The Drunkards Character, Section 197
§ 197.
THat we may not be infected by them, nor partake of their sinnes. 2. That we may not be i…fected by them▪ nor partake of their sins.It is a true Proverb, Evill company corrupts good manners: and He that will not evill do, must keep from all that longs thereto. To be safe from evill workes, is to avoid the occasions; especially, he that will keepe himself from iniquity, and have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknes, must have no fellowship with wicked persons, the workers of darknesse: Ioseph thought no weapon comparable, for the beating off his Mistresses assaults, to running away.
The first thing that God did, after hee created Heaven and Earth, was, to separate light from darknesse; probably to shew, that the good should first of all separate from the evill, if they meane not againe to become evill. It is not more hard to finde vertue in evill company, then to misse vice. They were mingled among the Heathen (saith the Psalmist) and what followes? they learned their works, Ps. 106 35. Peter had never denyed and forsworn his Master, if hee had not beene in company with Christ's enemies: but then how soone was he changed? Now, saith one, If such a Cedar fell, how shall I stand? I will not therefore hazard the fraile potsheard (my flesh) upon the rock of evill company for any thing. David had never dissembled, if he had not beene among the Philistins: which made him after (that hee might wisely shun that occasion) say, depart from mee all yee workers of iniquity, for I will keepe the commandements of my God, Psal. 119. 115. intimateing, that hee could not otherwise: nay, how many thousands have confest at the Gallowes, I had never come to this but for evill company, which drew me to these courses? yea, the truth is, wee can not come amongst these vipers, and not bee stung by them; for even to heare them speake, will make us either angry, or guilty; and not to bee intemperate with them for company, is a great discourtesie, if not a quarrell. Many a man had beene good▪ that is not, if hee had but kept good company.
There is a pliable disposition in all men naturally to evill; we follow it, as Iron doth the Loadstone, by a naturall and hidden propensity: our corrupt nature is like fire, which, if there be any infection in the roome, drawes it streight to it self: or like Jet, which omits all precious objects, and attracts nothing but straws and dust: or, if a man hath both good and bad in his nature, either of them will fortifie, as they meet with their like; or decline, as they finde a contrary: as Sampson did in his strength, who, at first being hard enough for all the Princes of the Philistins, at last, by keeping Dalilah company, they set a boy to lead him.
Yea, suppose a man stands indifferent; his company, whether good or evill, will work him into a new nature; and by continuance, he shall grow up to the same height with them, as the Hop groweth to the end of the pole, be it never so high, and he himselfe shall do the like to others; as one peece of Iron, being rub'd with the Loadstone, will draw another peece, even as if it were the Loadstone it selfe.
A good man in ill company is like a precious pearle, fallen into the mud; vvhichwhich the longer it lies, the deeper still it sinkes into it: for, if the force of custome, simple and separate be great; the force of custome, copulate, and conjoyned, and collegiate, is farre greater; for their example teacheth, company comforteth, emulation quickneth, glory raiseth: so as in such places the force of custome, is in her exaltation: which made the mother of Alexander, the twenty sixth Emperor of Rome, so carefull of her sonnes education, that she kept continually a guard of men to take heed, that no vicious persons came unto him, to corrupt him in evill.
It was a good conceit of Themistocles, and not triviall, when he set up a bill of an house, which he had to let, that he added, aye, and there be good neighbours too: for it shall go hard, but neighbourhood will somewhat mould the whole familie into better or worse, as themselves are. The …ore eye, we know, infecteth the sound: and they that sleep with dogs, shal swarm with fleaes: yea, a mans posterity after him, shall gaine, or loose by the bargaine. It were happy, if the injury of a wicked man could bee confined to his owne bosome; that he only might fare the worse for his sinnes; that it were but selfe do, self have: but as his lewdnesse, like some odious sent, is diffused through the whole roome, or place where he is, and reacheth to the times, upon which he is unhappily falne: so after generations are the worse by meanes of him. An ill president, is like Goodwin Sands, which not only swallowed up his patrimony, but still continues a dangerous place, where too many have miscaried. Hee is a very meane person, that drawes not some Clyents after him: even Thewdas and Iudas had their foure hundreds to accompany them. One man may kindle such a fire, as thousands are not able to quench: one plague-sore may infect a whole nation: and all the veni… of sin is not spent in the act.
Sinne among men, like the Murraine in Cattell, or scab among Sheepe, is of a catching and infectious quality: and, like the Plague or Leprosie, will runne along from one to another: our corrupt nature is like tinder, which is kindled with the leaft sparke: wherefore it behoves us to avoid all provoking objects: as a man that hath Gunpowder in his house, keepes it safe from fire: and well were it for us, if lewd ones were forced to cry, as the Leper in Israel, I am uncleane, I am uncleane.
