man, (Col. iii. 9, 10,) and so become children of God, and heirs of glory, were yet born in the likeness of fallen Adam, after the similitude of Adam's transgression, (Rom v. 14,) of Adam's corruption. "Tis so with the best of men. Those that by grace are related to heaven itself, yet may do well to remember that their first father was an Amorite, and their mother a Hittite; (Ezek. xvi. 3;) and sometimes to cast an eye upon the rock whence they were hewn, and upon the hole of the pit whence they were digged, (Isa. li. 1,) that they may not be high-minded, but fear. Rom. ii. 20.

9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:

11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:

13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:

14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died. 15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:

16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:

17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.

18 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:

19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.

21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

23 And all the days of Enoch were

three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

The account runs on for several verses without any thing remarkable. But at length comes in an exception to the rule. There is one stop made, and that is at the seventh from Adam, Enoch, of whom special notice is taken as one that went beyond the rest, not in greatness, but in goodness; not in height, but in holiness. He was a star of the first magnitude, and is accordingly mentioned with peculiar honour. Observe,

1. His living in the world. Enoch walked with God; that is, say some, he took upon him the priesthood; he was a minister of religion. Executing the priest's office is twice in one chapter termed walking before God. 1 Sam. ii. 30, 35. When religion began to go out of fashion in the world, Enoch did not only take up the profession of it himself, but did all he could to bring others into the love and practice of it too. Or rather, by walking with God, is meant that Enoch lived a godly, righteous, and sober life. He was agreed with God; for can two walk together except they be agreed? Amos iii. 3. He walked in the fear of God, and in the love of God; his care and endeavour was in every thing to please God,

(Heb. xi. 5,) and in nothing to offend him. He kept up communion with God; he conversed with him in his holy ordinances; he walked circumspectly, accurately, exactly, in the whole course of his conversation; he kept his integrity in a time of general apostacy. In a word, he was in all points a real saint. Remark that it is said, (ver. 21,) Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methusaleh, and (ver. 22) Enoch walked with God, after he begat Methusaleh, three hundred years; by which it should seem that he did not walk with God till after he was sixty-five years old. During his first sixtyfive years he lived, walked, as others did,-no better than the common sort of people; but afterwards 'twas otherwise. First his heart was changed, and then his way; his walk was changed. The life that I now live, saith Paul, Gal. ii. 20, I live by the faith of the Son of God;-implying that he could remember a time when he lived otherwise: and so could Enoch too, no doubt; and that might help to keep him humble under his high attainments.

See how the Holy Ghost alters the phrase when he comes to speak of Enoch. Of Jared it is said, Jared lived after he begat Enoch, so many years and so of the rest; but of Enoch it is said, Enoch walked with God, after he begat Methusaleh, so many years; to intimate to us that walking with God was his

very life, that the business, the scope, the end, of his life was, to please God. As Paul says, (Phil. i. 21,) to me to live is Christ,—take away Christ, and you take away my life; so let Enoch cease to walk with God, and he ceases to live. The life of a true Christian is a walking with God. We are sometimes said to walk before God; (Ps. lvi. 13;) sometimes after God; (Hos. xi. 10;) sometimes with God; Gen. vi. 9. It comes all to one. This walking notes an active, progressive, regular, and even course of holy living.

Enoch walked with God: how long? Three hundred years. If it had been so many days, it had been a great while to keep close to God and duty; but to continue so many years walking with God, did certainly argue very high attainments in grace. Not as if Enoch were absolutely without sin: no; that is a privilege reserved for the state of glory; but his sincerity was his perfection; and in that perfection he continued till he became indeed perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Jam. i. 4. Enoch, while he lived, did, by his example, demonstrate to the world the reality and weight of invisible things.

We have a most excellent prophecy of his recorded in the epistle of Jude, concerning the coming of Christ to judgment. Whether that which is there recorded were all his prophecy, and whether the