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fall into those vices, which cannot but dissolve it, interrupt that communication and confidence which is the soul of it: yet in neither of those cases, we must not retire to such a distance, as not to have the former obligation in our view; we must so far separate as to appear at the farthest distance from their corruptions, but we must retain still a tender compassion for their persons, and still administer to them all the comfort and all the counsel that may restore them again to an entire capacity of our friendship; and if that cannot be, to prosecute them still with some effects of it, inflict upon ourselves, for own oversight and want of prudence, more patience and more application than we are bound to use towards strangers; in a word, friendship is so diffusive, that it will insinuate its effects to the benefit of any who are in any degree capable of receiving benefit from it.

OF COUNSEL AND CONVERSATION.

Montpellier, 1670.

COUNSEL and conversation is a second education, that improves all the virtue and corrects all the vice of the former, and of nature itself; and whosoever hath the blessing to attain this benefit, and

understands the advantage of it, will be superior to all the difficulties of this life, and cannot miss his way to the next. Which is the more easy to be believed, by the contrary prospect, by the evidence of the infinite mischief which the corrupt and evil conversation the company of wicked men produces in the world, to the making impressions upon those who are not naturally ill inclined, but by degrees wrought upon, first to laugh at chastity, religion, and virtue, and all virtuous men, and then to hate and contemn them; so that it is a miracle of some magnitude for any man to have much conversation with such people, to be often in that company, and afterwards heartily to forsake them; and he ought to look upon himself as a brand pulled and snatched out of the fire by the omnipotent arm of God himself. I know not how it comes to pass,' but notorious it is, that men of depraved principles and practice are much more active and solicitous to make proselytes, and to corrupt others, than pious and wise men are to reduce and convert; as if the devil's talent were more operative and productive, than that which God entrusts in the hands of his children, which seems to be wrapped up in a napkin without being employed; "Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually, he soweth discord," says Solomon of his wicked man, (Prov. x. 14.) Pravo corde archi

tectatur malum, as one translation renders it; he doth not do mischief by chance, or negligently, but deliberates how he may do it with more success; he builds it commodiously and speciously to the eye, that it may invite men to inhabit it; there is no industry nor art wanting to make it prosper, and to yield a good harvest: whereas good men are content to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of their own consciences; are very strict in all they say or do; and are severe examiners of their own actions, that they may be correspondent to their professions, and take themselves to be without any obligation to be inquisitive into the actions of other men. Which, though it be a good temper to restrain that unlawful curiosity and censoriousness, which would dispose us to be remiss towards ourselves, and severe censurers of the actions of other men, is far from the communicative duty which we owe to our brethren in an open and friendly conversation. "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren," was an injunction of our Saviour himself to St Peter, (Luke xxii. 28.) God bestows conversion and any other perfections upon us, that we may convert and mend other men charity is diffusive, and cares not what it spends, so it enriches others. There are two very erroneous opinions, which hinder and obstruct those offices which should flow from the perfections

of all men towards others: the first, that it is the office of the ministers and preachers to teach all men their duty to God, and to instruct them in the ways of a virtuous and innocent conversation; the second, that men are generally little the better for advice, and care not to receive it, except from persons who have some authority over them. For the first, the preachers need all the help other men can give them towards the reforming of men's manners, without which they will be able to contribute but very little to their faith; and the chief reason that their faith is not better, is, because their manners are so bad, which the preachers can very hardly be informed of, nor easily take notice of when they are informed: the second proceeds from too ill an opinion of mankind, which is much more tractable than it is thought to be, and hath an inward reverence for that virtue it doth not practise; and there is too much reason to believe, that vice flourishes more by the negligence of those who are enemies to it, than the cherishing it receives by those who practise it; and if the others laboured so much as they ought to do to prevent the growth of it, to nip it in the bud before it be grown impudent, and plucking it up by the roots when it is grown so, by severe and sharp reprehension, the vigour of it would quickly decay; and nothing is so frequent as cures of this kind by honest con.

versation, which insinuates itself into the minds of men insensibly, and by degrees gets authority, and even a jurisdiction, over the hearts of the worst men: the hearing the ordinary discourses of sober and discreet men, the very being where they are, and looking upon them, works great effects; est aliquid, quod ex magno viro, vel tacente proficias;

the

very aspect of a venerable person, though he says nothing, leaves an impression upon the mind of any man who is not utterly abandoned to vice; and men of loose principles find another kind of spirit of mirth, and it may be another kind of sharpness of wit, in innocent and virtuous conversation, that may have some condescension to make itself delighted in, and thereupon care less for the company they have kept, and more for that they are fallen into. And it is a wonderful degree of recovery; when men have these recollections, they will quickly attain to the rest; he that hath redeemed himself out of ill company, or from taking delight in it, is far advanced towards a perfect reformation. It was a very important circumspection that Epicurus prescribed to his disciple to be more careful, cum quibus edas aut bibis, quam quid edas aut bibis; no diet can be so mischievous as the company in which it is taken. And if the first corruption be not sucked in from the domestic manners, a little providence might secure men in

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