Christ That which they entertained meerly for fear they present to others as a doctrine of Faith These are reeds that bow and hang according to the standing of the winds such a reed shaken with the winds was not John Baptist but rather an Oak which will sooner be broken then bend by the winds by an holy Antiperistasis his zeal was doubled by opposition These false Teachers were like a man that goes to Sea for pleasure not for Traffick if a storm arise he will come back or put to the next shore Like that ship Acts 27.15 they bear not up into the wind Jer. 9 3. they are not valiant for the truth Tit. 1.9 nor hold they fast the faithful Word but let it go if enemies contend to pull it away 3. They were carried about with the wind of pride and ambition They gaped after the breath of applause old truths are of no reputation among the giddy sort hence it was that these were carried to teach that whereby they might be voiced and cryed up for some rare men dropt out of the clouds and seeing further then all the rest of their times They could not tell how to get above others unless they taught something different from others truth was counted but a dull stale business and therefore they chose rather to be accounted such as excelled by being erroneous then such as were onely equall to others Vento superbiae omnes haereses animantur by delivering the truth The wind of Pride is the life and soul of Error it is the element wherein it moves and breaths Seducers were puft up as Paul speaks Col. 2.18 vainly by their fleshly minds a humble soul will not easily either teach or follow an Error It hath ever been the property of Seducers to follow the peoples humour with Errors that so the people might follow them with applause 4. They were carried about with the wind of earthly mindedness They taught any false doctrine for filthy lucres sake 2 Pet. 2. they would rarely be carried with any wind but such as blew them some profit they steered their course by the compass of gain their Religion began at their purse strings They served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies Rom. 16.18 This was that wind which carried Balaam about from country to country from Altar to Altar he and his followers loved to be of the Kings Religion Thus Erasmus said that one poor Luther made a great many rich Abbots and Bishops he meant that by preaching against him they were wont to get their great livings and preferments Demas forsook truth to embrace the present world OBSERVATIONS 1. The want of the showrs of a faithful Ministry spiritual rain is a singular curse and calamity Consciencious Ministers are clouds and their Doctrine rain As no rain is so useful and profitable as the rain of the Word so neither is it so great a misery to be deprived of any as of this God often in Scripture promiseth Showres and Teachers as great Blessings Deut. 28.12 The Lord shall open to thee his good treasure the Heaven to give thee rain c. Joel 2.23 Rejoice in the Lord your God for c. he will cause to come down for you the Rain c. And for instructours see Jer. 3.15 Jer. 23.4 I will give you Pastours according to mine own heart which shall feed you with knowledg and understanding Isai 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of Adversity and the water of Affliction yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner any more God also threatens the keeping away of rain and the taking away of Instructers as dismal curses Deut. 28.23 Jer. 3.3.14.4 Amos 4.7 Isai 3.2 1 Sam. 3.1 Hos 4.5 Ezek. 3.26 Psal 57.9 The Heaven that is over thy head shall be brass thy rain shall be powder and dust Lev. 26.19 I will make your Heaven as iron and your earth as brass Zach. 14.17 Vpon them shall be no rain Never was a greater plague on Israel then when in three yeers and a half it rained not on the earth in Ahabs time And concerning the Prophets the Lord saith Mich. 2.6 They shall not Hebr. drop Prophesie and Isai 5 6. God threatens his Vineyard that he will commands his clouds his Prophets that they shall rain no rain upon it God threatned a great judgment in great displeasure against the people Ezek. 3.26 when he told Ezekiel that he would make his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth and that he should be dumh and no reprover to them and when he threatned that he would remove away the candlestick of Ephesus out of its place Rev. 2.5 The want of Spiritual is a much greater woe then the want of natural rain The withholding of showâ—s from Heaven can but produce a Famine of bread the want of a faithful Ministry brings a Famine of the Word of the Lord Amos 8.11 And this famine of the Word of the Lord is a Soul-famine And 1 Opposeth not Natural but Spiritual life The separation of the soul from the body