Works of John Bunyan Volume II Part 106

These words [after he begat Methuselah] may have respect either to his beginning to walk with G.o.d, or to the number of the years that he lived after the birth of Methuselah, or both.

If it respect the fist, then it sheweth that the only encouragement that a sinner hath to walk with G.o.d, it is to see Methuselah, or his death spoiled: for when a man seeth death, and all evils, conquered and overcome, then his soul is encouraged in holiness (1 Cor 15:55-58). No encouragement to walking with G.o.d like this: "Enoch walked with G.o.d after he begat Methuselah." As Paul saith, "Now being made free from sin,--[which indeed is the sting of death] ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life" (Rom 6:22).

If it respect the second, then it shews us the invincible nature of true faith, (for by faith Enoch walked with G.o.d:) I say, it sheweth us the invincible nature of true faith, in that it would hold up a man in close communion with G.o.d for the s.p.a.ce of three hundred years.

"He walked with G.o.d three hundred years." How will the conversation of Enoch rise up in judgment with this generation, that walk not with G.o.d at all! Or if they do, do it so by fits, as if walking with G.o.d was but a work by the by.

"He walked with G.o.d and begat sons and daughters." And kept house, and lived with his wife, according to knowledge. This shews then, that it is sin, not our lawful and honest employment, that hindreth one's walking with G.o.d.

Ver. 23, 24. "And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with G.o.d: And he was not; for G.o.d took him" (vv 23,24).

The New Testament saith, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because G.o.d had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased G.o.d."

"And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty and five years." Enoch therefore lived here but a while; he was too good to live long in this world, the world was not worthy of him; neither would he be spared so long out of heaven, "for G.o.d took him." The end of walking with G.o.d or the path-way thereof, it leads men to heaven, to the enjoyment of the glory of G.o.d. Thus also it was with blessed Elijah, he followed G.o.d from place to place, till at length he was caught up into heaven (2 Kings 2:1-11).

A word or two more of Enoch. Jude observes, That he was the seventh from Adam: Closely intimating (as I conceive) that by him G.o.d prefigured the resurrection and end of the world: And intimated, That in the seventh great day of the world this resurrection should be, each generation from Adam being a type of a thousand years: So that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, was a type of the seventh thousand, in which the Lord will reign with his church a thousand years.

There are two things in Enoch that incline me to this opinion. First, he crieth out, "Behold the Lord comes!" and then is translated that he should not see death. The right posture and end of those that shall live at the day of G.o.d Almighty; and that shall, like Enoch, be found "walking with G.o.d," when the Lord shall come from heaven (Jude 14,15).

Ver. 25. "And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech."

Lamech signifieth poor, or smitten; wherefore I doubt that the apostacy that you read of in the next chapter, began either in the days of, or by, this man: he being, as it seems, more dry and void of grace than those that went before him; poor, or smitten.

Hence note, That faith and G.o.dliness, though often it goeth from the father to the son, as from Seth to Enos, and from him to Cainan, yet it is not tied here, but runs according to electing love, as also do the fruits thereof.

Ver. 26, 27. "And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years, and he died."

Methuselah, the spoiling of death, is the longest liver in the world; yet he died in the year that the flood was upon the earth; not by the flood, but by the course of nature, as also did Lamech his son, for the wicked reprobate only was swept away by that, according to the apostle Peter. Ver. 28, 29. "And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son: and he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed."

"And he called his name Noah." Noah signifieth rest; his name was therefore according to his work, for he was a preacher of righteousness, which giveth rest to all that embraceth it. Besides, it was he that prepared the ark, the place of rest to the church of G.o.d.

"This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed."

These words seem to carry in them, repentance for the apostacy that before was mentioned. "This same shall comfort us," by restoring the church to her former rest, and by delivering us from the "toil of our hands"; for sin once admitted of in the church, is not without much toil extirpated, and driven forth of the same; yea sometimes it getteth such footing and root, that it cannot again be purged and destroyed, but by breaking the very being of the church where it is. Thus it was as to the case in hand, and is signified also by pulling down the house in which the leprosy was (Lev 14:43-45). Yea Ephesus itself was almost thus far infected, had not a threatening prevented (Rev 2:1-3).

"Because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed." The Lord did curse it for the sin of Adam: He also renewed the curse to Cain, because he was guilty of the blood of his brother. I incline also to think, that the curse here mentioned, is the first, reiterated for the grievous apostacy of this congregation; according to that which is written, "If ye walk contrary unto me," "I will punish you seven times more": "I will bring seven times more plagues upon you, according to your sins" (Lev 26:18-21).

Ver. 30. "And Lamech lived after he begat Noah, five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters." Wherefore Lamech heard the preaching of Noah, who was the only minister of G.o.d in those days, to recover the church to repentance from their apostacy, which also he did in some good measure effect, while he condemned, the world for their unbelief (Heb 11:7).

Ver. 31. "And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died." He died five years before the flood.

Methuselah therefore was the longest liver of those G.o.dly that fell on the other side the flood, for he died not before the very year the flood came, not by the water, but before. The righteous is taken away from the evil to come; though, as the prophet saith, no man of the wicked laid it to heart.

Ver. 31. "And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and j.a.phet."

CHAPTER VI.

Ver. 1. "And it came to pa.s.s, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them."

Moses now leaveth the genealogy for a while, and searcheth into the state and condition of the church now after so long a time as its standing upwards of, or above, a thousand years: where he presently findeth two things. 1. The church declined. 2. And G.o.d provoked.

