real friendship between persons (whether they be of the same family or not), if in their general views and habits there be no agreement ? You may call your- selves the Lord's people, if you will ; but, " if you walk contrary to him, he will walk contrary to you0:" and this he has both authorized and commanded me to declare. There is, therefore, abundant reason for you to fear and tremble. You well know, " that if a lion roar, or a young lion cry," there is a reason for it. If " a bird fall in a snare, or a snare be taken up by the owner," it is not without a reason : and " if the trumpet be blown in the city to sound an alarm," there is a reason for it. So then is there reason for you to fear and tremble : for God, who reveals his secrets to his prophets, has revealed to me his de- termination to punish you : and, as sure as effects, whether amongst the rational or irrational creation, result from causes, and may be traced to them ; so surely shall your punishment follow from the indigna- tion which you have excited in the bosom of your God : " The lion hath roared : who will not fear 1 the Lord God hath spoken : who can but prophesy ?"
The prophet's appeal is indeed very convincing : for as a congeniality of mind is necessary to the ex- istence of friendship among men, so is a conformity of mind to God's revealed will necessary to the main- tenance of friendship with him ;
I. In this world —
Without a correspondence of taste and sentiment, there can be no friendship amongst men —
[We may occasionally associate with persons, however widely they may differ from us : they may even be numbered amongst our most intimate acquaintance. But we cannot take them to our bosoms as endeared friends. In order to such communion as that, there must be some resemblance in our general habits, both of sentiment and pursuit ; something whereon we can meet, as on common ground ; something suf- ficiently important to us both, to form a bond of union betwixt us. Our favourite employment, whatever it be, will ope- rate as an attraction to others similarly employed : but from
c Lev. xxvi. 23, 24.