is but the shadow of death True death stands in the separation between God and the soul Where vision faileth people perish Prov. 29.18 My people perish for want of knowledge Hos 4 6. Salvation and Life eternal stand in Knowledg Joh. 17.3 1 Tim. 2.4 2. Bodily famine takes away our natural strength and vigor whereby we perform our ordinary and worldly actions but a soul-Famine destroyes that Spiritual strength whereby we are enabled to heavenly Employments Praying Repenting Believing Holy-walking 3 Bodily Famine makes the outward man look pale deformed lean unpleasing soul-famine brings a leanness into the soul deformity and profananess into the face of our conversation Who observes not in Congregations whence the Word is taken the miserable change of men and manners In Elies time sin abounded and the reason is set down 1 Sam. 3.1 In those dayes the word of the Lord was precious 4 Bodily Famine as other external judgments may be a help to bring men to God by causing Repentance and bettering Obedience as in the Prodigal but the famine of the Word puts men farther from God and by it men grow more obdurate in sin 5. Bodily Famine may be recompensed and made up with Spiritual food Isai 30.20 Though the Lord give the bread of Adversity yet he countervailes that loss by giving them to see their Teachers whereas Spiritual famine cannot be recompensed by having bodily food because when God takes away the food of the soul he takes away himself the tokens of his presence and Grace and what can be given in exchange for God himself 6 Of bodily Famine people are sensible they cry out thereof and labour for a supply but the more soul famine rageth the more people disregard their misery and slight their wretchedness by fasting forgetting how to feed and with their food losing often their stomacks too How much then are they
They used not their comforts as wings to make their thoughts and affections mount up to heaven but as bird-lime to their wings and hinderances from all heavenly both desires and services 5 They knew no measure in the using of these things They like swine wallowed over head ears in the mud of sensual enjoyments being themselves gulphs of them ingulphing themselves in them and not tasting them but even bursting with them Like some horses they had rather break their wind then their draught Their hearts were overcharged with surfetting Luke 21.34 They ran to excess of riot In stead of cheering they clog'd nature turning Christianitie into Epicurism they made their belly their God and they served it Rom. 16.18 Phil. 3.19 Their sensual appetites were boundlesse and unlimited they rather pamper'd then fed themselves 6. They so brutishly knew these things as not to know instruction or any restraint growing untamed and impatient of the yoke like a back-sliding heifer they would not endure admonition And he saith Solomon who hateth reproof is brutish Like Jesurun Prov. 9.8 Deut. 32.15 they waxed fat and kicked Hence they despised and opposed all dominion and government like the wilde asse Jâ—r 2.24 Hos 8.9 which snuffing up the wind is not to be catched A brute beast fed to the ful endureth not to be beaten these seducers resisted the truth which opposed their lusts 2 Tim. 3.8 and quarrelled with the word of life like brute beasts which though never so sick will strike at those who let them blood or give them the wholsomest drink It was as easie to catch an hare with a tabret as to make them hear reproof in their sensual enjoyments They who are in an harvest of worldly pleasures commonly have harvest-eares not at leisure to hear what may regulate them in their sensual prosecutions 7 They knew these things so brutishly as never to consider of a removal of them or the approach of the hatchet they were sensually secure like the beast feeding themselves without fear they mocked at the denunciations of judgment as Peter speaks 2 Pet. 3. drinking away sorrow like the old world eating and drinking though the flood were approaching and never considering that their wine was soon to be turned into water 8. They so brutishly knew these things as not to know how to part with them A beast knowes no other woe but want of provender nor sensuallists any other penalty but the parting with sensual objects These never learn with Paul how to want and how to abound or with Job to blesse God when taking away as well as giving They so addict themselves to sensitive delights that they cannot be without them and so are they fastened to them and their heart so set upon them that the pulling them away is the pulling off their very flesh When they enjoy them they are so secure as if God could never remove them when they want them they are so impatient as if God could never restore them For the Third branch