84 Genera direcáiona for fo fárre forgethimf lfe,anddifgrat;e his profef;iot> to con- verfe with theenemies of God, and by his pra&ife to per- fwade theworld, that the bate fooleries ofgood fello.1hi If, are more fweet and taiefull , then the glorious pleafures o` the communion of Saints. 7. There is anotherreafon, which though it beenot very obvious to mens apprehenCions,or much taken notice of; yet inmy underflanding, it Íhould'be verypowerfull, andofve- ry great weight, todrive Chrillians out of the company of unregenerate men, and to reftraine them from a farrfllar and delightfull correfpondence, and converfng with them (ex- cept theyhave a warrantable Calling, and the teflimony of their ccnfciences to converfe with them for their converfion and fpiiituall good) It is this : when an unregenerate man obfrves, that a Chriflian prefleth intohis companie, delires to fpend time with him, and is well enough content to ex., changè mutually many offices of intimate kindnefe; hee prefently conceives and concludes, that lure hee fees in him matter worthy of Chrillian company, andendowments fa:. ficient to ranke him amongll the Saints; elfe hee couldnot take filch contentment in his conditions and converfation.. Whereupon hee is fearefully hardned in his prefent courfes, and fettles with refolution, confidence, and fecuritie upon the plaufibledeceitfulneffe ofhis unregenerate flare ; and chinkes himfelfewell, that hee may both enjoy the pleafuresof the prefent, and alto a good tefiimiony and hope ofhis rightneffe in the way to Heaven ; becaufe it is well knowne and ac- knowledged , thathis companion both knowes, and walkes in the right path. And Pith hee hath one to take part, he takes , it not much toheart, that other Chrillians are more unfami- liar, and flrange untohim; for hee imputes it tinily to their; fowreneflè and unfociableneffe. Afluredly there are many Chriflians very faulty this way, andhave very much to an- fwer for in this kind: They familiarly converfe withunre- generate men ; 'and becaufe they wóuldnot difpleafeandbee dellafleful1, they fay nothing unto themofthe turfdneffe of /,heir condition towards God,andof the fearefulneffe of their cafe,'.
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