their own company.' When among the inigodly world, they made account they were not in their own company, and therefore stayed no longer than ijccds must among them. There were cnougli surely in the land of Canaan with whom Ahraham might have associated ; but he knew they were not company for him to be linked to in any intimacy ; and therefore it is said of him, Heb. xi. 9, that he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. We find him, indeed, confedei-ate with Mamre the Amorite, and Eschol and Aner, his brethi'en. Gen. xiv. 13, which presupposeth more than ordinary acquaintance. But these, in all probability, were proselytes, and had, by Abraham's godly persuasions, renounced their idolatry, to worship with him the true God ; and we may the rather be induced to think so because we find them so deeply engaged with Abraham in battle against tliose idolatrous neigh- bouring princes, which, had they themselves been idolaters, it is likely they would not have done for a stranger, and him of a sti"ange religion also. We find how dearly some of the saints have paid for their acquaintance with the wicked, as Jehoshaphat for his intimacy with Ahab ; and if, knowing this, we shall yet associate ourselves with such, we cannot in reason look to pay less than they have done ; yea, it will be well if we come oflf so cheap, because we have their follies recorded to make us wiser. O, consider. Christian, whither thou art going in thy hopes ! Is it not to heaven ? And do not men seek for such company as go theirway ? And are the wicked of thy way ? When heaven's way and hell's meet in one road, then, and not till then, can that be. And if thy companion will not walk in heaven's wa)', what wilt thou do that walkest with him i It is to be feared thou must comply too much with him in his way. In a word. Christian, thy hope points to heaven ; and is not one thing thou hopest for, when thou comest there, to be delivered from all company with the wicked? And what thou hopest for then, dost thou not now pray for ? Whatever is the object of a saint's hope, is the subject of his prayer. As often as thou sayest
* Thy kingdom come,' thou prayest thus much : and will hoping and praying to be delivered from them stand with intimate familiarity with them ?
Section II. — Then thou comportest with thy hopes of salvation when thou labourest to be as holy in thy conversation as thou art high in thy expectation. This the apostle urgeth from the condescendency of the thing, 2 Pet. iii. 11 :
* What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hastening vuito the coming of the day of God ?' Certainly, it becomes such to be holy, even to admiration, who look for such a blessed day : we hope then to be like the angels in glory, and therefore shoidd, if possible, live now like angels in holiness. Every believing soul is Christ's spouse. The day of conversion is the day of espousals, wherein she is betrothed by faith to Christ, and, as such, lives in hopes for the marriage-day, when he shall come and fetch her home unto his Father's house, as Isaac did Rebecca to his mother's tent, there to cohabit with him, and live in his sweet embraces of love, world without end. Now, would the bride have the bridegroom find her in her sluttery and vile raiment? No, surely : ' Can a bride forget her attire?' Jer. ii. 32. Was it ever known that a bride forgot to have her wedding clothes made against the marriage-day, or to put them on when she looks for her bride- groom's coming? Holiness is the raiment of needlework in which. Christian, thou art to be be brought unto thy king and husband, Psa. xlv. 14. Wherefore is the wedding-day put ofFso long, but because this garment is so long a making? When this is once wrought, and thou ready dressed, then that joyfid day conies: ' The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready, ' Rev. xix. 8. Thou hast not. Christian, a weightier argument to knock down all temptations to sin, nor a more honourable way to get the victory of them. I confess it is well when this enemy is worsted, what hand soever he falls by; though it be the fear of hell that keeps it down in the lives of men, it is better than not at all : yet I must tell you, that as the Israelites' state was poor and servile when they were fain to borrow the Philistines' grindstone to sharpen every man his axe and mattock, 1 Sain. xiii. 22, so it shows the Christian to be in no very good state, as to his spiritual affairs, when he is fain to use the wicked man's argument to keep him from sinning, and nothing will set an edge upon his spirit to cut through temptation but what the uncircumcised
t^AQ AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION.