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they meet about; where Pride and Oftentation of Life is the thing only admir'd; and nothing has any favour in it, that is wife or good, devout or humble And if a vertuous Perfon can in fuch Company scarce keep his Ground, how easily are thofe borne away by the Stream, who are of themfelves but too prone to Evil, and too fond of Temptation.

2. Ill Company does naturally inftil and propagate vicious Principles, worldly Maxims, fenfual, carnal lmprovements: Here we are furnished with Objections against God and Providence, with Excufes and Apologies for Sin; here we learn to ridicule ReJigion and Confcience, and difpute our felves out of all Senfe and Duty. 'Tis of this fort of Communication St. Paul fpeaks, when he faith, That it corrupts good manners. And at this Day, those Errors which fret like a Canker and confume every thing that is wife and ferious in us, have multiplied fo beyond Meafure, that they are no longer the enclosure of fome few Pretenders to Freedom and Reason, but the foolishest and meaneft, as well as the

most

moft vicious part of Mankind are deeply ting'd with them.

3. Ill Company creates Confidence in Sin; a custom of talking unconcernedly and loofely does naturally make way for carelefness and liberty. in our Actions; and if we repeat either often, we fhall foon grow bold and stupid in Sin; for if we neglect to make any Reflection upon our Words or Actions, we fhall be infenfibly betrayed into a hardness of Heart, or if (what is worfe) we be driven by the Reproaches of our Confcience upon Reflection to take San&tuary in the Cheats and Impoftures, whether Vulgar or more refin'd,which Sinners are wont to put upon themfelves, we fhall foon fink into Pro- phanenefs and Atheism. Having thus unfolded to you the Truth of the first Propofition, and fhew'd you that Men become fuch as their Company, I am next to proceed to the

II. That Happiness is the Fruit of W1fdom, and Mifery of Folly. Men may flatter themselves as they pleafe, and delude themfelves with vain words; B 3

the y

they may call the Proud and Rich happy; they may admire the profperous Sinner, and in a fenfelefs Fit applaud themfelves in their vicious Pleafures; but they must bid defiance, not only to Revelation, but even Reafon and Experience too, e'er they can promise themfelves a true and lafting Satisfaction in any thing but Vertue. Revelation tells us plainly, That Godliness, and that only, has the promifes of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come, 1. Tim. 2. 8. That if we for to the flesh, we shall of the flesh reap corruption; but if through the Spirit we mortifie the deeds of the body, we hall live, Gal. 6. 8. That we must all appear before the Judgmentfeat of Chrift, that we may receive according to what we have done in the body, whether it be good or evil, 2 Cor. 5. 10. and both Reafon and Experience, as well as Revelation, tell us, That Sin is fruitless and difhonourable, Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof you are now afhamed? That there is no peace to the wicked: That they are like a troubled Sea when it cannot reft, continually throwing up its

own

own mire and dirt, Ifa. 57. 20. That the Miseries and Calamities of Life fpring from Sin; that Sin blafts our Enjoyments and Poffeffions; that it gives Sting and Edge to all our Miferies and Misfortunes: For if we did not dote upon the Body and the World, the Evils of Life could not wound us fo deeply. In a word, Revelation, Reason, Experience affure us, that Righteoufnefs fills the Mind with Peace and Joy; that Sin tortures it, with Contradictions and unreasonable Paffions, with the Guilt and the Terrors of the Lord; and what think we must be the refult of both in another World? In the day of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, Rom. 85. Muft the nature of things be alter'd that the Sinner may be fav'd? Muft Religion be an Imposture, that Madnefs and Folly may prove Wifdom? Muft Reason be a meer Amusement, that Luft and Fancy may be infallible Guides? Muft the Judgment of another World contradict all our Senfe and Experience in this? That the little Railery and Sophistry of the Loofe and Vicious

part

part of Mankind, may prove the only thing that has Solidity and Weight in it? There are Things too abfurd and ridiculous to be fancied. I will enlarge no longer on a truth which is controverted by none, except the Prophane and Atheistical, but will on to the third Thing propofed.

III. To give you fome Advice for your better Conduct, as to Society or keeping Company. This may be reduced to three Heads:

I. We must be very cautious what
Company we keep.

2. We must endeavour to make the
best use of it.

3. We must be fully perfwaded, that the due Government of our felves in this point, is a matter of the highest moment.

1. As to the firft Rule: We must reject the Authority of Scripture, if we refufe to obferve it, for this exprefly forbids us to affociate our

felves

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