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either of quarrelling for your abfent friendor, which is far more common, of hearing him traduced in filence, and perhaps, through a weak complaifance, joining iffue with the flanderer, and granting things to the disadvantage of an innocent, injured person, which your confcience does not approve.

10. The beft methods of fhunning the temptations arifing from company, are, (1.) For ordinary to frequent and affociate with the best companies: For, man being a focial creature, cannot well be wholly without company.-(2.) When we accidentally or on bufinefs fall into company of a worse kind, to endeavor as far as our influence will reach, to give the converfation a profitable, or, at leaft, an innocent turn and direction. (3.) Where we cannot do this, to be on our guard against unworthy compliances, and to discountenance, as far as we can, trifling, profanity and immorality.

-(4.) If we find ourfelves unable to do this, and that we are in danger of finful compliances, to make our ftay as fhort as poffible.

5.) To make reflections after retiring, on the temptations we have met with, and to fortify our minds againk future dangers of the fame kind.—(6.) To shun, if poffible, for the future, thofe companies, or kinds of company, in which we have met with temptations too ftrong for our virtue and refolution: And, (7.) which ought to have

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been mentioned first, To aim our prayers and endeavors against the temptations of fociety, and especially of thofe companies, which, by the nature of our fituation or bufinefs in life, we are obliged most commonly to frequent.

11. Solitude, and a fequeftered retirement, as we shall fee anon, is no fecurity against temptations; and man a fociable creature, could never be defigned for it.

ESSAY LV.

TEMPTATIONS arising from SOLITUDE.

How

1. ALTHOUGH a focial life, or a life fpent in company, has its fnares and dangers, yet it has its advantages too; and the fociety of our fellow-creatures, well conducted, may contribute greatly to our im provement in virtue and happiness. many noble and useful hints are often started in converfation, which we would have labored for in vain in the way of private meditation? How many motives to virtue, and diffuafives against vice? How often has a tottering refolution been fupported and ftrengthened by a single word; by a single look or frown?

2. Nor need we imagine, that we can flee from the danger of temptation, by fhunning the fociety of our fellow-creatures;

for, there are a number of temptations which feem almoft peculiar to solitude, and which will purfue us to the most remote and hidden receffes.

3. As God hath made man a social creature, and endowed him with social bents, it appears he is chiefly defigned for a social, active life, to give affistance to, and receive affiftance from his fellow-creatures; and therefore, that it is not the duty of men to feek and affect folitude and retirement, unlefs it be occafionally, for the purposes of meditation, felf-examination, extraordinary prayer and devotion.

4. If it be the intention of GOD, that men should live in fociety, and employ their focial powers and talents for the purposes of devotion; we may well fuppofe that a monkish, recluse life, is against the intention of GOD, and that he may juftly give over men to ftrong temptations, who thus affect a kind of life, fo contrary to the end and defign of their being.

5. It has been obferved, that the first bermits and recluses, did greatly corrupt chriftianity; and that the monks and nuns of later ages, have been, generally speaking, a very wicked kind of people, infamous for many great vices: for, by binding themfelves up under folemn vows, to aufterities which God never enjoined, their corruptions have been the more outrageous and

they have been fuffered to fall into the vileft abominations.

6. It is remarkable, that the devil purfued our Saviour to a wildernefs, where he thought he could more effectually ply his temptations against him, then in the fociety of men.

And the evil fpirit, in the parable, who left the poffeffed man is faid to have wandered in solitary and dry places, where he conforted with many other fpirits. Nor is it unworthy of remark here, that if there is any truth in witchcraft, and the pranks and illufions of evil fpirits, they have generally prevailed in places little frequented and thinly peopled, and have fled places of concourfe in the fociety of men.

7. Solitude often tempts men to sins, thro' the advantage of fecrecy, which they would be ashamed to practice in human fociety.

8. Solitude naturally generates melancholy, and clouds the mind with gloomy thoughts; thereby darkening and spoiling the judgment.

9. Reclufes, as they have little fociety with the world, and know little of the force of thefe temptations which accompany a focial life, fo they are naturally prone to an over-rigid, uncharitable difpofition of mind, and cenforious reflections on the actions and conduct of those who are engaged in active, focial life.

10. The devil, ever vigilant and active

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to feduce rational creatures, when he cannot get the advantage over them, by the temptations which arise from fociety, often drives them into fullen folitude; puts them out of temper with the world, and the proper duties of life, and there pursues them with blasphemous suggestions, unclean thoughts, and desperate resolutions.

And

it has been generally obferved, that thofe whom he drives to self-murder, have been long haters of fociety, and lovers of folitude and retirement.

11. Upon the whole. To fhun fociety left we fall into temptation, is not only rank cowardice, but also very abfurd. There are proper times and occafions when we should feek folitude, and when retirement is both neceffary and useful; but we should confi. der the proper duties of our flations as men and Christians, and never fly fociety when we have a chance of either doing or getting good by it.

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