Every thing labours to make the thing it meets with like it selfe; fire, converts all to fire; aire, exiccates and drawes to it selfe; water, moistens and resolveth what it meetes withall; earth, changeth all that we commit to it to her owne nature. Every man will bee busie in dispending that quality which is predominant in him: we can converse with nothing, but will work upon us, and by the unperceived stealth of time, assimilate us to it selfe: one rotten Aple will infect a whole floore: one putrid grape corrupts the whole sound cluster. The choice therefore of a mans company, is one of the most weighty actions of our lives▪ for our future well or ill being depends on that election: if we choose ill, every day inclines us to worse, we have a perpetuall weight hanging on us, that is euer sinking us downe to vice.
Antisthenes wondred at those which were curious in buying but an earthen dish▪ to see that it had no cracks, nor inconveniencies, and yet would be carelesse in the choice of friends, and take them vvith the flavves of vice. What was the reason (thinke we) that our Saviour vvould not suffer his vveake Disciple, in the Gospell, to go and bury his dead father? Luk. 9. 60 It vvas not any aversenesse to civill, much lesse filiall respect and duty to Parents; yea, he preferred mercy before sacrifice; but he vvell knevv, that vvhen hee once met vvith his carnall friends at the funerall, they vvould pervert him againe, and quickly flout him out of his nevv Masters service, and that the Gospell should soone loose a Preacher of him. The reason why the Raven returned not into Noahs Arke, as the Dove did, is given by some, because it met vvith a dead carkase by the vvay.
A vvise man vvill bee vvarie, not only to shunne sinne in the action, but in the very occasion. Hovv many, that meant not to sinne, are vvonn only by the opportunity? for occasion and our nature are like tvvo inordinate lovers, they seldome meet, but they sinne together, and every act of sin, tyes a nevv knot: if vve keepe them asunder, the harme is prevented: and it is easier to deny a guest at first, then to turn him out, having stayed a while: it is easier to keepe fire from flax, then to quench it after it is on fire: a man may spit out a spark, but when once kindled, there is hardly any quenching of it. Why do we pray, deliver us from evill, but that we imply, besides all other mischiefes, that there is an infectious power in it, to make us evill? Let us therefore do what we pray, and pray that we may doe it: yea, O Lord, free us both from speech and sight of these bauds and panders of vice, so farre as is possible; if not, at least from joyning in league, or dwelling in house with, or having dependency on such.
Oh how many are there, that, like the Pine-tree, with their very shadow, hinder all other plants from growing under them: or, like the great mountaine Radish, which, if it bee planted neere the Vine, causeth it to starve and wither away? Alasse! it is nothing to bee godly in Abraham's house: but for a man to dwell in the tents of Kedar, or to live in the Court of Sardanapalus; and yet to keepe himselfe upright, is a matter of great difficulty, especially, for him that is not well rooted by time and experience. A sore new skind will fret off again, with the least rubbing; yea, the very sight of evill is dangerous, to such an one; lusting, for the most part, followes looking; as wee see in Eve, Gen. 3. 6. and David 2 Sam. 11. 2, 3. which makes Salomon speaking of a strange woman, advise us to keepe farre from her, and not once come neere the doore of her house, Prov. 5. 8. It is a hard matter for that soule, not to fall into those vices, unto which the eyes and the eares are enured, not out of love, but custome, we fall into some offences.
We read that Persina, that Ethiopian Queene, in Heliodorus, by seeing a faire picture of Perseus and Andromeda, was brought to bed of a faire white child; whereas Pope Nicholas the third's Concubine, by seeing of a Beare, was brought to bed of a Monster. I am sure this is true in the morall of it; which should make us equally love good company, and hate evill. I know there be in every place whole troops of evill persons; and where there are many pots boyling, there cannot but be much scumme: so that a man shall finde it, either impossible, or hard, never to be amongst them, or shift off their solicitations. Wherefore if at any time (as no …lie is more importunate) they thrust themselves into thy conversation, doe as those which must necessarily passe by a carrion in the way; hold thy breath, be alone in a multitude, abhorre to participate with them in their vices, and hasten to be out of their aire, as Peter did out of the high Priests hall, so soone as Chr…st looked upon him: and if they yet follow thee, turne back to them, with the Angels farewell, increpet te Dominus. And lastly, if by chance, with Peter, thou hast taken the least soyle, or infection from these poysoned and pitchy Links, be sure to scrape or brush it off thy soule againe, by prayer, examination, and humiliation: as they that come out of infected houses, aire, or wash their garments, for the more safety. Thus did Peter, not without cause, not without benefit and commodity.