The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 1 · Meditation 25
25. Let no man communicate with sinne, nor sinners, who would not be made partaker of that punishment which is due vntounto sinne and sinners.
IF thou louelove thy selfe holily and wisely, ô my soule, to the benefit of mine estate, to the comfort of mine heart, euen when a very world of thornie crosses and temptations shall prouoke me, and to my full and finall ioy in heauen, I would heartily aduise thee, neither to commit sinne, nor to communicate with it, and so neither directly to do that euill, which cannot be called but thine euill; neither any wayes to ioyne thy selfe with that euill which thou wouldest not account to be thine, but to be the euill of another man. Thus I would counsell thee, ô my soule, not onelyonly not to be an idolater, but not to communicate with idolaters; not onelyonly, not to be an adulterer, but not to take part with an adulterer: and so forth of all other sinnes and sinners. But heare, ô my poore and weake soule, for the better guarding and strengthening of thee on all sides, against the poysoned killing arrow of Satan thy sworne enemie. I would pray thee, grauely to ponder and weigh three things: First, wherein doth a man communicate with the sinnes of others? Secondly, wherefore should a man be afraid any way to communicate with the sinnes of others? Thirdly, what should the honest wise child of God (who should be ashamed to be a slaue to sinne, alwayes taking himselfe to be a strong souldier subduing it) in this respect resolue to do? Scripture teacheth me, ô my soule, that men communicate with the sinnes of others, by consultation, by direction, by approbation, by prouocation, by tolleration, and by confirmation. By consultation, when they aduise either how he may do that which is euill, albeit themselues do it not.2. Sam. 13. 4. 5. Thus vile Ionadab communicated with the vnnaturall incest of Ammon, shewing him by what way he might easily lie with his sister Tamar. Thus vile Achitophel communicated with the monstrous vnnaturall incest of Absolon, aduising him euen before the Sunne to lye with his fathers concubines.2 Sam. 16. 20. 21. By direction, when men out of respects knowne to themselues, will keepe as it were their owne hands from an euill turne, and yet command another for to do it. Thus bloudie Saul communicated with that villaine D…eg, 1. Sam. 22. 8.in slaying the Priests of God. Yea, alas euen Dauid thus communicated with the murther of Vriah, 2. Sam. 11. 14. 15.for was he not slaine by his direction? By approbation, when a man knowing that an euill turne is done by another, alloweth either of the turne, or of the doer. Thus the rest of Iacob his sonnes communicated with the bloud of the Sechemites murthered by Simeon and Leui. Gen. 34. 28. 29. 30.By prouocation, when one abusing the place wherein he is set, or those gifts of mind, or of bodie wherewith he is beautified, abuseth others so, that he prouoketh them to do that which is euill. Thus Rehoboam communicated with that defection which Israel made from the house of Dauid, when he being abused by young Counsellers, and abusing the place whereto God aduanced him, by his austere rigorous speeches, prouoked them to iust wrath. Thus bloudie Iezabel communicated with all the euill done by her husband Achab: 1. King. 12. 13. 14.for speaketh not the Scripture touching him and her,1. King. 21. 25. thus? But there was none like Achab, who did sell himselfe to commit wickednesse in the sight of the Lord, whom Iezabel his wife prouoked: and in this sense fathers are counselled by the Spirit, not to prouoke their children to wrath.Eph. 6. 4. By toleration, when a man hauing authoritie to beate downe sin, by punishing the committers of it, ouerseeth them, not drawing the sword which God hath put into his hands against them. And thus, alas, euen old Eli communicated with the abominations of his vile sonnes,1. Sam. 2. 29 30. who by their vncleane liues made the people of God to abhorre the Lords sacrifice. By confirmation, when a man haunteth the societie of wicked men so familiarly, so frequently, that therby he strengtheneth the wicked man in his wickednesse. Thus the religious man, communicateth with the Atheisme of the Atheist, by haunting the societie of the Atheist: the true worshipper of God, communicateth with the superstition of the Papist, by haunting kindly the societie of the Papist, euen when he seeth that he cannot be wonne. Yea thus, meeke, chast, temperate, true, and peaceable men, communicate with murtherers, incestuous persons, adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, false and seditious men, by haunting of their companie. This moued Paul to charge vsus who be Christians,1. Cor. 5. 11 neither to eate with such men,Eph. 5. 