s 1 Thess. iv. 3. >^ 1 Tlicss. v. IG— -18.
1359.1 Christ's regard to his followers. 395
your practice, nothing, without these : in his family " there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, bar- barian, Scythian, bond nor free : but Christ, that is, the image of Christ upon your soul, is all and in all'."]
3. Choose them for your companions —
[Very few people have an idea how much of their present welfare and of their eternal prospects depends upon their asso- ciates and friends. " He that walketh with wise men shall be wise," says Solomon ; "but a companion of fools shall be de- stroyed^." Again, " Make no friendship with an angry man, lest thou learn his ways^." For the same reason I would say, associate not with a proud man, a worldly man, a covetous man, a lewd man : for it is certain that " evil communications will corrupt good manners." We almost unavoidably drink into the spirit of our companions : we adopt their sentiments ; we conform to their practice ; we become cast into their mould. Of what infinite importance then is it that we should associate with those whose sentiments and conduct accord with the mind of Christ ? This was the conduct of the saints of old : David says, " I am a companion of all them that fear thee and that keep thy precepts™." He calls them, " the excellent of the earth," and says, " that in them is all his delight"." " He would not so much as know a wicked person °." This is the conduct which becomes the friends and brethren of Christ: for " what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, or light with darkness, or Christ with Belial ?" Come out, there- fore, from among the ungodly world, and be separate from them P." " Christ was not of the world, neither must ye be^:" for " the friendship of the world is enmity with God ;" and " if ye will be the friends of the world, you must to all eternity continue the enemies of God""." If you would ever be acknow- ledged by Christ as his brethren, " be ye as he was, and let his people be your people %" his friends your friends, his brethren your brethren.]
4. Do them all the good in your power —
[It is the duty of a Christian to lay out himself in acts of kindness towards all, in imitation of Him who " went about doing good," and of Him who " sendeth rain on the evil and on the good, on the just and on the unjust." But still there is a special obligation upon him to seek the welfare of the
i Col. iii. 11. Read the whole chapter without prejudice, and you will certainly find this to be the true sense of the passage, k Prov. xiii. 20. ^ Prov. xxii. 24, 25. ^ Ps. cxix. 63. » Ps. xvi. 3. " Ps. ci. 4. p 2 Cor. vi. 14 — 17.
<J John xvii. 14, 16. r Jam. iv. 4.
s 1 Kings xxii. 4. and 2 Kings iii. 7.