252 Chap. 19. AnExpofition upon the Boob of J o B. \erf. Thirdly , l'hough friends have given to much proofeof their fait/ ulneffe, yet they may fade in the ofces of friendfhip. Not onely profeffed , but experienced friends may prove vaine and belpleffe tous. We cannot conclude that any man will doe us good, or {land our friend, becaúfe he bath done fo ; for nor onely may his hand be fhortened; fo that he cannot doe as be- fore, but his miede may change, and he will not doe as before. Experiences ofwhat God hath done for us are firong grounds ofconfidence in him ; the more experience we have the more hope, but the experience we have ofmen, is nota Pure ground of hope; that they havebeen a fupport andcomfort to us is no in- fallible argument that they will be fo againe. What.Abfalom laid to Hu/hai ( when upon a teeming defeci- on fromDavid he offered hire his fervice and advice) is this thyündneffe to thyfriend ? why wentcft thou not with thy friend ? The fame may be faid to many, who make reali defeFtion from their friends, and apollatize from all their moil ferious profit.- lions of friendíhip is this your kindnefre to your friends ? why goe you not withyour friends? Palle friends will alwayes fayle i fot an advantage to themfelJes ; and true friends may fome- times fayle us, when weexpel molt advantage, and need molt dff stance from"theni Who can bring acleane thing out of an nncleane?' is yob's denying queftíon in this bòke. We may alfo queftion with as {hang a negative, concerning perfons ; who can finde a certaine friend among men , who are all ( upon one account or other) uncertaine ? We have no affurance of men but this, thatfurelymen of low degree are vanitie, and men of high degree are a lye (Plat. 62. 9. ) men of high degree, and men of low degree, comprehend' all forts of men.; A lye_ and vanitie, comprehend all kinds of uncertaintie and therefore though fuck men, whole hearts God eftablifheth to us, may be lure to us' yet) we may write uncertaintie,uncertaintie, upon all men. Fourthly, 'Täs bet to safefriends , knowing that they may faile us.. - We matt have them as ifwe had them, not, and love them as
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