Works, Chapter 3 · Section 2
SECT. II.
I Proceed now, to shew wherein the Exercise of Godliness in evil Company consisteth.
First, if thou wouldst exercise thy self to Godliness in evil society, Labour to keep thy self unspotted from their sins: Ungodly men are called filthy, and compared to Swine, that are apt to defile all that have to do with them; They (as the Night) are dark and full of unwholsom vapours; it concerns thee therefore to be well fenced, that thy spiritual health may not be impared by them. Be careful that they hurt thee not either inwardly or outwardly. Thou art in a double danger amongst sinners; thou art in danger of having thy soul wounded, and also of having thy name and estate blasted. There is a necessity therefore of a double guard; of a guard upon thy soul, that it may not be wronged, and of a guard upon thy tongue, that thy outward comforts may not be ruined. I say,
1. Be watchful over thy soul, that thou contractest no guilt. Its hard to be near those that are dirty and defiled, and yet to keep our Garments unspotted and clean. Wicked men as Diers and Painters, who use colours, are usually besmeared themselves in their hands and habits, and they also besmear others. The Lake of Sodom is called Asphaltides, or the Dead Sea, because of the venemous vapours which arise out of it, insomuch that Birds which flye over it, fall down dead, and beasts that drink of it sicken and dye. Some men have found evil society as poisonous to their souls, as brutes have found the Dead Sea to their bodies. Pope Nicholas the thirds Concubine, by looking on a Bear frequently, was brought abed of a Monster. Thy frequent vision of their wicked actions, may cause too great a likeness in thy conversation. But the Saint should resemble the Carbuncle, which being cast into the fire, is nowhit defiled or impaired thereby, but therein shines most brightly; If it be closed fast (say some) in a ring of Lead, and cast into the fire, we may see the Lead molten, but the Carbuncle not so much as mollified, or in the least blemished
Thy watchfulness (friend) must be great, if thou wouldst keep thy self unspotted from the World, Jam. 1. ult. Rust will fret into the hardest steel, but not into the Emerald; Sin will fi…d speedy acceptance with a prophane sinner, but not with a preciou… Saint. Ioseph kept his Chastity, though often in the company of his wanton Mistress; Lot did not lose his sanctity, though he dwelt amongst ungodly Sodomites; The Arch-Angel disputed with the Arch-Divel, yet was not infected by his poisonous breath; Satan did set upon the blessed Saviour, but could not fasten the least sin upon him. Naturalists tell us, that the Diamond if true, will lie in the …ire and not consume; the Herb Narcissus, or Yellow Crowbellies, flowreth in February, and keepeth its Flower under the Snow. The Olive Tree, in the midst of the Flood, kept its branches green. The Christian ought so to converse with the wicked, that his grace may neither waste, nor his conscience be wounded. Thy Duty is, as Cloaths well dyed, to keep thy colour in all Weathers; and as a good constitution, to retain thy spiritual health, in the most unwholsome Aires. The Apostle writes to the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 5. 11. Not to company with any that are called brethren, and are fornicators, or covetous, or idolaters, or railers, or drunkards, or extortioners. Idem in 2 Thes. 3. 14. foreign. Ne Commercium h…bete. Beza. Ne Commis…eam…ni. Vulg.The word in the Original is foreign, both in the 9, and 11. verse, which signifieth, not to mingle with them. They may be amongst them, but they may not mingle with them; that which mingleth with any filthy thing, receiveth of its filth, and though it were pure before, is polluted thereby; The people of God ought not in this sense to mingle with the world, but to keep themselves, though not untoucht, yet untainted. Its storied that the Rivers of Peru, Abbots Geogrrun into the main Sea, twenty or thirty miles, and yet are not mingled with the Sea, but continue fresh water; So the River Rodanus, is said to run purely through the Lake Lemanus without mixture of waters;Cambd. Britt. Its also reported of the River Dee in Merionithshire in Wales, that running through Pimbe Meer, it remaineth entire, and mingleth not with the waters of the Lake. Thus should the people of God, those Chrystal streams (though they are necessitated sometimes to meet with,) keep themselves entire, and not mingle with the puddle water of unclean persons. Pliny reports of a Family near Rome, that could walk on live coals and not be burnt. Its honourable to keep thy self pure among them that are evangelically perfect; but to preserve thy self from pollution amongst them that are prophane, is Heroical; Its the excellency of a Christian, to hold on his course without slipping or falling, when many rubs and hinderances are laid in his way; And its the glory of grace, to keep its beauty and lustre, notwithstanding the attempts of the World, and the Wicked one to soil it. It was a notable speech of the Souldier that Erasmus speaks of, who being told of a numerous Army coming against him, answered, Tanto plus gloriae referemus, quanto sunt plures quos superabimus; The more famous our opposition, the more illustrious our Conquest; That Great Commander had never been so renowned, if he had not eaten his way over the Alpes, that were supposed inaccessible. The greater our difficulties, and the more greivous our enemies, the greater our valour, and the more glorious our victory. That expression concerning Asia, hath some worth, Though it be no praise, never to have seen it; yet to have lived soberly and temperately in it, is praise-worthy indeed.