of Explication Branch 3 of Explicat viz. In what respect by their knowing naturally they are here said to corrupt themselves The words corrupt themselves are contained in that one word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies properly so to spoil and deprave or marr a thing as that it loseth its former worth and excellencie or is unfit for that use to which it should be imployed And among prophane Writers it s often used to note the violating and abusing of the body by unchastity and so it s commonly said that a Virgin or her Virginity is corrupted or violated And thus Epiphanius understands it in this place who saith Juvenis corruptor Virgo corrupta that the Spirit of God by Jude shews these Seducers to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corrupted and corrupters in respect of their lasciviousness But the Scriptures use the word to expresse any other kinde of violation or abuse of a thing So 1 Cor. 15.33 Evil words corrupt good manners And Ephes 4.22 the old man is said to be corrupted according to deceitfull lusts And 2 Cor. 11.3 the Apostle useth it to expresse the corruption of the minde c. And in this more large sense I take it in this place as noting not onely bodily but even spirituall and eternal corruption And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 includes that other word themselves it being not altogether of the passive form but of the active and passive together answering to the Hebrew Conjugation Hithpael which notes the action of any one toward or upon himself And this the Apostle Peter plainly expresseth 2 Pet. 2.12 when he saith that they utterly perish in their own corruption they rush into their own ruine and go of themselves headlong to destruction as the Fish or Mouse seeing the bait into the net or trap Vide Junium in loc and then more and more by sin intwisting and entangling themselves to an utter overthrow and perdition And more particularly by their sensual knowledg of carnal objects they incurr'd a fourfold corruption 1. They corrupted themselves with a natural corruption in bringing upon their bodies sundry kinds of Diseases by their Luxury and intemperance making themselves old before their time and hastning their death As Vermin and Mice haunt those places where there is much food Immodicis brevis est aetas et rara senectus so Diseases abound in those bodies which are used or rather abused to excess of Riot More saith one are drowned in the cup then in the sea and Gluttons are said to dig their graves with their teeth 2. They corrupted themselves with a civil corruption Overthrowing their Families and wasting their substance to the maintaining of their intemperance bringing themselves to a morsel of bread Sensual and intemperate persons swallow their estates down their throats The Drunkand and the Glutton shall come to poverty Prov. 23.21 Diogenes once said of a Drunkard whose house was to be sold I thought he would ere long vomit up his house alluding to his vomiting in Drunkenness The Prodigal wasted his portion upon harlots These corrupters are worse then Infidels nay beasts who by the light of nature provide for their young 3. They corrupted themselves inwardly and Spiritually And that 1. By clouding their reason and understanding Drunkenness being as one wittily saith an interregnum of the mind which for the present loseth the use of reason whereby a man should be governed Many have drunk away their wit and wealth too When Wine gets in wit we say goes out Wise men are seldom excessive Anima sicca anima sapientissima Hos 4.11 Wine and women take away the heart 2. By hindring the Spiritual and Heavenly and Supernatural actings of the soul making it unfit for holy Services Prayer Hearing Meditation c. Hence the Apostle opposeth the being drunk with Wine to the being filled with the Holy Ghost Excess in
receiving messages and answers from Jehovah Numb 22.8 I will bring you word saith he to Balacs Messengers as the Lord shall speak to me and ver 13. The Lord refuseth to let me go with you and ver 18. I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God Num 23 5 16. and Moses saith that the Lord put a word in Balaams mouth he uttered a Prophesie concerning Christ by Divine inspiration There shall come a Star out of Jacob and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel Numb 24.17 to which Prophesie he prefixeth this solemn Preface He hath said which heard the words of God and knew the knowledg of the most High Vid. Aug. Trac 49. in Joh. which saw the Vision of the Almighty Even the worst men as here Balaam have sometimes foretold future things by a Spirit of Prophesie God inspiâ—ed Pharaoh with a Prophetical Dream God hath shewed unto Pharaoh said Joseph what he is about to do Gen. 41.1 25. The like may be said of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 2.47 Some of the wicked who shall be sentenced to depart from Christ at the day of Judgment shall be able to say Have we not Prophesied in thy name Matth. 