I 54 That thecompany ofvickedworldling:le tobeauoided. trhom thoufi'iou ?; imitate fIfthoufeekeitfor Chrift, bee re- *;;:i%reria not in ehem,&e. .Stcî 8. Secondly,let vs cal tomind that this focietiewithwicked rbarmúhed worldliugs cloth bring vntovsmuchhurt, as beingthe caufe tom; anicil a both of the euill of finne, and the euill ofpuniflunent; for notable induce- it is a fpeciall meanes of the tranfgrcliion of all Gods law : mene to dram and therefore the Prophet Dauidbcing refolued toyceld his vs in finne, obedience thereunto, faith, may frommeyee 1eici¿ed, for I Pfa1to .119.11f. w:llkeepe thecom»tandementsofmy God. Implying that there was no hopeofyeelding fuch obedienceas he defired,vntill he had freed hitnfelfefrom wickedmenscompany. For this wicked focietiedoth exceedingly corrupt and defile thole that frequent it, like veto a gaugrene,whichhauing tainted onemember, neuerrefleth tillit haue runne otterthe whole bodie; or likevnto thefpreading leprofe or plague, which beginning inone houfe proceedeth toanother,vntill it haue infe&ed the greater& part ofa towneorcitie. Inwhich re- Ecclef.13.1. (pet the fon ofSyracla comparethwickedcompany to pitch, 1.Cor.5.6. whichby touching dcfilethvs; and theApofile, to leauen,a littlewhereof foureth thewhole lumpe of dough : and by otherswickedmen in this regard are compared to fcabbed fheepe, one ofwhich is enow to in£e& thewhole flocke;and to rotten apples, which taintand corrupt all the foundones that lieabout them : whereby itappeareth that it is a thing ofgreat difficultieto conneriewithwickedmen, and not to be taintedwith their corruptions : for betides that they are apt toinfe&, wealfo aremoll apt to receiue the info&ion, hauingthe feeds of finneremaining in vs, which are readie to fpringand fprout vp, when theyare (as it were) warred with the breathofeuill company:we are.inour owne nature prone to godowne thehill ofvice,how then (hall we keeps our felues from running headlong, when we arc thruff for- ward with therewicked affociates?L1 our felues we are flug- gifh in tra iellingtheway of righteoufileffe which leadeth to life eternal' : and therefore what will becomeofvs when therebriars and thornescatch hold ofvsand hinder vs?Sure- ly they will either caule yr tomake a fland, and to proceed no further in our Chrifiian race, of will fcratck and rent vs whet;
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