and inheriting no blessedness from him, no cleanness of heart, no righteousness of life, because he had none to leave, even so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous,* accounted righteous before God. And thus being justified by faith, we have peace with God, are accepted in the Beloved, and admitted to walk with God in newness of life, admitted to the blessings of holiness here and everlasting happiness hereafter. It was by faith that Enoch was admitted to walk with God, by faith that he was enabled to walk with God.

It was the vain wish of unrighteous Balaam, Let me die the death of the righteous. And now, having considered the life of Enoch, let us attend, very briefly, to his last end. He was not, for God took him. He was translated, that he should not see death, saith S. Paul; being the only man, besides Elijah, that hath passed into the eternal world in the vesture of mortality. How Elijah was taken up into heaven we are told in 2 Kings ii.; how Enoch was translated we are not told, and therefore it is not of consequence for us to know. But no believer now must expect to reach heaven without dying; unless, indeed, he should live to that time when the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised, and the living shall be changed, not putting off mortality, but having mortality clothed upon with life. Nevertheless, we may very well take the words here used of the translation of Enoch to express the departure of

*Romans v. 19.

the believer. Say not of the true Christian, that he dies the sinner dies,--and O, what is contained in that word! but the child of God dies not; he falls asleep; he sleeps in Jesus; he departs to be with Christ; he is not, for God takes him. He is not in an ungodly world, who have hated him, and hated his Lord also. He is not in a state of suffering and trial, and temptation and sin. He is not in a vile body,—a body that continually carried about with it the punishment and memorial of sin; a body utterly diseased with sin, and which could never become cleansed, till, like the leprous house among the Jews, it was taken down for ever. He is not, for God takes him. God takes him in tenderness and love; for merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken from the evil to come. takes him, as a father takes his son from school, to live with him at home. A holy life here, a walk with God on earth, is pleasant; but that is not the best which God intends for his childrenthey are to be with Him, to see His face in heaven for ever. While here, the Christian says with David, One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.* And in heaven this desire shall be fulfilled; he shall dwell in the house of the Lord; he shall behold the beauty of the Lord. This body is

* Psalm xxvii. 4,

God

but a tabernacle, a tent in which the soul dwells a little time, and then it is taken down: but We know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John iii. 2. To that eternal house shall the Lord Jesus welcome every one, the weakest of his people; If I go, said he, and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. John xiv. 3. Where I am!-in no meaner place. Father, I will, said he, that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. John xvii. 24. Oh, blessed prospect! oh, blessed Gospel that holds it out to us! oh, blessed service, to proclaim that Gospel! oh, blessed your ears that hear the joyful sound. A little while, believer, and thy walk on earth shall be finished, and thou shalt not be, for God shall take thee. A little while longer thou must be content to walk by faith, and then thou shalt live by sight for ever. Ah, if the paths be rough sometimes, and the sky gloomy, and enemies beset you around, hold on; is it not worth while? there is heaven at the end. No enemies there; no darkness there; Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Isaiah lx. 20.

My Christian friends, I pray for you, I pray for myself, that we may walk with God here; fearing to sin, as in his presence; seeking his counsel and direction in all our ways; leaning on

him in every trouble for comfort and support; holding sweet communion with him; jealous of his honour, and eager for his glory that we may thus walk with God, being changed by the Spirit of his grace, and accepted in his dear Son, and at length be taken by Him, to be for ever with Him!

SERMON II.

THE MERCIES OF GOD IN CHRIST.

PSALM CIII. 1-5.-Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases: Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

GOD is love; and because a full and abiding knowledge, and persuasion, and feeling of this truth is at the bottom of all true religion, is its warmth, and life, and very soul, therefore it is that this love is set forth to us under so many, and such tender images in the Scriptures; images adapted to all conditions of life, that every one may be able, in some degree, to understand this love, by comparing it with what he himself feels on some occasion. For instance, do you know from experience what it is to delight over children, to do them good, to gratify their desires in every thing convenient for them? Such, be sure, as far as human understanding may comprehend them, are the feelings of God towards