254 Support. State Ill. . when unclean; white v~!feh of "JJood, and confequently vef· fels of gold, were only to be rinfod, Lev. xv. 12. A ninth benefit is fupport. If thou be a branch ingrafted in Chri!t tht root beareth thee. The believer leam on Chri!1; as a weak woman in a journey, leaniog upon her beloved hnfband, Cant. viii. 5. Be flays himfelf upon hirfi, as a fee– ble old man ll:ays himfelfon. his fiaff, Ifa. I. 1 o. He roll! himfelfon him, as one rolls.a b~r.deo h_e is ~ot able to walk under, off his own back, upon .anot.her wh.o is ahle to bear it, Pjq./. xxii . 8. Marg. There are m,any weights to hc.ng upon and prefs down the branches i.n Chrift the true -.vioe. But ye knf?W, whatever weights hang on . btanches, · the fiock bears all ; it bears the .branchand lhe weight thads upon it too. . rfl, Chrifi fupports believers i.n him .under ~ weight of outward troubles. That is a large .promife, ffa. xliii. 2. When thou pajfefl through ·the waters I rwi/1 .JJe with .thee: and through the rivers, they /half not overjiow.thu. , S~e how J)avid was fupported under a ~eavy load, -, Sarn. xx~. • 6. His city Zildag was burnt, his wives were taken captives, his men fpake of Honing him: nothing w·as left him but his God and his faith; but -ht his faith he encourqged bimfolf in his God. The Lord comes and lays hif crofs on his people's ihoulders; it preffeth them down ; they are like to fink under i~, and therefore cry) Mafler,far;e.us,.•v;e;perijh : but he fupports them under their burden.~ he bears them up; and they bear their crofs. Tfws the Chrift.ian having.a 'veight of outward ._tro.ubles upon him, goes lightly under his burden, havi9g withal the f('(.lerlqfling ar1J1J ,U?Jderneath him.· The Chriffiao .has a fpring of comfort, which.;he cannot Jofe; and therefore n~ ver wants·fomething to £up– port him. If one have all his riches.in ?:wme;·, robbers ·m~y take thefe away; and then rwhat,hqs he mot:e? But though the landed man be r.ob.bed of his money, ~yet his lands ,re– main for his fupport • . They.th~t quild lheir comfort o.n world!y.gobds, may quickly .be comfortlefs: but chey that are united to Chrift, fha11 findcomfort when all tbe lheams, of worldly enjoyments ate dried, up, Job vi. 1,3. l.r not.my help in nze? And i.r rwifdom drjven quite from me?' q. .q•. Though my, fubfrance is gone ; though ~ny fervants, , m1 child~en, my· he,.alth, and-fou~dnefs of body, ar~ all 'gone ; yet . ,
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