7 22. Caiaphas the High Priest a bloody unrighteous man Prophesied Joh. 11.51 that Christ should dye for that Nation Possibly Balaam uttered not his Prophesies as understanding their force or genuine sense to be sure his heart was not holily affected with what his tongue uttered which some conceive to be intimated in that expression of putting a word into Balaams mouth a phrase never used concerning the inspiring any of the holy Prophets And whereas Josh 13.22 Balaam is called a Sooth-sayer or Diviner the word which we translate Sooth-sayer is a word of a middle signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dent. 18.10 for in Scripture it is not only taken in the worst sense for one that useth Divination or is a Sooth-sayer but in a good construction for one that prophesies or foretels things to come Mich. 3 11. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vatem reddiderunt as Mich. 3.11 And some there are who think that Balaam is here called a Sooth-sayer only in regard of his ambition and covetousness and of his ends and aimes in all he did which were not Gods glory or the love of the Truth revealed to him See English Annotâ—on Josh 13 or of his people whom he blessed but his own advancement and the wages and reward of Divination according to the manner of wicked Sooth-sayers But I rather conceive that Balaam out of desire of gain made use of Divellish Arts and unlawful Divinations for the cursing of Israel It s said Numb 24.1 that he went not Annot. in Numb 24. as at other times to seek for Enchantments Whereby it may be evidently collected saith Ainsworth that all his former Altars Sacrifices and consultations with the Lord were by the wicked Art of Enchantment or observing of Fortunes such as the Prophets and Diviners of the Nations used Deut. 18.10 14. which he now left as seeing them not available for his purpose His serving of God Vid. Ames in 2 Pet. p. 272. was mixt with his old Superstition in the number of Altars and Sacrifices in their site or posture towards the points of Heaven in his Gestures and set form of words c. 2. This for the Explication of the first particular viz. whom these Seducers followed or their Guide The second followes viz in what way they followed him or the example which he set before them viz. his Balaams Error for reward In the Greek the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two things are here to be opened 1. What that Error was which they followed 2 How it was for reward For the first The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc Planeta A Planet or wandring Star 2 Pet. 2.15 here translated Error properly signifies an Aberration or wandring from a right path or course wherein a Traveller should walk and therefore more fully Peter explains this Error of Balaam and these Seducers who followed him to be a going astray and forsaking the right way But more particularly the Error whereof the Apostle here speaks is differently expounded 1. Some Learned men conceive it to be that whereby both Balaam and these Seducers were deceived in their expectation of reward and wages honour pleasure profit c. by their sinful endeavours and no doubt but in this respect their way might fitly be called Error or deceit for Balaam in propounding to himself the wages and reward which Balac promised to him in case he would curse the Israelites was himself clearly deceived he being not only disappointed of what he look'd for viz. honour and gain but also bringing upon himself that which he looked not for a violent death by the Sword and most likely the eternal destruction of his soul in stead of receiving his reward from Balac he received it from God Numb 31.8 Josh 13.22 As also did these Seducers draw to themselves in stead of worldly advantages which they aimed at swift destruction and condemnation as the Apostles speak both of soul and body Others as I conceceive more sutably to the scope of the Apostle and to the construction of the other words immediately going before and following understand this Error to be the swerving wandring or deviation of Balaam imitated by the Seducers from the way of Gods will and commandment both in regard of their practice and especially their Doctrine or what they taught others whereby they made them to err and wander from the right way For Balaams practice it was an erring and wandering from the plain and express precept of God in that he went to Balac and that with a defire to curse the people His way was perverse before the Lord Numb 22.32 he