Secondly, seeing we are all apt to be followers, let us seek out the best patterns. It is the custom of the wicked to pretermit all good precedents, and to single out such as they would have, not such as they should have. As the Dor that passeth by all the sweet flowers of the meadow, humming in scorn, and ends his flight in a dung-hill. Or, as the Egyptians, that behold the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, all the glories of nature, without admiration, yea without common regard: until they spy a Crocodile, an ugly serpent, and then down on their knees to worship it. It is an unhappy thing to converse with the wicked: to be a brother to the Dragons, and a companion to the Ostriches, Job 30.29. To remain in Meshek, and to dwell in the tents of Kedar, Psal. 220.5. He that is a parasite to a great mans lust, is not a servant to the great Gods Law. Gal. 1.10. If I should please men, I were not the servant of Christ. Noah abhors the fashions of the old world, Lot of Sodom, Job of Uz: yea, they have opposed themselves: one Reuben was opposite to the rest of his fraternity, one pair of Spies to the rest of their faint-hearted company, one Lot to the rest of the City, one Luther to the rest of his country, one Noah to the whole world. Suppose the example bates of multitude, and is supplied with magnitude; will it be a good answer to the Tribunal; Ego & Rex meus, the Prince and I? True, I did so, but there were better men in the company, I durst not displease? But whether is better, to follow mans humour, or Gods honour? At the day when Sceptres and sepulchres shall be all one; what protection is there in thy lord against the Lord of Hosts?
Secondly, seing we are all apt to be followers, let us seeke out the best patternes. It is the custome of the wicked to pretermit all good precedents, and to single out such as they would have, not such as they should have. As the Dorre that passeth by all the sweet flowers of the medow, humming in scorne, and ends his flight in a dung-hill. Or, as the Aegyptians, that behold the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, all the glories of nature, without admiration, yea without common regard: until they spie a Crocodyle, an ugly serpent, and then downe on their knees to worship it. It is an unhappy thing to converse with the wicked: to be a brother to the Dragons, and a companion to the Ostriches, Iob 30.29. To remain in Meshek, and to dwell in the tents of Kedar, Psal. 220.5. He that is a parasite to a great mans lust, is not a servant to the great Gods Law. Gal. 1.10. If I should please men, I were not the servant of Christ. Noah abhors the fashions of the old world, Lot of Sodom, Iob of Vz: yea, they have opposed themselves: one Reuben was opposite to the rest of his fraternity, one paire of Spies to the rest of their faint-hearted company, one Lot to the rest of the City, one Luther to the rest of his countrey, one Noah to the whole world. Suppose the example bates of multitude, and is supplied with magnitude; will it be a good answer to the Tribunall; Ego & Rex meus, the Prince and I? True, I did so, but there were better men in the company, I durst not displease? But whether is better, to follow mans humour, or Gods honour? At the day when Scepters and sepulchers shall be all one; what protection is there in thy lord against the Lord of Hostes?
