that for the few days to come, if indeed a few more may yet remain to us, we may more than ever pray and preach and hear and communicate as dying Perſons.
AND this word comes neareſt to my ſelf, under manifeſt decays, and next in order of time to the Deceaſed, and therefore ought to expect next to die: Pray for me, and for my Brethren your dear Paſtors, that we may ſo walk with God as the Deceaſed has done before us, and that in God's time we may be taken as he has been; that after ſome like Uſefulneſs we alſo may depart in the like bleſſed Peace, by the free Grace of God. — Our God is able to ſupply all our Needs, according to his riches in Glory by Jeſus Christ. Now unto God and our Father be Glory, for Ever. Amen.