Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

That euill examples are verle dangerous and hurtful!. 163 neuer thinke how farre fhort we come of that which God requireth of vs. To fay nothing of that incouragement which men take veto themfelues,ofcommitting wickednes, when they fee others doe the like, and yet (cape vnpunifhed and florifh in the world. For as the Wife man faith,becaur fentence againfan euill worke is not executedIpeedily,therefore EccIel8.r t. the heart of the children of men is fullie let in them to doe mill. And therefore feeing wee are fo greatly endangered with wicked focietie, by beholding their euill examples, let vs carefully auoide them; or if at vnawares wee happen to come into fuch companie, let vs (as one exhorteth) be very Bafil. Afcetica. watchfull euer our feloses, that wee doe notfuckin theft inticing baits o f fnne, neither by our eyes , nor by our eures left 6y little and little we be inuredto it,and left certainefigures and chara- Elers of thofe euilr, which wee hatse feene and heard,doe remain flillin ourminder to our ruine and deflruîlion. And becaufewe cannot fufficiently with our owne watchfulneffe, preferue our felues from being ouertaken with this deceitfulnes of finne,let vs with Dauid(hauing let a watch before our eyes and Bares) defire the Lord that he will not fuller our hearts to be inclined vnto euill, that wee fhould commit wicked worker withthe men that worke miquitie. And thus it appeareth that euill examples of wicked 4,Sec7.5. worldlings are very hurtfull and pernicious as they corrupt Etsidlexamples and infeét vs with fin : but though we were fo preferued by ofthe wicked Gods fpirit there were no danger of taking hurt by this vex and grieve contagion, yet many other euils are incident veto vs,if wee Gods tenants. be daily beholders ofthefe wicked examples. For being the children ofGod it mull needes bee grieuous vnto vs to fee our heauenly Father thus difhonoured; being faithful) fer- uants of the greatKing ofheauen and earth, it cannot chufe but much vex and trouble vs,when wee fee the glorie of our Lord and mailer impeached by wicked mifcreants; yea and feeing we are ofthe fame flefh and blood with thefe world- ly men,the workmanfhip of the fame Creator,yea people of the fame countrie,and as it were children borne by the fame mother; itmufi needs affli& our foules with griefe and bit- ter forrow, when wee behold them daily running on in a M z courfe,