PARTRIDGE, OAKEY AND CO., PRINTERS, PADDINGTON.

Introduction.

HO is there

world in

sensible to the

charms of friend

ship? Who does not seek after and try to retain it? Who is there but considers himself the friend of some one or other? Who is

there that can lose a

much that is called and thought to be friendship is very unlike it. Cowper says

66

No knave but boldly will pretend

The requisites that form a friend,

A real and a sound one;

Nor any

fool he would deceive

But prove as ready to believe,

And dream that he had found one."

But whatever may be the quality of worldly friendships, there can be no doubt that Christian people should base and cherish theirs upon Christian principles.

All agree that the formation of friendships amongst the young is of the greatest importance. How often has the whole stream. of a man's life been poisoned by the contaminating influence of unworthy associates, selected in the days of his youth. How many dying sinners have traced their infidelity to hearing the heretical opinions and pernicious counsels of those to whom they had unhappily attached themselves in

the morning of life-others again, their moral corruption, to the temptations and persuasions of fascinating companions, whose allurements they found it hard to resistwhilst some have even been drawn into the commission of the most awful crimes by the baneful example and advice of those who professed to be their friends.

All these facts are commonly known, but with true, enduring, disinterested, faithful friendship we are not so familiar. It is intended in this volume to examine the real nature of friendship upon Scripture grounds, and to illustrate the subject by Bible examples.

We do not suppose that friendship can only exist between two equals, whose tastes and sympathies flow in one direction, and into whose peculiar enjoyments no third person is ever admitted-not so- this is one high and exquisite phase of friendship— but the term friendship is comprehensive

and its application extensive. There is the friendship of the husband for the wife, the wife for the husband; the master for the servant, the servant for the master; the superior for the inferior, the inferior for the superior, &c. &c.

To the consideration, then, of how the mutual responsibilities of friendship have been, can, and should be acted out in the different connexions of the great human family, the following chapters will be devoted, under the conviction that the only true criterion of the merits and duties of friendship is, the Bible.