306 VerC z r., An Jxpofition upon the Bookof J O E. Chap. 2. ciples, Luke 28. 22. 1e are they (faith) he) who have continued with me in my temptation. It is an eafie piece of friendfhip or difciplefhip, to continue withChrift at a feaft, cir at a full Table; but in a temptation,to continue with him , fpeaks a Difciple in- - deed. Some friends are like the Swallow, theycome in the Sum- tiler and Ping with you but when it is Wintcr, cold and froft,then farewel, they muft leek a warmer climate. Thefe are Summer friends';. while the rummer of comfort,' the fummcr ofriches, the furnmer of outward contentment lafietli , you cannot be rid of them: but if the winter come, the winter oftròuble, and forrow, and poverty, and ficknefs, theyare gone ; they will not once look on you, they pars on theother fide of the way, as the Levite did -when he law the man lie wounded,., and weltring in his blood, Luke IO. 32. There are fummerfriends, not winter friends, not they: S.condly,oblerve this,As it is an adand an argument- offriend- (hip to do thus, fo it is likewife a duty to do thus ; It it a duty to mourn with thofe that mourn, and to vifit thofe that are in Affliction. Many lookupon it only as a complement, to vifit their fad friends,we nauft,lookupon it as a duty. Chrift putsit (Mat. 2 5. 36. as one of thofe vifible as of duty, upon which he will pro- nounce the blefling of that day, ) Come ye bleffed ; Why ? I wasfick, andye vifted me. Chrift is not lick in his perfon, he is in Heaven, where is no fin, and therefore no ficknefs (hall ever enter:and indeed,he never was fickin his pérfon,when he was here upon the earth ; Chrift did not bear our perlonal infirmities, he bore only our natural infirmities : I know.it is faid, he bore-our ficknefnes (1;y compaffion and by compenfation) but he was not lick ; whereas then Chrift faith, I was fick, he means fick in his members : And when he faith-, ye viftedone , he means his lick diftreffed.fervants ; he takes it fo kin.dly,when done to his, that he ,reckons it as done to:hicnfelf It is an ad you lee, and an office-of love, upon which Chrift ha-th a fpecial eye. The Apoftle "fames, (Chap. r. 2'¡.) doth as it were put all-Religion in this: It is filch. a fruit ofReligion as doth evidence the truth ofRelig- on,and there fore hath obtained not Only the name ofReligion, but is made the definition of Religion. Pure Religion (faith he), andundefiled before God theFather, is this. : What is it ? To vifit thefatherlefs, 4,nd the widow in -their Allillion. This is a definition from the. eîfed :. It,is not put. in .general , that to vifit the fatherlefs and the
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