A man [that hath] friends must show himself
friendly
Friendship ought to be mutual and reciprocal, as between David
and Jonathan; a man that receives friendship ought to return it,
or otherwise he is guilty of great ingratitude. This may be
spiritually applied; a believer is "a man of friends" F2, as it
may be rendered; he has many friends: God is his friend, as
appears by his early love to him, his choice of him, and
provisions of grace for him; by sending his son to save him; by
visiting him, not only in a way of providence, but of grace; by
disclosing his secrets, showing his covenant to him, and by
making him his heir, and a joint heir with Christ. Christ is his
friend, as is evident from his visiting him at his incarnation;
and in a spiritual way, by the communication of his secrets to
him; by his hearty counsel and faithful reproofs; by his
undertaking and doing for him what he has; and especially by
suffering and dying in his room and stead. The Holy Spirit is his
friend, which he has shown by discovering to him his woeful
estate by nature, and the way of salvation by Christ; by working
all his works in him; by acting the part of a Comforter to him;
by revealing divine things to him, by helping him under all his
infirmities; by making intercession for him according to the will
of God; and by making him meet for eternal glory and happiness:
angels are his friends, as is plain by their well pleasedness
with the incarnation of Christ for men; and which they express at
their conversion; by their ministering to them, their protection
of them, and the good offices they do them both in life and at
death; and saints are friends to one another: and such should
show themselves friendly to God, their covenant God and Father;
by frequently visiting him at the throne of grace; by trusting in
him; by a carefulness not to offend, but please him; and by a
close and faithful adherence to his cause and interest: to Jesus
Christ their Redeemer, by a ready obedience to his commands; by
owning and using him as their friend; by taking notice of his
friends, and showing them respect, his ministers and poor saints;
by cleaving to him, and renouncing the friendship of his enemies:
and likewise to the Holy Spirit, by not grieving, quenching, and
despising him; but by making use of him, and giving up themselves
to his influence and direction; and by acknowledging him as the
author of all their grace: also to angels, by speaking well of
them, owning their good offices, and reckoning it an honour that
they are come and joined to such a company; and to the saints, by
Christian conversation with them, by sympathizing with them in
all conditions, by hearty counsel, faithful reproofs and
admonitions, and by helping them in every distress, inward and
outward; and there is a friend [that] sticketh closer than
a brother;
who is to a man as his own soul, ( Deuteronomy
13:6 ) ; and so are of one heart and soul, as Jonathan and
David, and the first Christians, were; this is true of Christ,
and may be expressive of the close union between him and his
people; and of his close adherence to their cause and interest;
and of his constancy and continuance as a friend at all times;
and of his faithfulness and unchangeableness as such; see (
Proverbs
17:17 ) . The Heathens had a deity which presided over
friendship, which they called Jupiter Philios F3: the
character best agrees with the true God, who is a friend to men
himself, and loves friendship among them.