Walking with GOD.
GENESIS v. 24.
_And |Enoch| walked with GOD, and he was not, for GOD took him._
VARIOUS are the pleas and arguments, which men of corrupt minds frequently urge against yielding obedience to the just and holy commands of GOD. But, perhaps, one of the most common objections that they make is this, that our LORD’s commands are not practicable, because contrary to flesh and blood; and consequently, that he is “an hard master, reaping where he has not sown, and gathering where he has not strewed.” These we find were the sentiments entertained by that wicked and slothful servant mentioned in the xxvth of St. _Matthew_; and are undoubtedly the same with many which are maintained in the present wicked and adulterous generation. The Holy Ghost foreseeing this, hath taken care to inspire holy men of old, to record the examples of many holy men and women; who, even under the Old Testament dispensation, were enabled chearfully to take CHRIST’s yoke upon them, and counted his service perfect freedom. The large catalogue of saints, confessors, and martyrs, drawn up in the xith chapter to the _Hebrews_, abundantly evidences the truth of this observation. What a great cloud of witnesses have we there presented to our view? All eminent for their faith, but some shining with a greater degree of lustre than do others. The proto-martyr _Abel_, leads the van. And next to him, we find _Enoch_ mentioned, not only because he was next in order of time, but also on account of his exalted piety. He is spoken of in the words of the text in a very extraordinary manner. We have here a short but very full and glorious account, both of his behaviour in this world, and the triumphant manner of his entering into the next. The former is contained in these words, “And _Enoch_ walked with GOD.” The latter in these, “and he was not: for GOD took him.” He was not; i. e. He was not found, he was not taken away in the common manner, he did not see death; for _Hebrews_ xi. 5. GOD had translated him. Who this _Enoch_ was, does not appear so plainly. To me, he seems to have been a person of public character. I suppose, like _Noah_, a preacher of righteousness. And, if we may credit the Apostle _Jude_, he was a flaming preacher. For he quotes one of his prophecies, wherein he saith, “Behold, the LORD cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” But whether a public or private person, he has a noble testimony given him in the lively oracles. The author of the epistle to the _Hebrews_ saith, that before his translation he had this testimony, “that he pleased GOD;” and his being translated, was a proof of it beyond all doubt. And I would observe, that it was wonderful wisdom in GOD to translate _Enoch_ and _Elijah_ under the Old Testament dispensation, that hereafter when it should be asserted, that the LORD JESUS was carried into heaven, it might not seem a thing altogether incredible to the _Jews_; since they themselves confessed, that two of their own prophets had been translated several hundred years before. But it is not my design to detain you any longer, by enlarging, or making observations on _Enoch_’s short, but comprehensive character. The thing I have in view, being to give a discourse, as the LORD shall enable, upon a weighty and a very important subject; I mean, _walking with_ GOD. “And _Enoch_ walked with GOD.” If so much as this can be truly said of you and me after our decease, we shall not have any reason to complain, that we have lived in vain.
In handling my intended subject, I shall,
_First_, Endeavour to shew, what is implied in these words, _walked with_ GOD.
_Secondly_, I shall prescribe some means, upon the due observance of which, believers may keep up and maintain their _walk with_ GOD. And,
_Thirdly_, Offer some motives to stir us up, if we never walked with GOD before, to come and walk with GOD now. The whole shall be closed with a word or two of application.
_First_, I am to shew what is implied in these words, “walked with GOD;” or in other words, what we are to understand by _walking with_ GOD.