Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

164 That euillexamples are very dangerous and hurtfull. courfe,which will bring themto eternall defiru6lion, both :,Pets, ?8, in their foules and bodies.And thuswas righteous Lots footle grieued,when he faro the filthie conuerfattmn oft he wicked sodo- mites. For he being righteous and dwelling amongthem,in feting and in hearing,vexed his righteous foule,from day to elay,roith Pfal.rr9.r 36, their vnlawfu/l deeds. And holy Dauidprofeffcth that his eyes t.9. gulhed out with rioters of waters,and that his zeale men confu. med himbecaufe his enemies kept not Gods law, but forgot his Mat.3. p, words. Yea thus our Sauiour Chrifi himfelfe being conuer- fant among the wicked Iewes,mourned when he faro the hard- nes oftheir hearts. 4.Sec7.6. Finally,bybeing with wicked men,and not doing as they Ifwe doe not doe,nor following their examplcs,weedoe thereby excee- follow the dingly prouoke their malice and hatred: for iris afuflïcient examples ofthe quarrell for a wicked man againflthofe feare God,ifthey wicked, we pro -be innocent, and feeme to make confcience of thofe finnes cure tred.thetrha- which they fee them commit,becaufe their abflinence from cuill feemeth to proclainie their wickedneflewho do com- mit it,and awakeneth their fleeping confciences when as they are galled with their refufall. Whereby oftentimes it commeth to paflè that the godly being fpeókators of there euill examples, and denying to ioyne with them in their enormities, doe not onely thereby endanger their names to be branded with their obloquies,reproches, and difgraces, but alto their perlons to their violence and furie ;as we may Gen.19. fee in the example of Lot,who though he did in moll louing and humble manner refufe to communicate with the Sodo- mites in their finnes, yet fo incenfed them to rage hereby, that they would haue laid violent hands vpon him,had not God miraculouflydeliuered him from their furie. And as it moueth them to hate vs,fó through our naturali corrup- tion wee are readie to extend our hatred beyond it due li- mits,abhorring not only their finne, but their perlons alío. All which evils as they ought, fo they may eafilybe auoy- dcd,if wee will fhunne the focietie of wicked men, and fre- quent the companie of the vertuous;for fo (hall we neither be allured nor grieucd by their examples, nor yet nourifh this open hofülitic betweene vs,but may line like firangers one -------