Let us consider ourselves in another view before mentioned, as persons travelling to a long eternity; as rescued by the free grace of GOD, in some measure, from our natural _Egyptian_ bondage, and marching under the conduct of our spiritual _Joshua_, through the wilderness of this world, to the land of our heavenly _Canaan_. Let us farther reflect how apt we are to startle at every difficulty; to cry, “There are lions! There are lions in the way! There are the sons of _Anak_” to be grappled with, ere we can possess the promised land: How prone we are, with _Lot_’s wife, to look wishfully back on our spiritual _Sodom_, or, with the foolish _Israelites_, to long again for the flesh-pots of _Egypt_; and to return to our former natural state of bondage and slavery. Consider this, my brethren, and see what a blessed privilege it will be to have a set of _Israelites_ indeed about us, always reminding us of the folly of any such cowardly design, and of the intolerable misery we shall run into, if we fall in the least short of the promised land.
More might be said on this particular, did not the limits of a discourse of this nature oblige me to hasten,
3. To give a third reason, mentioned by the wise man in the text, why two are better than one; because they can secure each other from enemies without. “And if one prevail against him, yet two shall withstand him: and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Hitherto we have considered the advantages of religious societies, as a great preservative against falling (at least dangerously falling) into sin and lukewarmness, and that too from our own corruptions. But what says the wise son of _Sirach_? “My son, when thou goest to serve the LORD, prepare thy soul for temptation:” and that not only from inward, but outward foes; particularly from those two grand adversaries, the world and the devil: for no sooner will thine eye be bent heavenward, but the former will be immediately diverting it another way, telling thee thou needest not be singular in order to be religious; that you may be a christian without going so much out of the common road.
Nor will the devil be wanting in his artful insinuations, or impious suggestions, to divert or terrify thee from pressing forwards, “that thou mayst lay hold on the crown of life.” And if he cannot prevail this way, he will try another; and, in order to make his temptation the more undiscerned, but withal more successful, he will employ, perhaps, some of thy nearest relatives, or most powerful friends, (as he set _Peter_ on our blessed Master) who will always be bidding thee to spare thyself; telling thee thou needest not take so much pains; that it is not so difficult a matter to get to heaven as some people would make of it, nor the way so narrow as others imagine it to be.
But see here the advantage of religious company; for supposing thou findest thyself thus surrounded on every side, and unable to withstand such horrid (though seemingly friendly) counsels, haste away to thy companions, and they will teach thee a truer and better lesson; they will tell thee, that thou must be singular if thou wilt be religious; and that it is as impossible for a christian, as for a city set upon a hill, to be hidden: that if thou wilt be an almost christian (and as good be none at all) thou mayest live in the same idle, indifferent manner as thou seest most other people do: but if thou wilt be not only almost, but altogether a christian, they will inform thee thou must go a great deal farther: that thou must not only faintly seek, but “earnestly strive to enter in at the strait gate:” that there is but one way now to heaven as formerly, even through the narrow passage of a sound conversion: and that in order to bring about this mighty work, thou must undergo a constant, but necessary discipline of fasting, watching, and prayer. And therefore, the only reason why those friends give thee such advice, is, because they are not willing to take so much pains themselves; or, as our Saviour told _Peter_ on a like occasion, because they “savour not the things that be of GOD, but the things that be of men.”
This then, is another excellent blessing arising from religious society, that friends can hereby secure each other from those who oppose them. The devil is fully sensible of this, and therefore he has always done his utmost to suppress, and put a stop to the communion of saints. This was his grand artifice at the first planting of the gospel; to persecute the professors of it, in order to separate them. Which, though GOD, as he always will, over-ruled for the better; yet, it shews, what an enmity he has against christians assembling themselves together. Nor has he yet left off his old stratagem; it being his usual way to entice us by ourselves, in order to tempt us; where, by being destitute of one another’s help, he hopes to lead us captive at his will.