| Back | Contents | Next |
{Since the Heavenly Trade Is the Best Trade…
Exhortation and Counsel to Professors of Christianity
Use Everything for Heavenly Advantages
Get Good from Your Company}
Be getting some good from the company among whom you reside and with whom you meet or converse. The Lord offers, and souls may get much good this way. Oh, the mercies that God deals out through people’s company! It was well for Rahab that the spies went to her house; by that means she obtained salvation for herself and her family. It was great mercy to the woman of Samaria when she went to the well; instead of filling her pitcher with perishing water, she found Christ there, and got her heart filled with the water of life (John 4:15).1111 The disciples on the road to Emmaus got great good from Jesus’s company, and by that means had their cold hearts warmed and their weak faith strengthened (Luke 24:13–15).1112 Others have had company harmful to them. Had it not been for Potiphar’s house, Joseph might have escaped temptation to uncleanness (Genesis 39:7).1113 And if it had not been for Pharaoh’s house, he would not have learned to swear by the life of Pharaoh (Genesis 42:15; Deuteronomy 6:13).1114 As long as Peter stayed with the disciples, he was faithful and courageous, but when he got into the high priest’s house, in evil company, he fell into that fearful sin of denying his Lord and Master. “Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them” (Luke 22:55 NKJV). Christian, beware what company you join, for the peace and welfare, if not the life, of your soul is at stake. “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Ephesians 5:11 NASB). (Also Proverbs 1:15; Proverbs 4:14–15).1115 Do not choose wicked company for the sake of some advantage, as Lot did to the loss of his goods, hazard of his life, and a dreadful fall to boot (Genesis 19:15, 35–36).1116 Lot chose the plains of Sodom for earthly advantage, but the result was his loss. Likewise, Balaam, seeking Balak’s reward, ran himself into the temptations that cost him his life (Numbers 31:8).1117 Do not join wicked company unless duty calls you; if you have God’s warrant, you have His protection. And, if by providence or in the way of obedience, you meet with evil people, be good while with them. Diogenes said, “The sun visits kennels and is not defiled.” You may do them good as the young Israelite girl did for her master Naaman by directing him to the prophet Elisha to be cured (2 Kings 5:2–3).1118 You may put a stop to sin as did David:1119 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’ And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn; Do not lift up your horn on high, Do not speak with insolent pride’” (Psalm 75:4–5 NASB). For another example, Judah sought to divert his brothers from their wicked scheme against Joseph (Genesis 37:26–27).1120 One may reprove sin, as Nehemiah did the sin of the nobles (Nehemiah 5:7).1121 One may also instruct the ignorant as Paul did the Athenians (Acts 17:22–23).1122 But if the company is so evil that the thorns cannot be handled, let them be thrust away; fence yourselves off from them. Take heed of the least compliance with them in their sin. “Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22 NKJV). Your own sins are heavy enough. If you are silent and do not reprove their sin, but give any sign of approval of other’s sins, you make them your own.
