gether graceless. But when we read of Peter's cursing and swearing that he new not Jesus; and how he and Barnabas were carried away with dissimulation; and of David's unkindness to Mephibosheth, the seed of Jonathan; and of his vile treachery to Uriah, a faithful and deserving subject; we are less offended at the unfaithfulness of our friends, and are taught to compassionate their frailty; and also are not so hopeless, when we ourselves have failed to God or man. Consider how this affliction manifests the meanness and carnality of our self-love. We should not discern this sin in its root, if we did not see and taste it in its fruits. When you have tasted the

fruits of your friends' remaining worldliness, selfishness, and carnal fears; then you will better know the odiousness of these vices, which thus break through all obligations to God and you, in a direct contradiction to the light of conscience, and the operations of divine grace.

Sect IX. Consider this affliction as a good remedy against over-loving your friends. In loving God, we are in no danger of excess, and therefore have no need of any thing to quench it. In loving saints, as saints, and purely for Christ's sake, we are not apt to exceed. Yet our understanding may mistake, by thinking saints have more holiness than they really have; and we are very apt to mix a

selfish love, with that which is holy; and not merely to love a christian as a christian, but to over-love him, because he is our friend. The christian that has no special love to us, we are apt to undervalue; but one that entirely loves us, we love above his proper worth. And if we love any more for loving us, than for loving Christ, no wonder we are thus afflicted, to cure us of our selfish love. O how highly do we think of their judg ments, graces, and conduct, that highly esteem us; when greater excellences in another are scarcely observed! If we exalt our friends too high in our esteem, it is a sign that God must cast them down. As their love to us was the snare, so their unthank

fulness to us is the fittest remedy. God is very jealous of our hearts, while they inordinately love and value any of his creatures, and will rebuke our excess; though the opposite extreme is also odious, to be void of natural, friendly, or social affections. God cannot take it well to see us dote upon dust and frailty like ourselves, at the same time that all his attractive goodness causes such languid love to him, that we ourselves can scarcely feel it. If therefore he cures us, by permitting our friends to show us how little they deserve such excessive love, when God himself has so little of our love; it is because he is so tender of his own glory, and merciful to his servants' souls. Con

sider also how this affliction leads us to observe and honour the wonderful patience of God. When our friends forsake us in our distress, especially if we suffer for Christ, it is God they injure more than us; and if he bear with them, and forgive them upon repentance, why should not we do so who are much less injured? The vile ingratitude of sinners should make us reflect, "How great and wonderful is the patience of God, which bears with those that abuse him, to whom they are infinitely obliged! And how great is that mercy, which hath borne with, and pardoned greater wrongs done by myself to God, than men have ever done to me !" When David remembered his sin, by which God