The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded

1. The first season of this nature, is when times, places, with other occasions of Temptation and consequently of Sinning, do come and meet. With some, Company doth constitute such a season; and with some, Secrecy with Opportunity do the same. There are those who are ready with a careless boldness to put themselves on such Societies as they do know have been Temptations unto them and occasions of sin; every such entrance into any society or company, unto them who know how it hath formerly succeeded, is their actual sin, and it is Just with God to leave them to all the evil Consequents that do ensue. Others also do either choose, or are frequently cast on such Societies; and no sooner are they engaged in them, but they forget all regard unto God, and give themselves up not only unto Vanity, but unto various sorts of excess. David knew the Evil and Danger of such occasions; and gives us an account of his behaviour in them, Psal. 39.1, 2, 3. I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from Good, and my sorrow was stirred: My heart was hot within me, while I was musing, the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue. As for their evil words and ways he would have no communication with them. And as unto Good discourse, he judged it unseasonable, to cast Pearl before Swine. He was therefore silent as unto that also, though it was a grief and trouble to him. But this occasioned in him afterwards those excellent Meditations which he expresseth in the following Verses. In the entrances of these occasions, if men would remember the presence of God with them, in these places, with the holy severity of the Eye that is upon them, it would put an awe upon their spirits, and embitter those Jollities, whose Relish is ⟨p. 159⟩given them by Temptation and Sin. He doth neither walk humbly nor circumspectly, who being unnecessarily cast on the Society of men wicked or profane, (on such occasions wherein the ordinary sort of men give more than ordinary liberty unto corrupt Communication or Excess in any kind,) doth not in his entrance of them call to mind the presence and all-seeing Eye of God, and at his Departure from them, consider whether his Deportment hath been such as became that Presence, and his being under that Eye. But alas!