Bolton - HP BV4500 .B62 1634

84. Genera 11 direilions for a fo farce forget himfelFe,anddifgrace his profeffion,as to con verfe with the enemies of God, andby his pratlife toper- fwade the world, that the bale fooleries of good fellowfhip, are more Tweet and taftefull , then the glorious pleafures of the communionof Saints. 7, There is another realm, which though it bee not very obvious to runs apprehenfions,or much taken notice of; yet in my underflanding, it fhouldbe very powerful!, and of ve- ry great weight, to drive Chriftians out of the company of unregenerate men, and to refbine them from a familiar and delightful( correfpondence, and convertingwith them (ex- cept they have a warrantable Calling, and the teflienonie of their confciences to converfewith them for their converfion and fpirituall good) It is this : when an unregenerate man obferves that a Chriftianpreffeth into his company , defires to time with him , and is well enough content to ex- change mutually many offices of intimate kindneffe ; bee prefently conceives and concludes , that Pure bee fees in him matter worthyof Chriflian company, and endowments fuf- ficient to ranke him amongft the Saints ;, ellebee could not take fuch contentment in his conditions and converfation. Whereupon bee is fearefully hardned in his prefent and fettles with refolution ' confidence, and fecurityupon the plaufible deceitfalneffe of his unregenerate Bate; and thinks himfelfe well , that bee may both enjoy the pleafures of the prefent, and alfo a good teflimony and hope of his rightneffe in thewayro Heaven ; becaufe it is well knowne and ac- knowledged , that his companionboth knowes, and walkes in the right path. And fith hebath one to takeparr, he takes it not much toheart , that other Chriftians are moreunfami- liar, and linageunto him ; for bee imputes it onely to their fowreneffe and unfociableneffe. Affuredly there are many Chrillians very faulty this way , and have very, much to an- fwer for inthis kinde. They familiarly converfe with unre- generate men; and becaufe they wouldnot difpleafe andbee diftaftefull, they fay nothingunto'them,of the carfedneffe of their conditiontowardsGod,afd.of the fearefigneffeoftheir cafe,

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