(7) He inculcates pure fellowship. He attached great importance to the influence of all companionships. He felt, with Colton, "that no company is preferable to bad, because we are more apt to catch the vices of others than their virtues, as disease is more contagious than health." Hear him on this subject: "Thou art noble; yet I see Thy honourable metal may be wrought "Keep where there is wit stirring, and leave the faction of fools." (2) ""Tis seldom, when the bee doth hive her comb In the dead carrion." (3) "In companions That do converse and waste the time together, Of lineaments, of manners, and of spirit.” (4) "Converse with him that is wise." (5) "There is a thing, Harry, which thou hast often heard of, and it is known to many in our land by the name of pitch: this pitch, as ancient writers do report, doth defile; so doth the company thou keepest." (6) "Almost my nature is subdued To what it works in, like the dyer's hand." (7) "He is no man on whom perfections wait, That, knowing sin within, will touch the gate."(9) "Lie in the lap of sin, and not mean harm? It is hypocrisy against the devil : (1) Julius Cæsar, Act i. Scene 2. (2) Troilus and Cressida, Act ii. Scene 1. (3) King Henry IV. Part 2, Act iv. Scene 4. (*) Merchant of Venice, Act iii. Scene 4. (5) King Lear, Act i. Scene 4. (6) Henry IV. Part 1, Act ii. Scene 4. (7) Poems. (8) Pericles, Act i. Scene 1. They that mean virtuously, and yet do so, The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt Heaven."(1) "Satan, avoid! I charge thee, tempt me not." (2) ""Tis not for gravity to play at cherry-pit with Satan.”(3) In all this how thoroughly does he agree with Scripture. “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." "Enter not into the path of the wicked, go not into the path of the wicked man." 66 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.' "Come out from them, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing." وو In truth, he is one with the great men of all ages on this subject. Xenophon says: "Fathers, though otherwise assured of the good disposition of their children, forget not to warn them against the company of wicked men, knowing that, as converse with the good must exercise and improve every virtue, so to associate with the bad must prove no less pernicious and baneful.” Plato remarks: "Do not the bad work some evil to those that are continually near them, but the good some good? Certainly." Another ancient sage, Epictetus, observes: "He who frequently converses with others, either in discourse or entertainment, or in any familiar way of living, must necessarily either become like his companions or bring them over to his own way. It is impossible to touch a chimneysweep without being partaker of his soot." And South quaintly remarks: "That he who has no mind to trade with the devil, should be so wise as to keep from the shop." (8) He inculcates self-control. How strongly he deprecates trusting in man and yielding to popular praise : (1) Othello, Act iv. Scene 1. (2) Comedy of Errors, Act iv. Scene 3. (3) Twelfth Night, Act iii. Scene 4. 66 "O momentary grace of mortal men, Which we more hunt for than the grace of God! "An habitation giddy and unsure Hath he that buildeth on the vulgar heart." (2) "What is the trust or strength of foolish men ?" (3) Upon your favours swims with fins of lead, And hews down oaks with rushes. Hang ye! trust ye! And call him noble that was now your hate Him vile that was your garland.” (4) "Poor wretches that depend On greatness' favour, dream, Wake, and find nothing." (5) Then how strongly he speaks against yielding to passion: "God will be avenged for the deed; Take not the quarrel from His powerful arm; “Put we our quarrel to the will of Heaven; That war against your own affections, And the huge army of the world's desires." (8) What saith the Scripture about relying on man? "Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom (1) Richard III. Act iii. Scene 4. (2) Henry IV. Part 2, Act i. Scene 3. (4) Coriolanus, Act i. Scene 1. (6) Richard III. Act i. Scene 4. (3) Henry VI. Part 1, Act iii. Scene 1. (5) Cymbeline, Act v. Scene 4. (7) Richard II. Act i. Scene 2. (8) Love's Labour's Lost, Act i. Scene 1. there is no help." "Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord." "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils." What saith the Scripture about the control of angry passion? "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine: I will repay, saith the Lord." "His disciples, James and John, said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But He turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." "Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and He shall save thee." The wisest men of all ages agree with this also: "He conquers twice," says Bacon, "who upon victory overcomes himself." "What is the best government?" says Goethe. "That which teaches us to govern ourselves." "He who reigns within himself," remarks Milton, "and rules passions and fears, is more than a king." (9) He inculcates anti-mammonism. "How quickly nature falls to revolt, When gold becomes her object!" (1) "Avarice Grows with more pernicious root Than summer-seeding lust.” (2) "Gold? yellow, glittering, precious gold? will make black, white; foul, fair; Wrong, right; base, noble; old, young; coward, valiant. Will lug your priests and servants from your sides; (1) Henry IV. Part 2, Act iv. Scene 4. (2) Macbeth, Act iv. Scene 3. Pluck stout men's pillows from beneath their heads: Will knit and break religions; bless the accursed; Make the hoar leprosy adored; place thieves, And give them title, knee, and approbation This it is That makes the wappened widow wed again; "There is thy gold: worse poison to men's souls, "O thou sweet king-killer, and dear divorce Thou ever young, fresh, loved, and delicate wooer, That solder'st close impossibilities, And mak'st them kiss! that speak'st with every tongue, To every purpose! O thou touch of hearts! Think, thy slave man rebels; and by thy virtue Set them into confounding odds, that beasts May have the world in empire!” (3) With this again, he is at one with holy Scripture: "What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" "How hardly they who have riches enter into the kingdom. "But they that will be snare, and into many rich fall into temptation and a foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil." "The deceitfulness of riches chokes the word, and he becometh unfruitful." "Mortify there |