1) ireBions for young ["riftiaiiS. a holy heavenly life, and are zealous againfl confdfed !ins. .3· Such as contradiCt. not the Elfential Truths by nrors of their own; nor the d~Gtrme ~of Godhn~fs by w"ked maltc_tOus a_pphcauo~s. 4 • Such as drive not on any ambitious tytanmc;~l ?ehgns of r_herr own, buc d~ny thcrnfe~v~s, and at'!l at your falvation. S• Such as ar~ nor too hot 10 profelytmg you to any fmgular opmton of their own: it being the prediction of P•ul to the Ep~tjians, Acts 20. 30. Ofyour own .fe.lvu jhaU mm arife,fpea'Jng ptrverfo things, to dra;p aw.Jy difciplts afier _them~ 6. Su~h as arc ptdJ.ctous wnh holy zeal, and zca/vuJWith judgement. 7· Such as are of txperunce 10 the .rhmgs of God, and not ~oung beginners or Novices in Reli~ion. 8. Such a_s ~ear reverence td the JUdgemems of the gencrahty of wife and godly men, and arc tender of the Umty of. the Church, aud not [uch as would draw you into a Sect or party, to the contempt ofother Chr1ihans; no not to a party that hac? the favour of Rulers and the pcdptc tO promote them. 9• Su.ch -as are gentle,, peaceable~ and chantable, and ?ot fti<::h as burn with helli!h malice againfi their Brethren, nor wHh an ungodly, or cruel, confummg zeal 1• ro. s~ch as not' live not fenfiully and· wickedly., comr-ary to the dodrinc which they preach, bm 11\ew by th<ir lives, that they believe what they f•y, and feel the power of the truths 59 which they preach. . . • . ~· 4· And your familiar cemp:mions have great advantage to help or hmder your falv~tton, as wetJ Imper:it(Rex} as your Teacher I. The matter is not fo great whom you meet by the way, or travell With, or trade ~' .nullr:E re– and buy and fcH ~ith, as whom you make your intimate, or f.1miliar frien~s. For fuch h1ve ~~t~ the ~~~on~;:!r..advanragc: of chtir i>turcjt in your affections, a~d alfo t~~ ~dvantageof thetr nearncfs and famtlt~nty ; nu'lum c( R1and if they have but alfo the advantage of h1gher abJhtJes than you, they may be powerful mllru. munem h>be· rnents of your good or hurt. If you have a familiar frfend that will dGfend you from error, and rent, m:;h.= . help you .ag~i~H te~pt~tions, a~d foving.ly ~eprovc your fin~. and feelinSly fpeak of God, a~d the life ~~smo~~~~~ oh": to come, wdwng hts dtfcourfe from the inward power of fatth, and love, and holy expenence, the vcfcercmur. benefit of fuch a friend rnay be more to you, than of the learnadll or grearefl in the world. How ~'" ~" non fweetly will their fp<eches relill\ of the Spirit, from which they come? How de<ply may they p~<rc< '''" .'''~""' a car~lefs h~tt ?' How powerfully· may r·~ey kind·Je in Y?u, a love and zeal_to God and his Corn- ~~fi~!~~:~~c(('cl mandments? How ftafm1ahly may they' dt[(oV'Ct atemptatton, preven·t your tall, reprove an error, nvbls mJxi– and recover tou·r fouls ? Howf<~ithfu-lly will they watch ovet you? How profitably will they· pro- mum contu!ic voke and put you on ? and pray wilh yo·u1 fC'rvently when you are cold, and mind you ofthe Truth lucrum: N.11n an·~ dutr, a~d mercy, whi.ch you forget~ ft'is: a very gteat ~ercy to have a, judicious, folid, faithful ;~,~rfi;u,eo<;ornpamun' m the way to fleaven. c.anca coafile~it rc,pere, qmnto m:r.2_is communis m~nf-2 ciborum potuit irlqu(nue. cum dic:r.t Apollo!us, cum nef:r.ri.is ntc cibumh:1.bere C<lm1nunem. Tiffor. uda. p. 418. Magr.um vi(lutii pr~fidium focietas bon01cm, fociu~ cx<mRlo excit:r.t, fe,mone recreat conG\io inltuit, oratior~ibus: ;~djuvat? :r.urorita.!c cor~tine~,. qul! omnia. fo:itudi~i