The divine life in three treatises

12. Perhaps some of your friends may really mistake your case, and think that you suffer as evil doers, and instead of comforting you may be your sharpest censurers: This is one of the most notable things set out to our observation in the book of Job: It was not the smallest part of his affliction, that when the hand of God was heavy upon him, and then if ever was the time for his friends to have been his comforters, and friends indeed, on the contrary they became his scourge, and by unjust accusations, and misinterpretations of the providence of God, did greatly add to his affliction! when God had taken away his children, wealth and health, his friends would take away the reputation and comfort of his integrity; and under pretence of bringing him to repentance, did charge him with that which he was never guilty of; They wounded his good-name, and would have wounded his conscience, and deprived him of his inward peace: Censorious false accusing friends do cut deeper then malicious slandering enemies: It is no wonder if strangers or enemies do misjudge and misreport our actions: But when your bosom friends, that should most ⟨p. 310⟩intimately know you, and be the chief witness of your innocency against all others, shall in their jealousy, or envy, or peevishness, or falling out, be your chief reproachers and unjust accusers, as it makes it serve more credible to others, so it will come nearest to your selves. And yet this is a thing that must be expected: yea even your most self-denying acts of obedience to God, may be so misunderstood by godly men, and real friends, as by them to be taken for your great miscarriage, and turned to your rebuke: As Davids dancing before the Ark was by his wife; which yet did but make him resolve to be yet more vile. If you be cast into poverty, or disgrace, or prison, or banishment, for your necessary obedience to Christ, perhaps your friend or wife may become your accuser for this your greatest service, and say, This is your own doing: your rashness, or indiscretion, or self-conceitedness, or wilfulness hath brought it upon you: what need had you to say such words, or to do this or that? why could not you have yielded in so small a matter?]

12. Perhaps some of your friends may really mistake your case, and think that you suffer as evil doers, and instead of comforting you may be your sharpest censurers: This is one of the most notable things set out to our observation in the book of Job: It was not the smallest part of his affliction, that when the hand of God was heavy upon him, and then if ever was the time for his friends to have been his comforters, and friends indeed, on the contrary they became his scourge, and by unjust accusations, and misinterpretations of the providence of God, did greatly add to his affliction! when God had taken away his children, wealth and health, his friends would take away the reputation and comfort of his integrity; and under pretence of bringing him to repentance, did charge him with that which he was never guilty of; They wounded his good-name, and would have wounded his conscience, and deprived him of his inward peace: Censorious false accusing friends do cut deeper then malicious slandering enemies: It is no wonder if strangers or enemies do misjudge and misreport our actions: But when your bosome friends, that should most