friends have been but as a broken tooth, or a foot that is out of joint (as Solomon speaketh of confidence in an unfaithful man in the time of trouble, Prov. xxv, 29.) Verily, as the world were but a horrid dungeon without the sun, so it were a howling wilderness, a place of no considerable employment or delight, were it not that in it we may live to God and do him service, and sometimes be refreshed with the light of his countenance, and the communications of his love. But of this more anon.

Use 1. We see our example, and our encouragements. Let us now, as followers of Christ, endeavour to imitate him in this, and to live upon God, when men forsake us, and to know that while God is with us, we are not alone, nor indeed forsaken while he forsakes us not.

I shall, 1. Shew you here negatively, what you must not do. 2. Affirmatively, what you must do; for the performance of your duty in this imitation of Christ.

1. You must not make this your pretence for the undervaluing your useful friends, nor for your unthankfulness for so great a benefit as a godly friend; nor for the neglect of your duty in improving the company and help of your friends. Two is better than one. The communion of saints and help of those that are wise and faithful, is a mercy highly to be esteemed. And the undervaluing of it, is at least a sign of a declining soul.

2. You must not hence fetch any pretence to slight your friends, and disoblige them, or neglect any duty that you owe them, or any means therein necessary to the continuation of their friendship,

3. You must not causelessly withdraw from human society into solitude. A weariness of converse with men, is oft conjunct with a weariness of our duty; and a retiring voluntarily into solitude, when God doth not call or drive us thither, is oft but a retiring from the place and work which God hath appointed us; and consequently a retiring rather from God than to God. Like some idle servants that think they should not work so hard, because it is but worldly business, and think their masters deal not religiously by them, unless they let them neglect their labour, that they may spend more time in serving God; as if it were not serving God to be faithful in their master's service.

I deny not but very holy persons have lived in a state of

retirement from human converse. In such cases as these, it may become a duty: 1. In case of such persecution as at present leaveth us no opportunity of serving or honouring God so much in any other place or state.

2. In case that natural infirmity, or disability, or any other accident shall make one less serviceable to God and his church in society than he is in solitude.

3. In case he hath committed a sin so heinous, and of indelible scandal and reproach, as that it is not fit for the servants of Christ any more to receive him into their local communion, though he repent: (for as to local communion, I think, such a case may be.)

4. In case a man through custom and ill company be so captivated to some fleshly lust, as that he is not able to bear the temptations that are found in human converse; but falleth by them into frequent heinous sinning; in this case the right hand or eye is rather to be parted with, than their salvation. And though a mere restraint by distance of temptations and opportunities of sinning, will not prove a man sanctified, nor save the soul that loveth the sin, and fain would live in it; yet, 1. Grace may sometimes appear in the strength and self-denial which is exercised in the very avoiding of temptations, when yet perhaps the person hath not strength enough to have stood against the temptations if it had not been avoided. And, 2. The distance of temptations, and opportunity of serious and frequent consideration, may be a means to help them to sincerity that want it.

5. In case a man by age or sickness find himself so near to death, as that he hath now a more special call to look after his present actual preparation, than to endeavour any more the good of others; and find withal, that solitude will help him in his preparations, his society being such as would but hinder him. In these five cases, I suppose it lawful to retire from human converse into solitude.

But when there is no such necessity or call, it usually proceedeth from one of these vicious distempers: 1. From cowardice and fear of suffering, when the soldiers of Christ do hide their heads, instead of confessing him before men.

2. From a laziness of mind and weariness of duty; when slothful and unprofitable servants hide their talents, pretending their fear of the austerity of their Lord. It is easier to run away from our work than do it; and to go out of the

reach of ignorance, malice, contradiction and ungodliness, than to encounter them, and conquer them by truth and holy lives. So many persons as we converse with, so many are there to whom we owe some duty: and this is not so easy as it is to over-run our work, and to hide ourselves in some wilderness or cell, whilst others are fighting the battles of the Lord. 3. Or it may proceed from mere impatience. When men cannot bear the frown, and scorns, and violence of the ungodly, they fly from sufferings, which by patience they should overcome. 4. Or it may come from humour and mutability of mind, and discontent with ones condition. Many retire from human converse to please a discontented, passionate mind; or expecting to find that in privacy, which in public they could not find, nor is any where to be found on earth. 5. And some do it in melancholy, merely to please a sick imagination, which is vexed in company, and a little easeth itself in living as the possessed man among the tombs. 6. And sometimes it proceedeth from self-ignorance, and an unhumbled state of soul. When men think much better of themselves than others, they think they can more comfortably converse with themselves than with others: whereas if they well understood that they are the worst or greatest enemies, or troubles to themselves, they would more fear their own company than other men's. They would then consider what proud, and fleshly, and worldly, and selfish, and disordered hearts they are likely to carry with them into their solitude, and there to be annoyed with from day to day: and that the nearest enemy is the worst, and the nearest trouble is the greatest.

