Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

Too e` dediteltions. workewickedneffe: wee can giueplace tovngodlymotions, weecan fof}ervpflcfhlyde- 'fires, yeaand through our corruptions , aboundance of euill will flowout of vs. Albeit thereforewe do auoydthecorruption wherewithwemight be infected byothers, yet ifwe prouidenot force helpe for our owne infirmities, by good company, wemay be as wicked whenwe are alon e,as tholewhich hue among the wicked : wemull then feeke thecompa- ny of Godspeople, and with themwe mull nourifhpeaceand loue, by labouring to pro fite them by whatgood thing loener weehaue, andbyreceiuing andlearning fomegood - neffeby them,for the fuflaimngof our infirmities, for the relieumg of our needcs, andfer the fupp lieof ourmanifold wants. Dsai4did feebow needfulthis svas:tiierefore Iài6, bedothnot only fay, that he will keepe himfelfefrom thecorrupt worfhip ofthe wicked, becaufe he bawds them : but hee will soyne hánfelfe to Gods people , for the lone thathee Pfal.ioç. beareth them, laying : All mydelight is in the Saints. And in another Plalme faith hee :l hatethem that hate theeOLard: whereunto that may be well ioyned, that is, Iamaeampa- tot Monte all themthat loam thee,and lone thyname. ButLot didgreatlyfaile in that point,when be would notretorneto his vnckleAbraham, after he was delìueredout of Sodonie: for if hehad gone vetohim,he might hauebeen preferued from much woe peraduenture,which after didbefall him. But it was hard for him to confcflèhisfault vitrohis vnckle , this was grieuousveto bins, and therefore he would not feekefor the companyof Abraham. And what carnehereof but griefevoto himfelfe, fhameveto Itsfamily, and conunuallpunifli- ment untohis pof}erítie? This rule then mull be diligentlyobferued, that webe alwayes ascarefull and deurous toioyneour felues with godly companie, aswe be to auoyde theaffemblies ofthe wicked. Pfal,r.r,a. If this befo,as it ought to beuideede ; thenhowgreat andhow grieuous is their finne ,and how /carefully doe they offend, whichforfake the factetìe of the godly, to dwell among the wicked,and doe leaue the companie of Gods people, to haue theftmiliaritie ofwicked men? Itwere good for fuels to confider what the Angell of the Lord Paid veto Hagar, Gen. x6.8. when fhefled from Serasliermif}refle: Hagar Sarahsmeidewhence commeft thou? andnhi- thermilt theregoe ? This mike might palle benreenethem. Angell.Whence cornice t thou? Hagar. From Abrahams bottle. Angell. Wisitiser god thou? Hagar. Into Egypt. Angell. Whence commef} thou ? Hagar.From the peopleof God. Angell. Whither goof} thou? Hagar. To the vngcdly Egyptians. Angell. Whence cowmen thou ? Hagar. From the Chmchi ofG ed. Angell. Whither goeft thou ? llagar.To the SynagogueofSatan. Angell. Take beedc to thy feife and beware, commit not this greatwickedu s Ilé, doe notthis great finne againit the Lold,returne thylelfe unto thy uiiltrellè,humble thy lelfe vetoher, and beobedient vistoher will. How patine is this 1peech? Howeff,anal( and worthie to be remembred,ifwe hide alreadie chaunged our places,or ifwegoe aboutto changealiens? Letvs rememberthe laying ofthe Angell,and let vs confider whether it may not likes,ife be laidvnto vs : whence commefl thou? out of riseChurch of God: whither god} thou? to the affemblie of heretikes :ss here haft thou beene?in the Church :where art thou,or V ineandvn- tiler wilt thougoe? totheworldandthevanitiethereof.Ofearefuilexchange!Eefrainethy profltabie helfe berimes,returne thyfoote si ith fpeed,comehahily tothe Lord thy God,hutnble thy chvgerojpla- frifevnderhishand romifeand erformeallobedienceanteshim ,thatlieema receiue eei ando/tal- t p P y Gngs,&, thee to hisfauour opine.Let vs thrnke that the Lorde doth fpeake veto our confetences, and let vs then anhverehim with a purebeart,and it wit without doubt flay vs frommany vnaduifed and vnprofitable changes.If we do rightly and in truth confider ofthis,we Iliall be to fatfromgoing to the wicked,tbat ifwe be among them,we fnall haflily feparat our heluesfrom them, that wee may referee to the children and people ofGod, which in this verle are called righteous. Themarkerel Thefe righteous men whofe company wemuflkeep,andto whomwemull affciate and aegPatoar ioyne our felues, are here defcribedby two notes. The firft noteofa righteous man isthis, mad, that his lifebe ordered and guided by the word ofGod, which fhineth outbeforehim asa light to hisfeete,and a lanterne to hispaths. When a man thereforebath a delireand care to mealureall thingsby theword,lie walketliin thelight,hislightfhineth,he bath anargu- ment that lie is a righteous man. The

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