lost for ever. Take not that step, till you hear the voice of the Son of God. He addresses such as you in the language of condescending love; "Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men. O ye simple, understand wisdom, and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart." "Why will ye die." Miserable as you are, he can make you happy; guilty as you are, he can pardon you; hardened as you are in sin, he can soften, nay, even break your flinty heart; restless, discontented, though you be, he can cast the oil of gladness on your agitated spirit, and there shall be a great calm: he indeed can do exceeding abundantly above all that you can ask or think. You have lost all your earthly friends; but has God ever refused his friendship? You have ceased to place confidence in man; but has God failed in one of his numerous promises? The world yields no satisfaction; but you have never tried the religion of the Bible, nor sought the joys which it reveals. The objects of this world, which you earnestly desired, have eluded your grasp; but you have never sought the blessings of salvation, which God has promised to those who seek them. Life has lost its charms for you, and you have no hope as it regards the future; but faith in Christ will bring you into a new state of beinglife will be worth retaining and enjoying. The future will cease to be gloomy; it will be bright; and instead of the dreariness of annihilation "life and immortality will be brought to light." Even the wretch who is on the brink of perdition may call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and be saved. He lives to succour the helpless and th miserable,-the weary and heavy laden; whether this state of mind be produced by unsatisfactory speculations,-by a conviction of guilt,—by vain attempts to atone for sin, and fruitless endeavours to subdue corruption; or by the weight of affliction, the cares of the world, or despair of ever being happy. In all these circumstances Christ can speak a word in season. Only let the sinner open his ear and heart to instruction; let there be a readiness to listen to the words of the compassionate Redeemer; and the burden will be removed, the rest of the soul will be enjoyed, the emblem of that "rest which remaineth for the people of God."

We conclude, from the remarks which have been made, that none of the children of men can enjoy rest, or real peace of mind, but through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian at once admits this. He acknowledges, that without the words and salvation of Christ, his mind would have remained without peace. It is, indeed, to him the occasion of unmingled joy, to believe that Christ has the tongue of the learned, and can speak a word in season to his weary spirit. He has often experienced the efficacy of that word

when it came with "power to his mind; and he pursues the remainder of his journey, animated by the hope that, at last, he will be "found of him in peace."

And surely, if the Christian, with all the elements of peace in his possession, cannot be safe or happy without the constant aid and blessing of Christ, those who are not Christians cannot be enjoying peace. There cannot be one in this assembly but who needs the Saviour. Those who are halting between two opinions should instantly decide, for their souls' benefit; and they cannot do so without believing in Christ. Those who, to this hour, have been the friends of the world, and the enemies of God, believers in the suggestions of Satan, but unbelievers in the word of God, are reminded, that this state of things cannot last much longer. The arm of God is not shortened; they must yield to omnipotence. Will they yield to the omnipotence of the sword of justice, or submit to the sceptre of his love? Have they any right to hesitate, or to delay ? Long time have they treated God as their equal; for many years have they slighted his favours, in a way which no equal on earth would have endured, and yet, this justly offended God has sent his Son to save even them. Take care, my friends, that your provocations instantly cease, lest he "swear in his wrath, that you shall not enter into his rest."

And let those who are burdened, and oppressed, and unhappy, hear the tender and gracious words of Him whose love is infinite; "Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." You cannot be more ready to obtain rest, than Christ is to give it. You cannot be so anxious to go to Him, as he is to receive you; nay, he has come to you, and says, Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." May his word be a word in season to him that is weary!

66

SERMON XXIII.

CHRISTIAN INTERCOURSE.

BY JOHN BLACKBURN.

PSALM CXIX. 63.—I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

THE infinite Jehovah is the only being who possesses absolute completeness in his own nature, enjoying, in himself alone, all true felicity and enduring blessedness. As man, by his original constitution, is a finite, so he is a social being; and the gift of reason, and the faculty of speech, the wondrous expression of his variable countenance, and the friendly affections which dwell in his bosom, are so many proofs that his benevolent Creator designed that he should enjoy the society of his fellows, and partake of the many pleasures of rational companionship.