Wherefore he maketh inquiry into the nature of the church's sin; which he relateth in this following chapter.

"And it came to pa.s.s, when men began to multiply." The men here I understand to be the children of Cain, the church and synagogue of Satan, because they are mentioned by way of ant.i.thesis to the church and sons of G.o.d.

"And daughters were born unto them." A snare that was often used in the hand of the devil, to intangle withal the church of G.o.d; yea, and doth so usually speed, that it hath often been counted by him as infallible; so that this is the doctrine of his prophet Balaam, and it prevailed, when all the engines of h.e.l.l beside were prevented. "The people began to commit wh.o.r.edom with the daughters of Moab" (Num 25:1,2). It may be this child of h.e.l.l, in this his advice to Balak looked back to the daughters of Cain, and calling to remembrance how of old they intangled the church, advertised him to put the same into practice again (Rev 2:14).

Ver. 2. "That the sons of G.o.d saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose."

This was the way then of the sons of Cain, to let their fair daughters be shewed to the sons of G.o.d (Pro 22:14). For it seems all other their wiles and devices were not able to bring the church and the world together, and to make them live as in one communion.

These to the church were such, whose hearts were snares and nets, and whose hands were bands to intangle and hold them from observing the laws and judgments of G.o.d (Eccl 7:26).

"And they took them wives." First their eye saw them, and then their heart l.u.s.ted after them. Thus the devil deceived the woman, and by this means perished cursed Achan. "And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment," &c., "then I coveted them" (Josh 7:20,21).

Note therefore, that it is not good to behold with the eye that which G.o.d hath forbid us to touch with our hand. "I made a covenant with mine eyes," saith Job (Job 30:1). And again, if at unawares a thing was cast before him, the beholding of which was of an intangling nature, he forthwith would hold back his heart as with a bridle, lest the design of h.e.l.l should be effected upon him (v 7).

Crush sin then in the conception, lest it bring forth death in thy soul.

Ver. 3. "And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."

By these words is aggravated the sin of the church, that she would attempt to close with, and hold a sinful communion, against the dissuasions of the Spirit of G.o.d.

"My Spirit shall not always strive." To wit, my Spirit in Noah, for he was the only preacher of righteousness to the church in those backsliding times.

By this then, I find, that the doctrine of Noah, was, To declare against a sinful communion, or to command the church, in the name of G.o.d, that she still maintain a separation from the cursed children of Cain: As he said to the prophet Jeremiah, If thou separate the precious from the vile, "thou shalt be as my mouth"

(15:19).

Noah therefore had a hard task, when he preached this doctrine among them: for this above all is hard to be borne, for by this he condemned the world.

The first great quarrel therefore that G.o.d had with his church, it was for their holding unwarrantable communion with others. The church should always "dwell alone, and not be reckoned among the nations" (Num 23:9). The church is "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people" (1 Peter 2:9).

Therefore the work of the church of G.o.d, is not to fall in with any sinful fellowship, or receive into their communion the unG.o.dly world, but to shew forth the praises and virtues of him who hath called them out from among such communicants into his marvellous light.

"My Spirit shall not always strive." Hence note, that the people that shall continue to grieve the Spirit of G.o.d, and to resist the doctrine of Noah, they are appointed for heavy judgments. "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Rev 18:4). This because those (finally impenitent) in Noah's time refused to do, therefore the wrath of G.o.d overtook them, and swept them off the face of the earth.

"Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." Noah therefore began his preaching about the four hundred and fourscore year of his life, which continuing the s.p.a.ce of sixscore more, it reached to the day that the flood came.

In which time doubtless his faith was sufficiently tried, both by the hard censures of the hypocrites of the church, and the open profane of the world, against whom he daily p.r.o.nounced the judgments of G.o.d for maintaining their forbidden communion (Gen 3:15).

"Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." G.o.d also would yet have patience with these people, if peradventure they would repent that his hand might not be upon them.

Ver. 4. "There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of G.o.d came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men, which were of old, men of renown."

"There were giants in the earth in those days." These words seem to be spoken, to shew us the hazards that Noah ran, while he preached the truth of G.o.d: He incurred the displeasure of the giants, which doubtless made all men tremble, and kept the whole world in awe.

But Noah must engage the giants, he must not fear the face of a giant. This way G.o.d took also with Moses, and with his people of Israel, they must go to possess the land of the giants, a people high and tall as the cedars, a people of whom went that proverb, "Who can stand before the children of Anak?" (Deu 9:2). They must not be afraid of Og the king of Bashan, though his head be as high as the ridge of a house, and his bedstead a bedstead of iron (Deu 3:11).

This should teach us then not to fear the faces of men: no, not the faces of the mighty; not to fear them, I say, in the matters of G.o.d, though they should run upon us like a giant.

These giants I suppose were the children of Cain, because mentioned as another sort than those that were the fruit of their forbidden and unG.o.dly communion: For he adds, "And also after that," or besides them, "when the sons of G.o.d came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same, [or they also]

became mighty men which were of old, men of renown."

Then Noah found giants every where: Giants in the world, and giants in this confused communion. And thus it is at this day; we do not only meet with giants abroad, among the most unG.o.dly and uncirc.u.mcised in heart, but even among those that seem to be of the religious, among them we also meet with giants; men mighty to oppose the truth, and very profound to make slaughter: But mark the advice of the Lord, "Fear not their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, [who is stronger than all the giants that are upon the face of the earth] and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread" (Isa 8:12,13).