But the apostle does not forbid us, to have any intercourse at all, even with the men that know not God. For then, says he, _ye must needs go out of the world_, which he could never advise them to do. But he subjoins, [84]_If any man that is called a brother_, that professes himself a Christian, _be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner――Now I have written unto you not to keep company_ with him; _with such an one, no not to eat_. This must necessarily imply, that we break off all familiarity, all intimacy of acquaintance with them. [85]_Yet count him not_, saith the apostle elsewhere _as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother_: plainly shewing, that even in such a case as this, we are not to renounce all fellowship with him: so that here is no advice, to separate wholly, even from wicked men. Yea, these very words teach us quite the contrary.
6. Much more the words of our Lord: who is so far from directing us, to break off all commerce with the world, that without it, according to his account of Christianity, we cannot be Christians at all. *It would be easy to shew, that some intercourse even with ungodly and unholy men, is absolutely needful in order to the full exertion of every temper, which he has described as the way to the kingdom: that it is indispensably necessary in order to the compleat exercise of poverty of spirit, of mourning, and of every other disposition which has a place here, in the genuine religion of _Jesus Christ_. Yea, it is necessary to the very being of several of them; of that meekness, for example, which instead of demanding _an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth_, doth _not resist evil_; but causes us rather, when smitten _on the right cheek, to turn the other also_: of that mercifulness, whereby we _love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us_: and of that complication of love and all holy tempers, which is exercised in suffering for righteousness sake. Now all these, it is clear, could have no being, were we to have no commerce with any but real Christians.
7. *Indeed were we wholly to separate ourselves from sinners, how could we possibly answer that character, which our Lord gives us in these very words: _ye_ (Christians, ye that are lowly, serious and meek; ye that hunger after righteousness, that love God and man, that do good to all, and therefore suffer evil: ye) _are the salt of the earth_. It is your very nature to season whatever is round about you. It is the nature of the divine savour which is in you, to spread to whatsoever you touch; to diffuse itself, on every side, to all those among whom you are. This is the great reason why the providence of God has so mingled you together with other men, that whatever grace you have received of God may through you be communicated to others; that every holy temper, and word, and work of yours, may have an influence on them also. By this means a check will in some measure be given, to the corruption which is in the world; and a small part, at least, saved from the general infection, and rendered holy and pure before God.
8. That we may the more diligently labour to season all we can, with every holy and heavenly temper, our Lord proceeds to shew the desperate state of those, who do not impart the religion they have received: which indeed they cannot possibly fail to do, so long as it remains in their own hearts. _If the salt hath lost its savour, wherewith shalt it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men._ If ye who were holy and heavenly-minded, and consequently zealous of good works, have no longer that savour in yourselves, and do therefore no longer season others; if you are grown flat, insipid, dead, both careless of your own soul, and useless to the souls of other men, _wherewith shall ye be salted_? How shall ye be recovered? What help? What hope? Can tasteless salt be restored to its savour! No; _it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out_, even as the mire in the streets, _and to be trodden under foot of men_, to be overwhelmed with everlasting contempt. If ye had never known the Lord, there might have been hope, if ye had never been _found in him_. But what can you now say to that his solemn declaration, just parallel to what he hath here spoken? [86]_Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he_ (the Father) _taketh away. He that abideth in me, and I in him, bringeth forth much fruit.――If a man abide not in me_, (or, do not bring forth fruit) _he is cast out as a branch and withered; and men gather them_ (not to plant them again, but) _to cast them into the fire_.