every fashion that conies up, though ever so ridiculous and oflensive ? ShouUl cards and dice ever have been found in his hands to drive time away ? And shall I indidge myself in anything that would make me unlike Christ? God forbid ! We think it enough if we can quote such a good man or great professor to countenance our practice, and so are led into temptation. But Christian, if thy conscience tells thee Christ likes not such doings, away with them, though thou couldst produce the example of the most eminent saint in the country to favour them. Thou knowest some, possibly, of great name for profession, that have cast off duties in their families ; but did not Christ shew an especial care of the apostles which lived under him, and were of his family ? often praying with them, repeating to them, and further opening what he preached in public ; keeping the passover with them as his household, according to the law of that ordinance, Exod. xvi. Thou seest some turn their back on the public assem- blies, luider a pretence of sinful mixtures there that would defile them : did our Lord Jesus do this? Was not he in the temple, and in the synagogues, holding communion with them in the service of God, which was, for the substance, there preserved, though not without some corruptions crept in among them ? O Christian, study Christ's life more, and thou wilt soon learn to mend thy own ? Stimma religionis est imitari quern colis ; it is the very sum and top of religion to be as like the God we worship as may be.
Section V. — Fifthly, Walk dependingly on Clod. The vine is fruitful so long as it hath a pole or wall to run upon, but without such a help it would soon be trod under foot, and come to nothing. ' It is not in man to direct his own way ;' Multa honafiicit Deus in homine, qiice nonfacit homo ; nulla vera fucit homo, qu(E non facit Deus itt facial, (Augustine) ; there are many good things that God doth in man, which man has no hand in ; but there is no good and holy action that a man does, but God does enable him to do it : as was said of tliat Grecian captain, ' Parmenio did many exploits without Alexander, but Alexan- der nothing without Parmenio.' If thou wilt, therefore, maintain holiness in its power, ' acknowledge God in all thy ways, and lean not to thine own under- standing,' Prov. iii. 5, 6. He is ready to help them that engage liim, but counts himself charged with the care of none but such as depend on him. The Chris- tian's way to heaven is something like that in our nation, called the Washes, where the sands, by reason of the sea's daily overflowing, do so alter, that the traveller who passed them safely a month ago, cannot, without great danger, venture again, except he hath his guide with him : where then he found firm land, possibly a little after coming he may meet with a devouring quicksand. Truly thus the Christian who gets over a duty at one time with some facility, his way smooth and plain before him, at another time may find a temptation in the same duty enough to set him, if he had not help from heaven to carry him safe out of danger. O Christian, it is not safe for thee to venture one step with- out thy stay, thy hand of faith leaning on thy Beloved's arm I Trust to thy own legs and thou fallest ; use thy legs, but trust to his arm, and thou art safe.
Section VI. — Sixthly, Look to thy company, who they are thou consortest with. Flee unholy company, as baneful to the power of godliness : be but as careful for thy soul, as thou wouldst for thy body : durst thou drink in the same cup, or sit in the same chair with one that hath an infectious disease ? And is not sin as catching a disease as the plague itself? Barest thou come where such ill scents are to be taken, as may soon infect thy soul ? Of all trades it would not do well to have the collier and fuller live together; what one cleanseth, the other will blacken and defile. Thou canst not be long among unholy ones but thou wilt hazard the defiling of thy soul, which the Holy Spirit hath made pure : and he did not wash thee clean, to run where thou shouldst be made foul. To be sure thou shalt have no help from them to advance thy holiness : and truly we would not choose that society where we may not hope to make them, or be made ourselves better by them. It is observable what the Spirit of God notes concerning Abraham, Heb. xi. 9 : ' He sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise.' He is not said to dwell with the natives of that land, but ' with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise with him.' Abraham did not seek acquaintance with the heathen ; no, he was willing to continue a stranger to them ; but he li\-ed with those that were of his own family, and God's family
THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. 3^5