Bad company.

Companions.

119. Ought we to avoid bad company?

Ps. 1. 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sin

ners.

Ps. 119. 115. Depart from me, ye evil doers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.

Ps. 139. 19. Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

Pr. 1. 10. My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 13. We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: My son walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 18. They lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

Pr. 4. 14. Enter not in the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

Pr. 7. 24. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth: Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Pr. 12. 11. He that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

Pr. 13. 20. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Pr. 14. 7. Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the words of knowledge.

Pr. 19. 27. that causeth to Pr. 22. 24.

A natural faculty.

Cease, my son, to hear the instruction err from the words of knowledge. Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

Pr. 28. 7. He that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father. 19. He that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

Pr. 29. 3. He that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

Gal. 5. 9. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 1 Cor. 15. 33. Evil communications corrupts good

manners.

Conscience.

120. Have all men a natural conscience that enables them to distinguish between right and wrong?

Gen. 18. 25. That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Is. 5. 3. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard,

Ezk. 18. 25. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? 30. Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God.

Mic. 6. 3. O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. Lk. 12. 57. Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

Rom. 2. 14. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another.

Will condemn.

2 Cor. 4.2. By manifestation of the truth, com mending ourselves to every man's conscience in th sight of God.

121. Is it possible to sear and stifle conscience?

1. Cor. 8. 7. And their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Heb. 9. 14.

1 Tim. 4.2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared as with a hot iron.

Tit. 1. 15. Unto the pure, all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

122. While seared and defiled, does conscience fail to condemn and reprove sin ?

Jn. 16. 2. The time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service

Ac. 26. 9. I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: an many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

1 Tim. 1. 13. But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

123. Will seared and defiled consciences forever fail to reprove sin?

Gen. 42. 21. And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us; and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon

us.

Ex. 9. 27. And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this

To be respected.

time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

Mat. 22. 12. Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Rom. 3. 19. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Jn. 8. 9. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one.

124. Ought we so to consult and obey conscience, as to keep it void of offence?

Ac. 24. 16. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

Rom. 13. 5. Ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

1 Tim. 1. 19. Holding faith and a good conscience; which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck.

1 Pet. 2 19. For this is thank worthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

125. Ought conscientious feelings and convictions to be respected?

1 Cor. 8. 9. Take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours, become a stumbling block to them that are weak For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols? And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died. But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore if meat make my brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

1 Cor. 10. 27. Whatsoever is set before you, eat,

Required-Inconsideration reproved.

asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake; for the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience?

126.

Is conscience able to sustain those who keep it void of offence?

Pr. 14. 14. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

Pr. 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear?

2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.

Consideration.

127. Is consideration required?

Dt. 4.39. Know therefore this day, and consider it in thy heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

Dt. 32. 29. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end! Job 37. 14. Stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

Ps. 50. 21. Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this,

ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

Pr. 6. 6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

Ec. 7. 13. Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? In