43a r3f'Cnnvafan,órrurnlagunmGod. $gcT :Ix" tta;odly Firí}, Ic cannot be denyed, thy ungodly Friends, efpecially if in near relations, friends great as Father, Mother, husband , wife, &c. arewonderful) impediments in the way to impediments heaven. Many had iu all robability been turned to God, if they had had bet- indrewayto Y P , haven. ter parencs, bet tcrkinred, lived in better families,where Piety and Religionmight be more incouraged, and a good example given thereto. It wás d great advantage toTimothy, That he had a Mother and a Grandmother, both godly, and fo froma youth he wasacquainted with the Scriptures, t Tim. 1. S. And it is as heavy a Judgement,where Ca:Wren can fee nothing but wickedneffe and impiety in thole who are their Superiors, or to live among men that are prophane enemies to godli- nclfc; Now the realons why Inch men fo yoked with unrighteoufneffe do hardly throw it off, are, r. Firft, From the nature of a man, who is a fociable Creature. Its anatural pro - Why men perry to joyn in fociecy with thofe amongfl whom he liveth, and by that means yoked wirhun- dock eatily partake of their fins. Therefore onegreat meansof Convection, is to righmousndlè' let our telvrs apart from company,To commune withourown bearer andbe flid,Pfal. by wicked re- lations or ac- 4. that upon this retirement we may come to a right and found judgement in all quainrance, do things, Pron. 18. t. Throughdefrre a man having feperated himfelf intermedletl, very rarely b.with all wifdome. Min thereforebeing a fociable creature, its the greatcff part of come godly. prudence and K ifdome that canbe co makeehoife of hiscompany, to fee who they are that he acquaints With, for he will quickly becoloured, and receive the impref- lion that others put uponhim. Ariflotle faid, That he who lived alone, was either a God or a Devil , becaufe retiredncffe would much improvea man, either inwick. edneffe or piety ; but that holdeth not in every refpclh ; for many times wicked- neffe is incerafed anddrawn ouc by companying with others. a. Stcondly, Becaufe evil) acquaintanceputteth fo great a demur to Convet(on, Therefore the Scripture ie fo diligent, in givingmany exhortations toovoidal the So- ciety of wicked men. Ifany manbea Drunkard, an Adulterer, a riotous perfon, no not coeat with fuch an one a Cor, ç. I r. Nor to ear, that is,tohave no familiar, voluntaryandunmet guyacquaintance with him,that may encourage him and ten- holden him in his fin : f r,If anywalkdiforderly,froen fach withdraw, that there- by the perfon offending may be afhamed, a Thef, 3. t a. And Solomon the mirror of all wifdome,is very frequent in Precepts, concerning the Adulretous woman ; Theyoung man mutt not come near herdwelling,he mutt paffe on the other lade of the firm, keepotffrom fuch place as places of the plague, and dangerous ii feai. ons. So where unjutl violent men are brought in , Prov. i, entng the young man to cafe in hislot with them, be is warned to have nothing to do with them, he muff avoid them, as the birdcloth the there that is laid for her. Hereupon the Ptalmdt begins hisfife Pfalmwith the blelfedneffe of thatman, whodothaot fit nor ma/kin the company of the ungodly, Pf i.t. 3. Thirdly, Thereforei(i company io dangerous , becanfefnieofaninfetling conta- gious nature ; itquicklyfpreads throughafamily, through a parifb, efpecìally ifany e.. minor in place andoffice give an example to wickednejfe. The groundof that Church. cenfure, Excommunication, is the contagion ofocher mens fins; Purge out the old leven,rhat was in the inceffuous perfon, 1 Cor. S.y.And why? becaufe a little leven leveneth the whole lump : he that rouchethpires, cannotbut be defiled with it. He that lieth in the dung-híl cannot but fine' ofic:fo then thy delight withungödly,and prophane men, cannot but in time make thee as black as they .Why fhould not men be as much afraidof being infcâcd with tin, as with a contagiousdìleafelbuc onely weare carnal, fearing theevil of the body, which is death , but not theevil of the foul, which :stir: and damnation.Oh then fay,Whyam I fach an enemy to my foul? Herecan ! ever turn to God as long as I live here, delight inloch men ? How canI ever gc. roto Canaan, if I leavenot this Egypt? 4 Fcmethly, He that ujeynedi ungodlyacquaintance,dethhardly (urn toged,6e. reite t ro -e w not comely evilgat by them, but this ie agea furo demonflration of that mans naughty andevilheart. Foe' it is (áeoid rute, (mile,frmili, gambit; fimilttüde is
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