6. Much more the words of our Lord: who is so far from directing us, to break off all commerce with the world, that without it, according to his account of Christianity, we cannot be Christians at all. *It would be easy to shew, that some intercourse even with ungodly and unholy men, is absolutely needful in order to the full exertion of every temper, which he has described as the way to the kingdom: that it is indispensably necessary in order to the compleat exercise of poverty of spirit, of mourning, and of every other disposition which has a place here, in the genuine religion of _Jesus Christ_. Yea, it is necessary to the very being of several of them; of that meekness, for example, which instead of demanding _an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth_, doth _not resist evil_; but causes us rather, when smitten _on the right cheek, to turn the other also_: of that mercifulness, whereby we _love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us_: and of that complication of love and all holy tempers, which is exercised in suffering for righteousness sake. Now all these, it is clear, could have no being, were we to have no commerce with any but real Christians. 7. *Indeed were we wholly to separate ourselves from sinners, how could we possibly answer that character, which our Lord gives us in these very words: _ye_ (Christians, ye that are lowly, serious and meek; ye that hunger after righteousness, that love God and man, that do good to all, and therefore suffer evil: ye) _are the salt of the earth_. It is your very nature to season whatever is round about you. It is the nature of the divine savour which is in you, to spread to whatsoever you touch; to diffuse itself, on every side, to all those among whom you are. This is the great reason why the providence of God has so mingled you together with other men, that whatever grace you have received of God may through you be communicated to others; that every holy temper, and word, and work of yours, may have an influence on them also. By this means a check will in some measure be given, to the corruption which is in the world; and a small part, at least, saved from the general infection, and rendered holy and pure before God.