Few, very few dared to flick to him in his Diftrefs; his Acquaintance were afraid of being thought fuch, left they fhould thereupon incur the King's Difpleasure, and thofe his Enemies which had envy ed his Happiness, did then dildainfully infult over his Mifery.

Thus we find him complaining of his forlorn Condition, in the Words of my Text, which is part of a Pfalm supposed to have been written at that Time. I was, faith he, a Reproach among all mine Enemies, but especially among mine Neighbours, and a Fear to mine Acquaintance, they that did fee me without fled from me. In difcourfing from which Words, I fhall first of all, raise fome proper Obfervations from them, touching the ill Treatment which Men meet with, when they are reduced to mean Circumstances.

Secondly, I fhall point at fome of the Caufes of this ill Treatment, And, Thirdly, I fhall offer fome Confiderations to disuade others from treating them ifo.

First then, I am to raise some proper Obfervations from the Text, touching the ill Treatment Men meet with, when they are reduced to mean Circumstances. Now the Observations which I fhall make, are chefe two.

First,

First, That Men, when they are reduced to mean Circumftances, are generally neglected and forfaken by their for mer Acquaintance. This Obfervation is: fuggefted to us from the latter Part of the Text, I was a Fear to mine Acquaintance, they that did fee me without, fled from

me.

Secondly, That Men, when reduced to mean Circumftances, are generally villified and ridiculed by their Enemies. This Obfervation is built upon the former Part of the Text, I was a Reproach among all · mine Enemies, but especially among my Neighbours.

I begin with the firft of thefe, namely, that Men when reduced to mean Circumstances, are generally neglected and forfaken by their former Acquaintance; and the Proof of this Obfervation is confirmed by common Experience. 'Tis no new Thing to find Men that profels great Kindness and Esteem for others in their Profperity, and who yet most shamefully difregard and defert them in their Adverfity: No extraordinary Matter for Men to proffer any Service to their Acquaintance when they don't want it, and to deny them the least Affiftance when they do. As long as any one abounds in

Wealth

Wealth or Honour, we fee that he is ad mitted to the Familiarity of the Rich and Noble; but if those make themselves Wings and fly away from him, we find that thefe do as quickly disappear and follow after them; like a Shadow they fuddenly depart, and continue not.

To a Shadow indeed they may be fitly compared; for as that attends the Body of which 'tis a Shadow, no longer than the Light fhines on't; fo they abide with their Friends no longer than their Circumstances make them have a fplendid Appearance. To carry on the Similitude a little farther: As Shadow is nothing at all, but the Abfence or Want of the di reet Rays of Light, caused by the Interpofition of fome Body, and hath no real, pofitive Existence, fo the Friendship which moft Men profefs, is merely feigned and imaginary, without any Thing real in it, if 'twas otherwife, they would be true to thofe to whom they profess it, in all Fortunes and Extremes whatsoever.

Here then is one Advantage, which a Man that is brought from a flourishing Condition to the contrary, enjoys above Gothers, to wit, that he hath an Opportunity of knowing who are his real Friends, and who not. If those with whom he was

intimate with before, lend him their helping Hand, and generously make lufe of their Power and Ability, to comfort and fuccour him; he may be then certain, that they are honest and true-hearted; but if they ftand as it were a-loof from him, take no other Notice of his mean Condition, than to forfake him upon that Account, he may fafely conclude, that they are falfe and deceitful.

And alas: how far doth the Number of this latter Sort exceed that of the Former. How many when tried by the Touchftone of Adverfity, prove falfe to their Promifes, to one that proves true? How often do we see Men, whose Interests have been exceedingly advanced by the Aid of others, break through all the Ties of Humanity, Shame, and Gratitude; fo as to forget and difown their Friends, when they are oppreffed by any grievous Calamity? How often do we fee Men, who have maintained a very clofe Correfpondence with others, whilft they plentifully enjoyed the good Things of this Life; prefently upon a Reverse of their Condition, contract a most strange and amazing Shynefs; and look down upon them, with fuch an haughty and contemptuous Air, as if they never knew them? Nay, as if their

Misfortunes had transformed them into a lower Species of Creatures than themfelves? As if they had debafed the Dig nity of human Nature, and made them to be lefs Men than they were before?

In fine, How common is it, in this base, treacherous, degenerate Age, for Men not only to neglect and forfake their unfortunate Acquaintance, but even to strive to link them lower than they are already; and to apply themselves with more Art and Diligence to further the Completion of their Ruin, than those who were counted their greatest Enemies.

Thefe are Things which happen very frequently in our Days; and fo they did in the Days of our Fore-fathers, and in the old Time before them. The bleffed Saviour of the World, who was God as well as Man, and who took upon him the Nature of Man on purpose to endure Afflictions; was, when the greatest of them drew nigh, abandoned by the most intimate Companions of his Life; one of his Difciples betrayed him, another denied him, and those who had before forfook all, and followed him, at his Apprehenfion, forfook him, and fled. David who was a Type of him, did in his Adverfity meet with much the fame Treat

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