Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	evil_a	good_a	indifferent_a	2,973	5	9.5052	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67736	Armour of proof, or a soveraign antidote, against the contagion of evil company Together with the skill, will, and industry of lewd ones; in tempting to sin, and drawing to perdition. Being subjects of concernment for the younger sort. The second part. By R. Younge of Roxwel in Essex, Florilegus.	Younge, Richard.	1655 (1655)	Wing Y138; ESTC R222620	37,249	36

that did only aime at their amendment conversion and salvation so doth this we desire only to have them look into themselves where the fault lyes and seek to amend their course and certainly nothing will sooner make the adulteress or drunkard bethink themselves then when they see all that are honest and sober even their neighbours and old associates shun their company and despise them as if they were not worthy of humane society and if they have the least desire to be reputed honest and sober again and admitted their familiar converse without which they are as it were banished into exile they will do what possibly lyes in them to redeem their credit and merit their good opinion by a more sober honest and holy demeanour the disparity lyeth only in the power and severity of the agents we cannot we dot not we desire not to deliver them up to Sathan but heartily pray that they may be delivered from him and all evill §. 25. SEcondly That we may not be infected by them nor partake of their sins It is a true Proverb Evil company corrupts good manners and He that will not evill do must keep from all that longs thereto To be safe from evil works is to avoid the occasions especially he that will keep himself from iniquity and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness 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 he created Heaven and Earth was to separate light from darknesse probably to ●hew that the good should first of all separate from the evill if they meane not again to become evil It is not more hard to find vertue in evil 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 he had not been in company with Christ's enemies but then how soon was he changed Now saith one If such a Ce●ar fell how shall I stand I will not therefore hazard the fraile potsheard my fleth upon the rock of evil company for any thing David had never dissembled if he had not been among the Philistins which made him after that he might wisely shun that occasion say depart from m● all y● workers of iniquity for I will keep the comman lements of my God Psal. 119. 115. intimating that he could not otherwise nay how many thousands have confest at the Gallowes I had never come to this but for evil company which drew me to these courses yea the truth is we can not come amongst these vipers and not be stung by them for even to hear them speak will make us either angry or guilty and not to be imtempe●ate with them for company is a great discourtesie if not a quarrel Many a man had been good that is not if he 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 natural and hidden propensity our corrupt nature is like fire which if there be any infection in the room 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 find 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 evil 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 himself 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 self A good man in ill company is like a precious pearl fallen into the mud which the longer it lies the deeper still it sinks into it for if the force of custome simple and separate be great the force of custome copulate and conjoyned and collegiate is far 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 fo careful of her sons education that she kept continually a guard of men to take heed that no vicious persons came unto him to corrupt him in ev●l 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 ●hall go hard but neighbourhood will somewhat mould the whole family into better or worse as themselves are The sore eye we know in●ecteth the so●ne and they that sleep with dogs shall swarm with fleacs yea a mans posterity after him shall gain or loose by the bargain It were happy 〈◊〉 the injury of a wicked man could be consined to his own bosome that he 〈…〉 fare the worse for his sins that it were but self do self have but as his lewdness like some odious ●ent is diffused through the whole room or place where he is and reacheth to the times upon which he is unhappily faln 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 miscarried He is a very mean● person that drawes not some Clyents after him even Thewdas and Iudas had their four 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 venome of sin is not spent in the act Sin among men like the Murrain in Cattel or scab among Sheep is of a catching and infectious quality and like the Plague or L●prosie will run 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 keeps it ●afe from fire and well were it for us if lewd ones were forced to cry as the Leper in Israel I am unclean I am un●lean Every thing labours to make the thing it meets with like it self fire converts all to fire aire exiccates and drawes to it self water moistens and resolveth what it meetes witha● earth changeth all that we commit to it to her own nature Every man will be busie in dispending that quality which is pr●dominant in him we can converse

