SERM.

IV.

There is fomething very remarkable in this description of Enoch, that he walked with God; it implies, that he behaved continually, as in the fight of God; that his conversation was fo pure and holy, that he feemed to have God always before him; that he fo accommodated himself to the will of God, that he walked, as it were, with him, as with a friend; he appeared to live with God, and to pass his life wholly devoted to his fervice The phrafe, in the Hebrew, might be literally rendered, He fet himself to walk after God, that is, he gave himfelf continually to obey the commandments, and follow the inftructions of God, which is to walk after him. And much to the fame purpose, the Chaldean paraphrafe expreffes it, And he walked in the fear of God. And the Arabick verfion, that he walked in obedience to God. But the feventy interpreters in their verfion, have given a more general fenfe of it, by rendering it, And Enoch pleafed God; which the apostle feems to regard in the epiftle to the Hebrews, xi. 5. when he fays, that Enochhad this teftimony, that he pleafed God. But all these different verfions amount nearly to the fame thing, and exprefs the cha

racter

IV.

racter which was alfo given of Zacharias SER M. and his wife Elizabeth; that they were righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

The account of him, added in the text, and he was not, for God took him, is still more fingular, as it plainly intimates, that he did not die as the rest of the children of Adam, but that he was tranflated, or taken from hence into the heavenly kingdom, as an example and evidence to the world, of immortality and glory in a life to come. The phrafe, and he was not, in the original, fignifies, that he was not feen any more, that he was not found, or did not appear any more in this world. For God took him, that is, took him to himself into heaven: not the foul only, as is the cafe of all good men until the refurrection, but his whole perfon, foul and body, into heaven. The Samaritan version says, that his angel, that is, the angel of God took him. And the Chaldean paraphrase says, and he did not appear, nor did God flay him. But the apostle, in the epiftle to the Hebrews, more clearly expreffes it, by Faith, fays he, Enoch was tranflated, that he should not fee death, and

was

IV.

"

SER M. was not found, becaufe God had tranflated him. So that the affumption of Enoch into heaven, without death, just as Elijah was taken, is made plain from the authority of the apoftle, as well as Mofes. The fon of Sirach alfo declares the fame thing, Upon the earth, fays e, was no man created like Enoch, for he was taken from the earth, Ecclus. xlix. It may feem a little wonderful, perhaps, that so extraordinary an event should be recorded by Mofes in fo few words, but it should be observed at the fame time, that he took this short account of it, probably, from fome ancient Monuments, which were before his time, without adding any thing of his own to them; as it became a faithful historian to do.

The text being thus explained, it will give us occafion

I. To confider, what light concerning: a future ftate, Enoch's tranflation gave, before the coming of Christ. And

II. To explain, more particularly, his character, that he walked with God;" which qualified him for this fignal .diftinction.

I. Then

IV.

I. Then let us confider, what light SERM. concerning a life to come, the tranflation of Enoch gave to the world, before the coming of Chrift. And there were two things very plainly pointed out by it, first, that there is another state of being hereafter, to which the present is only an introduction, fince Enoch was taken from this earth, immediately unto God, without fuffering any fymptom of mortality; and secondly, that this other state of existence, is a ftate of rewards and punishments, wherein good men are to be recompenfed for their virtue of which Enoch, for his righteousness, was made fuch an illuftrious example. And this was a great advantage to the world in thofe early ages, as well as to posterity. For fuch a remarkable thing was calculated, to have stronger influence on the minds of men, than any discovery of a life to come by tradition, or any rational deduction. It must amaze and strike them with awful notions of religion and goodness. And, indeed, without fome views of a future state, so inculcated either from reason, or from a revelation, men cannot be governed. There can be

no

IV.

SER M. no curbing of their paffions, and bringing them to a fenfe of their duty, unless they are overawed by fome principles of this kind.

In the first ages of the world, imme→ diately after the creation, it is reasonable to think, that there were fome intimations given of an After-state, befides what they might gather from their own obfer vation and reflection. It is true, that men of themselves, efpecially those who have a comprehenfive view of things, may often, by accurate obfervation of the conduct of providence in this world, meet with reafon to be convinced of it; but as there are difficulties and objections that fometimes occur, the convic tion would be stronger and more effectual, if there were added a pofitive and clear revelation of its truth. Therefore it may justly be imagined, that God would not leave men only to their own thoughts and reafonings about it, which. were likely to be fo very vague and uncertain. We may reasonably prefume, the first of mankind, even our firft parents had some exprefs revelation given them of a life to come. But then it is. plain, that whatever declaration they had

of