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382 A SERMON ON JAMES iv. 4. their own mercies, wandering from the path of 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 the 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 which 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, 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 convers with them, first, on business, in the various purposes of this life, according to that station wherein the providences 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 pray- er: 383 A SERMON ON JAMES iv. 4. er: otherwise we may easily burn ourselves, in striving to pluck other brands out of the burning. 11. We may easily hurt our own fouls, 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. He should have no needless conversation with them. It is our duty and our wisdom, to be no oftener, 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 Jehoshaphat forgot this, and formed a connexion with Ahab, what was the consequence? He first lost his substance; the ships they sent our 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 Ramoth-gilead, 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 can possible 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
