Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange Country, dwelling in Tabernacles (not with the Canaanites, the Natives, though he dwelt amongst them, but) with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with ⟨p. 103⟩him of the same promise, Heb. 11.9. When a man comes into an Inn, you may give a notable guess for what place he intends, by the Company he inquires after; His Question, (Do you know of any travailing towards London? I should he heartily glad of their company,) will speak his mind and his course; If he hear of any bound for another coast, he regards them not; but if he know of any honest passengers that are to ride in the same road, and set out for the same City with himself, he sends to them, and begs the favour of their good company. This World is an Inn, all men are in some sense Pilgrims and Strangers, they have no abiding place here; now the Company they enquire after, and delight in, whether those that walk in the broad way of the flesh, or those who walk in the narrow way of the Spirit, will declare whether they are going towards Heaven, or towards Hell. A wicked man will not desire the company of them who walk in a contrary way, nor a Saint delight in their society who go cross to his journey. Can two walk together except they be agreed? They who walk together, are supposed to have one will, because they are seen to have one way, Amos 3. 3. When Elihu would prove Job to be bad, this is his argument, He goeth in Company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men, Job 34. 8. If Job did not follow their ungodly calling of working iniquity, or acting sin with art, as the word signifieth, you would not find him so much in their Company; His doctrine was true, though his application of it was false;1 A godly man may fall into wicked company by chance, but he never walks ⟨p. 104⟩with such out of choice; He may be necessitated to dwell with them, but he cannot delight in them. To Associate with the profane, is proper to the profane; As soon as Paul was sanctified, this was almost one of the first signs it appeared by, And Paul assayed to join himself to the Disciples, Act. 9. 26. He that before was for the company of the High-Priests, and Persecutors of the Saints, when once converted, is for the company of the Saints, though persecuted. He who before as one mad with rage, breathed out nothing but prisons and slaughter against them;
Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange Country, dwelling in Tabernacles (not with the Canaanites, the Natives, though he dwelt amongst them, but) with Isaac and Iacob, the heirs with ⟨p. 103⟩him of the same promise, Heb. 11.9. When a man comes into an Inn, you may give a notable guess for what place he intends, by the Company he inquires after; His Question, (Do you know of any travailing towards London? I should he heartily glad of their company,) will speak his mind and his course; If he hear of any bound for another coast, he regards them not; but if he know of any honest passengers that are to ride in the same road, and set out for the same City with himself, he sends to them, and begs the favour of their good company. This World is an Inn, all men are in some sense Pilgrims and Strangers, they have no abiding place here; now the Company they enquire after, and delight in, whether those that walk in the broad way of the flesh, or those who walk in the narrow way of the Spirit, will declare whether they are going towards Heaven, or towards Hell. A wicked man will not desire the company of them who walk in a contrary way, nor a Saint delight in their society who go cross to his journey. Can two walk together except they be agreed? They who walk together, are supposed to have one will, because they are seen to have one way, Amos 3. 3. When Elihu would prove Iob to be bad, this is his argument, He goeth in Company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men, Job 34. 8. If Job did not follow their ungodly calling of working iniquity, or acting sin with art, as the word signifieth, you would not find him so much in their Company; His doctrine was true, though his application of it was false;1 A godly man may fall into wicked company by chance, but he never walks ⟨p. 104⟩with such out of choice; He may be necessitated to dwell with them, but he cannot delight in them. To Associate with the prophane, is proper to the prophane; As soon as Paul was sanctified, this was almost one of the first signs it appeared by, And Paul assayed to joyn himself to the Disciples, Act. 9. 26. He that before was for the company of the High-Priests, and Persecutors of the Saints, when once converted, is for the company of the Saints, though persecuted. He who before as one mad with rage, breathed out nothing but prisons and slaughter against them;
- 1Qui aequo animo malis immiscetur, malus est.
