life, and hastening to everlasting destruction. We are never willingly to grieve their spirits, or give them any pain: but, on the contrary, to give them all the pleasure we innocently can; seeing we are to "please all men for their good." We are never to aggravate their faults; but willingly to allow all the good that is in them.

9. We may, and ought to speak to them on all occasions, in the most kind and obliging manner we can. We ought to speak no evil of them when they are absent, unless it be absolutely necessary; unless it be the only means we know of preventing their doing hurt: otherwise, we are to speak of them with all respect we can, without transgressing the bounds of truth. We are to behave to them, when present, with all courtesy, shewing them all the regard we can, without countenancing them in sin. We ought to do them all the good that is in our power, all they are willing to receive from us: following herein the example of the universal Friend, our Father who is in heaven: who, till they will condescend to receive greater blessings, gives them such as they are willing to accept: "causing his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sending his rain on the just and on the unjust.

10. But what kind of friendship is it which we may not have with the world? May we not converse with ungodly men at all? Ought we wholly to avoid their company? By no means: the contrary of this has been allowed already. If we were not to converse with them at all, 66 we must needs go out of the world." Then we could not shew them those offices of kindness, which have been already mentioned. We may, doubtless, converse with them, first, on business, in the various purposes of this life, according to that station therein, wherein the Providence of God has placed us: secondly, When courtesy requests it; only we must take great care not to carry it too far: thirdly, When we have a reasonable hope of doing them good. But here too we have an especial need of caution, and of much prayer; otherwise, we may easily burn ourselves, in striving to pluck other brands out of the burning.

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11. We may easily hurt our own souls, by sliding into a close attachment to any of them that know not God. This is the friendship which is "enmity with God:" we cannot be too jealous over ourselves, lest we fall into this deadly snare; lest we contract, or ever we are aware, a love of complacence or delight in them. Then only do we tread upon sure ground, when we can say with the Psalmist, “All my delight is in the saints that are upon earth, and in such as excel in virtue." We should have no needless conversation with them. It is our duty and our wisdom, to be no oftener, and no longer with them, than is strictly necessary. And during the whole time, we have need to remember and follow the example of him that said, "I kept my mouth, as it were, with a bridle, while the ungodly was in my sight." We should enter into no sort of connexion with them, farther than is absolutely necessary. When Jehosaphat forgot this, and formed a connexion with Ahab, what was the consequence? He first lost his substance: " the ships" they sent out "were broken at Ezion-geber." And when he was not content with this warning, as well as that of the prophet Micaiah, but would go up with him to Ramothgilead, he was on the point of losing his life.

12. Above all, we should tremble at the very thought of entering into a marriage-covenant, the closest of all others, with any person who does not love, or at least fear God. This is the most horrid folly, the most deplorable madness, that a child of God could possibly plunge into : as it implies every sort of connexion with the ungodly, which a Christian is bound, in conscience, to avoid. No wonder, then, it is so flatly forbidden of God; that the prohibition is so absolute and peremptory: "Be not unequally yoked with an unbeliever." Nothing can be more express. Especially, if we understand by the word unbeliever, one that is so far from being a believer in the gospel sense, from being able to say, "The life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me:" that he has not even the faith of a servant: he does not "fear God and work righteousness."

13. But for what reason is the friendship of the world so absolutely prohibited? Why are we so strictly required to abstain from it? For two general reasons: first, because it is a sin in itself; secondly, because it is attended with most dreadful consequences.

First, It is a sin in itself: and, indeed, a sin of no com mon dye. According to the Oracles of God, friendship with the world, is no less than spiritual adultery. All who are guilty of it, are addressed by the Holy Ghost in those terms, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses." It is plainly violating of our marriage contract with God: by loving the creature more than the Creator. In flat contradiction to that kind command, "My son, give me thine heart."

