[God speaks of our espousals to him as a season of pecu- liar love1. And at that season we are, for the most part, delighted with every thing that may bring us into nearer communion with him, and express the feelings of our heart towards him. Then the reading of his word, and secret prayer, and an attendance on the public ordinances of religion are to us sources of the sublimest joy. But if we become cold in these respects, and the ardour of our love abate, can we sup- pose that he will be pleased with us ? Will he not say to us, as to the Church at Ephesus, " I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first lovek?" Surely, if an earthly husband will not endure a declension in his wife's regards, much less will the God of heaven and earth endure a diminu- tion of ours.]
3. Any unnecessary intercourse with things which have a tendency to draw us from him —
[This is particularly marked in the preceding context. God requires his people not to form alliance with their heathen neighbours, nor to accept invitations to their idolatrous feasts: he commands them to " destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves," and to forbear even the mention of the gods whom they worshipped. He knew how soon " evil communications would corrupt good manners :" and therefore he forbade any unnecessary intercourse with the heathen. And has he not given a similar injunction to us also? Has he not declared, that, as soon may "light and darkness have communion with each other, or Christ with Belial, as a believer with an unbeliever ;" and that, therefore, we must come out from the ungodly world, and be separate, and not touch the unclean thing, if we would have him for "a father unto us, and act as becomes his sons and daughters1 ?" This is a gracious and merciful warning, similar to what an affectionate husband would give his wife in relation to the society of one who was seeking to seduce her. And we must carefully attend to it ; and be no more " of the world, than Christ himself was of the world." We must endeavour to "keep our garments clean" amidst the pollutions that are around us™, and " hate even the garment spotted by the flesh11." We must not be contented with avoiding evil, but must " abstain even from the appearance of it0."}
Address —
1. Those who think it an easy matter to serve God — [Though a woman may without any great difficulty per- form her duties to an affectionate husband, where the bias of
' Jer. ii. 2. k Rev. ii. 4. ' 2 Cor. vi. 14 — 18.
™ Rev. iii. 4. n Jude, ver. 23. ° 1 Thess. v. 22.