you are " walking in the broad road," think whither it leads: and begin to serve your God in this world, that you may be honoured by him in the world to come1.]
1 John xii. 26.
Enoch's walking with god.
Gen. v. 24. And Enoch ivalked with God : and he was not ;
for God took him.
THE cares of a family are by no means incom- patible with a life of devotedness to God. The man distinguished for his piety above all others in the antediluvian world, had a very numerous offspring3, to whom doubtless he paid every attention in his power : yet he was not impeded in his spiritual course ; but found time to serve his God, as much as if he had been free from all concern about this present world.
We shall consider,
I. His conduct —
We are told, he " walked with God." Now " walking with God" implies,
1. Agreement —
[Enoch, as a fallen creature, was once alienated from God, like others b, and, during his unconverted state, was full of enmity against him both in heart and Hfe c ; " walking after the flesh," according to the course of this world, and altogether contrary to God d. But now he was reconciled to God through
faith in Christ e And was brought by this means to
an agreement with him both in mind and mil.
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a His eldest son, Methuselah, was born to him at the age of sixty- five ; after which he continued for the space of three hundred years to beget sons and daughters, ver. 21 — 23.
b Eph. iv. 18. c Rom. viii. 7. Col. i. 21.
d Rom. viii. 1. Eph. ii. 2. Lev. xxvi. 27, 28.
e It is said in Heb. xi. 5. that Enoch was " translated by faith :" and though that faith might have more immediate respect to some promise given him relative to his translation, yet we can scarcely con- ceive but that it had a further respect to the promised Messiah. And this idea is greatly strengthened by the account St. Jude gives of his
11.] Enoch's walking with god. 57
Thus must all of us obtain reconciliation with God through the blood of Christ, before we can resemble this eminent. saint ; for it is not possible for " two to walk together except they be agreed*."]
2. Familiarity —
[Friends who associate much together, contract a fami- liarity with each other : they open to each other their sorrows and their joys : they consult each other in their difficulties ; and maintain with the greatest freedom a mutual intercourse. Thus did Enoch with his God. He considered God as his friend : he had familiar access to him at all times : he opened to him all his wants, all his fears, all his trials : he did nothing without first asking counsel of his friend, and engaging his assistance.
Nor was this an honour peculiar to him : it is the duty and the privilege of all the saints : we may go and knock at the door of our Friend, and he will always open unto us g : we may have access to him with boldness and with confidence, even in his most private apartments h : we may ask what we will of him, and he will do it for us \ He, on the other hand, will come and knock at our door ; and will come in and sup with us k : he will communicate to us his secrets l ; and will in ten thousand ways manifest himself unto us as he does not unto the world™.]
3. Affection —
[Affection is the very essence of friendship : mere agree- ment or familiarity are of little value without it : where this does not exist, the intercourse cannot be such as is implied in walking with God. Enoch loved his God, if I may so speak, with all his heart, and mind, and soul, and strength : God would never have given him a special testimony of his appro- bation, if his heart had been destitute of the sacred flame of love. He went forth to meet his God, as Adam was wont to do in his state of innocence : he looked forward with joy to the seasons when he should again renew his fellowship with him : he studied to avoid every thing that might in any respect grieve him ; and made it the great object of his life to do what was pleasing in his sight.