John Trapp on Ecclesiastes 4:10

Verſ. 10. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow] Provided, that they hold together, and be both of a mind. That which is ſtronger ſhoreth up that which is weaker. While Latimer and Ridley lived, they kept up Cranmer by intercourſe of Letters and otherwiſe, from entertaining counſels of revolt. Biſhop Ridley being Priſoner in the Tower, had the liberty of the ſame; to prove, belike, whether he would goe to Maſs or no: which once he did. And Mr. Bradford being there Priſoner, and hearing thereof,Act. & Mon. fol. 1930. wrote an effectual Letter to perſwade him from the ſame, which did Mr. Ridley no little good; for he repented, &c. Biſhop Farrar alſo being in the Kings-bench Priſoner, was travelled withall by the Papiſts in the end of Lent, to receive the Sacrament at Eaſter in one kind; who after much perſwading, yeelded to them, and promiſed ſo to doe. But, by Gods good providence, the Eaſter-even, the day before he ſhould have done it, was Bradford brought to the ſame Priſon, Ib. 1457. where, the Lord making him his inſtrument, Bradford only was the means that the ſaid Biſhop revoked his promiſe, and would never after yeeld to bee ſpotted with that Papiſtical pitch.Ibid. Dr. Taylor for like cauſe rejoyced that ever he came into priſon there to be acquainted with that Angel of God, John Bradford: ſo he called him, for the good he received from him. One man may bee an Angel to another in regard of counſel and comfort: nay, a God to another, as Moſes was to Aaron. Though he fall he ſhall ariſe, for the Lord puts under his hand, Pſal. 37.24.

But woe to him that is alone] Becauſe Satan is readieſt to aſſault, when none is by to aſſiſt: Solitarineſſe therefore is not to be affected, becauſe it is the hour of temptation.

For he hath not a ſecond to help him up] As Elizabeth Cowper the Martyr in Queen Maries dayes had, who being condemned, and at the ſtake with Simon Miller, when the fire came unto her, ſhe a little ſhrank thereat, crying once Ha; when Simon heard the ſame, he put his hand behind him toward her, and willed her to be ſtrong and of good chear: for, Good Siſter, ſaid he, Ib. 1981. we ſhall ſoon have a joyful and ſweet ſupper: it is but winking a little and you are in heaven. With theſe, and the like ſpeeches ſhe being ſtrengthned ſtood ſtill and quiet, as one moſt glad to finiſh that good work. It was therefore a devilliſh policy in Julian and other Heathen Perſecutors, to baniſh Chriſtians into farre Countries one from another, and to confine them to Iſles and Mines, where they could not have acceſſe one to another.