The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11 by Thomas Watson. Excerpt 71

Watson closes his book with three final warnings. Here is the second part of the second of these:
By living in an evil family, we are liable to incur their punishment: “pour out thy wrath upon the families that call not upon thy name. (Jer. 10. 25) For want of pouring out of prayer, the wrath of God was ready to be poured out. It is dangerous living in the tents of Kedar. When God sends his flying roll, written within and without with curses, it enters into the house of the thief and the perjurer, “and consumes the timber and the stones thereof.” (Ze. 5. 4) Is it not of sad consequence to live in a profane perjured family, when the sin of the governor pulls his house about his ears? If the stones and timber be destroyed, how shall the servant escape? And suppose God send not a temporal roll of curses in the family, there is a “spiritual roll, and that is worse.” (Pr. 3. 33) Be not content to live where religion dies. “Salute the brethren, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.” (Col. 4. 15) The house of the godly is a little church, the house of the wicked a little hell. (Pr.7. 27) Oh, incorporate yourselves into a religious family; the house of a good man is perfumed with a blessing. (Pr. 3. 33) When the holy oil of grace is poured on the head, the savour of this ointment sweetly diffuseth itself, and the virtue of it runs down upon the skirts of the family. Pious examples are very magnetical and forcible. Seneca said to his sister, though I leave you not wealth, yet I leave you a good example. Let us ingraft ourselves among the saints; by being often among the spices, we come to smell of them.

Thomas Watson lived from 1620-1686, in England. He wrote several books which survive. This blog, God willing, will post excerpts from his The Art of Divine Contentment: An Exposition of Philippians 4:11, over a number of weeks, on Sundays.

My source for the text is here, and I thank the Christian Classics Ethereal Library for making this text (and many others) available. The previous excerpt is here.
  
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. (World English Bible, public domain.)  

Impressions, by Martin Wells Knapp, 46

In a previous excerpt, Knapp stated that there are four features of "impressions" from God. These are Scriptural; Right (consistent with good morals); Providential (in harmony with God's will); and Reasonable. His discussion of "Impressions from Above" continues:

Associates. There are so many societies and lodges which crowd their claims upon people that the question of affiliation with them often arises. Such action should be summoned before these scrutinizing tests.

S. If the society has only worldly aims, is controlled by worldly people, and is sustained by worldly expedients, then the Scripture commands: "Come out from among them and be ye separate," and "Be not conformed to the world," should settle the matter without further investigation.

R. Would affiliation with it be right? Would time and money thus spent be for the glory of God? Would it lead to saying or doing anything that Jesus would not approve?

P. Is the way open for spending the time which would be thus taken without infringing on other sacred duties? Is there no other providential barrier?

R. Is it reasonable to unite with it? Will spirituality be blurred or brightened? Is it the best investment for the time and money it will take?

Will my example in uniting be such as I will be glad to have young converts and others follow? Have I reason to believe that Jesus would do likewise were He in my place? If there is doubt about a rightful answer to any of the above questions, reason will demand a stop, and refuse to affix her signet until the doubt disappears. He who turns a deaf ear to any one of these four friendly counselors does so at his peril, and sooner or later will find that he has grasped thorns instead of roses.

Excerpted from Impressions, by Martin Wells Knapp. Original publication date, 1892. Public domain. My source is here. The previous post in the series is here.