are chargeable with some real crime; in that case to expect your friend should befriend your sins, or behave to you as if you were innocent, would but show your ignorance of the nature and usefulness of true friendship, and that there is too much friendship yet subsisting between you and your sins. Even the friends that are most faithful to you may be utterly incapable of affording you any real service. The greatest and best of men are but "miserable comforters." They may mourn over your sickness and pains, without any tendency to heal or ease them.Their ignorance may increase your misery, by attempting your relief. They may exasperate your oppressors

while they think to speak that which may set you free from oppression. Their friendly mistakes may resemble Peter's, when he gave that carnal counsel to his Lord, "Be it far from thee, Lord; this suffering shall not be unto thee." Also when he rashly drew his sword against the officers that came to apprehend Jesus. Love and good meaning will not prevent the mischiefs of ignorance and error. Your best friends may not only be unable to relieve you, but their sufferings may greatly add to your grief. While your troubles become theirs, theirs will become yours, and your own stock of sorrows be thereby increased. And though your friends are both sincere and serviceable, yet

they must continue with you but a little while. Perhaps God will take away your dearest friends, and leave you in the midst of many enemies. If you have but one, perhaps God will separate that one from you, either by death, or in some remote situation. "The godly man ceaseth, the faithful fail from among the children of men."

Sect. VII. 3. To be forsaken of our friends, in such circumstances as have been mentioned, is a greatly aggravated affliction. They usually forsake us in our greatest sufferings and straits, when we have the greatest need of them; especially at a dying hour, when all other worldly comforts fail. As we must leave our

houses, lands, and wealth, so must we, for the present, leave our friends. Often they fail us, when we are most faithful in our duty. And perhaps they are persons of whom we deserved best, and from whom we might have expected most. Which of us must not say with David, "All men are liars;" that is, deceitful, either through unfaithfulness or insufficiency; that either will forsake us, or cannot help us in time of need.

Sec. VIII. 4. In order to reconcile our minds to such an aggravated affliction, let us attend to the following considerations. As for instance; con- · sider how this affliction sets the creature at a due distance from the Crea tor. All sufficiency, immutability,

and perfect faithfulness, are proper to Jehovah. Glorious as the sun is, we wonder not at its setting, or being eclipsed; and why should we wonder to have a friend, a pious friend, fail us for a time, and in the hour of our distress? Some friends will not, but all may, if God leave them to their own weakness. Man is not your rock. He has no stability but what is derived, dependent, and uncertain. Learn, therefore, to rest on God alone, and lean not too confidently on any mortal. Consider what a useful discovery this affliction makes of the common infirmity of man. If any of God's servants live in constant holiness, without any stumbling in their way, it tempts some self-accusing soul to think itself alto