then shall we think of those who willingly and readily exchange old tried truths for new-minted errors? The society of such must be shunned.
(5.) Fifthly, Such as cause divisions and discord among the people of God: Rom. xvi. 17, 'Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned ; and avoid them.' ' Mark them;' the Greek word a-Koireiv signifies such a marking as a watchman useth, that stands on a watch- tower to descry an approaching enemy. Ah ! with what a wary, with what a watchful, with what a curious, with what a jealous, with what a serious, with what a diligent eye doth the watchman watch all the motions, turnings, and windings of the approaching enemy! With such an eye we should mark them that cause divisions. ' And avoid them;' the Greek word eKKkivare signifies a studious, careful declining of them. A man must decline and shun them as he would decline and shun such persons or things that are most pernicious, dangerous, or infectious to him. Divisions are a dishonour to Christ, a reproach to Christians, a blot upon profession, a block in the way of the weak, and a sword in the hand of the wicked ; they are Satan's engines, and an inlet to all destruction and confusion. And therefore the authors of them are to be shunned and avoided.!
(6.) Sixthly, Such Christiajis as are scandalous and profane in their lives and conversations: 1 Cor. v. 11, ' But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a for- nicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner, with such a one no not to eat : ' 2 with such a brother who belies his profession, with such a brother whose course and conversa- tion contradicts his profession, we must not hold Christian communion. Certainly I may not have fellowship with him at the Lord's table, whom I may not have fellowship with at my own table : Eph, v. 11, ' Have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them;' Acts ii. 40, 'Save yourselves from this untoward generation.' Wicked company is very dangerous and infectious: 1 Cor. XV. 33, ' Evil communication corrupts good manners.' As he that walketh in the sun will be tanned, and he that toucheth pitch will be defiled ; so he that associateth himself wdth the wicked will be tainted and polluted. Guilt or grief is all you shall gain by bad com- pany, 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8 — witness Lot, David, Joseph, and Peter. s By bad company Christians come to lose much of the sweetness, serious- ness, goodness, and graciousness of their spirits. Gold, though the noblest metal, loseth of its lustre by being continually worn in the same purse with silver. Familiarity with vain persons hath much worn off the spiritual lustre, beauty, and glory that hath been upon many Christians. Bad company will prove a very great hindrance to you in your Christian course: Ps. cxix. 115, 'Away from me, ye wicked, for I will keep the commandments of my God.' I cannot
^ The Turks pray daily that the divisions among Christians may be heightened, that BO they may be the sooner ruined and undone.
* (Tvvai'aiJLlyvvffdai, not to be joined, mixed, or mingled with them, &c. Prov. ix. 6 ; Ps. XV. 4 ; Eph. v. 7 ; Ps. cxix. 115 ; Prov. iv. 14, 15.
3 Ps. cxx. 7, 8 ; Gen. xlii. 15, 16 ; Mark xiv. 66-72 : 1 Kings xxii. 8 ; 2 Chron. xxiv. 17, 18.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 67
keep my God's commands whilst I keep your company ; I shall never do my duty till I abandon your society. Divine commands will never lie close and warm upon my heart, so long as I give you my hand. How hard is it to keep the commandment of labour among the slothful, or the commandment of diligence among the negligent, or that of liberality among the covetous, or that of humility among the ambitious, or that of love among the malicious, or that of union among the contentious, or that of chastity among the lascivious, or that of righteousness among the unrighteous, or that of faithfulness among the unfaithful, or that of fruitfuLness amongst the unfruitful, or that of thankfulness among the unthankful, or that of faith among the doubtful, &c. But,
(7.) Seventhly, A seventh sort of persons that Christians must have no intimate, no special communion with, is false prophets, false teach- ers.^ They are not to give such any house-room, 2 John 10, 11, nor heart-room. Mat. xxiv. 23, 24, 26. They are to shun them and avoid them, Rom. xvi. 17. It is not safe for a Christian to hear them, or to have any communion or fellowship with them. Aristotle writeth of a certain bird called Capri-mulgits, a goat-sucker, which useth to come flying on the goats, and suck them, and upon that their milk drietli up, and they grow blind.^ Ah, how many a seeing man hath been made blind, and how many hopeful thriving Christians have had all theu' springs of love, of life, of sweetness and goodness dried up in them, by the sleights, deceits, and insinuations of false teachers ! False prophets have their peithanology — their good words, and fair speeches, and subtle devices, whereby they blind many souls, and dry up all the spiritual milk and moisture that is in them, and therefore they are to be shunned and avoided. But,
(8.) Eighthly, You must have no intimate, no special communion with such as are obstinate and refractory, and that will not submit to Christ's rules and laws : 2 Thes. iii. 14, ' And if any man obey not pur word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with tim, that he may be ashamed,' or, that he may turn into himself, as it is in the original.^ Such as are refractory must be noted with a brand of infamy ; such must be infamous in your eye, who look with an eye of contumacy upcm any command or institution of Christ. The Greek word, arjfMeLovade, signifies to note him so as to make a sign, as it were, of him ; or to mark him so as to put him to the blush, to put him to shame. The obstinate, the refractory person should be a marked person, you must set a cross upon him, that all may know him and shun him ; the assemblies of the saints are honour- able, and refractory Christians are to be shut out of them: Mat. xviii. 15-17, ' Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone : if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, [if he be refractory,] then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of
1 Mat. xvi. 6, 11, 12; Gal. i. 8; Mat. vii. 15, 13 ; Deut. xiii. 1-3; Titus i. 10, 11.
* Lib. de Animal. [Cf. Catullus, xxii. 10, and Pliny, x. 40, 56, Sec. 115.— G.]
* The Greek word, Xva ivrpair^, is very significant, for it denotes such a perturbation of the mind, that he who is affected therewith, seeks up and down where he may hide himself for shame.
68 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.