was out of Gods way when he was in the way of his journey For his teaching of others he taught Balac to err in counselling him to build Altars and offer Sacrifices for Enchantments and to entice the Israelites to Adultery and Idolatry by the company of the daughters of Moab and it is as plain that he made the Israelites to err from the way of righteousness by teaching Balac to cast a stumbling block before them Rev. 2.14 to eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication that thus they sinning might be afterward destroyed As touching these Seducers it is most evident that they in their own practice wandered from the way of righteousness and left the way of Truth in their Doctrines that they were ringleaders to Error blind guides who made many to follow them into the ditch Deceivers 2 Pet. 2. false Prophets bringing in damnable Heresies many following their pernicious wayes And that hereby as Peter speaks They went astray and forsook the right way viz. the way of Truth A great sin 1. because Error is a deviating from and an opposing of the
eyes of unbeleeving sinners Isai 53.2 Holiness is an inward a hidden beauty Psa 45. a carnall eye cannot either see it or esteem it If grace be as with sinners it is a scar 't is a scar of honour not uncomliness riches and worldly dignities like glow-worms onely shine in the dark night of the world but there 's nothing will have a lustre at the day of judgement but holiness The poorest saint is a Prince and the most glorious sinner a beggar both in a disguise Holiness though veiled with the most contemptible outside carries with it a silent Majesty and sin even in highest dignity bewrays a secret vileness That which is to be desired of a man is his goodness The righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Prov. 12.26 2 Cor. 8.23 The poor Saints are called the glory of Christ who presents them without spot or wrinkle or any such thing Sinners are spots Saints are stars and Jewels as Jewels the stars of the earth and as Stars the Jewels of heaven Though Saints have not an Herald to emblazon their arms yet the Scripture sufficiently sets forth their dignity the rottenest stuffs are oftnest watred and among men sinners most glorious but yet in Scripture they are but spots 2. Sinners are filthy and defiling They are spots for defilement as well as deformity sin and uncleanness are put together The filthiest of beasts are scarce filthy enough to set forth the filthy nature of sinners Swine the Dog the Serpent the Goat the neighing Horse the filthiest things are used in Scripture to set forth sin as dung vomit mire menstruosities leprosie scum pitch Deut. 32.5 plague-sores issues ulcers dead carcasses the blood and pollution of a new-born child the noysom exhalations breathing from a Sepulcher Rom. 3.13 spots Rev. 21.27 a sinner is called that which defileth Sinful gain is filthy lucre Unholy speech is filthy and rotten communication whordome is called uncleanness gluttony turns the Temple of the Holy Ghost into a Kitchin an Hogstie it makes men dunghils and drunkenness common shores and sinks of filthinesse the drunkard is a walking quagmire The covetous wretch that loads himself with thick clay is but a moving muck-heap a speaking dunghil his riches are but dung good as one well when they are spread abroad by charity but stinking and useless when heaped Pride is but a swelling botch Sinners are the children of the filthy and unclean spirit they are of their father the Divel like Joabs posterity therefore all filthy and leprous their natural Parents were naturally all unclean and who did ever bring a clean thing out of filthiness Job 14.4 John 3.6 that which is born of the flesh is flesh Their greatest hatred and enmity is set upon purity and and holinesse clean and sweet objects are death to them as they say that Roses kill the Horsefly the Gospel is to them a savour of death And this filthiness and pollution of sin hath two properties which may render it very hateful Isai 1.13 14 Tit. 1.15 1. It s a spreading pollution 1. Over all of a man flesh and spirit soul body understanding thoughts conscience memory will affections eyes hands tongue 2. All done by a man even the best things the prayers of polluted sinners are abominations their incense stinks their sacrifices are unclean their mercies cruel their profession of godlinesse a form their plausiblest performances no better then embalmed carkases 3. It spreads even unto others and infects them by incouraging teaching seducing constraining them to sin It oft is diffused from the wicked even to the godly themselves nothing more difficult then to be familiar with and not to be infected by sinners the error of the wicked sometimes cleavs to them and the example of