The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

Vers. 14. Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walk not in the way with them. 15. Avoid it and go not by it, turn from it and pass by.

Vers. 14. Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way with them. 15. Auoyde it and goe not by it, turne from it and passe by.

Solomon hath hitherto exhorted us to wisdom, now he dehorteth and calleth us back from all manner of evil, which might hinder our proceedings in wisdom, and first he adviseth us to avoid all evil examples: secondly he willeth us to beware of our own way-wardnes and corruptions, and to fly from the evil examples of sinful and wicked¹ men. He dehorteth us in six verses, that is, from the 14. to the 20. and his dehortation consisteth of a precept, and the reasons of the precept: the principal is expressed in the 14. and 15. vers: we must have no fellowship or familiarity with the wicked, and because it is hard to fly from them, and because their company is dangerous, therefore Solomon useth many words to set out the matter, showing indeed, that we can never be too much or too often warned of them: for he saith, Enter not, walk not, withdraw thy self from it, pass not by it, decline from it. Much like unto this Physic, the Physicians prescribe for the² plague: for they say, if a man will be preserved from the plague, he must observe these 3. things: first, that he quickly and with all speed fly from it: secondly, that he fly far away: thirdly, that it be long ere he return to the place again. By this they mean, that if the air be once infected, there can be no remedy devised to preserve a man in that place: now the plague is more contagious then the wicked are, the plague doth no more infect the air, then the wicked do infect those places wherein they live: and therefore Solomon doth very well to prescribe this remedy for the avoiding of the infection which might be gotten by evil company. For what could preserve a man in Sodom, but only his lawful calling: therefore unless a man have such a calling to keep him there, he must fly quickly from the wicked, he must fly far from them, he must see them amend, before he return unto them. David did very well see this, and therefore he doth in many places cry