What probability, that a Man fhould fit down, and fet before him the terror of the Lord,and be transformed by the renewing of his Mind, who, when the Holy Ghost exhorts him to prove what is the holy, acceptable, and perfect will of God; to be fervent in Spirit, ferving the Lord; to rejoyce in hope, to be patient in tribulation, to continue inftant in prayer, to bless them which per fecute him, Rom. 12. 2, 11. gets presently after into company, where all thofe Leffons are derided, where the contrary Vices are commended, where Confideration how to be Master of thefe Graces is exploded, as a thing only fit for Alms-men, and Hofpital-Boys; where these fe rious Exhortations are drowned in Laughter, and fuch things fuggested as render a Man wife only for the World, and for the Flesh, and make him fagacious how to gratifie his head-ftrong Paffions and inordinate Affections.

He that confiders his ways, and yet frequents fuchSociety,imitates a foolish Gardner,that after he hath fown his Seed, and fees it come up, lets in Hogs to devour and tear it up,and with Penelope, undoes that at Night, which he hath woven in the day-time; or like fome foolish Shepherd, having for fome hours watch'd his Sheep, leaves themat last exposed to the fury of the Wolf,or fome fuch noxious Animal. Confideration (as I fhall prove in the fequel) requires feparation; and when God calls,Come out of Babylon, Omy People; it is not only that they may not participate of their Punishment, but that they may not share in their Sins,and confequently,that they may be at leifure to confider how to prevent, and avoid both.

I do not deny, but Men may deal and traffick with Men of a loose Conversation, and not lofe their ferioufnefs, nor be difcouraged from a holy Preparation for a better Life; fo St. Paul may converfe with Nero, and St. John with Herod Daniel with Nebuchadnezzar, and David with King Achifh.So the firftChriftians had commerce with the worst of Heathens; and he that lives in the World, or hath any considerable concerns in it, is forced to keep fome correfpondence with Men of ill Principles, and worse Practices. But there is a great difference between travelling thro' Ethiopia, and dwelling there; the former may not change the Complexion, but the latter will infallibly do it.I wrote to you in an Epifle,not to company with Fornicators, yet not altogether with the Fornicators of this world, or with the Covetous,or Extortioners, or with Idolaters; for then you must needs go out of the world: But now I have written to you not to keep company, if any Man that is called a Brother,be a Fornicator, or Covetous, or an Idolater, or a Railer, or a Drunkard,or an Extortioner,with fuch an one not to eat, faith the Apoftle,1 Cor.5.9,10,11. It's one thing to converse with a Manas with a Stranger, another to converse with him as a Brother; one thing to pay the Duty of Civility to him, another to admit him into the number of my Friends; one thing to be neceffitated to discourse with him, another to delight in it; one thing to go into fuch company with cautioufnefs and circumfpection, ano. ther to rush into it without fear or wit; the former doth not import a neceffity of Pollution, the other makes the Infection inevitable.

P 2

Society

Society in Sin ftrangely takes off from the heinoufnefs of it; it makes the Sin appear with a fainter red; it doth not look fo dreadful, when Men have companions in their offences; they think there is fome comfort in having affociates in mifery, and dare to Sin more freely, when they are not alone in their tranfgreffion. They are afraid their fingle valour will never be able to duel God's Wrath and Indignation, but having others join'd with them, they may make a fhift to weather out the Tempest of his Anger. They hope God will not damn a multitude of poor Creatures together, and fancy the great number of Sinners may fright or move the Almighty into Compaffion; if they fuffer, they think they shall not fare worse than their Neighbours; and if they fmart for their Rebellion, they fhall be able to bear it as well as their Confederates in the Iniquity. With fuch airy Notions Men feed themselves; and tho' thefe are very dangerous Pillows, whereon Men fleeping catch their Death, yet because they are foft and promise prefent Reít, they are made ufe of; and whatever is faid to the contrary, is look'd upon as the Pharifees Boulfters, filled with Nails and Straw, and fuch harder Materials unfit for repofe, and inept for cordial Embraces.

Ill Example draws out the inward Corruption into Action, and the inbred evil Concupifcence, may be, would lie quiet, or die, if fuch Patterns did not put it into Fermentation. Many Children would be modeft, did not their Parents behaviour feduce them into love of their Vices. Some Servants have ingenuity in them, and durft

not

not venture fo far into Sin as they do, did not their Master's example encourage them. Adam fins for Companies fake, and it's like would have continued stedfaft in his ignorance, if he had not feen the Woman eat of the forbidden Tree, and been folicited to imitate her desperate enterprize. The Ifraelites being mingled among the Heathen, learn their Works; and having converfed long with the Egyptians, who were great Worshippers of Oxen, erect a Calf in the Wilderness of Sina: Growing intimate with the Midianites, they imitate their Whoredoms, and pollute themselves with ftrange Flesh, go to the Sacrifices of their Gods, and eat of them, and bow down to their Deities. Jofeph comes to be familiarly acquainted with Pharoah's Courtiers, and an Oath, By the Life of Pharaoh, goes down without bogling or reluctancy. Lot had lived among Men who made nothing of the vileft uncleanneffes imaginable, and foon after confents to incestuous Copulation. Solomon, by his intimacy with his Concubines, learns to worship Devils; and his Son Rehoboam, by making the young Gallants at Court his Familiars, grows rafh, even to his own Destruction. Had not Peter

gone into the High Priest's Hall, it's like he would never have been perfwaded into Curfings and Imprecations. Converfe with Drunkards, by degrees, caufes approbation of the Sin, and at laft delight in it. And thus it must needs be in the cafe before us, Inconfiderate Men make others as fupine and negligent as themselves; and he that lets his acquaintance with them grow into familiarity, will be apt to think, that P 3

fure

fure he may neglect Confideration of his ways, as well as they; if they venture, why may not he? And if they think not the omiffion prejudicial to their spiritual Intereft,why fhould he terrifie himfelf with counterfeit Thunder? If they hope to do well after this, why may not he? And if they fear no revenging Arm, why fhould he make his Life miferable by thinking of Punishment?

Imprudent Menindeed! You may have seen others hang, or drown, or burn themselves; but is this a temptation to you to follow them? You may have feen a paffionate Fool throw him felf down from a Precipice, because he could not enjoy the reciprocal affection of the Party he doted on, but doth any of you think this diftraction merits imitation? Because fuch a Man ruins himfel and his Family, have you a mind to do fo too? Because fuch an one doth not mind his Trade, but lies in Alehouses and Taverns, muft you neceffarily make him your Pattern? Because fuch a Man dif regards the Favour of his Friends, that are both able and willing to affift him, is that an argument, that you must needs learn his ways? Becaule fuch an one lets his Garden run to Weeds, muft you therefore fill yours with Bryars and Thorns? Be caufe fuch an one embezles his Eftate, muft you therefore fpend yours in riotous Living? And will you ftorm the Gates of Hell, because others are fo defperate as to do it? Will you howl with Devils, because others delight in that Mufick? Will you fcorn the offers of Salvation, becaufe others will not be drawn by the Cords of Love? Will you run the hazard of lofing the light of God's Countenance