"Wherefore, come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord; and touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you, and will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Posted : 30 Jun, 2013 05:09 AM

115. Depart from me, you evil-doers; for I will keep the

commandments of my God.

Safe and quiet in his hiding-place, and behind his shield,

David deprecates all attempts to disturb his peace-Depart

from me, you evil-doers. He had found them to be opposed to

his best interests; and he dreaded their influence in shaking

his resolution for his God. Indeed such society must always

hinder alike the enjoyment and the service of God. "Can two

walk together, except they be agreed?" And can we be

"agreed," and walk in fellowship with God, except we be at

variance with the principles, the standard, and conduct of a

world that is "enmity against Him?" Not more needful was the

exhortation to the first Christians than to ourselves-"Save

yourselves from this untoward generation." True fellowship

with God implies therefore a resolute separation from the

ungodly. Secure in the hiding-place, and covered with the shield of our covenant God, let us meet their malice, and

resist their enticements, with the undaunted front of "a good

soldier of Jesus Christ."

Not that we would indulge morose or ascetic seclusion. We

are expressly enjoined to courtesy and kindness; to that wise

and considerate "walk towards them that are without," which

"adorns the doctrine of God our Savior," and indeed in some

instances has been more powerful even than the word itself,

to "win souls to Christ." But when they would tempt us to a

devious or backsliding step-when our connection with them

entices us to a single act of conformity to their standard,

dishonorable to God, and inconsistent with our professionthen must we take a bold and unflinching stand-Depart from

me, you evil-doers for I will keep the commandments of my

God.

This resolution gives no countenance to the self-delusive

notion of maintaining an intimate connection with professed

evil-doers, for the kind purpose of recommending our religion

to their acceptance-a scheme, which requires a rare degree of

caution and simplicity to attempt without entangling the

conscience; and which, for the most part at least, it is to be

feared, is only a specious covering for the indulgence of a

worldly spirit. If the men of the world are to be met, and their

society invited, for the accomplishment of this benevolent

intention, it must be upon the principle of the Lord's command

to his prophet-"Let them return unto You: but return not You to

them." The amiable desire to "please our neighbor" is limited

to the single end, that it should be "for his good to edification."

And whenever this end and restriction has been overlooked, it

is sufficiently evident that self-gratification has been the

moving principle: and that the distinctive mark of the Christian

character- bearing the cross, and confessing the name of our

Divine Master-has been obscured. Sometimes, however, in the struggle of conscience, an

apprehension of danger is not altogether forgotten, and the

question is asked, with some trembling of spirit-"How far may I

conform to the world, without endangering the loss of my

religion?" But, not to speak of the insincerity and selfdeception of such a question, it would be better answered by

substituting another in its place- "How far may I be separate

from the world, and yet be destitute of the vital principle?"

Scrutinize, in every advancing step toward the world, the

workings of your own heart. Suspect its reasonings. Listen to

the first awakened conviction of conscience. Though it be only

a whisper, or a hint, it is probably the indication of the Divine

will. And never forget, that this experiment of worldly

conformity, often as it has been tried, has never answered the

desired end. However this compromise may have

recommended ourselves, no progress has been made in

recommending our Master; since His name-whether from

unwatchfulness or cowardice on our part, or from the

overpowering flow of the world on the other side-has probably

in such society scarcely passed over our lips with any

refreshment or attentiveness. Indeed, so far from

commending our religion by this accommodation, we have

succeeded in ingratiating ourselves in their favor, only so far

as we have been content to keep it out of sight; while at the

same time, our yielding conformity to their taste, and habits,

and conversation, has virtually sanctioned their erroneous

standard of conduct; and tended to deceive them with the selfcomplacent conviction, that it approaches as near to the

Scriptural elevation, as is absolutely required. The final result,

therefore, of this attempt to recommend the Gospel to those

who have no "heart for it," is-that our own consciences have

been ensnared, while they retain all their principles unaltered.

It must surely be obvious, that such a course is plainly

opposed to the revealed declarations of Scripture, and bears

the decisive character of unfaithfulness to our Great Master. We might also ask, whether our love to the Lord can be in

fervent exercise, while we "love them that hate Him?"-whether

our hatred of sin can be active and powerful, while we can find

pleasure in the society of those, whose life "without God in the

world," is an habitual, willful course of rebellion against Him?-

whether we can have any deep or experimental sense of our

own weakness, when thus venturing into temptation?-whether

by unnecessary contact with the world, we can expect to "go

upon hot coals," and our "feet not be burned?"-or, in fact,

whether we are not forgetting the dictates of common

prudence in forsaking the path of safety for a slippery, but

more congenial path? Is no harm to be anticipated from a

willful, self-pleasing association? Is it likely to be less

dangerous to us than it was to an Apostle? or, because we

conceive ourselves to have more strength, shall we use less

watchfulness, and show more presumption?

But, supposing Scripture not to determine the path of duty

with infallible certainty; let this line of conduct be subjected to

the impartial scrutiny of our own hearts, and of the effects,

whether neutral or positively detrimental, which have resulted

from it to ourselves, or to the church. Have we not felt this

fellowship with evil-doers to be an hindrance in keeping the

commandments of our God? If it has not always ended in

open conformity to their maxims; or if, contrary to our

apprehensions, it does not appear to sanction their principles,

yet have we realized no deadening unfavorable influence?

Has the spirit of prayer sustained no injury in this

atmosphere? Have we never felt the danger of imbibing their

taste,-the spirit of their conversation and general conduct;

which, without fixing any blot upon our external profession,

must insensibly estrange our best affections from God! And

have we never considered the injury of this worldly

association to the Gospel in weakening by an apparent want

of decision "on the Lord's side," the sacred cause which we

are pledged to support; and obscuring the spiritual character of the people of God as a distinct and separate people? In a

providential connection with evil-doers, we go safely in the

spirit of humility, watchfulness, and prayer; and this

connection, felt to be a cross, is not likely to prove a snare.

But does not union of spirit with them, to whom David says,

with holy determination-Depart from me,-and to whom David's

Lord will one day say-"Depart!"-prove a want of fellowship with

his spirit, and an essential unfitness for communion with the

society of heaven? The children of this world can have no

more real communion with the children of light, than darkness

has with light. As great is the difference between the Christian

and the world, as between heaven and hell-as between the

sounds, "Come, you blessed," and, "Depart, you cursed." The

difference, which at that solemn day will be made for eternity,

must, therefore, be visibly made now. They must depart from

us, or we from God. We cannot walk with them both.

'Defilement'-as Mr. Cecil remarks-'is inseparable from the

world.' We cannot hold communion with God, in the spirit of

the world; and, therefore, separation from the world, or

separation from God, is the alternative. Which way-which

company-is most congenial to our taste? Fellowship will be a

component part of our heavenly happiness. Shall we not then

walk on earth with those, with whom we hope to spend our

eternity, that our removal hence may be a change of place

only, not of company? May we have grace to listen to our

Father's voice of love-"Wherefore, come out from among

them, and be separate, says the Lord; and touch not the

unclean thing: and I will receive you, and will be a Father to

you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord

Almighty."



by

Charles Bridges

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