Sin Stigmatized, Part 2 · Section 203
§ 203.
OB. The agreement of wicked men not worthy the name of peace.But I heare none boaſt ſo much of peace, as the ungodly; nor none taxed ſo with contention, as the religious.
Anſw. Boaſt of it they may, but it is apparent that the way of peace they have not ſo much as knowne: indeed, they have ſome kind of agreement among themſelves; and ſo have Serpents, and Beares, and Wolves: it is a rare thing, to ſee one Wolfe devoure, or fight with another: yea, they have made a covenant with death, and are at agreement with Hell, Iſay, 28.15 and yet: as there is no peace to the wicked, Iſa. 57.21. ſo there is no peace among the wicked; for every combination in evil, is rebellion, & not peace; rather a conſpiracy, then a concord; like the agreement of Abſolom and Achitophel, combining together againſt David; or of Herod and Pilate, conſpiring againſt Chriſt; or of the falſe Apoſtles, plotting againſt Paul, ſo meeting in malice to doe miſchiefe: but a godly diſſention is better then ſuch a wicked peace.
Neither can any wonder, that wicked men doe ſo conſpire in evill, that there is ſuch unanimity in the broachers & abbettors of it; if he but take notice of thoſe Devills, which being many in ſubſtance, were yet one in name, action, habitation, even a whole Legion in one man, Marke, 5.9. all the praiſe of concord is in the ſubject; if that be holy, the conſent is angelicall; if ſinnefull, deviliſh; true peace is to have peace with God, warre with our luſts, Ro. 5.1. and 7.22.23. peace with vertue, warre with vice: whereas they have peace and are at league with their ſinnes, but are at warre with God, and good men all at once: but a juſt warre is a thouſand times better, then ſuch an ill conditioned peace; yea, it no way deſerves the name of peace, except we be at enmity with the Serpent, at unity within our ſelves: we ought ſo to be at peace with men, as that we doe not warre with God and his graces: peace muſt be followed with holineſſe, Heb. 12.14. wherefore Zachary joyneth faith, peace, and truth together, Zach. 8.16. and St. Paul, peace and righteouſneſſe, peace and edification, peace and joy in the Holy Ghoſt, Rom. 14.17.19.20. &c. Thus the Scripture ſets us our bounds for peace, which we may not paſſe; and ſhewes that ungodly men are not guilty of this grace; that they doe but talke of peace, not practiſe it.
But ſuppoſe we could enjoy peace in their company; A d…unkard can never love him that is ſober and religious.yet we can never expect to have their loves: for drunkards only love drunkards, and one wicked man another; but care not a ruſh for any that are good: being like Phalaris the Tyrant, who would never grant any requeſt, except it were to a diſſolute woman, but ſuch he never denied. Likeneſſe we know is the cauſe of love, and love the cauſe of likeneſſe; whereas the beleiver and the unbeleiver are altogether unlike; the one being crucified and dead to the world, Gal. 6.14. but made alive in Chriſt, 1 Cor. 15.22. The other being ſpiritually dead, even while they are alive. 1 Tim. 5.6.
We ſeldome ſee different diſpoſitions entirely loving: for hence growes the height of friendſhip, when two ſimilary ſoules doe blend in their commixions. And hence it is, that two friends are ſaid to come into Vulcan's ſhop, to beg this boone of him: that he would either beate them on his Anvile, or melt them in his Fornace both into one, the which he granted. I'ts likeneſſe that makes the true love knot of friendſhip; when we finde another of our owne diſpoſition, it appeares the ſame ſoule in a divided body. Nature that makes us love our ſelves, makes us, with the ſame reaſon, love thoſe that are like us. A friend is a more ſacred name, then a Brother, Pro. 18.24. For what availes it to have the bodies from the ſame originall, when the ſoules within them differ?
And yet ſome (Rehoboam-like) paſſing over the religious, will joyne themſelves with ungodly perſons; like as ſome put away honeſt wives, and goe to harlots: wherein they deale as wiſely, as if a man ſhould caſt away his fleſhy leg, and ſet on another of Wood.
Cauſa patrocinio non bona pejor erit.
Or, A wicked mans love mercenary inconſtant and not worth the having.admit thou ſhouldſt enjoy a wicked mans love; it is but mercenary, baſe, and inconſtant, and ſo not worth the having. Indeed, there was never ſuch abject and ſervile proſtitutions of preſentations, as life, ſoule, devotion, adoration, ſervant, ſlave, &c. as there is now amongſt our drunkards and rorers, and what love they expreſſe to one, they profeſſe to all; every one they know, or ſalute, is their friend: but friendſhip ſo diſtracted, like as the River Ganges was by Cyrus, into 365. brookes, both looſes her name and nature: a lover of ſo many, never loves any.
