The way to true happiness in a serious treatise /

And this know, that thou hast the very same encouragement to seek and wait, that the ⟨p. 175⟩Saints now in glory once had: for they were once in thy very case. And have they sped so well, and wilt thou not go to the same door, and wait upon God in the same course?

Dir. XV. Forsake thy evil company, Prov. 9. 6. and forbear the occasions of sin, Prov. 23. 31. Thou wilt never be turned from sin, till thou wilt decline and forgo the temptations to sin.

Dir. XV. Forsake thy evil company, Prov. 9. 6. and forbear the occasions of sin, Prov. 23. 31. Thou wilt never be turned from sin, till thou wilt decline and forgoe the temptations to sin.

I never expect thy Conversion from sin, unless thou art brought to some self-denial, as to fly the occasions. If thou wilt be nibbling at the bait, and playing on the brink, and tampering and meddling with the share, thy soul will surely be taken. Where God doth expose men in his providence, unavoidably, to temptations, and the occasions are such as we cannot remove, we may expect special assistance in the use of his means. But when we tempt God by running into danger, he will not engage to support us, when we are tempted. And of all temptation, one of the most fatal and pernicious, is evil company. Oh what hopeful beginnings have these often stifled! Oh the souls, the estates, the families, the Towns, that these have ruined! How many a poor sinner hath been enlightened, and convinced, and hath been just ready to give the Devil the slip, and hath even escaped his snare, and yet wicked company have pulled him back at last, and made him sevenfold more the child of Hell. In one word, I have no hopes of thee, except thou wilt snake off thy evil company. Christ speaketh to thee, as to them, in another case. If thou seek me, then let these go their way,