Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

15 8 That the companie ofwicked worldlings is to be auoided. ofthc fame difpofition and conuerfation. For feting entry like is delighted with his like, and feting limilitude in man- ners and affeelions, and delight in the fame pleafures and recreations,is the vfuall bond that lincketh men together in the fame fociety,they receiueno wrong (although they may haue fome goodneffe in them) who frequent the company ofwicked nsen,whcn as they are thus cenfured; feeing they arc eitherprefently euill,or will bee euill within a while; it being the nature of companie,either to find men alike,or to Bonusfie mks make them alike. To which purpofe one faith; that tbegeed tonneólitur,vt andbad are fo ioyned together ; that either they become like one ant pares red another orelfe they are quickly fettered and drftoyned, for friend- dantur,aut citè ab muster( (. Ihip findeth or maketh thisfimilitude. Iuffly therefore is he re- puted euill, who taketh delight in frequenting euillcompa- Chryfoß. fu- nie;for though he be not yet come to the height of finne, per Matthgum. he fart climeth therunto, and is euen at the very next de- gree ofbeing himfclfe wicked, when with a quiet and con- tented mind,he can be a daily beholder of other mens wick- Pro.z9.2,7< edneffe; for as thewife manfaith, A wicked man is an abomi- nation to the iuft,and he that is vpright in his wn y,is abominati- on to the wicked. 4.Sec1.I2. Finally,wicked company is carefully to be fhunned and Wicked corn- auoided, becaufe they make euen the deare feruants and paniemaket') children of God, liable and fubie& to common iudge- vs liable to meats. For as the wife man faith, he that walkethwith the Godeiudge- wife,fhallbewife; but a companion offoolesfhallbeafifted.Af- menu. Pros 3 , zo. zr. t ° :Elíon followeth linners,bttt to the righteous,God tbilrecompenfe good. And thus was righteous Lot led away in that common Gen.14.1 z. captiuitie with the Sodomits ;and dearely bought the plea- fures of the Countrie, by partaking in the punifhments of Numb.ró.z6. the people. Thus whofoeuer adhered to Datban and ilk ram, were alto with them fwallowed ofthe earth aline, and as they confortedwith them in their rebellion, fo they bore them companie into thegulph ofdeflru6lion. And thus was r.King.2z.3z, lehofaphat difcomfited, and hardly efcaped with his life be- ing in the company ofwicked Ahab, and afterwards had his :.Cluo.zo.;7. (hips broken, and his works and enterprifes frufirated and deftroied,becaufe he ioyned himfelfe with eflhaziah. From which