The Pulpit Commentary — Hebrews — Section 331

But his bocly must have undergone some great cbe.nge; for II flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven." This change was probably similar to that which ie resen·ro for those who a.re alive at the coming of our Lord, " We shall not nil sleep, but we shAll e.11 be changed," etc. (1 Cor. xv. 50-54). St. Paul says, "There is a nn.tural body, and there is a spiritual body." What the properties and characteristics of the s1iiritue.l body are we know not as yet But we think that the body of Enoch was spiritualized by God. Its vital relations with earth were severed; it underwent Rn essential change or changes. Previously it was mortal and corruptible; then it became immortal and incorruptible. Previously it was of the earth, earthy; then it became of heaven, heavenly. So changed was it that Enoch was no longer fit for earth; his body, as well as his spirit, unable to find its true sphere on earth, rose l1eavenward, Godward. His body was so refined and purified by God as to be capable of the blessedness and glory of heaven. And thus "he was not; for God took him." " He was not found, because God translated him." 2. The design of this translation. Why was Enoch thus removed from earth? (1) His translation was a distinguished honour and reward to Enoch him~elf. By it he was taken from that dark wickedness and daring blasphemy (Jude 14, 15) which must have been so painful to a soul in sympathy with God, as was Enocb's. But two men of all the departed myriads have been honoured by God with a triumphant entrance into Paradise without passing through the gloomy portals of death. Of these, Enoch was one. His character was extraordinary, and extraordinary was his reward. There is a beautiful propriety in such a reward for such a life. It is remarkable that the only two men who passed frol)l this world without tasting of death were distinguished as prophets fearless in rebuking evil-doers and asserting the Divine claims, and each in an age of dominant wickedness. And it would seem that their translation was a decided testimony from Heaven that he who stands unmoved, though alone, for God, is the man whom the King delights to honour. (2) His translation was fitted to impress beneficially the men of that age. Enoch was a prophet to a race of daring sinners. His serene and holy walk had failed to benefit them; his prophetic exhortations and rebukes had embittered them against him ; and now perhaps his sudden and strange removal from them will give new and additional emphasis and energy to the words which he had spoken, and the life which he had lived amongst them. They were living in the material and temporal alone; this translation was suited to impress them with the reality and importance of the spiritual and eternal They were atheistic, some of them anti-theistic ; but this extraordinary removal of the holy prophet of God from sublunary scenes would perhap~ force upon them, at least for a time, the conviction of the existence and presence of a Power unacknowledged by them heretofore. Let us, through Jesus C.,'hrist, seek in this life to please God, and then, through Jesus Christ, death will prove our· introduction to an everlasting, ever-increasing, and ever- brightening life.-W. J. Ver. 6.-The impossibility of pkasing God without faith. "But without faith it is impossible to please him," etc. The fact that Enoch walked by faith, and that his life was well pleasing to God, suggested to the writer this general axiom on the indispeu~ sableness of faith in order to secure the Divine complacency. Two principal observa- tions will bring before us tlfe chief teaching of our text. L THE APPROACH OF THE SOUL TO GOD IS ESSENTIAL TO OUB PLEASING HIM. "Without faith it is impossible to please him : for he that cometh to God," etc. Having asserted that apart from faith man cannot please God, the writer proceeds to show this by affirming that he who comes to God must believe certain truths concern- ing him, thW! clearly implying that we cannot please God without coming. to him: 1. Coming to God implies distance from him. The unrenewed soul is far from God by sin. Sin against him generates suspicions concerning him, dread of him, and so banishes the soul far away from him. Like the prodigal son, the sinner wanders away from the gracious Father "into a far country." The expression, "them that seek himt also suggests that the seeke~s have not the consciousness of bis presence and favour; they do not always realize his nearness unto them, or they would not need to seek after him. 2. Coming to God is the approach of the soul unto him. As the implied distance frow him is not local bu~ moral, so the coming to hi~ is not fhlsical but spiritual, OII, XI, 1-10.] 'lTIE EPISTLE TO THE H[~CilEWS.