dtfum. ]1]. AC~[la.l. 4:·~·-13· . Dicu~t Sroici Amici1ia.m fo!os inter bon~s. c 1 uos libi inHCem fludwrum 6mtlnudo conciltet, polle conlilkre~ Porro am~cm:am tpfam foc1etaem qu1ndam elfc di<unt omnium qu.x: funt :r.d \'il:tm neccll~ri~, Illm :unicis ut n:>bili11et ipfis utamur : atq; ob id onnicum eligcndum, 2micorumque mu\:itudinemiu:cr ex– pet~Rdil por.unr: inter malos non poll~ conllare amiciriam. ' Litrt. in Zmo11r. · 9· 5· But if your ears are daily filled with froth and folly; with ribaldry or idle ficries, with Oaths and Curfes, with furious words, or G:oms and jars againft the godly, or with the Sophillry of deceivers, is it likely this fhould lea've a. pleafanr or whollbme relifh on y.our minds? Is it likely thatrhe effect llJould not be feen, in yourlean orltprcus hearts and lives, as Mll as the elfects of an infected or unwholfomc air or diet, will be feen upon your difeafcd bodies? He is ungodly that liil!th fuch companybrj!: And he is proud and prefumptuous that will unnecetfarily call himCelf up– on it, in conlidence that he fhall rmive no hurt : And h·e is careltfs of hi'mCe!f, that will not eaute– loufly avoid it : And few that long converfe with fucb, come oifwithout'fottle notable lofs ; except when we live with fuch, as Lot did i1i Scdom, grieving for their llrt and mifcry; or a·sChrifl converfcd with publicans· and finners, with a holy zeal ana diligence to coilvht and favc them, or as thofe that have not lih<rty, who &ear that which they have nor power to avoid. 9. 6. •Among the ttfl, your danger is not !call from that' are eager to prcftlite you to fome party or unfound· opinion : that they think t·hey are· in the ri~ht, a:nd that they do it in love, and r~al they think it nec<ffary to your falvarion, and that Truth or Godlinefs are the things which they pro_fefs, all this makes the dangermuch the greater (O you, if it' be not 'lrlli/J and God!intfi indeed, whJCh they propofe and plead tor. And none are il'i more danger than the ungrounde\1' and unexpe– rienced, that yet are fa wife in thtir own dledn~ as to be confident' that they know Truth from Er.. :ror when they hear it, and are not afraid ofany deceit, nor much fufpicious oftheir own underfiartd· •ings. But of this befo.-. • 9· 7· The like danger there is of the familiar- cbmpany of luk$warrrf ones or ~he prophane. At Non tlmen ,; frJI you may be troubled at theJt lirrful or unfavoury difcourf<, and make fome rehllance againll the co~porum, fie mfcdion : But before you are aware, it rrtay fa cool and damp ybur graces, as will make' ydur decay amm~rum r:· difcernabJe to others : };'jrfi, ~en will hear: them with lefs offence ; and' then you~ wm grow indilfc .. ~~~~J;d tr:~ ..- ren~ what company you are m·; and then you wilt laugh it tht-ir fitt a'll'd foll}r; and chen you w.Hl Jentes: Imo b~gm to fpeak as they; and th.m you will grow cotd and feldomer in prayer and"other holy dUties; vero nobili.< and 1fGod prcv<nt 1t not, tt !aft your jl\d'gelnen3 will grow blind, and you will think'all thls al· "".'"'"d<,mJO.I lowable. , rum o to, :ll • ~· 8. But of all bad company, t!!e·mare]t iHhe·worfl; if youchoofe fuc!l into youtf:irnilie!, or ~,';i~;:;~ndi~mto your ncare£\: conjugal relations.., you cafi wat'er upon the tire ; you impriioil your fclv(;s in fuch tu;. lJttrarf~· ferrets.as will gall and grieve you, if they do not flop you ; you thoofe a life- of conMnr, clofe and ~~~i~d, •.,.;. &reac
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