Sin Stigmatized, Part 2 · Section 200
§ 200.
BUt admit we could keepe them company without harme; 4. Becauſe their company will bereave us of much comfort, which other wiſe we ſhould enjoy.yet this inconvenience would enſue: their company would bereave us of much good, which otherwiſe we ſhould enjoy, being alone; it fareing with the godly wiſe, as with Saint Ambroſe, who was wont to ſay, I am never leſſe alone, then when I am all alone, for then I can enjoy the preſence of my God without interruption. They are able to ſay, as Dubartus, and (before him) Scipio, I have never better company, then when I have no company; for then can I freely entertaine my owne thoughts, and converſe with all the learned, which have beene in former ages.
Antiſthenes being asked what fruit he had reaped of all his ſtudy? made anſwer. I have learned by it, both to live, and walke with my ſelfe. And Alphonſus King of Arragon being demanded, what company he liked beſt? replyed, Bookes, for theſe (ſaith he) without feare, or flattery, or any reward, tell me faithfully all that I deſire to know. Cicero was, and I am of his minde, and though I bee no Hermit, to ſit away my daies in a dull Cell, yet will I chooſe, rather to have no companion then a bad one.
When Cato Vtican, in vacation times, and at his beſt leaſure, went to recreate himſelfe in the country, hee uſed to cary with him the beſt Philoſophers, and choiſeſt bookes. Algerius an Italtan Martyre ſaid, Hee had rather be in priſon with Cato, then with Caeſar in the Senate houſe: ſo was it more comfortable, to bee with Philpot in his Cole-houſe, then with Bonner in the Palace: Boner's conſcience made his Palace a Cole-houſe, and a dungeon; whiles Philpot's made the Cole-houſe a Palace. The ſtate of grace is heaven upon earth; and he that knowes the ſweetneſſe of Gods preſence, wil deeme it more tollerable to bee ever alone, then never able to be ſo.
When I read of Hiero the Tyrant of Syracuſa, and other ſuch, that gave over their Kingdomes, to live a ſolitary life, I ſomewhat wonder: I ſhould not, to heare of a religious and Chriſtian King that did ſo. It is impoſſible for the naturall man to be ſo merry, in company; as the believer alone; yea, ſaith S. Augustine, the teares of thoſe that pray, are ſweeter then the joyes of the Theater. Indeed, a witty jeſt may make a man laugh more, and lowder: but he who hath an inheritance fallen to him, feeles a more ſolid joy within: ſo hee that enjoyes his Saviour, and hath the aſſurance of heaven, is truly merry at the heart, and keepes Hilary Tearme all his life. And indeed, nothing in the world is worth envie, beſides the condition of a true Chriſtian.
But to what end doe I tell a blind man, how glorious and bright a creature the Sunne is? or a poore man, what ſummes of money are in the Kings Exchequers? To ſo many as are unrenewed I ſpeake in Parables, Revel. 2.17. Yea, this ſeemes to them a Paradox, that the people of God ſhould be a merry people: for contrariwiſe, they dreame of nothing but ſolitarineſſe, and melancholly: as the common people thought Tully to bee moſt idle, when he ſtudied moſt: or as the Huſbandman in Aeſope objected idleneſſe to the Poet: but as he replyed, I am never ſo idle as in thy company: ſo may the religious, we are never ſo ſolitary, never ſo melancholly; as when in ſociety with you that are vicious. This was David's caſe, which maketh him cry out, Woe is me, that I muſt remaine in Meſeck, and dwell in the Tents of Kedar: he found it a heavie yoke to bee yoked with irreligious companions.
And a double reaſon may be given of it, though we feare not to ſuffer either in our perſons, goods, or good names (as before you have it.) For firſt, the ſoule that lives among thornes, ſhall hardly thrive, they are ſuch Backbyaſſes to a godly life, that they will do what they can, to hinder our goodneſſe to heaven, and the goodneſſe of heaven to us; they will wither all our good parts and qualities which are in us; like an evill North-wind, they blow upon the buds of our graces, and nip them.
2. Secondly, It would make a mans heart to bleed to heare and conſider, how ſwearing, blaſpheming, curſed ſpeaking, railing ſlandering, quarrelling, contending, jeſting mocking, ſcoffing, flattering, lying, diſſembling, vaine, corrupt, and filthy ſcolding, ſcurrilous, loſe, and idle talking, doth overflow with them in all places: ſo that ſuch as feare God, had better bee any where; then in the company of moſt men. Now I were madd, if I ſhould ſo affect company, as to live voluntarily where vexations ſhall daily ſalute me.
Indeed, a man is not rightly ſaid to live, untill he hath abandoned wicked ſociety. Similis having lived ſeven yeares apart from the world, after a long time ſpent in a military life, he left this Epitaph behind him, Here lies old Similis, yet one that lived but ſeaven yeares. This made Frederick the third, Elector Palatine, when ſome ſuch friends of his deſired his company, to anſwer, I have lived enough to you; let mee now live to my ſelfe, and with my Lord Christ. Yea, Saint Auguſtine, tenne dayes before he dyed, deſired none might come to him, that ſo, in that time, hee might the better fit himſelf for God. And indeed, that ſoule can never enjoy God, that is not ſometimes retired.
O that wee could, in any reaſonable time; give a ſtop to our madding and ſtraying fancies: that we could, after ſo long time ſpent in the luſts of the fleſh, and pride of life, bring home our cogitations and intentions unto our ſelves, ſhake off theſe violent hold-faſts, bid our companions farewel, which have too long engaged our ſoules, and eſtranged us from our ſelves.
But when we are ſo wedded, combined, and glewed to the world, it is no eaſie matter to make a ſafe retreat: it is a fleaing to ſome to bee ſundred; thereby you pull away ſome peece of themſelves.
In this caſe, what we cannot doe all at once, let us gaine upon our ſelves by degrees; go back ſtep by ſtep; firſt, block up one paſſage, then another. Will you know what courſe Demoſthenes tooke in this caſe? He, to the end that his acquaintance and neareſt friends might not (by carying him abroad, according to their cuſtome) withdraw him from his ſtudy and bookes, cauſed the haire of his head to be ſhaved off; and after took an order, that they ſhould not peepe out, untill hee had ſhook off his conſorts, by continually making them looſe their labours. It were happy for our young ſtudients, if they would a little imitate him; if they were not overmuch affected and addicted to company keeping; if they would but conſider, that friends are the thieves of time, the moſt precious jewell they can part withall.