Chap. 19. An Exposition upon the Book of J OB. ' Verf.3. 1 j 74 knew the time when enov would own`him,when enow would vifit him, and were ambitious ofhis friend(hip ; but be- ing upon the dunghill, few would comeat hire, and none ca- red for his foule. Strangers delire thefavour of thofe who are in profperitie, and neereft friends will chew themfelvesfrarige to thofe that are in adverfitie ; but iVinot their íharne to doe fa ? Paul fpeakes it to the high commendationofOnef:phort«, ( ZTirn.a.16. ) He oft refrefhed me, andwas not alhamed ofmy chaine Many are as much afhamed to look upon a godly friend in chaises as they are afraid toweave a chaine for godlineffe. No man was ever more proud ofhis owne golden chaise, then forne are afhamed of the iron chaise of others. When jefus Chrift was apprehended and under his fulfrings, this rempta- tion went high even upon his owne Difciples and fervants, whom he had often forewarned of fufferinge, and enftruded how to fuller, (Matth.26.56,58.) Then all theDifciplesforfooke .. him andfed.. They who before forfooke all and followed him; now forfooke him and fled ; Neither was this theofofforne one or two, but ofall theDifciples. Then all the `Difciples for- fooke him. And though meterfollowed him, yet his following was as bad as a forfaking for hefollowed him afarre off, (v.58. ") And when he was come neere into the houle, hedid worfe then fort:&ke him, he denied him and forfwore him. Peter made ;hirnfelfe fo ftrange to Chrift, that he profeffed Itrongly, yea with an oath; Iknownot the man ; as ifhe had laid, ifyouwill not takemyword,I willfweare Iknow him not ; Owhat a diftemper of fpirit did feare bring him to ? howwas his fpirit overwrought with worldly flume, when he wrought all thefefitful! cover- ings that hemight appeare a ftranger to jefas Chrift :? O meter waft thou not afharned tofbew thyfelfeorange to jefasChrifl when he wasafflit ed,whowas therfore affliledto make us who wereflran- hers, anda far nfffron''god, neereuntohim andhisfrionds? It is no cage thing to beacquainted with thecrof fe ofothers, howhard will it be to be acquaintedwith our own croffe ?Ifmen be firange'to their friends when they are afflicted, O how ftrangewill they be to their owne affliâions ? When there is no futableneffe in our fpi- rits to fuffering and ait3ietionm we cannot fuite with tliofe that £offer andare afisided ? The man in theGofpel (L4 10 3 oe) =travelhrïg from ?ericho to 7erufalem, fellamong theeves which stripped
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