,Si 8 C T. IX. Of COAi4lerfan,or7forming mu' öGod. 433 h â cauleof love ; and therefore ifye fee a man delight inthe focietyof that man, who is prophane and wretched, that man is fo too in hisheart and difpofitian ; for though many men will not outwardlybe drunk or fwear,yetif they love thofe that do fo,it b plain their difpofLions are again(fgodlineffe as well as others r fo that as pavidhaving a godly heart, did evidently demonftraee this by that expreffion, Hrñ delight woe in the Saints of theearth, Ptal. 16.3. So it is a fore demon[tration of a wicked man, though he maynot do outward wickednefs , yet if hekeep company with thofe that do it. TheApofcle makes it a fign wehave palled from death to life, Ifwelove the brethren, a Job. ;.14. and ifwe love thofe that live in the exer- cifeofallevil,isisaGgnwearelhll in the Elate of death : feperatetherefore thy feiffromthat evil fociety, ifthou wilt turn at any time to God. Fifthly , Therefore doevi/companionsfogreatlyhinder carverfson ,becanfe they are dailyhardening andencoeraging one another in an evil Way. Thus they emboldened one another that faid, Let tteeat anddrink,for tomorrow we/hall dye : and the A, poftle alleadging this,faith,Evil eemmt4eicationr correptgoad manners, I. Cara ç. 33. For as the godly are recorded inScriptureas fo many live coals put together; enflaming oneanother withfire from heaven , thus thofe that feared God fake oftenmeta another ,fatbMal, 3. a 3,and inEfai, 23. they are calling upon one ano- ther, Come, lot usgo tip to thehhofeof the Lord, we will go alto : So the contrary is withwickedmen, they put prefumpcion and defperate boldnefs into one another; they hearten oneanother. Where any hopefulfeeds of good motions are riling up, they prefently pull'them up : What , you. grow precife? What,you turn tose, lançholy ? What matter is it what Minillers preach? They muft havefomething ttä fay ; thus they are ableco blaEt all,andone wicked companion is able to do more hurtethen many fermons good. Laftly, Therefore are tbofe,whoare joynedinevilfellowfhip,hardlyconverted to rod becaufemess are movedbyoxamples,e,Fßeciallyofametáiteode. Where ccrcuptiosois univerfal, there not tobe carried down the [cream, argueth life of grace : Exam- ples affetl more then precepts,becaufetheyare vifiole and obvious to the eye,Thus Peter is Paid tocompelfoammen to3udeize,by hieexample meerdy,Gal.z,3 a,efpccielly examples are more potent andviolent, whenthey are general : Thereforeyou have a fpeciall command in this cafe, Those¡halt notfollow a moliitude to'doevil, Exod, 23. I. Incorrupt ages, where finlikea deluge doth overflow , then to have Come men apply themfelves co God, is a great wonder. Than it isfpoken an a great matter afterthatall flea) hadcorruptedhis waits, Then began men to collars the Lord,Gen. 4.26. asfume expound it; Then fome men began to let up the pure worlhip of God. Well, though this befilch a mountainin the way,yet feveral con- Gderationsmay make thee eafaly climbeoverit. Firft, Tou have theexampleoflose whohave lived in praphaneylaces, have been r. Direßiona' compsfedabaese withall wiekednefre,yet thefe even ontof hellhave cryedunto God and and means drawn near Natohim, Thus Hezekiahwas bornofa wicked' Father, Icing elhaz, how to get and all the family was likely very much corrupted,becaufe he didalter all the abo- through, or minutionsof the heathens. Yet how wonderfully doth g a thing God bring . clean cadìmef }offntwf heim- , from an unclean I Thus inWires Court, who was the moniter of men, and no pe wicked com- doubtbut his family a moniker offamilies, efpecially for cruelty and bloody perle. panions and cationof the Churchof God, yet the Scripture census, there were a company of relations. Sadlymen, even in Nero's Court, Phil. 4a 3.Thus allo Nicadem+u a Pharifee, and a greatman in the Pharifees counfels, yet he fearethGod, and is not drawn alide by their examples. Donot thou therefore put it off,and fay, ìfI lived fomewhere elfe, ¡II had, any to joynwith me,to take myparr, I would then turn.toGod , but now I mull do as thofe with whomI live,elle there is no abiding for me : fpeaknot thus, for the Scripturerecordeththofe that have broken through greater difficulties then thou art in, neither ifthy heart wereright, could thisPop thee. secondly, Lay thisdownfora role, that it it not fo mach a friend, a father, a neigbbour,as the dive/inand bythefe that doth thus tempt thee to keepfromGod: Fer ICk k fezh
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=