As we say, the planets have one course whereby they are carried with the fii'st mover every twenty-four hours, from east to west, as the sun is, whereby he makes the day. But the sun hath a course of his own back again. And so by creeping back again he makes the year in his own course. So the moon hath one course of her own ; but yet she is carried every day another course by the first mover.
So, a good Christian that lives in the world, he is carried with the world in common things ; he companies, and traffics, and trades, and deals with the world. But hath he not a motion of his own contrary to all this at the same time ? Yes ; though he converse in the world, yet notwithstanding he is thinking of heaven, he is framing his course another way than the world doth. He goes a contrary course, he swims against the stream of the world.
* That is, ' Babylon.' — G. t That is, ' occurrences.'— G.
256 COMMENTARY ON
There are some kind of rivers, they say, that pass through the sea, and yet notwithstanding they retain their freshness. It seems as an emblem to shew the condition of a Christian. He passeth through the salt waters, and yet keeps his freshness, he preserves himself. Therefore, I say, it is no plea to say that times are naught, and company is naught, &c. A man is not to fashion himself to the times. An hypocrite, chameleon-like, can turn himself into all colours but white ; and as the water, which we say hath no figure of its own, but it is figured by the vessel that it is in (if the vessel bo round, the water is round ; if the vessel be four-cornered, the water is so), it being a thin, airy, moist body. It hath no compass of its own, but is confined by the body it is kept in.
So some men they have no religion, they have no consistence, no stand- ing, no strength or goodness of their own ; but such as their company is, such they are, and they think this will serve for all. I must do as others do ; it is the fashion of the world. If they bo among swearers, they will swear ; if they be among those that are unclean, they will pollute them- selves. They frame themselves to all companies. They will be all, but that which they should be. This will not serve the turn.
A Christian may pray for the assistance of God to keep him in the world ; and he may know that God will. What ground hath he ? Our Saviour Christ, saith he, ' Father, I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou keep them in the world,' John xvii. 15. He prays for his apostles and disciples, that God would keep them in the world from the contagion of sin, and from the destruction of the world. St Paul, you see, lived and conversed in the world, wheresoever he was, iii sincerity and simplicity. He was not carried away with the stream, and errors of the times wherein he lived.
Nay, to add more, it doth unite the power of grace together, and make a man the better, the worse the company or the place is where he lives. We know in nature, the eiivironing of contraries increaseth the contrary ; and holy men have been better ofttimes in the midst of temptation, and have gathered their forces and strength of grace together, more than when they have been more secure. The envy and malice of the world is quick-sighted, and the more they live amongst those that are observers of them, the more cautelous * they are of their carriage. You know it is the apostle's reason, ' Redeem the time, because the days are evil,' Eph. v. 16. Be you the better, because the days are evil. Witness for God in an ' evil generation,' in evil times. He doth not sajs Do you sin, because the days are evil. God's people do always witness for him.
Let me add this likewise, to give farther light, that we must not take occasion hence, to conform and fashion ourselves to any company, to cast ourselves into evil company when we need not. We must not tempt God ; for then it is just with God to suffer us to be soiled with the company. And by our carelessness in this kind, we offend the godly, that easily here- upon take us to be worse than we are. And as we grieve the Spirit of God in them, so in ourselves ; and we build up and strengthen wicked persons. And, therefore, this living in the world ' in simplicity and sincerity,' it must be when our calling is such, that we live in the world, that we need not any local separation to sever ourselves. But when in the world, we are cast on men without grace, by our callings, and occasions, we may presume that God will keep us by his Spirit.
Let us not be weary of hearing of this point. For ere long we must all * That is, ' cautious.' — G.
2 CORINTHIANS CUAP. I, VEK. 12. 257