II. That Happiness is the natural Refult or Fruit of Holiness, and Mifery of Sin. I will therefore infift on each of thefe Doctrines, and then III. Give you two or three Rules for our due Conduct in reference to Society. I. That Men are generally fuch as their Acquaintance and Familiars are. This is affirm'd in my Text no lefs with reference to good, than bad Company: There is one general and plain Reafon for this; All Men are naturally Lovers of themfelves, and therefore the most effectual way of endearing and obliging one another, is by mutual Refpects and Compliances; No Man can make his Court more effectually to another, than by falling in with him in Opinion and Practife, approving his Judgment, and obferving his Inclinations; this is that which flatters our Self-love, the predominant Principle in our Na Natures; this is that which renders Society agreeable, and Friendship lafting, which is never to be hop'd for, where Mens Principles and Humours are inconfiftent and incompatible: E'er we can be pleas'd our felves, or please others, we must be mutually fashioned or moulded into an Agreement, and Conformity of Principles and Morals, we must be acted and govern'd by the fame Affections and Inclinations, and mov'd and led by the fame Defires and Paffions. This is fo far the univerfal Senfe of Mankind, that it has efcap'd no bodies obfervation; All act and judge by this Rule; we estimate Men by the Intimacies they maintain; and he is thought to have forfeited all Pretenfion to good Senfe or good Breeding, who does not ftifle those Sentiments, and fupprefs those Inclinations which are apt to shock the Company he is in, or give any Disturbance or Disgust to his Friends. From hence the Propofition laid down follows with undeniable Evidence, That Men are generally fuch as their Companions are: For that that Society will foon be diffolv'd, where we reap no Satisfaction from it; and we can reap none where there is no Agreement in our Notions and Inclinations. But that this Truth, which is of the highest confequence, may be the more deeply imprinted, I will proceed to a more diftinct and particular Illuftration of it: And firft of the Influence good Company has on us towards making us Wife and Good; there are two things in Wife Men which never fail to work upon their Friends and Acquaintance: Firft, Good Difcourfe; Secondly, Good Examples. 1. Then as to Good Difcourfe; how manifeft is the Tendency of this? What Light, what Strength, what Pleasure does it minifter? How does it awaken the Confcience and purify the Heart? How does it quicken us when we languifh? How does it recall and reduce us when we begin to forget our felves, and lay afide a wife Sobriety of Mind and Holy Fear? How does it raife us when when we fink and grovel, and how often does it kindle in us wife Defires and holy Purposes? Thus Solomon obferves, That the Lips of the wife difperfe knowledge, Prov. 15. 7. and the New Testament tells us, concerning this kind of Difcourfe, that it minifters grace to the hearer; that it edifies and builds us up in our holy Faith: And the Difciples going to Emaus remark, what Life and Spirit there was in the Converfation of our Lord, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talk'd to us on the way, and while he open'd to us the Scriptures, Luke 24. 32. Now, tho' no Words can ever be impregnated with the fame Force and Energy with which our Lord's were, yet cer-, tainly when God and our great Mediator, when the Riches of Divine Grace, when Righteousness and Heaven are the Subject of our Difcourfe, when our Language flows from the Heart, and is animated by a Vital and Experimental Senfe of that we talk of, when it has all the Advantages which a true Friendship, and known Integrity, and the most most favourable Opportunities can give it: Such Difcourfe can never fail of moving and affecting us. 2. From Difcourfe I pafs on to Example; and here 'tis certain, that Vertue never appears fo beautiful and lovely as in Action: That it is reprefented with much more Life, in the practice of a wife and good Man, than it can be in Rules and Precepts; that the Notions we form of Duty from the Lives of others, are generally more correct and juft, than those which we form even from the Scriptures themfelves; for we are apt to bend and accommodate. the Rule a little in favour of our felves, but we never do fo in favour of others. That the Excellencies and Perfections of a Friend, are very strong Incitements to Emulation, and very fenfible Reproofs of our Remiffness and comparative Barrenness and Unprofitableness; and on the other fide, his Defects are excellent Leffons of Caution and Watchfulness. 'Tis laftly certain, that whatever Beauty and Lovelinefs there be in Vertue, it receives a new Acceffion from the |