sinners entiseth them Spirituale gelicidium Ames Cas Consc The sons of God saw the daughters of men and were polluted What an insensible deadness of spirit and decay of grace doth conversing with sinners bring upon Saints 4. Yea this contagion of sin spreads even to the good creatures of God about us even into them it puts as the Apostle speaks vanity Num. 8.20 21 2 Pet. 3.10 11. Isai 1.18 Jer. 17.1 groaning bondage consumption mourning and at length it will bring combustion and dissolution upon the whole frame of nature 2. It s a deep and indelible pollution of a skarlet and crimson dye compared also to an Ethiopians blackness a Leopards spots not to be washed away with nitre and much sope Hell fire shall not be able to eternity to fetch away the stains of the smallest sins from mans nature yea the greatest measure of grace received in this life by the best of men doth not totally abolish this defilement the best have their sores and stand in need of a curing and a daily cleansing Who can say I have made my heart clean All the Legal washings purifyings and cleansings of the filthiness of the flesh were but faint representations of our need of and purity by being washt in the blood of Christ And oh that sinners would be as unquiet as they are unclean till they wash in that fountain which is set open for sin and for uncleanness Jer. 4.14 Rev. 7.14 2 Cor. 6.11 Psal 150. It s only the blood of God which can wash away the filthiness of sin no other Laver can take away that spot Not onely look but go into it wash thy self all over Cry out O sinner unclean unclean See thy spots in the glass of the Law Be weary of thy defilement as well as thy deformity Being washed keep thy self pure take heed of spotting places and persons Though upon a conscience uncleansed like an old spotted garment a sinner cares not what filth he suffers to drop yet O Saint keep thy new cloaths white clean and pure sin like a mired dog when it fawns upon thee fouls thee A spot will easily be seen upon thee trifles in thee are accounted blasphemies Be not troubled at the spots upon thy name so as thou keepest a pure conscience not that wicked men make them so long as they do not finde them Wash thy self in thine own tears be troubled that thy Justification is so complete and thy Sanctification so imperfect that thou art at once both without spot or wrinckle and yet so full of both In short Labour to be spotless in a spotting and spotted Generation in foul streets to walk with clean garments Let not the Error of the wicked cleave to thee If thou canst not cleanse them which is most desirable let not them defile thee In your Feasts of Charity 3. The Lords Supper is a Love-Feast Observ 3. The Reason why these Feasts of Charity whereof Jude here speaks were annexed to the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11.21 22. and also why those ancient Christians did in these Feasts express so much love one to another was because they were about to celebrate that Sacrament which expressed so great a token
the care of the shepherd Thus David the Lord saith he is my shepherd I shall not want 4. Enâ—chs humble and sweet acquaintance with God stood in his enjoying of all his comforts in God and God in them he so much esteemed communion with God that he accounted nothing sweet but what he had with his love and smile he was not a slave to sense delighting himself only in the good things themselves which he enjoyed he accounted every condition sweet or bitter so far forth as God did communicate himself in it or withdraw himself from it so that he was neither unduly lifted up in his enjoyments nor dejected in his losses the God of his delight being ever and evenly the same nothing was delightful to Enoch by it self but only God other things only as they came with God as though water is only sweet when something sweet is put into it yet hony and sugar are sweet alone by themselves 3. This walking with God notes spiritual motion there cannot be a walking without a moving Enoch neither stood by God nor sat with God but walked with God the commandments of God were the way wherein he walked and moved and every act of obedience was a several step taken in that way in all his motions he observed some duty enjoyned and eschewed some sin forbidden so that he praised God with the language of his conversation he could not have walked unless he had been as practical as he was speculative and professing only works speak words are silent before God and man nor did he only practise this walking with God when he was exercised in the duties of Gods immediate worship but also when imployed in the works of his particular place and calling In the performing of the former he was as it were in heaven in the doing of the latter heaven