feelings of the heart; you will acquire a monkish love of solitude; and your temper will become soured towards your fellow-beings.  You must therefore give to visiting its proper place in the routine of Christian duty.  That place is just the one which it can occupy without encroaching upon more important duties.  It should be the Christian’s recreation.  Seasons of relaxation from the more laborious duties of life are undoubtedly necessary; and I know of nothing which can better answer this end than the intelligent and pious conversation of Christian friends.  Your friends have claims upon your time and attention.  But, these claims can never extend so far as to encroach upon more important duties, or to impair your ability to do good to yourself and others.  As soon as you discover a secret uneasiness, when out of company, or whenever you find that the demands of the social circle have led you to neglect other duties, it is time to diminish the number of your visits.  But do not, on such occasions, violate Christian sincerity, by inventing excuses to satisfy your friends.  Tell them plainly your reasons, and if they are really what they profess to be, they will see the propriety of your conduct, and be satisfied.

5. Never go into company where the spirit and maxims of the world predominate. I know this will cut you off from a large portion of society, yet, I believe it to be a rule founded upon the word of God.  If we would not be conformed to the world, we must not follow its maxims nor partake of its spirit.  I know it is often said we should go into such society for the purpose of exerting a religious influence.  But the practical result is directly the contrary.  The spirit which prevails in such company is destructive of all religious feeling:  it freezes up the warm affections of the Christian’s heart.  The consequence is, he is ashamed to acknowledge his Master, and avow his principles, where the prevailing current is against him.  He therefore moves along with it, to the injury of his own soul, and the wounding of his Master’s cause.  His worldly companions see no difference between his conduct and their own; and conclude, either that all is right with themselves, or that he is a hypocrite.  Large parties, as a general rule, are unfriendly to the health both of body and soul.  The most profitable kind of social intercourse is the informal meting of small circles, of which a sufficient number are pious to give a direction and tone to conversation.

6. When in company, labor to give a profitable direction to conversation. If there are elder persons present, who introduce general discourse of a profitable character, let your words be few.  It is generally better, in such cases, to learn in silence.  When an opportunity offers, however, for you to say anything that will add interest to the conversation, do not fail to improve it.  But let your ideas be well conceived, and your words well chosen.  “A word fitly spoken is like apples