The divine life in three treatises

Joh. 16. 32. Behold the hour cometh, yea is come, that ye shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

Having treated of our Conformity to Christ in sufferings, in General, I since came distinctly to treat of his particular sufferings in which we must be conformed to him: And having gone over many of those particulars, I am this day to handle the instance of [Christs being forsaken by his friends and followers.]

HAving treated of our Conformity to Christ in sufferings, in General, I since came distinctly to treat of his particular sufferings in which we must be conformed to him: And having gone over many of those particulars, I am this day to handle the instance of [Christs being forsaken by his friends and followers.]

He thought meet to foretell them how they should manifest their infirmity and untrustiness in this temporary forsaking of him, that so he might fuller convince them, that he knew what was in man, and that he knew future contingencies, (or things to come which seem most dependent on the will of man) and that he voluntarily submitted to his deserted state, and expected no support from creatures, but that man should then do least for Christ, when Christ was doing most for man; that man by an unthankful forsaking Christ, should then manifest his forsaken deplorate state, when Christ was to make atonement for his Reconciliation to God, and was preparing the ⟨p. 298⟩most costly remedy for his recovery. He foretold them of the fruit which their infirmity would produce, to humble them that were apt to think too highly of themselves for the late free confession they had made of Christ, when they had newly said [Now we are sure that thou knowest all things: by this we are sure that thou comest forth from God, ver. 30]