14. It is a sin of the most heinous nature, as not only implying ignorance of God, and forgetfulness of him, or inattention to him, but positive "enmity against God." It is openly, palpably such. "Know ye not," says the Apostle, can ye possibly be ignorant of this, so plain, so undeniable a truth, "that the friendship of this world is enmity against God?" Nay, and how terrible is the inference which he draws from hence! "Therefore, whosoever will be a friend of the world," (the words properly rendered are, Whosoever desireth to be a friend of the world,) of the men who know not God, whether he attain it or not, is, ipso facto, constituted an enemy of God. This very desire, whether successful or not, gives him a right to that appellation.

15. And as it is a sin, a very heinous sin in itself, so it is attended with the most dreadful consequences. It frequently entangles men again in the commission of those sins, from which "they were clean escaped." It generally makes them "partakers of other men's sins," even those which they do not commit themselves. It gradually abates their abhorrence and dread of sin in general, and thereby prepares them for falling an easy prey to any strong temptation. It lays them open to all those sins of omission, whereof their worldly acquaintance are guilty. It insensibly lessens their exactness in private prayer, in family duty, in fasting, VOL. X.

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in attending public service, and partaking of the Lord's Supper. The indifference of those that are near them, with respect to all these, will gradually influence them: even if they say not one word, (which is hardly to be supposed,) to recommend their own practice, yet their example speaks, and is many times of more force than any other language. By this example, they are unavoidably betrayed, and almost continually, into unprofitable, yea, and into uncharitable conversation, till they no longer "set a watch before their mouth, and keep the door of their lips," till they can join in backbiting, tale-bearing, and evil-speaking, without any check of conscience, having so frequently grieved the Holy Spirit of God, that he no longer reproves them for it: insomuch, that their discourse is not now, as formerly, "seasoned with salt, and meet to minister grace to the hearers."

16. But these are not all the deadly consequences that result from familiar intercourse with unholy men. It not only hinders them from ordering their conversation aright, but directly tends to corrupt the heart. It tends to create or increase in us, all that pride and self-sufficiency, all that fretfulness to resent: yea, every irregular passion and wrong disposition which are indulged by their companions. It gently leads them into habitual self-indulgence, and unwillingness to deny themselves; into unreadiness to bear or take up any cross; into a softness and delicacy; into evil shame, and the fear of man, that brings numberless snares. It draws them back into the love of the world, into foolish and hurtful desires, into the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life, till they are swallowed up in them. So that in the end, the last state of these men is far worse than the first.

17. If the children of God will connect themselves with the men of the world, though the latter should not endeavour to make them like themselves, (which is a supposition by no means to be made,) yea, though they should neither design nor desire it; yet they will actually do it. I know not how to account for it, but it is a real fact, that their

very spirit is infectious. While you are near them, you are apt to catch their spirit, whether they will or not. Many Physicians have observed, that not only the plague, and putrid or malignant fevers, but almost every disease men are liable to, are more or less infectious. And undoubtedly SO are all spiritual diseases: only with great variety. The infection is not so swiftly communicated by some as it is by others. In either case, the person already diseased, does not desire or design to infect another. The man who has the plague, does not desire or intend to communicate his distemper to you. But you are not, therefore, safe: so keep at a distance, or you will surely be infected. Does not experience shew, that the case is the same with the diseases of the mind? Suppose the proud, the vain, the passionate, the wanton, do not desire or design to infect you with their own distempers; yet it is best to keep at a distance from them. You are not safe when you come too near them. You will perceive, (it is well if it be not too late,) that their very breath is infectious. It has been lately discovered, That there is an atmosphere surrounding every human body, which naturally affects every one that comes within the limits of it. Is there not something analogous to this, with regard to a human spirit? If you continue long in their atmosphere, so to speak, you can hardly escape the being infected. The contagion spreads from soul to soul, as well as from body to body, even though the persons diseased do not intend or desire it. But can this reasonably be supposed? Is it not a notorious truth, that the men of the world (exceeding few excepted) eagerly desire to make their companions like themselves? Yea, and use every means, with their utmost skill and industry, to accomplish their desire. Therefore, flee for your life! Do not play with the fire, but escape before the flames kindle upon you.

18. But how many are the pleas for Friendship with the World! And how strong are the temptations to it! Such of these as are the most dangerous, and, at the same time, most common, we will consider.

To begin with one that is the most dangerous of all