comfortable walking with God. ==.....0.771 could endure with patience, to have one of his neereft fer vants, andof chiefell trust , tobee converfant continually a- mongit prof& Rebels, and open Traitors to his Crowneand dignity; or to converfe intimatelywithhis deadlieft enemies Would any great Man in the State , retaine any as a fpeciag Favorite, who fhould bee inward withhis greatest counter faCtionift ? What ingenuous childwould delightfully digeft that company, wherein bee fhouldheare his father in a foule and fhamefull manner difgraced and railedupon ? How then fhould Almighty God hold him his friend, who is familiar with itrangers to the life of God, andenemies tohisGrace ? How can that man looke for the prerogatives,and proteCti- ons ofachilde ofGod, who haunts fuch company with de- light, where hee heares daily his Almighty Father foulely and fhamefullydifhonoured, perhaps, with oathes and blaf- phemies, with obfcenities and raylings ; at leaft, withmany idle and prophane fpeeches ? 6. Sixtly , converting with prophane men, doth croffe and overthrow a common Chriflian dutie which is this ; los Allcompanies, either doegood, or hikegood, or both. For in this cafe, theChriftian both takes hurt, anddoth hurts bee hurts, . himfelfe, becaufe he throwes himfelfeupon temptation, and hazard ofbeing infeCtedwith notorioufneffe,ifhis com- panions bce very lewd, andprophane; or at lean, with for- mality and coldneffe ; ifthey bee but only civilly, honeit , or fortnall profeffers. 1. He hurts alfo others : z . Hee hardens his companions in their unregenerate courfes , becaufe they thinke, hee would not fo familiarly converfe with them, ex- cept hee were well conceitedof their fpirituall Late ; and fo they reft with fecurity and confidence in their unregenarati- on. 2. He is a humbling blocke to the WealceChriflian, who by looking upon his example, may bee led awry from the ftraightpath ofhisprofetlion, and by taking thereupon I iber. tieofimitation , mayhave his young beginnings of Grace choaked and frnothered by the delightful! vanities ofgood fellowfhip , in the pre& of prophane company. 3. Hee grieves alfo ftrong and underftanding Chrillians, to fee him G 3 fo
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