If you enjoy morally good company, take heed that you do not miss the good or accept evil from them. Good people have their evils also. Great people not are always wise (Job 32:9).1123 And it is easier to follow them down, than up the hill, and imitate their vices than their virtues. Diseases are more communicable than health. People can pass on sickness, but not health. Oh, how easily is sin propagated when it falls from the hands of people reputed to be gracious! The errors of good people are not only examples, but excuses for sin in others also. If Peter plays the hypocrite, other Jews also play the hypocrite with him (Galatians 2:11–13),1124 and no less a man than Barnabas is carried away with the hypocrisy. If those who are strong do no more than eat in the idol’s temple, the weak will eat the things offered to idols (1 Corinthians 8:10).1125 Oh, take care of the evils of good people, which like books published cum privilegio [with privilege],1126 enjoy higher sales volume. An Esau’s garment will make Jacob’s voice believable and when good in any person is admired, evil is seldom suspected. Take heed that you do not follow anyone further than he or she follows Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).1127 Unquestioning imitation is as dangerous in practice as is unquestioning faith in people. Both of these are bad judgment; rather, weigh any actions you intend to imitate. Do not let anyone’s reputation be your warrant for imitation. Eminent people are as leaders of processions; whichever way they turn, the procession turns with them. “For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed” (Isaiah 9:16 NKJV).1128 Seneca said that people usually follow those they commend, and the greater they are with whom we converse, the greater the danger. Get good from good people; otherwise their goodness will not benefit you. What truth you hear from them, receive, and as Mary did the angel’s words, ponder their gracious sayings in your hearts (Luke 2:19).1129
When you are in the company of those who are above you in wisdom and grace, be more swift to hear than to speak. The emptiest vessels make the most noise. I have observed in company that the kind of people who have the most need to hear and learn are wise in their own conceit and take up most of the conversation. Instead of drawing waters from deeper wells to fill their empty vessels, they will be pumping out what little they have. This surely does not indicate modesty in them and lessens their profit. Origen, when a child, used to question his father about the sense of Scripture and afterward became a great scholar. It is the observing, attentive Christian who is usually the most knowledgeable, thriving Christian; like a bee, he gathers in the summer and gets honey from every flower he visits, and depends on it in the winter. When you meet empty vessels, it is charity to be putting in, but when you come to deep wells, it is your duty and to your benefit to be drawing out by asking questions and for help in understanding as the young man in the Gospel did with Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:16),1130 as did Nicodemus (John 3:2–4)1131 and the woman of Samaria (John 4:11, 15, 20).1132 The inquiring soul, if inquiring in truth and following up with obedience, will be the most flourishing soul.
1111“The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water” (John 4:15 ESV).
1112“That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them” (Luke 24:13–15 ESV).
1113“It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me’” (Genesis 39:7 NASB).
1114“In this manner you shall be tested: By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here” (Genesis 42.15 NKJV). “It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear” (Deuteronomy 6:13 ESV).
1115“My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path” (Proverbs 1:15 NKJV). “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on” (Proverbs 4:14–15 ESV).
1116“When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city’” (Genesis 19:15 NKJV). “Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father” (Genesis 19:35–36 NKJV).
1117“They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword” (Numbers 31:8 ESV).
1118“And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, ‘If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy’” (2 Kings 5:2–3 NKJV).
1119The title of Psalm 75 indicates that it is a Psalm of Asaph, not David.
1120“Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.’ And his brothers listened to him” (Genesis 37:26–27 ESV). Ashwood greatly errs in this example; although manstealing is a lesser sin than murder, in God’s eyes both are capital crimes. “He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 21:16 NASB). “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6 ESV). It is never acceptable to sin, as Judah did, to supposedly avoid a greater sin. Repeat: it is never acceptable to sin.
1121“After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, ‘Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.’ So I called a great assembly against them” (Nehemiah 5:7 NKJV).
1122“So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.” Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you’” (Acts 17:22–23 NASB).
1123“Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand justice” (Job 32:9 NKJV).
1124“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy” (Galatians 2:11–13 ESV).
1125“For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?” (1 Corinthians 8:10 NASB).
1126cum privilegio: Latin for with privilege, indicating that the work was produced by a legally licensed (typically by the Crown) printer in England. This often implied accurate reproduction of the original, such as for the King James Bible.
1127“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NASB).
1128Due to various uses of the Hebrew בלע [baw-lah´], the last word of this verse is variously rendered by translators: brought to confusion (NASB), swallowed up (ESV), and destroyed (KJV), none of which are pleasant experiences.
1129“But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19 NASB).
1130“And behold, a man came up to him, saying, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?’” (Matthew 19:16 ESV)
1131“This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’” (John 3:2–4 NKJV).
113211“She said to Him, ‘Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?” 15“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.’” 20“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” (John 4:11, 15, 20 NASB).
| Back | Contents | Next |