The Holy Ghost giveth thee wholsom counsel, Be not partaker of other mens sins, keep thy self pure, 1 Tim. 5. 22. It may be Reader, thou art called sometimes amongst Swearing, Drunken, and Ungodly persons; Well, thou art in more danger then in a Pest-house; therefore look well to thy self; Satan thinks, though he could not conquer thee amongst the Saints, that now he hath caught thee amongst a Company of venemous Serpents, one or other of them will sting thee, and then he hope… to overthrow thee; Watch thy self narrowly, if thou wouldst be safe; Be not partaker of other mens sins; It may be as bad to have communion with others sins; as to commit sin in thy own person; He that is Surety for another, is as liable to the debt as the Principal, and we count him most foolish that takes anothers debt upon himself. Indeed, Satan hath this for his comfort, that hereby he hath the more in bonds to the Laws Curse.
Three ways thou mayst partake of those sins which are committed in thy Company. I shall not speak of thy commanding men to sin; so David was guilty of Vriahs death, though the Sword of the Ammonites slew him, … Sam. 12. 3. Nor of counselling men to sin; so Ionacia… was guilty of Ammons incest, 2 Sam. 16. 21. Nor of com…ending others for sin; so a man may be accessory … the fact, Rom. 1. 32. Psa. 10. 9. Nor of setting others a bad example; so Ieroboam was guilty of the Idolatry of the Iews; but of those ways, whereby Christians are usually guilty of others sins, when they are amongst the wicked.
1. By Compliance; If when thou seest or hearest others sin, thou dost inwardly approve it, thou art partaker of it. He that consents, though but in his thoughts to anothers fraud, is before God a Felon. Paul before his conversion, was consenting to the death of the Protomartyr, Act. 8. 1. and after his conversion, he pleads guilty of the Murder, Act. 22. 20. It may be Reader, when thou hearest lascivious stories, or sinful witty jestings, or tales of slie subtile cheats, or the like, thou dost secretly applaud and approve them; I tell thee thou art partaker of them; If thou hast an heart in the sin, thou hast an hand in the sin; Thy affecting it, makes thee as really guilty, as if thou didst act it. Nay, I must tell thee, the greatest guilt ariseth from the fullest consent of the Will. Its possible for the approver to be more guilty then the actor.
2. By Silence, or not reproving sin. A man may sin by speaking, and he may sin by silence. This silence, when sin is com…i…ted, speaks thy consent to it. It was a speech …, That he had often repented of speaking, but never of holding his peace; but there is a sinful holding the peace, as well as a sinful speaking; Its bad to hold the breath long. Nicodemus, though he was at first fearful, Cons…n…ire est sile e…m arguere p…ssis, Bernard.and wore the badge of his profession under his cloak (out of sight) yet when he was amongst the enemies of Christ, he took courage, and would not by his silence betray his Saviour, and wrong his own soul, Ioh. 7. 50, 51. Its a sign of little love, to see men wounding by Oaths and Blasphemies, or Scoffs and Jears our best friend, and not to wish them to forbear, and do our utmost to take them off. Dion writes of Severus, that he was careful what he did, but careless what he heard; but the good Christian is careful of the latter, as well as the former; knowing that sin may enter in at that Casement, and remembring that the Cannon Bullet which split the Vessel, in which all the hopes of mankind were embarqued, was shot in at that Port-hole. The Crocodile, because he hath no use of a tongue, living always in the waters, hath none; but God hath given Man a tongue, and calls it his glory, Psa. 16. 9. with Act. 2. 26. partly because speech is one thing, wherein men excel Beasts; Brute creatures can make a noise, but man onelyonly articulate his voice, partly because it is given him to glorifie God withal; It is pity he should ever open his lips, whose mouth will not shew forth Gods praise. Thou canst usually no way better clear thy self, then by condemning the sin to the very face of the sinner. As the World thinks of God when he is silent, and doth not destroy them with the breath of his mouth; so the wicked think of the godly, when they are silent and do not open their mouths to reprove them; These things thou didst, and I kept silence, thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self, Psa. 50. 21. Silence in the presence of sin, implyeth a liking of it; though thou sayst not Euge (saith Austin) yet if thou sayst not Apage, Aug. in Mat. 16.there is a mutual approbation; Nay, he goeth farther and saith, Pejor es tacendo quam ille convitiando, thy silence is more dangerous to thee then his sin to him. But I shall speak more largely to this duty of reproving, before I conclude this Chapter.
3. Thou mayst be partaker of others sins, by Provoking them to sin. Our Lord is said to be crucified at Rome, Rev. 11. 8. because he was sentenced by a Roman Iudge, executed by Roman Souldiers, and put to death by authority of the Roman Empire; yet the Murder of Christ is all along in Scripture charged on the Iews. Peter preaching to them saith, whom by wicked hands ye have taken and slain; and Stephen expresly, Of whom ye have been the Betrayers and Murderers; because, though the Execution of it was from the Romans, yet the Provocation to it, was from the Iews, Act. 2. 23. and 7. 52. That which is committed by our Instigation, is ours by just Imputation. I fear many good men are partakers of others sins in this sense, either by stirring up others that are passionate to anger, or by inciting some that have been guilty of handsom (in the worlds judgment) cheats, to relate and boast of them; For its little difference whether men hold the sack open, or fill it, both are guilty.