was in him the necessary employments of his calling took him not off from conversing with God they did not make him at all renounce this Paul when he was making of tents did not cast off conversing with God neither doth piety make us idle in our places nor doth moderate diligence in our callings make us impious and prophane and indeed we cannot walk with God unlesse we serve him both in our general and particular callings To conclude this discourse of Enochs walking with God with a touch of the manner how he performed it 1. He walked with God solely he admitted no intruders into or disturbers of his heavenly converses with his God the world followed him as a servant walked not with him as a companion this God cannot abide he rather used the world than enjoyed it or rather used it as if he used it not God cannot bear the the company of Mammon the love of God and the world cannot stand together 2. He walked with God evenly and in a direct course he halted not like the Israelites 1 King 18.21 between two he made straight pathes for his feet he gave allowance to no wandrings nor false waies they who wil walk in by-paths walk not with God but alone and therefore Enoch walked in a straight path to heaven and turned not aside to crooked waies not treading in the way of any known sin 3. He walked cheerfully not unwillingly or constrainedly or sadly his walking being with him who is the God of all comfort and indeed God takes no pleasure in that mans company who accounts not walking with him a pleasure Enoch was not by fear or force or restraint detained before the Lord but he delighted himself in him looking upon holy duties as his priviledges as wel as his tasks nor indeed can any walk cheerfully but when with God his company makes the valley of the shadow of death to be a pleasant way a bitter condition sweet and a sweet condition sweeter 4. He walked constantly unweariedly with God from strength to strength til he appeared before him in the heavenly Sion Enochs goodness was not by fits and starts like that of some hypocrites he did not take a step or two but walked with God this his walking with God lasted as long as his continuing in the world he did not set out wel only in the beginning but held out wel also til the end of his race OBSERVATIONS 1. The faithful must be holy in unholy times Enoch in a corrupt age walked with God Obs 1. and kept close to him when most left him Saints must shew that they are not of the world when they are in it they must not be conformed to the world nor run with the world to the same excess of riot 1 Pet. 4.4 As their righteousnesse must exceed the righteousnesse of hypocrites so must it condemn the unrighteousness of the profane the rest of their time they should not live to the lusts of men but to the wil of God they are forbidden to follow a multitude to do evil to go in the way of evil men Prov. 4.14 to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse Elijah was zealous for God Eph. 5.11 when he scarce could discern any to joyn with him as Noah was saved by God when the earth was overwhelmed with an inundation of water so did he walk with God when it was overspread with an inundation of wickedness Psal 71 7. Isa 8.18 Jer. 20.7 when David was looked upon as a monster Isaiah and the faithful as wonders yet they retained their integrity when the wicked have almost made void the law even then nay therefore must the godly love Gods Commandments and esteem all his precepts Psal 119.126 127 128. concerning all things to be right God is a friend a father and as this friend loves us in the day of our adversity so should he be beloved in the day when his honour suffers May not God say to those that temporise with his enemies for fear or hope Is this your kindnesse to your friend Is there any time wherein God hath left or forsaken us and should there be any wherein we are weary of walking with God Is God our father and can we endure with a tame patience to see him dishonoured It s reported of a Son who though before dumb yet seeing enemies about to kill his father presently cried out kil not my father The sons of God must glorifie their father and shine as lights in a crooked and perverse nation Ephes 2.15 Nor can the truth much less the strength of grace or the power of godlinesse ever be manifested unless it appears in times of opposition there is no power seen where there are no difficulties contended with wherein doth the life of grace differ from death in sin if Christians shal be carried down the stream of their times unholinesse Grace wil ever conflict with that sin either in the soul or the world which it is not able to conquer it wil condemn it though it cannot execute it And what more unreasonable lastly then for us to mete to God