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,…

The second reason why we should avoid the evil company of the wicked, is, because of duty we are bound to join our selves to the godly, and to be companions of all them that fear the Lord. It is not enough to fly from the wicked, and to leave their¹ company: but we must make hast to the assemblies of the godly, & link our selves in friendship with them: •or of our selves we can devise evil, and by our selves we can learn to work wickedness: we can give place to ungodly motions, we can foster up fleshly desires, yea, and through our corruptions, abundance of evil will flow ou• of us. Albeit therefore we do avoid the corruption wherewith we might be infected by others, yet if we provide not some help for our own infirmities, by good company, we may be as wicked when we are alone, as those which live among the wicked: we must then seek the company of Gods people, and with them we must nourish peace and love, by labouring to profit them by what good thing soever we have, and by receiving and learning some goodness by them, for the sustaining of our infirmities, for the relieving of our needs, and for the supply of our manifold wants. David did see how needful this was: therefore Psal. 16. he doth not only say, that he will keep himself from the corrupt worship of the wicked, because he hateth them: but he will join himself to Gods people, for the love that he beareth them, saying: All my delight is in the Saints. And in another Psalm, saith he: I ha•• them that hate thee O Lord: whereunto that may be well joined, that is, I am compa•ion ²to all them that love thee, and love thy name. But Lot did greatly fail in that point, when he would not return to his uncle Abraham, after he was delivered out of Sodom: for if³ he had gon• unto him, he might have bin preserved from much woe peradventure, which alter did befall him. But it was hard for him to confess his fault unto his uncle, this was grievous unto him, and therefore he would not seek for the company of Abraham. And what came hereof but grief unto himself, shame unto his family, and continual punishment unto his posterity?