510 An Expoftion upon Chap. is unto true godlineffe. As Chrilian Re- ligion is the more pure and fincere, the lefs it doth partake with the fuperfition of Antichrift : fo our Chriftiav conver- fation is the more holy and unblama- ble, the further it is removed from the cuftomes and fafhions of unregenerate perlons. Finally, feeing Paul writeth to men already ;unified by faith, and fan &ified, yea in a great meafure : this putteth us in minde that this leffon is fit for the beft Chriflians to learn and take out, and that it is a work not of a day ,week,month,or year,to flie the con- formity and likeneffe of the world,but filch as men ought all their life long to be occupied and buffed about ; all time and care is here too little. This precept containeth one half of our repentance touching leaving of our fins, and is like thofe other precepts, ofceafing from evil;, E fay t. 16.Pfal.3,4.. 54. of deflroying and crucifying the body of fin, Rom. 6, 6. of mortifying our earthly members, and putting off the old man, Col. 3.5, 6,7,8. of denying worldly lulls, Tit. 2. 12. of departing from iniquity, 2 Tim. 2. 19. All there differ not in fubitance of matter, but in terms affording bufineffe enough and enough again to him that fhould live Methufalems age. For what a work anda do about forfaking one foolifh and finfull fafhion (I mean not of ap- parell, yet even that way we can be foolifh and fantafticall enough, and as froward in retaining, as forward in re- ceiving them,but wicked doings,) how long ere one naughty ufagewill be left? what time and travel; will it aske,trow you, to rid our houle of fo many noyfome cumberfome gue[ls , as have now long time haunted us : our fins of nature, culome, trade efpeci- ally? Do{rine. pay foneth them that comenear it, even like the,pelilence. t Moreover,our finfull nature is fo apt to take the contagion of fin, as flax and tinder to take the fire. Hence came thofe protefiations ofDavid, Pfd 26. & 1.19. -and that admonition of Paul, Ephef. 5. 11. which fhould provoke all men (as ever they do minde to obey this precept of not conforming ) to avoid voluntary company of vain and ungodly perlons. Think with your felves,iffuch godly perfons,fo wife and well mortified as David was, durit not joyn himfelf to ,corrupt and carnali company, upon fear to be like them : then how much the more are others to look to it, which by many degrees are not fo firong as this holy King \ and Prophet was ? Oh,that you would once beleeve, that there were great hurt and hinderance unto godlineffe, in the con - verfation with nngodly and unrighte- ous men, whofewordsand works thew them to be of this world, as Peters lan- guage defcryed him to be a Galilean. T i M. What other lefols from this verfe? S t L. Whereas the Apofile doth not write, that ye thould go out of this world, and leave it quite,and that your (elves in Monafteries and Cloyfters, 7th.'7.;:15. Neither faith he, ufe not this world, for we be commanded fo to do, l Cor. 7.31. and God hath given many things bothfor neceffity andcom- for,t, which he would have used in his fear : but laying thus (fafhion or con- form not your felvesto this world.) Hence we gather, that whatfoever is a property,guife, afhion, behaviour, at- (tome, or praltife of finners and cor- rupt men,(as there be filch) this is even caufe enough why the children of God are to decline it, and to follow the con- trary courfe. Diógenes thought that he fhould do belt when he did leali what the common people did : but fore that courfe of life is molt commendable and acceptable to God, which is molt con- trary to the fafhion of the world. The more and further that in our speech, ge- flure,attire, condition, or works, we go from the world, the necrerwe come DIALOGUE III. Verf. 2. But be ye transformed by the renewing of your minde, that ye may prove what that good, acceptable,andperfet7 will of God h. TIM.
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