As God hath established fellowships and communities of men to procure their mutual good, and to fence them the better, on every side, against evil; so sin and wickedness being the greatest and only absolute evil, Christians are most bound by virtue of their association, to help, and assist, within the bounds of the callings in which God hath set them, their brethren, and associates against it: according to that of the philosopher; he that bears with the vices of his friend makes them his own...
We are wisely to judge before, but freely to credit after, the knot of friendship is tied: yet so as we try the wisdom, secrecy, and faithfulness of our friends in smaller matters, before we trust them in greater; as men use to try, whether their vessels will hold water, or no, before they put wine in to them. And, albeit, that Christian love, “ which is the bond of perfection, and first fruits of the Spirit,” Col. iii. 14, be due to all Christians from all; yet are not all fit friends for all, of that fellowship. Gal. v. 12. David, notwithstanding the many worthies in his kingdom, had specially “ Hushai, the king's friend,” 1 Chron. xxvii. 33: and so had our Lord, whilst he lived upon earth, specially John, among all the twelve, “ the disciple whom he loved.” John xiii. 23. This special affection to one above the rest in Christ, was holy, yet human...
Wealth maketh many friends, and poverty trieth them; as the wind shows which clouds have rain in them, and which not And so, though the rich have the more friends, yet the poor's better appear to be faithful, in giving testimony that they love their friends for God, and the persons themselves: which to know is not a small privilege, that poor men have above others, who can hardly discern whether their persons or riches be loved.
“A friend,” saith the wise man, “ loveth at all times: and a brother is born for adversity,” Prov. xvii. 17. He saith not, a friend is born for prosperity, though it be one end of friendship, that we might have with whom to communicate, and rejoice in a prosperous state of things; but for adversity, this being the more principal end, specially in our sinful and sorrowful state, for which God hath linked men together in all societies; which the wiser sort of the heathen have seen by the dim light of nature, and that it appertains, specially, to the office of a true friend to ease his friend's grief by speech, to afford him counsel in doubtful cases, to drive away sadness by his cheerfulness, and to refresh him with his very presence.