7. nor to be companions vntounto them. Religious Nazianzen kissing and following this counsell,Naz. or. 31. could say: Nos cum flagitiosissimis & petulantissimis quibusque sodalium nostrorum consuetudinem non habebamus, sed cum optimis & honestissimis, nec cum pugnacissimis, sed cum tranquillissimis, ijs que quorum consuetudo maximos fructus conferebat. Illud nimirum exploratum habentes, multo facilius vitium contrahi, quàm virtutem communicari, quemadmodum etiam morbus facilius contrahitur, quàm sanitas impetratur. We had not our societie with any of the peruersest, or loosest of our companions: but with the best and most honest, neither with the most contentious, but with the most quiet, and those whose companie caused greatest benefit to vsus. Throughly knowing this, that vice is more easily contracted by a man, then vertue can be communicated to a man, euen as sicknesse is more easily contracted, by haunting the societie of sicke men, then health is obtained, by resorting vntounto those who be whole and strong. But wherefore, ô my soule, shouldest thou be loath any way to communicate with sinne? Remember, ô my soule, Gods threatnings, and besides that, Gods execution according to his threatnings: so sure I am, thou shalt be easily deterred from attempting any wise to communicate with sinne: vnlesse vnhappily thou resolue, euen with Lamech, to defie the most high God. Are not Gods children, ô my soule, thus counselled by their Father:Reuel. 18. 4 Go out of Babel my people, lest ye be partakers in their sinnes, and that ye receiue not of her plagues. That lying murtherer, ô my soule, perswaded my grandmother Euah, that if she would communicate with him in transgressing of Gods commandement, she should find a shining precious pearle. But that Spirit of truth, who delighteth to hauehave thee liuing for euermore, assureth thee, that if thou ioyne with a man in his sinnes, thou shalt not be seuered from him, when he is plagued for the same. But will not our God prooue as good as his word? and so execute as he threatned? especially when he findeth that his threatnings are mocked? That will he do, vndoubtedly, ô my soule: Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, (as thou knowest) are sent downe quicke to the pit, for attempting to rise vp against Moses & Aaron. VponUpon the morrow all the multitude of the people of Israell, (alas) communicating with them in their sinne, did gather themselues against Moses and Aaron, Numb. 16. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45 46.crying loudly and boldly, ye hauehave killed the people of the Lord. Alwayes, alwayes, came there not foorth such a fierce wrath from the Lord, that before Aaron can come to them (albeit he ranne with all speed) to make an attonement for them, there died of that plague fourteene thousand and seuen hundred. While the wife of the Leuite was villanously abused (at Gibea a Citie of Beniamin) to death, the whole Tribe of Beniamin, (alas) did communicate with this villanie: For when the other Tribes, their brethren besought them to deliuer to them the committers of that wickednesse,Iudg. 20 & 21. to the end that the euill might be put away from Israel; not onelyonly would they not obey the voice of their brethren, but they gathered themselues together to fight against them. Alwayes, turned not this at length, ô my soule, to the verie ouerthrow of Beniamin? Now what must thou do in this respect, ô my soule, for thine own preseruation, Hearken, hearken, I pray thee, wouldest thou with that valiant religious Champion Iosuah, lifting vp thine head aboue all things earrhly, all liuing on earth, towards the third heauens, in the feare of thy God, and by the especiall grace of his Spirit, conclude thus with thy selfe: I will seeke and serue my God with any man; but I will sinne against my God with no man. Let the king with his subiects, and the subiect with his king seeke and serue God, as Dauids subiects with him, and he with them did. But if all the subiects of the land forsake God, let the king say with Ioshua, I and my house will serue the Lord. Ios. 24. 15.If the king with Saul, will fall away from God, let the subiects with Sauls courteours looke to him,1. Sam. 21. 27. and refuse to follow him. And if he attempt to command them to forsake their God, let them answer couragiously with the Apostles,Act. 4. 19. Whether it be better to obey God or man, iudge ye. Let the husband with the wife, and the wife with husband,2. King. 4. seeke and serue God, as the Shunamitish Ladie with her husband did. But if the wife, with Lots wife, will looke ouer her shoulder to Sodome, let the husband with Lot keepe his heart and his eye straight vponupon that mountaine of glory towards the which the Lord hath directed him.Genes. 19. If the husband with Nabal will proue profane, and vngratefull, let the wife with Abigael, 2. Sam. 25.remaine religious, and thankfull. Let the parent with the child, and the child with the parent, seeke and serue God, as Abraham and Isaac serued him ioyntly and sweetly together. But let the parents with Iacob learne not to sinne with the child:Gen. 12. 6. 7. 8. 9. for when Simeon and Leui fell into vile murther who were both his sonnes,Gen. 49. 5. 6. did he not crie, Simeon and Leui brethren in euill, the instruments of crueltie, are in their habitation, into their secret let not my soule come: my glorie be thou not ioyned with their assembly. If the father will fall away from God with Saul, yet let the sonne cleaue constantly with Ionathan. Yea, if the mother which brought thee foorth, fall away from God, not onelyonly suffer her not, but (if God hath cloathed thee with authoritie) see that thou take order with her,2. Chron. 16. 16. as King Aza tooke order with his mother and her groue. Otherwayes be assured that God (whom thou shouldest not onelyonly louelove better then thy mother, but for whose cause thou shouldest hate all things that belong vntounto thee) at last take order with thee.Luke 14. 16.