ENOCH'S TESTIMONY

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 8, 1857

ENOCH'S TESTIMONY.

But very little is revealed to us of the patriarch Enoch, if we look at the words, in which it is expressed, but a great deal if we consider the meaning which they convey. In what is recorded of him, we find a whole christian life in miniature. His godliness and translation are thus revealed: "And Enoch walked with God; and he was not; for God took him." Gen. v, 24. His faith is set before us as follows: "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and was not found; because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." Heb. xi, 5. His prophecy is thus recorded by Jude: "And Enoch, also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Verses 14, 15.

In these brief references we find enough to practice upon. In Enoch's life we find a precedent for our own: he walked with God. In the result of his life we find a sure pledge of the result of ours, if we so walk; namely, a glorious translation: not to be taken up, and let down upon "some mountain," but to be taken to those mansions which Christ has gone to prepare for us, where the Father dwells who is "in heaven." But before Enoch's translation he had the testimony, that he pleased God. So we, who in these last days are cherishing the hope of translation, must also walk with God, and have the testimony that we please him.

But how are we to obtain this testimony, (or witness: the word in other places being usually translated witness?) Ans. By faith; for the Apostle after testifying that Enoch pleased God, adds, "But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Then being "compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin (want of faith, or unbelief) that doth so easily beset us," striving like Enoch of old, to walk with God, and to obtain the testimony that our ways please him.