The Fountain of Life Opened

If to avoid the present shock of persecution they had fled, yet surely they should have kept together praying, watching, encouraging, and strengthening one another. This had made it a lesser evil: but as they all forsook Christ, so they forsook one another also; For it's said, Joh. 16.32. They should go every man to his own, and leave Christ alone (i. e.) saith Beza, every man to his own house, and to his own business. They forsook each other, as well as Christ. O what an hour of temptation was this!

If to avoid the present shock of persecution they had fled, yet surely they should have kept together praying, watching, encouraging, and stengthening one another. This had made it a lesser evil: but as they all forsook Christ, so they forsook one another also; For it's said, Ioh. 16.32. They should go every man to his own, and leave Christ alone (i. e.) saith Beza, every man to his own house, and to his own business. They forsook each other, as well as Christ. O what an hour of temptation was this!

Eighthly, And lastly, this their departure from Christ was accompanied with some offence at Christ. For so he tells them, Matth. 26.31.¹ All ye shall be offended, because of me this night. The word is [Greek or Hebrew] you shall be scandalized, at me, or in me. Some think the scandal they took at Christ was this, that when they saw he was fallen into his enemies hands, and could no longer defend himself; they then began to question whether he were the Christ or no, since he could not defend himself from his enemies. Others more rightly understand it of their shameful flight from Christ, seeing it was not now safe to abide longer with him. That seeing he gave himself into their hands, they thought it advisable to provide as well as they could for themselves, and some where or other to take refuge from the present storm, which had over taken him. This was the nature and quality of the fact. We enquire