What nature has thus indicated, revelation has confirmed; and, therefore, amidst all the unfaded beauties, the harmonious pleasures, and sacred privileges of Paradise,-when the intellectual powers of man were not enfeebled by transgression, and his moral tastes were unsophisticated by evil,-when he could perceive the glory and enjoy the fellowship of his Maker,-even then we learn that his beneficent Parent declared, "It is not good that man should be alone;" and, therefore, a second time he put forth his creative power, to dissipate his solitude, and to secure those social comforts which sweeten the duties and lessen the sorrows of humanity. Such being the law of our nature and of our God, we have no sympathy with those who immure themselves, like an ascetical monk, in the monastic cell, or who seek for a lodging-place in the wilderness, with the visionary hermit; yet, with the volumes of revelation and experience before us, we must feel that social intercourse should be commenced with caution, and nourished with vigilance, if, as men and as Christians, we would preserve our consistency of character.

For as there is a principle of assimilation in the material world, so there is also in the moral world, which constantly endeavours to subdue all things to itself; and therefore we must take heed, lest we bring ourselves within the influence of characters which diffuse the evil of their own nature around them, and form an atmosphere in which virtue sickens, and elevated godliness languishes and dies.

This principle of holy circumspection is avowed by David in our text, with sufficient distinctness to form the basis of some observations on the associations and intercourse that become the Christian : "I am the companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts."

To regulate our meditations, then, let us—

I. STATE THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH OUR ASSOCIATES SHOULD BE

SELECTED.

II. SETTLE THE RULES BY WHICH OUR INTERCOURSE MUST BE MAINTAINED; and,

III. NOTICE THE ADVANTAGES WITH WHICH A HOLY COMPANIONSHIP WILL BE ATTENDED.

I. STATE THE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH OUR ASSOCIATES SHOULD BE

SELECTED.

us.

It is obvious, that while we must not seclude ourselves from the society of our species, yet we cannot be associated with all around That passion for including within our friendly circle all with whom we may chance to meet, is as incapable of gratification, as it would be mischievous in its influences, were its indulgence practicable. Some common grounds of association, therefore, must be recognised, and the principle of selection adopted: "for, how can two walk together except they be agreed?" "All flesh,” says the wise son of Sirach, "consorteth according to kind, and man will cleave to his like. What fellowship hath the wolf with the lamb? So the sinner with the godly. What agreement is there between the hyena and a dog? and what peace between the rich and the poor? As the wild ass is the lion's prey in the wilderness, so the rich eat up the poor. As the proud hate humility, so do the rich abhor the poor."

With such contrarieties, then, amongst human society, it is obviously our duty to make a selection of those with whom we choose to maintain the intercourse and intimacies of life. And, permit me to say, let it be made

1. In accordance with our worldly circumstances.

It is one of the characteristics of a good man, that " he will guide his affairs with discretion;" and, surely, in nothing is this quality more necessary than in the choice of associates. The fond ambition which dwells in every mind, to rise in the scale of society, has excited many to seek the company of those, who, by their extensive wealth or elevated rank, move in circles far beyond their own; and has prompted to a display of taste and fashion, in conformity with those whose favours have been desired. This has often been effected at a sacrifice of time, property, and comfort, which attention to business, justice to creditors, and tranquillity at home, alike forbid.

The pitiable ambition of being associated with the great, is altogether unworthy of the simplicity and loveliness of the christian character. Are we not addressed in Scripture with such sayings as these?" Seek ye great things for yourselves? seek them not.""Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate." Where is the christian man who has been admitted into "the golden but dangerous circle," who has not been conscious that his feelings have been wounded, his spirituality has declined, and that his circumstances have been injured too? Yea, may we not confidently affirm, that many of those scandalous failures in character and credit which have often brought a just reproach upon christian professors, have resulted from this dangerous wish to soar beyond that sphere in which Divine Providence has placed them, and to glitter amongst gay and golden triflers of the world?

Let this selection be made

2. In consistency with our christian profession.

Constituted as human society at present is, it cannot be imagined that we can avoid all intercourse with those who know not God; for, alas! even in our own family circles, there are to be found those who obey not the gospel. This sentiment is obviously sanctioned in St. Paul's remarks to the Corinthian church, which are thus paraphrased: I wrote to you before, that you should not keep company with fornicators. You are not to understand by it, as if I meant that you are to avoid all unconverted heathens that are fornicators, or covetous, or rapacious, or idolaters; for then ye must go out of the world. But that which I now write unto you, is, that you should not keep company, no, nor eat, with a Christian by profession, who is lascivious, covetous, idolatrous, a railer, drunkard, or rapacious." When, then, the ordinary claims and duties of life call us to have intercourse with such individuals, it should be characterised by that caution which a consciousness of their evil

* Locke, in loco.