comfortable w4lkingwith God. 83 could end-ure with patience , to have one of his neereft fer- vants, andofchiefeft truft, to bee converfant continually a- ¡ ongi profeft Rebels, and openTraitors tohis Crowrie and c?ignity;or to converfe intimately withhis deadlieftenemies? Wouldanygreat'Man in the State, retaine any as a fpeciall Favorite, who fhouldbee inward with his greateft counter- fasionift ? What ingenuouschild would delightfully digeft that company, wherein bee {hould hearehis father in a foule and fhamefinll manner difgraced and railedupon ? How then fhould Almighty God hold him his friend, who is familiar with firangers to the life of God, and enemies tohis Grace? How can that man looke for the prerogatives, andprotesi- ons ofa childof God, who haunts fuch company with de- light,where he heares daily hisAlmighty Father foulely,and fhamefullydifhonoured, perhaps with oathes and blafphe- mies, with obicenaities and raylings; at haft, withmany idle and prophano fpeeches 6. Sixthly , converfng with prophane men, doth croffe andoverthrow , a commonChriftian dutie which is this; In ailcompanies, either doe good, or takeegood, or both. For in this cafe, the Chriftian both takeshurt, anddothhurt : hee hurts, I. himfelfe , becaufe bee throweshimfelfe upon temptation, and hazards ofbeing infeaedwith notorioufnefie,ifhis com- panionsbe very lewd, andprophane; or at leali, with forma- fide and coldneffe; if they bee but onely civili noneft, or formaliprofeffors. 2. He hurts allo others : r . Hee hardens his companions in theirunregenerate courfes, becaufe they thinke, he would not fofamiliarly converfe with them, ex- cept bee were well conceived oftheir fpirituáll Rate ; and fo they ref$ with fecuritie and confidence in their unregenerati- on. 2. He is a Rumbling blocke to the weake Chriftian, who by looking upon his example, may bee led awry from the ftraight pathof his profeílìon, and by taking thereuponliber- tie of imitation, may have his young beginnings of Grace choaked and fmoothered by the delightful) vanities ofgood fellowfhip , in the prefle of prophane company. 3. Hee grieves allo ftrong and underftanding Chriftians, to fee him G a Io
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