Fourthly, By good Company, dull Christians have been quickened. Two cold things, steel and flint, smitten together, send forth fire. When two lye together they have warmth, but how can one be warm alone? Eccles. 4. 11. When David was old, and his natural heat decayed, they got a young damsel to lye near him, and to put some warmth into him; Cold Christians have been heated, by being near others that have been glowing coals. When Silas and Timothens came from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in Spirit; before, he was warm, but then in a light flame, Act. 18. 5. Some men of weak stomachs, have fed the more ⟨p. 248⟩for seeing others fall so heartily to their meat. As Iron sharpeneth Iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend, Prov. 27. 17. Some interpret the words thus, Rub Iron against Iron, and it giveth an edge unto it; so if a man lye often grating upon his friend, by unkind usage, it will sharpen his countenance to discontent, and make his spirit keen and angry; and to make good this exposition, they observe, that the wise man doth not say, so a friend sharpeneth, &c. but, so a man; because, by his unworthy carriage, he puts off the nature of a friend, and therefore doth not deserve the name• But I rather incline to the other interpretation; As Iron sharpeneth Iron; Rub one file against another, and though before they were dull and blunt, they both become thereby bright and sharp; So friends that are heavy and backward, and over-run with rust, for want of use, by mutual conference and communion, they become lively, quick, and keen, about spiritual things. Christian society, like rubbing Iron against Iron, takes away that rust which made them so dull and unactive, and sets a spiritual edge upon them. Urbanus Regius, an eminent Dutch Divine, meeting with Luther about Goburg, he spent a whole day in conference with him,1 of which himself writeth, that he never had a more quickening, comforting day all his life time.
Fourthly, By good Company, dull Christians have been quickened. Two cold things, steel and flint, smitten together, send forth fire. When two lye together they have warmth, but how can one be warm alone? Eccles. 4. 11. When David was old, and his natural heat decayed, they got a young damsel to lye neer him, and to put some warmth into him; Cold Christians have been heated, by being near others that have been glowing coals. When Silas and Timothens came from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in Spirit; before, he was warm, but then in a light flame, Act. 18. 5. Some men of weak stomachs, have fed the more ⟨p. 248⟩for seeing others fall so heartily to their meat. As Iron sharpeneth Iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend, Prov. 27. 17. Some interpret the words thus, Rub Iron against Iron, and it giveth an edge unto it; so if a man lye often grating upon his friend, by unkind usage, it will sharpen his countenance to discontent, and make his spirit keen and angry; and to make good this exposition, they observe, that the wise man doth not say, so a friend sharpeneth, &c. but, so a man; because, by his unworthy carriage, he puts off the nature of a friend, and therefore doth not deserve the name• But I rather incline to the other interpretation; As Iron sharpeneth Iron; Rub one file against another, and though before they were dull and blunt, they both become thereby bright and sharp; So friends that are heavy and backward, and over-run with rust, for want of use, by mutual conference and communion, they become lively, quick, and keen, about spiritual things. Christian society, like rubbing Iron against Iron, takes away that rust which made them so dull and unactive, and sets a spiritual edge upon them. Vrbanus Regius, an eminent Dutch Divine, meeting with Luther about Goburg, he spent a whole day in conference with him,1 of which himself writeth, that he never had a more quickening, comforting day all his life time.
- 1In vit.