rule is if thou take away the precious from the vile thou shalt be according to my word Icr. 15. 19. And we would have them suffer this exclusion no longer then till they deserve it no more let them return unto us do as Themisto●les who being in his youth vicious and d●boyst afterwards made the world amends by his brave exploits and we will return unto them keep them company account them true friends good men otherwise we have an absolute prohibition from God himself Ier. 15. 19 let them return unto thee but return not thou unto them And good reason there is for it in a musical instrument the strings that be out of tune are set up or set down to the rest but the strings that be in tune are n●ver stirred nor medled with though indeed I might have stopped their mouths with this very question whether is better to obey God or humour sensual men As our Saviour Christ stopt the high Priests mouths when they asked him by what authority he cu●sed the fruitlesse Fig-tree cast the buyers and sellers out of the Temple c. by demanding of them whether Iohns baptisme was from Heaven or of men Mar. 11. 29. But in case they will not return unto us we had rather offend each of them once then our selves every day It is pity that ever the water of baptisme was spilt upon his face that cares more to discontent the world then to wrong God They are unjust and over partial that will go about to exact from us that which we owe not with more rigor then they will exact from themselves that which they owe And so I have given you the reasons why such as are or desire to be conscionable and religious break off company with them and vindicated the most usual exceptions against it I will now make some use of the point and so leave it for them to chew upon §. 35. 1. TO sum up all in a word or lay all these grounds and motives together If we endanger our selves our lives our estates loose our credit our peace our time by frequent associating with ungodly men and can no way expect their love and friendship be sure you come not or at least stay not in their company It is not safe venturing among them in confidence of our own streng● no more then it is to consort with cheaters in hope that they will not cozen us Dead fire we know being stird up will burn a fresh and 〈◊〉 like a candle new put out is soon kindled again If Sathan but blow upon it the own heat is enough to enflame it No venture not thy self though thou hast once or twise come off clear from them Sampson could withstand his wives temptation seven dayes but at length by her importunity she prevailed with him Iudg. 14. Over many in this case are like to sick men who when they have had a good day or two think themselves presently well again so they make bold to put off their Kerchifes to put on thinner garments and to venture into the fre●h ayre whereupon follows unrecoverable relapses Wherefore take heed or if thou dost keep them company it is an argument that thou art sick of their disease idlenesse And of this 〈◊〉 so much 2. If wicked company are so insectious that they will work a consumption in any mans vertues that is dayly conversant with them and waste them from an 〈◊〉 to a dram from a dram to a scruple to a grain to nothing so that he may ●ay with Christ in the croud who hath touched me for I feel vertue gone out of me Let us be as Seneca adviseth more circumspect with whom we 〈◊〉 and drinke then what we eate and drink He that hath money will beware of theeves if you have any grace venture it not among these ri●●ers 〈◊〉 art thou inclined to pray they will tempt thee to play wouldst thou go to a Sermon by their perswasion the Tavern or Theater stands in the way But alasse if others tempt thee not thou wilt tempt others temptation needs not stan● like a Tavern-bush in thy way for thou wilt invite thy self hunt after temptation 3. Is every man busie in dispending that quality which is predominant in him And can we converse with none but will work upon us and by the unperceived stealth of time assimilate us to their own customs will two friends like two brands set each other on fire with good or ill when one alone will go out will a streight twig if it be tied to a crooked bough become crooked or a crooked twigh become streight if it be tied to a streight rule as Peter denied his Master amongst the Iews whom hee con●est among the Apostles Then keep company but let it be with such as may make thee better flie evill society least their kind words so work upon thy yeelding nature that thou knowest not how to deny they are such as have taken the Davils oath of Allegiance and thou hast small hope to prevail with them to good A certain King as St. Augustin reports being hard favoured and fearing least his Queen should bring forth children like himself got many faire and beautiful pictures which he caused her steadfastly to behold every day go thou and do likewise be conversant with good men and in good things and thou shalt do that unbidden which others can scarce do compelled by the Law as Aristotle speaks of the study of Philosophy O what an happy thing it is to converse with the vertuous their gracious words or holy examples will be sure to stir up the gifts of God in us they will either adde something to our zeale or something to our knowledg the society of Prophets is able to make even a Saul prophesie The sight of others falling heartily to their meate brings on our stomacks yea if we have no gifts to stir up their communion cannot but leave some tincture behind it if not of Piety yet at least of a good profession and some inclinableness If Saul had not had a good and discreet companion when he went to seek his Fathers Asses he had returned back as wise as he came but now he is drawn into counsel with the Man of God and heares more then he hoped for 1 Sam. 9. 6. The messengers of the same Saul when they lived in the Court were as is likely caried away with the swinge of the times and did apply themselves to their Masters ungodly practises as appeareth in their going to apprehend David that Saul might kill him yet were they no sooner in company with the Prophets in Nayoth but their minds were changed and they likewise prophesied 1 Sam. 19. 20. Ob. But say some of Bacchus his fooles I keep company with brave fellows that are generous free bountifull c. Answ. Alasse thou dost but slander him with these titles He is a pround ignorant inconsiderate Asse that fears he is not loved unlesse he be lose and scattering that