ho goes with the lame," says the
Latin proverb, "will begin to limp." "He who herds with the wolves,"
says the Spanish, "will learn to howl." "Iron sharpeneth iron," says
the scriptural proverb, "so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his
friend." The rapidity of moral deterioration in an evil companionship
is its most startling feature. It is appalling to see how soon an evil
companionship will transform a young man, morally pure, of clean and
wholesome life, into an unclean, befouled, trifling good-for-nothing.
Lightning scarcely does its work of destruction quicker, or with more
fell purpose.

It is difficult to give precise rules in regard to the formation of
friendship. "A man that hath friends," says Solomon, "must show
himself friendly." The man of a generous and sympathetic nature will
have many friends, and will attract to himself companions of his own
character. A few suggestions, however, founded on practical
experience, may be offered for our guidance.

I. We should be (_a_) slow to make friendships, and (_b_) slow to
break them when made.--(_a_) It is in the nature of some to take up
with people very readily. Some young men are like fish that rise
readily to a gaudy and many-colored fly. If they see anything that
attracts them in another they admit him at once to their confidence.
It should not be so. Among the reported and traditional sayings of
Christ, there is one that is full of wisdom: "Be good money changers."
As a money changer rings the coin on his counter to test it, so we
should test men well before we make them our friends. There should be
a narrow wicket leading into the inner circle of our social life at
which we should make them stand for examination before they are
admitted. An old proverb says, "Before you make a friend, eat a peck
of salt with him." We should try before we trust; and as we should be
careful whom we receive, we should be equally careful whom we part
with. "Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not." With
some, very little severs the bond of friendship. They are always
changing their companions. They are "Hail fellow, well met," with one
to-day, and cold and distant to-morrow. Inconstancy in friendship is a
bad sign. It generally arises from readiness to admit to intimacy
without sufficient examination. The friendship that is quickly
cemented is easily dissolved. Fidelity is the very essence of true
friendship; and, once broken, it cannot