Or, admit a drunkard doe love thee: either he loves thee for his owne ſake, becauſe he hath ſome pleaſure, or profit, or credit by thee, (as proſperity procureth friends, no leſſe then adverſity proveth them) which is, with Craterus, to love the King, rather, then with Ephaeſtion, to love Alexander: now I doe not hold him worthy thankes, that profeſſeth me kindneſſe for his owne ends.
Or ſecondly, he loves only thy body or naturall parts, which is but the worſt peece of thee; and love to the body, is but the body of love; the ſoule of love, is the love of the ſoule.
Neither doth he truly love, that loves the body more then the mind and ſoule, or common gifts before ſaving graces; this love as it is never long liv'd, ſo it is oft but feigned; as you ſhall have drunkards and diſſembling polititians ſalute one another, with God ſave you, at their meeting; and wiſh one another hanged, at their parting; Italian-like, they will be glorious and complementall in their in vitations, but if you accept of their offer, they will hate you for it ever after. A drinking friendſhip, is but a drunken friendſhip: and beleeve it, thou wilt find thoſe friends firmeſt, that thy vertues purchaſe thee: theſe will love thee, when thy wealth is gone: whereas thoſe that be wonne without deſert, will alſo be loſt without a cauſe: you need but be an Arbitrator betweene two ſuch friends to make them both your enemies: things that differ in their end, will ſurely part in their way: now thy end, is to gaine him; his end, to make a gaine of thee: for let the paſſage of profit be ſtopt, his love is likewiſe at a ſtand: have you deſerved never ſo well from him, the deniall of one favour, nay, an health, ſhall drowne the memory of many fore-performed ones: which is all one, as if for the abortion of one child, a man ſhould kill all the former iſſue: whereas the good mans thankes for old favours, lives even in the blowes of injurie: or can you not feede theſe vermine as you have done, away they goe; like a Sunne Diall, you ſhall be no longer regarded, then you are ſhined on by proſperity yea, Rats runne not faſter away from an houſe on fire; nor lice from a dead body, then they from poverty: and if ever it be your miſery to ſtand in need of them, looke for no other requitall, then Iob had of his carnall friends, whom he compares to a deceitful Brooke, which in winter is hard frozen with cold, in Summer dried up with heate; betweene winter and Summer paſſing away, alwayes deceitfull, never of uſe, Iob. 6.14. to 19.
Yea, a man may ſay of ſuch friends, as a learned Antiquary ſaid of Rumney Marſh, bad in Winter, hurtfull in Summer, never good: nay, this compariſon falls ſhort, for thou haſt ſped well, if ſuch friends prove not dangerouſly hurtfull, as well as helpeleſſe. Have I not knowne ſome of them reſemble the Snake, which when a kind Husbandman had taken out of the cold, and cheriſhed in his boſome, and ſhe had recovered her lively heate, and was growne luſty, ſingled out him ungratefully to trie her firſt ſting upon? or a Promotour, that in Lent eates fleſh at your table, and yet is the firſt that accuſeth thee to the Magiſtrate. If Ziba be waxed great under Mephiboſheth, he will give him a lift for all he hath. A promoted Begger hath not ſeldome renounced his advancer.
And what elſe can be looked for from them? They cannot make conſcience of civill duties, who make none of divine. If a man have caſt off his God, he will eaſily caſt off his friend. They that have broken their faith with him, will keepe no faith with us. When Religion is once gone, humanity will not ſtay long after.
I take leave of this point, with a caution. Reveale to ſuch men no ſecrets; for he that now loves thee dearely, may come to hate thee deadly: nor beleeve a word that they ſay; for they are like Antigonus, who never denied any ſute, that was asked; but withall, never performed any thing that he granted; for what they promiſe when they are drunke, they forget when they are ſober; or like Saul, who being perſwaded of David's worth and loyalty, ſweares, as the Lord liveth he ſhall not die, 1 Sam. 19.6. yet within foure verſes, for all his oath, he darts a Speare at him, intending to naile him to the vvall; & in the next verſe, he ſends meſſengers to his houſe to kill him; or like the Councell of Conſtance, vvho made promiſe to Iohn Huſſe of a conduct and ſafe returne; yet, like forſworne perſecuters, put him to death.