plations of the horrid ingratitude against God, and of the fhame and forrow the Sin muft end in, first weaken and loofen the poisonous Plant, then bruise it, and at last do quite root it up and destroy it: Which is the Reason why the Almighty calls to Men, Ifa. 46. 8. Remember this, and fhew your felves Men; bring it again to your mind, Oye tranfgreffors: To thew, that without often repeated Confideration, they will continue fettled upon their Lees; and that, without it, they act not like rational Men, but like Children rather, whofe flight and thin remembrances of their errors make them fall into them again, with the next opportunity.

X. Impediment.

X. Converfe with evil Company. There is not certainly a greater encouragement to real Holinefs, than Religious Society, and good Examples. That Innocence we fee, makes deeper impreffions on our Hearts, than that we hear of, and our Eyes afford greater motives to imita tion than our Ears. A Religious friend charms me into that Piety he embraces, and his kindnefs inftills his Devotion into my Soul. I am apt to imbibe his Principles of virtue, with his kind expreffions; and frequent converse makes his goodness as familiar to me, as his Person. The feverest mortifications, if I fee them performed by those I love, lofe much of their rigour and dismal afpect, and become amiable; and as unpleasing a thing as self-denial is, it looks more eafie and facile, when he, I am intimately ac

quainted

quainted withal, fhews me that it is practicable, it doth not appear fuch a formidable thing, as before it did. He attempts to dafh the thoughts of impoffibility; and when a thing comes once within the compafs of poffibility, there is that natural, or acquired generofity in fome People, as to fcorn to leave that undone, which other Perfons are to do; and the refult of feeing their endeavours is commonly this Queftion, If fuch a Man can do fo, Why cannot I?

There is no sense works upon the Affections like that of Sight; it makes the Object live in the Understanding, and from thence the Will and Affections are follicited into embraces of it. This was the reason why the Chriftians of old, when they would in fober sadness apply themfelves to a truly Christian Life, retired into Defarts, where fome devout Hermits had their Cells, that by looking on their exemplary Devotion, they might be tempted into a cheerful imitation of their Goodness.

And as it is with Religious Society, it both makes the task of the greater and weightier matters of the Law lefs difficult, and kindles defires in our Breafts, to follow fo excellent a Pattern; fo evil Company, on the other fide, doth as much difcourage Men from performances, as are fomewhat troublesome to Flesh and Blood; and hereof, Confideration of their Ways is not the leaft. This implies some selfdenial, and the found of the word imports making War with the foft and fickly defires of the Flesh; and having wrought their own Hearts

E

Hearts into a deteftation of this Duty, they fright others from it; as from Medusa's Head, which will certainly turn them into Stones, or infenfible Creatures: They care not for fincere Devotion themfelves, and would not have others live ftricter and precifer than their Neighbours: For, to fee others live better, is to receive a check; and the goodness of fuch perfons is a fecret reproof of their own carelefnefs. Converse becomes uneafie, where the other Party is Religious, and nothing is fo great a restraint upon their Inclination, as the Confciencioufnefs of a Companion that gives a Reprimand to their Humour; and, as Muftard laid on the Nurfe's Nipples mars the Child's greediness after her Milk, fo the modeft and serious behaviour of those they are to converfe with, embitters that Mirth they would gladly take their fill of; and therefore as they have a low efteem of the Ways of God, fo they would not have others prize them at a higher rate. They delight in fenfual Satisfactions, and look upon other Mens difcourfes concerning Spiritual Delight, as Nonfenfe. They are averse from fubjecting themfelves to the Will of God, and would have others as difobedient as themselves. They think it was a far better World when there was not fo much Praying and Preaching as there is now; and would have others flight Christ's invitation to the Supper of the Lamb, as much as themfelves.

He that makes fuch his Familiars, and looks upon them as difcreet and rational Man, must

neceffa

neceffarily continue a ftranger to Confideration of his Spiritual and everlasting Concerns; for, as they are no admirers of Difcourfes which may advance the welfare of a Soul, and feldom take the name of God in their Mouths, except it be in their Oaths and Curfes; fo to be fure, they'll tell very difmal and doleful Stories of Religion upon all occafions, and represent the fevere performances of Piety in fuch an antick dress, that he, who prizes their company, or acquaintance, fhall applaud their invention, and admire them for their witty Conceits, and defpife all ferious Thoughts concerning things of everlasting confequence. For the Humour is catching, and things fet off with a jeft, first tickle, and then make Profelytes; and he that at first affifted only in the laughter, comes at laft to imitate, and he that bore a part in the smile and applaufe, is brought fo far, as to transcribe the temper and inclination.

The Age we live in hath taught the World to vend Prophaneness under the name of Wit, and to contemnReligion under the Mantle of Repartee, and quickness of Fancy; and he that loves to be with these beaux Efprits, will, in all probability, learn to be as careless, and as fecure as they. Evil company, where a Man delights in it, will infect him, do what he can; if he have any good in him, they'll waste and confume it; if he be deftitute of virtuous Principles, they'll keep out all Confiderations, as fhall either difcompose him in his folly, or fhed Refolutions into his Soul, to come away, and feek a better Kingdom; infomuch that it may truly be said

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of fuch a Man, as of him in the Gospel, who travelled from Jerufalem to Jericho, I hat he is fallen among Robbers, who ftrip him of all, and leave him miferable, Luke 10. 30.

Evil Companions are the Devil's Agents, whom he fends abroad into the World to debauch Virtue, and to advance his Kingdom; and by these Embaffadors, he effects more than he could do in his own Perfon. His own fhape and appearing would fright rather than allure, and as well as Men like Sin, did they see the Father of it, they would not be very fond of being his Children. But acting in the Children of difobedience, which are of the fame Flefh and Blood with us, and Creatures of the fame shape, and for which we have no aversion, but rather fometimes a great affection to, the bait is eafily fwallowed: These are his Factors, and by thefe he draws Men into Eternal darkness. By these he pecks up all the good Seed that's fown in us, and infufes bad qualities into our better part. Thefe laugh Men into destruction, and damn them in kindness. Thefe fawn Men into Mifery, and tickle them into an Eternity of Torments. These turn Religion into Jefts, and make the Precepts of the Golpel matter of Rail lery. These are true Devils, that delight in the Murther of Souls, and finking into the bottomlefs Pit, pull down their Adherents with them.

And what likelihood is there, that a Man fhould confider the Intereft of his Soul, that conforts with Perfons, who do, as much as lies in them, depreciate the value of it, and strive to put all ferious Contemplations out of his Head? P What