And it is as true on the contrary, if we partake with the wicked in their sins, we shall partake with them in their punishment. Therefore the Scrip- ture saith, ' Come out of Babylon, my people, lest if you partake of her sins, so you partake of her punishments,' Rev. xviii. 4. Now, atheistical people think it nothing to enter into league, and amity, and society with profane people, that are professedly so, not only by weakness, but those that are stigmatized. But what saith the Scripture ? — and the Holy Ghost doth not trifle with us. — ' Come out of Babylon, my people, lest you par- take of her plagues ; ' which is not meant so much locally to come out of the place, as in disposition to come out in respect of liking, and converse, and secret intimate communion. Lot's sons-in-law, they thought it was but trifling. They gibed as atheists do now, when they hear the ministers encourage people to make much of religion, and to set against those that
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, \'En. 7. Ill
are opposite. They think they are enforced to it, and it is upon mistake, &c., though it be as palpable as the light of the sun. They deal as Lot's sons-in-law, when he warned them to come out of Sodom, and he was pulled out. They would believe nothing till fire came down from heaven, and destroyed them all. It was too late then. Therefore let us hearken to the coimsel of the angel, let us not make this a matter of scorn, a light matter ; but as we desire to have no part in their confusion, so avoid their courses. The Sci'ipture is terrible to those that, after the breaking out of the light, will be such. There is not more direct Scriptures against any kind of men, than those that wilfully cleave to antichrist. Therefore we should not esteem it a light matter, but think of it seriously indeed.
And not only in respect of them, but all wicked society. Were it not pity that men should be severed from them hereafter, whose company they will not be severed from now ? If thou see an adulterer, a blasphemer, a wicked, licentious, atheistical person, and thou runnest into the same ex- cess of riot with him, thou wilt not be drawn by any persuasions, minis- terial or friendly, or by thine own light, which knows his course to be naught, to retire from his society, — dost thou not think to share with him afterward in his judgment ? As you are all tares, so you shall be bound in a bundle, and cast into hell together, Mat. xiii, 30. As the wheat shall be gathered into heaven, so the tares, a cursed company, that will cleave together though they be damned for it. As they clave together as burs and tares here, so they shall be cast into hell together. That is the end of dissolute, unruly creatures, that nothing will sever them from those w^ho in their own consciences they know their coui'ses to be naught.
' Our hope of you is stedfast.' There is a double certainty, a certainty of the truth of the thing, and a certainty of the estate of the person. The certainty of the truth is this, those that suffer with Christ and his church, shall be glorijied unth Christ and his church. The certainty of the truth is more certain than heaven and earth. Now, besides the certainty of the truth, or thing, there is interposed a certainty of the persons, that as they were interested in the sufierings, so they should be in the comforts. And this is true as well as the former. For God's promises are not mere ideas wanting truths, that have no performance in the persons ; but if the thing be true, it is true in the person to whom the truth belongs. Suffering goes before glory. Therefore if we suffer we shall be glorified. But this is the condition, if they suffer with Christ. Then St Paul takes it for certain that they shall be glorified with Christ. There is not the same certainty of the persons as of the truth itself. The truth is certain by a certainty of faith, but the certainty of the persons is the certainty of a charitable persuasion. I am persuaded that you will suffer with me in sympathy, and therefore I am persuaded in the certainty of charity that you shall of a certain have the comfort.
' Our hope of you is stedfast.' St Paul, you see, hath a good conceit of them, that he might encourage them to sympathise and take to heart his crosses, and to take good by them. A good hope of others hath a double efficacy.
1. It hath one efficacy in the party that hath the good hope of another. It stirs him up to be diligent to take all courses that may be for the good -of another. As the speech is, Hope stirs up to work ; it stirs up en- deavour ; so it doth in the husbandman, and in every kind of trade. Hope quickens endeavour. A man will never sow upon the sands. He
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loseth his cost. A man will never bestow his pains upon those that he thinks are desperate. And what is it that dulls and deads endeavour ? I despair of ever doing such a man good. When those despairing thoughts enter into the soul, there is a stop of all endeavour. And surely Cliiistians are much to blame that way. When they might have ground, if charity "were in them, at least of hope of others ; upon some hard, despairing conceits they cast ofi' hope, and so neglect all endeavours of doing good to others. The Spirit of God is witty- in the hearts of his children to ob- serve all advantages of doing good. Therefore it is willing to entertain all offers of good in others. If they be but willing to hear reproof, if they be willing to hear comfort, and to hear good discourse, it will make a good construction of their errors, if it may be, except it be those that are mali- ciously obstinate. It will impute it to passion, or to ill company, to one thing or other. As fixr as possible it will admit of a good construction. Love in God's children will admit of it ; and love stii's up to hope, and hope stirs up to deal with them for their good.