Monday Puritan (a day late)

In the his application of Mark 3:33, George Petter writes:
"To reprove such as omit or break off good Duties, as Prayer, Reading, Meditation, Hearing the Word, etc., to gratify some of their Friends, who (it may be) come unto them, and desire to speak with them about Worldly businesses, or to have them keep company with them at such times when they should be imployed in better and more necessary Duties, such as those before named. What do such plainly shew, That they prefer the Company of their Friends, before the Service of God; and that they make more account of giving contentment to Friends, than of pleasing God, and of yielding obedience to his Will. Let it not be so with us. But learn by the Example of our Saviour, not to take notice of our best Friends, in case that they go about unreasonably to hinder us in such Duties as God calls us to perform. When Peter would hinder and disswade our Saviour from suffering death, though it were under pretence of love, yet he would not hearken to him, but counted him his Enemy in that case, and therefore called him Satan, Matth. 16. So some of the Holy Martyrs, when some Friends of their went to disswade them from standing out, and suffering death for the Profession of Truth, they would not hearken to them, nor suffer themselves to be hindered from the bold and constant confession of Truth, being called unto it."