Chap. 19. An Expof :tion upon the Bookof J o a. Verf. r.q., 251 Todole this poynt, take thefe foure Dedutions, Fire, There is no friend upon whom we canfully confide, hut Cod himfelfe. And indeed to confide fully in any friend were upon the mat- ter ) eyther to fuppofe or make him ourGod. ( Mach. 7. 5. ) Trull ye not in a friend , putyenot confidence in aguide; keepe the doores of thy mouthfrom her that 1peth in thy bofome ; for the f ndif honoureth his father, the daughter ;Verb upagainft her mother, the daughter in law, againfi her mothe - in law ; Amansenemies are the men of his omne houfe. But may w not true friend nor brother may not a husband true the fecrets of his heart with his wife ? This feemes unnatural! to all thefe relations , and takes that from them, which is a principal! end why they are. The Pro- phet in all thefe cautions againft creature-true , doth not com- mand or teach friends to nourifh jealoufies concerning each o- thers faithfulneffe ( which is the canker of friendfhip) nor would be have the husband torment himfelfe with feares ofhis wives dif- loyalty to him, if he fhould communicate his bofome fecrets to her ( which were to make marriage a meere bondage) That which he aymes at is to arme ur, with patience, if friends fayle and prove unfaithful!, or to fore-warneus that there is no friend but may prove unfaithful!, and that therefore as himfelfe did ver. 7. ) fo we fhould refolve to Tooke unto the Lord ; that is to be confident ofhis helpe alone. Secondly , It is ofGod that friendsare faithful! and true un- 'to tss. When friends are friendly, this is of 'God ; and ifour friends are unfriendly , this allo is ofGod. The Lord can make our e- nemies to be at peace with us. And unleffe he uphold the hearts ofour friends, theywill quickly be as enemies to us. The fmiles and the frownes, the love and the hatred, the good will and the ill will of man are ordered by a divine hand riches and ho- nour with all other accommodations and comforts of this life, are not morethe gift ofGod to us , then the affe&ions of our friends are. k z Thirdly,
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