Sin Stigmatized, Part 2 · Section 197
§ 197.
THat we may not be infected by them, 2. That we may not be i…fected by them nor partake of their ſins.nor partake of their ſinnes. 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 ſore 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 venime 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 leaſt 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 therfore 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 fore 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 flie 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 Chriſt 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.