V E R. 7. Epbeflans, Ghap.S< 599 them, take them to Confort with us, make leagues of intimate amitie with them. 2. He is not to becounted a wicked man who bath a number of weakeneffes; but Come good thing, who is naught, but not difcovered; but he is fuch a perfon, 1. That is without the Church. 2. That is juftly excommunicate. 3. That though he be in the bofomeof the Church, yet doth by his work mànifeft that he is a meere carnali man; as in the text, be hea meereworldly man, I mull avoid familia- rity with him. But it maybe objeóled, What ifmy wife do by fruits make me fee the hath nothing in her that is truly good, (hall I not keepecompany with here This muff be exceptedfrom not conforting:the wicked are double; Such towhom wee arenot bound by any fpeciall bond : Others to whom religious bonds, as marriage, Civili callings,naturall,as neere- nefieofconfanguinity: the rule therefore is to be underftood of the firft. For the fecond, wee mutt affordthem the prefenceofour out- ward man familiarly and outward benevolence, though we cannot beof one mincie and heart with them as the multitudeof believers. t Cor. 7. 13. Ifan unbelieving husband will dwell with a believing wife, themutt not leave him : Thisthen is the thing, ¿that we may not let our fclves familiarly accommpany the wicked, let them have our prefence fo far as it is free for us to refraine them: this was that was ty- pically frgnified , Levi:. 13.44 God would have the cleane and the Leprous feparated, and Pray. 4.15. he biddeth usgot away , paffe by, baulke theway ofthewicked; that is, not onelytheir fin, but the familiar accuftoming with them, and Daviddoth propound his example, I have net dwelt nor haunted with vainperfens , Pfal. 2.6.4. So An s 2. Saveyour [elves, make efcapefrom this generation. And z Thef. 3.14. Ifanyman obey not our ward, note that man and have no company with him. For this doth fubvert and confound that order , that God will not haveall barked in one bottome, but thevile and precious feparated, Ier.15.19. Again, it is hurtfull for Gods children, for it Bothinfeët them, as he faith, Prov, t 3.20. A companion offooles willprove naught: So the text faith : andbe givetha particular inftance, Prov. zz. 24,25. ítiakenofriendfbiip with an angry man, andwith afurious man thou jhalt notgot,lefi thou learn his way andget aware tothy foule: It is hard to treadon coales and not tobe burnt s or to touch pitch andnot bede- filed, as goodLot, though hevexed his route , yet what an exceffve love was ftolne uponhimout ofthat placee what apoyfon wasentred into hisdaughters and wife, as the Rorie Both manifell e 3. It hutteththewicked, for itkcepeththem from being afhamed, and returning toGod, this being a thing that they take heart by, if they may have the familiar prefenceof fuch asarevertuous. Luke 134 26. We haveeatenanddruoke in thy pretence: and it maketh us unable effeltually torebuke them, when we are in fuch a leagueoffamiliarity with objell.
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