These vices or infirmities carry many into solitude; and if they live where Popish vanity may seduce them, they will perhaps imagine that they are serving God, and entering into perfection, when they are but sinfully obeying their corruptions and that they are advanced above others in degrees

of grace, while they are pleasing a diseased fancy, and entering into a dangerous course of sin. No doubt but the duties of a public life are more in number, and greater in weight, and of more excellent consequence and tendency (even to the most public good, and greatest honour of God) than the duties of privacy or retirement. Vir bonus est commune bonum:' A good man is a common good. And saith Seneca) Nulla essent communia nisi pars illorum

pertineret ad singulos.' If every one have not some share or interest in them, how are they common? Let me add these few considerations, to shew you the evil of voluntary, unnecessary solitude.

1. You less contribute to the honour of your Redeemer, and less promote his kingdom in the world, and less subserve his death and office, while you do good but to few, and live but almost to yourselves.

2. You live in the poorest exercise of the grace of charity; and therefore in a low, undesirable condition.

3. You will want the communion of saints, and benefit of public ordinances (for I account not a college life a solitary life). And you will want the help of the charity, graces and gifts of others, by which you might be benefitted.

4. It will be a life of smaller comfort, as it is a life of smaller benefit to others. They that do but little good (according to their ability) must expect but little comfort. They have usually most peace and comfort to themselves that are the most profitable to others. Non potest quisquam bene degere qui se tantum intuetur: alteri vivas oportet, si tibi vis vivere.' Sen. 'No man can live well, that looketh but to himself: thou must live to another, if thou wilt live to thyself.'

O the delight that there is in doing good to many! None knoweth it that hath not tried it: not upon any account of merit; but as it pleaseth God, and as goodness itself is amiable and sweet; and as we receive by communicating; and as we are under promise; and as charity makes all the good that is done to another to be to us as our own.

5. We are dark and partial, and heedless of ourselves, and hardly brought or kept in acquaintance with our hearts; and therefore have the more need of the eye of others. And even an enemy's eye may be useful, though malicious; and may do us good, while he intends us evil, saith Bernard, Malum quod nemo videt, nemo arguit: Ubi autem non timetur reprehensor, securus accedit tentator; licentius perpetratur iniquitas.' 'The evil that none seeth, none reproveth and where the reprover is not feared, the tempter cometh more boldly, and the sin is committed the more licentiously.' It is hard to know the spots in our own faces, when we have no glass or beholder to acquaint us with them. Saith Chrysostom, Solitude is 'velamen omnium

vitierum:' the cover of all vices. In company this cover is laid aside, and vice being more naked, is more ashamed. It is beholders that cause shame; which solitude is not acquainted with and it is a piece of impenitency not to be ashamed of sin.

6. And we are for the most part so weak and sickly, that we are unable to subsist without the help of others. Nemo est ex imprudentibus qui relinqui sibi debet.' Sen. Unwise men (or infants, or sick-like men) must not be left to themselves.' And God hath left some impotency, insufficiency and necessity upon all that should keep men sociable and make them acknowledge their need of others, and be thankful for assistance from them, and be ready to do good to others, as we would have others do to us. He that feeleth not the need of others, is so unhumbled as to have the greater need of them.

:

7. Pride will have great advantage in private, and repentance great disadvantage, while our sins seem to be all dead, because there is not a temptation to draw them out, or an observer to reprove them. Tam diu patiens quisque sibi videtur et humilis, donec nullius hominum consortio commiscetur ad naturam pristinam reversurus quum interpellaverit cujuslibet occasionis commotio,' inquit Cassiamus. Many a man seems to himself patient and humble, while he keeps out of company; who would return to his own nature, if the commotion of any occasion did but provoke him.' It is hard to know what sin or grace is in us, if we have not such trials as are not to be found in solitude.

8. Flying from the observation and judgment of others, is a kind of self-accusation; as if we confessed ourselves so bad as that we cannot stand the trial of the light. Bona conscientia turbam advocat. Mala in solitudine anxia est et sollicita: si honesta sunt quæ facis, omnes sciant: si turpia, quid refert neminem scire, cum tu scias! O te miserum si contemnis hunc testem:' inquit Seneca. That is, 'A good conscience will call in the crowd (or witnesses, not caring who seeth): A bad conscience is anxious and solicitous even in solitude. If they be things honest which thou dost, let all men know if they be dishonest, what good doth it thee that no man else knoweth it, when thou knowest it thyself? O miserable man, if thou despise this witness!' Something is suspected to be amiss with those that are

: