II. *ALL good means must be used to support our brothers weakness. To this tend such admonitions as these. aStrengthen ye the weak hands, and comfort the feeble knees. Comfort the feeble minded, support the weak. bHereunto the Apostle puts a must, which imports a necessity, ye ought (or ye must) support the weak. The Greek word translated, support, is oft used for cunder-propping a thing ready to fall: and dfor taking one that is weak by ⟨p. 277⟩the hand to raise him up. A fit Metaphor for the point in hand. That which is noted of Christs taking by the hand such as were eweak, fready to sink, yea, and gdead, when he meant to raise them, giveth evidence of the equity of the fore-mentioned duty. God himself doth hereby testify that goodness which is in him, and that care which he taketh of men in their weakness: for, saith he, hI will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen ohat which was sick. Hereupon his people are encouraged in their weakness to seek succour of him: iCome, say they, Let us return unto the Lord: for he will heal us, He will bind us up, he will revive us, He will raise us up. In this respect the Spirit of God hath this title kComforter, by a kind of property given him. For our better stability, lGod hath given his Angels charge over us to keep us, &c. If thus the Father, Son, Holy Ghost, and holy Angels be so tender over us, as in our weakness to support us, should not we use all the good means we can to succour and support one another in our weaknesses?
II. *ALL good meanes must be used to support our brothers weakenesse. To this tend such admonitions as these. aStrengthen ye the weake hands, and comfort the feeble knees. Comfort the feeble minded, support the weake. bHereunto the Apostle puts a must, which imports a necessity, ye ought (or ye must) support the weake. The Greeke word translated, support, is oft used for cunder-propping a thing ready to fall: and dfor taking one that is weake by ⟨p. 277⟩the hand to raise him up. A fit Metaphor for the point in hand. That which is noted of Christs taking by the hand such as were eweake, fready to sinke, yea, and gdead, when he meant to raise them, giveth evidence of the equity of the fore-mentioned duty. God himselfe doth hereby testifie that goodnesse which is in him, and that care which he taketh of men in their weaknesse: for, saith he, hI will bind up that which was broken, and wil strengthen ohat which was sick. Hereupon his people are incouraged in their weaknesse to seeke succour of him: iCome, say they, Let us returne unto the Lord: for he will heale us, He will bind us up, he will revive us, He will raise us up. In this respect the Spirit of God hath this title kComforter, by a kind of property given him. For our better stability, lGod hath given his Angels charge over us to keepe us, &c. If thus the Father, Sonne, Holy Ghost, and holy Angels be so tender over us, as in our weaknesse to support us, should not we use all the good meanes we can to succour and support one another in our weakenesses?
- *See §. 48.
- aIsa. 35. 3. 1 Thes. 5. 14.
- bAct. 20. 35. [Greek or Hebrew], &c.Act. 20. 35. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, &c.
- c[Greek or Hebrew]. Plut. in Fab.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Plut. in Fab.
- dLuk. 1. 54. Vide Bezoe annot. majors in hunc loc & in Act. 20. 35.Luk. 1. 54. Vide Bezoe annot. majores in hunc loc & in Act. 20. 35.
- eMar. 1. 31.
- fMat. 14. 31.
- gMar. 5. 41.
- hEzek. 34 16.
- iHos. 6. 1, 2.
- kJoh. 14. 26.
