"Enoch walked with God"-Gen. 5:24.

This simple record seems like a strain of music from some heavenly world, rather than that of a man upon this troubled earth.

The position in which we find this record in the Bible is very significant. It belongs to a very olden time-about a thousand years before the flood. It follows a very monotonous statement of how one man after another was born, lived so many years, begot a son, lived so many more years, and died. Then Enoch is brought into the story, and the record begins in the same way, goes on, and seems about to end the same way as the others, when suddenly there comes this fresh breath from heaven. After that, the story goes right on again. Is there not something for us to learn to-day from this story of that olden time?

And, remember, it was not on a few rare occasions of spiritual exaltation, but for three hundred years, in this sinful world, living a family life as we do, that Enoch "walked with God." Then, one day, he was not, for God took him.

What does it mean, to walk with God ? It is to live in the consciousness of God's presence; in conscious companionship with God. To have with you, as you go about your daily affairs, the realization that God is with you, so that you may speak to Him and have Him speak to you; and sometimes be with Him in a silence that means more than talk. To walk with God is to have the consciousness of companionship with God.

What are the results ? First, abounding joy. The Psalmist says, "In Thy presence is fulness of joy." Do you think he was speaking entirely about the future ? I am sure he was not. Right here in our everyday life in His presence is fulness of joy.

One of the sweetest joys of earth is congenial companionship. Who would not rather live in a hut with congenial companions than in the palace of those with whom there is no congeniality ? Who would not rather live on a barren isle with real Christians, than in the fairest land with infidels, blasphemers, libertines, drunkards and robbers ? Is not one of the brightest hopes and gladdest joys of heaven the society of heaven-especially of the Father and Jesus Christ the Son ? Rutherford exclaimed, " I would rather dwell in hell with Thee than in heaven without Thee, for if I were in hell with Thee it would be heaven to me." If we have this conscious companionship with God in our present life we have two heavens; the future eternal heaven to which we are hastening, and the present one. Oh, the joy of sweet fellowship with God every day!

We know the joy of walking and talking and being with loved ones on earth. But that is nothing to the joy of walking with God and talking to Him and having Him speak to us. Fellowship with God is infinitely better, dearer and more glorious than any earthly companionship.

Remember, I said it was not in a few exalted moments and experiences only that Enoch walked with God, but in his daily life-for three hundred years; and we may walk with God in the same way.

The second result is a great sense of security and abiding peace. The same psalm says, " I have set the Lord always before me:because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." War may come, pestilence, famine, but if God be for us, and with us, who can be against us ? O friends, if we live in the power of that thought we shall have undisturbed peace, no matter how war increases, no matter how near it comes to our doors, we shall hear God saying, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee:be not dismayed; for I am thy God:I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. " " Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear:though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident." Is it any wonder the psalmist went on to say, "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." The secret of abiding peace is conscious companionship with God.

The third result is spiritual enlightenment. The secret of having an open eye to, and understanding of, the truth is communion with God. Look at Enoch; there is no record that he was a great scholar (he certainly was not a "higher critic"), yet we are told in Jude that far away in that olden time, thousands of years before Christ, Enoch saw the truth of the Lord's second coming-probably the only man in his day. Why ? Because he walked with God. He had the spiritual enlightenment that comes from walking with God. If I went to anyone to learn something about the Word of God I would not inquire how much knowledge he had of philosophy or psychology:I would ask, Does he walk with God ? In the things of God, in the things that are eternal, the condition of wisdom and understanding is fellowship with God.

The next result of walking with God is purity of heart and life. So many things that we have tolerated become unthinkable when we see them in the true light of God's presence. So many things that are done under cover of night, would never be done if the thought that God is with us possessed the soul.

A man that had been given to profanity, found it very difficult to overcome it. He went to a godly minister for advice. "Charlie," said the minister, " would you swear if your father were with you ? " " I don't think I would," he answered. " Well, to-morrow when you go to work remember all the time that God is there with you." The next day, as he went about his work, that thought of God's presence was with him, and to his amazement, as he went home at night, he realized that he had been kept from this sin. How many things we do, say, or think, that we would not do, say, or think, if we lived in the consciousness of God's presence with us.

The next result, closely akin to this, is beauty of character. We become like the people we associate with. So if we associate with God we become like Him. When Moses came down from the mountain where he had been for forty days alone with God, his face shone. So if we habitually are with God, it will illumine and glorify our lives.

The next result is usefulness. It is the quiet, potent influence of a holy life that tells. Enoch wrought more for God by just walking with God, than Nebuchadnezzar who built the grand structures of Babylon, or the Egyptian monarch who built the pyramids and the sphinx to amaze and mystify coming generations. So today, the men and women who walk with God do more than the political reformers with all their fair-appearing schemes for transforming this world.

Yet there is another result of walking with God that is far better than all these; that is, that you please God. We read in Hebrews n, that Enoch had this testimony, that he was "well-pleasing" to God. God wants our service, but He wants our hearts more.

And, what is more, the eighth result is we shall spend eternity with Him. " Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him." If we walk with God here, we will spend eternity with Him yonder.

What must we do if we are going to walk with God ? First, put our trust in the atoning death of Christ. In the passage about Enoch in the New Testament, it says, " By faith Enoch walked with God," and if you look at the verses immediately preceding .you will see that faith is rooted in the atonement. God is holy, you and I are sinners, there is that great chasm of sin between us, so there is no getting to Him, and of course no walking with Him until that chasm is bridged-and that chasm can be bridged in no way except by the atoning blood of Christ:"Without shedding of blood there is no remission."

If you were to be with God without having come under that atonement, the companionship would
not be joy but agony. Even the seraphim in the presence of God, with twain of their six wings cover their faces, and with twain their feet, and cry, " Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts." But if we take the testimony of this Book, our sins were laid on Christ on Calvary, and blotted out. He became sin on our behalf in order that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. So we can come into His presence and say, "Abba, Father." Some people are afraid of God. But the one Being in all the universe I will tell everything to is GOD. But if it were not for the atoning blood of Christ this could not be so.

Yet to have fellowship we must obey Him (Jno. 14:23).There must be full self-surrender. Selected