wap is the term {ivirg vainly added to God ;, for beſides thar, he is uſually fo called, a+ icing Ever living, and the Founrain 91 at! Life ir 2ko fhewerl; the oppoſirion berwixe him and [dols, which are dead thinzs: 4nd ieorerore God could have no more communion with Idols, thai t26 {i:ing can have wich rhe dead 3 nor could they have COMmunio!: with che living God, and dead Idols. Nor could chey be che People ot the living God, and the People or Wor- ſhipers of dead Idols fo as thole that were Idolaters, muſt loſe rhe advancage of that Covenant wherein God had ſaid, I will oe you; God, and you (hall be my People,
17 * Wheretore come out from among them, and
jr. 15 be ye ſeperate, ſaith the Lord, and rouch not the un-
clean thinz, and 1 will receive you x,
x The Apoſtle here quoteth words our of the Old Teſtament, no where ro ke found there ſyllabically wirhout variation 3 bur keeping to the ſenſe of them, (which is a thing very uſual with rhe Permen of the New Teſtament.) The firſt quotation ſeemerh ro be raken from Jz. 52. 11. Depart ye, depart ye, 80 ye 0:t from thence, zouch no unclean thing, g0 ye out of the midſt of her, be ye clean that bear the Veſſels of the Lord. Interpreters are not agreed, as to che Term from whence the Propher rhere admoniſhed tbe Jews to depart : $ome make it to be their former finful courſes; others make it to be che Kingdom of the Devil and Antichriſt, others make ir ro be literal Babylon 3 the Prophet foreſeeing, that when the ou ſhould have a liberty given them to leave Babylon, (which happen'd in time of Cyr: the Perſian Monarch) ſome of them (now as jr were incorporated with the Chaldeans ) would linger and find a difficulty x0 pluck up their ſtakes in Babylon, rhough it were 1n order to their recurn to eryſalem, hererofore the joy and praiſe of the whole Earth. Whatever was the Propher's meaning, certain It is, the Apoſtolical Precept cannor be interpreted of a leaving /ite- ral Babylon, tor neither rhe Chriſtian Jews, or Gentiles, were at this time there;z It muſt therefore be underſtood of a myſtical Ba-
' ly!on, And the ſenſe muſt be this, Come out, and be ye ſeperate
from thoſe with whom your Souls will be in as much danger as the Jews were in che literal Babylon. But wherher by theſe are to be underſtood 1dolaters only, or all notorious ſcandalons Livers, is the Queſtion, The true determination of which, I conceive, de-
endeth upon the ſenſe of thoſe words, Come ye out, Be ye ſeperate, Which wo: ds I think are not fully interpreted by rhoſe that follow, Touch not the unclean thing; for, doubtleſs the tormer words are a Precepr conceining the means to be uſed in order to that as an end 3 it being an jard thing to touch pirch, and nor to be defiled therewith. On the other fide, rhey interprer it too rigi-lly, who make 1t to be a prohibition of all Commerce, or company with ſuch perſons 3 for this is contrary to the Apoſtolical DoRrine in his former Epiſt.e ro this Church, where he had allowed, Chap. 5s. a civil Commerce and Traffick with the worſt of men; and Chap, 7. had forbidden the ſeperation of Chriſti :ns and Heathens, once join- ed in Marriage, unleſs the Unbeliever firſt departed. The Texr theretore mult be underſtood only of Eleftive and unneceſſary intimate Communion 3 and 1s much the ſame with char, v. 14. be ye not unzqually yoaked with Unbiievers. So as that ir doth by no means juſtifie the withdrawing of all civil and religious Communion from thoſe whole juugments or practice in all things we cannot approve; it only juſtityeth our withdrawing our communion f:om Idolaters, and from notorious 1candalous Sinners in ſuch duties and actions, or in ſuch degrees, as we are under no obligation to have fellowſhip and communion with them in, and our torbearing ro touch their ux- clean things 1n thar fellowſhip and communion, which we are allowed with chem having no felio« ſhip with them in rheir unfruirful works of darknels, bur rep:oving them, even while in civil things, and ſome religious ations, we have ſome fellowſhip withchem.
18 And * will bea Father unto you, and ye ſhall be
x my ſons and daughters, ſaith the Lord Almighty y.
7 The latter words, which are a promiſe of God's reception ot them who for his ſake withdraw from a ſinful Communion with Idolaters and ſcandalous perſons, are taken out of Fer. 31. 1, 9. and teach us this, That none can reaſonably expeR that God ſhould fulfil his Covenant with them, who make no conſcience ot tulfilling their part inir with him; nor claim the benefirs of a Father, who pertorm not the daties of his Children: bur on the contrary, thoſe whoare conſcientious in the diſcharge of their duries of filial obedience, may expe& from him both the kindneſs and the pro- retion of a Father, (which is the more valuable becauſe he 1s the Loyd God Almighty, who wants no power to prote& them, or ſo to Intluence them, as to make chem in all chings happy, as the Children of fo great a Father. )
CHAP, VII.
Thiſe Promiſes a motive to Sar ftification, 1, His Inttgrity and Afffection to them in the midſt of all Tribulations: He aſſures himſelf alſo of theirs towards him, 1—5, confirmed to them by the report Titus gave of their godly ſorrow, with its fruits which his ſormer Epiſtle had wrought in them, 6 — 12. and of their loving kinaneſs and oveatence to Titus, arſwerable to his former boaſting s of them, 13—16.
h,z, * 1 Aving therefore theſe Promiſes a (dearly be-
; loved) let us cleanſe our ſelves from all fil- thineſs of the fleſh and ſpirit b, perfeCting holineſs in the fear of God c.
4 Theſe promiſes 3 e. Of God's dwelling in vs, and walking with 5, of God's being our Father, and making and owning us as his Sons ; which promiſes are made to true Penitents that will rouch no unclean thing. b Let us through the aſſiſtance of Divine Grace, endeavour to cleanſe our ſelves, or keep our ſelves clean, nor only from fleſhly filchineſs, (ſuch as are fins of intemperance, drunkenneſs, uncleanneſs) bur alſo from ſpiricual filchineſs, (extravagant paſſions, corrupt afte&ions, pride, envy, raſh anger, Idolatry, conrencion,divi- 10n.) c And thar, becauſe weare nor only obliged to Holineſs, but to Perfet Holineſs, in or through the fear of the Lord; awing our
hearts, leſt we ſhould prophane the Temple of the Lord, or bes | ' tion which he brought me.
we Our ſelves as unduriful Sons to ſo gcod a Father. So far are