66 18. Choose your company with care and in God's fear. "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but the companion of fools shall be destroyed." Loose companions, freely chosen, will give a loose conscience. 19. Die unto the world. Let its charms fade from your view. Freely consent to be a stranger and a pilgrim on the earth. Seek for heavenly-mindedness. Owen: "Unless we can arrive at a fixed judgment that all things here below are transitory and perishing, reaching only to the outward man, the body; and that the best of them have nothing substantial and abiding in them, . . . it is impossible but we must spend our lives in fears, sorrows, and distraction." 20. Be not faithless, but believing. Trust God in the darkest hour. He "will either keep his saints from temptations by his preventing mercy, or in temptations by his supporting mercy, or find a way for their escape from temptation by his delivering mercy." "He who loves you into sorrow, will love you through sorrow." 21. "Resist the devil and he shall flee from you.' Give place to him, no, not for an hour. He is mighty, but he is not almighty. He is cunning, but he has no wisdom. 22. Beware of attempting to be wise above what is written, yet humbly pray to be taught up to what is written. 23. In every new enterprise undertaken for God's glory, look out for sharp trials. "My son, if thou comest to serve the Lord, prepare thyself for temptation." As our Lord himself entered on his public ministry, he had long and fearful conflicts with the adversary. 24. When God is humbling you, try to humble yourself. "With the lowly is wisdom." "Be not high-minded, but fear.". "He that is down needs. fear no fall." Dyer: "He, that lives without fear, shall die without hope." "Pride goeth before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction." 25. If you have a great fight of afflictions, remember that "it is a worse sign to be without chastisement, than to be under chastisement; and that all you suffer is not hell, yet it is all the hell you shall suffer," provided your heart is right with God. 26. Often come to the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, and wash away all guilt contracted in life. The blood of Christ is both the purifier and the preserver of a good conscience. Dyer: "Christ with his cross is better than the world with its crown. Study more how to adorn the cross than how to avoid it." Miller: "If God's people fall into sin, it is not while they are eyeing the perfection of Christ's righteousness, but when they lose sight of it." 27. Think often of death, judgment, heaven, hell, and eternity. Keep your latter end in view. "The time is short." "The Judge standeth before the door." 53 * INDEX. A. ACTS,-Wrong, 408. AMBITION,-399, ANGER,-401. ANIMALS,-When they may be killed, 395. ANTINONIANISM,—- What it is, 71. How many kinds, 72. Opposed by good writers, 77. ANTITHEISM,-112. APOSTASY,-156. APPAREL,-For Sabbath, 340. ART, The black, 156. ASSEVERATIONS,-282. ATHEISM:- Three kinds of it, 115. Causes of it, 126. Wicked, 127. ATTESTATIONS,-283. : BACKBITERS,—550. BARGAINS,--516. Rule for, 519. B. |