Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
Ver. 4. Thy words have upholden him that was falling] So forcible are right words, well timed and fitted to the present necessity, they shore up the tottering, they catch him before be comes to ground, and prevent his fall. This made Latimer bless God that ever he came acquainted with that fellow prisoner of his, that angel of God (as he called him), John Bradford he and Ridley, so long as they lived, upheld Cranmer by their words and letters; who soon after fell, to the grief of the godly party, but rose again by repentance (Mr Clark in his Life). The story is told of Urbanus Regius, a famous Dutch divine, that meeting with Luther at Goburg, be spent a whole day in conference with him about matters of great moment, of which himself writeth, that he never had a more comfortable day in all his life. The earl of Derby's accusation in the parliament house against Mr Bradford was, that he did more harm (so he called good, evil) by letters and conferences in prison than ever he did when he was abroad by preaching (Acts and Mon.).
Thou hast strengthened the feeble knees] That bend and buckle under a back burden of afflictions: this was to be like unto God, who doth not crush, but cherish the worm Jacob; he doth not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax; he despiseth not the day of small things, nor slighteth the well meant weaknesses of his upright hearted people. Now Job, as a partaker of the Divine nature, resembled God herein, and made it his work to comfort the abject, to strengthen and straighten those that were bowed down with pains and pressures, to be eyes to the blind and feet to the lame, Job 29:15; to distribute spiritual alms, which is far the best in many respects, as were easy to instance.