Rock, the high God their Redeemer ; nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth, and lie unto him with their tongues ; for their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant f."
On the other hand, how impenetrable to the darts of the adversary were the graces of those who were sincere before God ! Daniel not only would not relinquish, but would not so much as abate, or con- ceal, his devotions, though menaced with a cruel and speedy death g. Nor would the Hebrew Youths comply with the edict of a haughty monarch, though they saw a furnace heated for their destruction, and might have pleaded in their defence the example of a whole nation11. Thus shall we also be enabled to brave every danger, and to endure death in its most awful forms, if our hearts be upright before God. As all our graces will be compacted together by sincerity, so every distinct grace will derive from it tenfold solidity, and strength : let our " faith be unfeigned," our " love without dissimulation," and our " spirit altogether without guile," and we need fear no assaults, however artful, however violent.
The other office of truth is, to strengthen our souls under great and long-continued conflicts. This parti- cular use of the girdle is repeatedly mentioned by the Psalmist. In reference to himself, he says, " Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle1." In reference to the Messiah also he uses a similar expres- sion : " The Lord reign eth ; he is clothed with ma- jesty ; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself*"
" Those who have a divided heart, will assuredly be found faulty at the last1." Numberless are the instances wherein persons who have fought well for a season, have fainted at last through this sad defect. But we will mention only two ; one, wherein the failure had nearly terminated in the destruction of many ; and the other, wherein it involved one of the
f Ps. lxxviii. 31 — 37. « Dan. vi. 10. >> Dan. iii. 17, 18.
1 Ps. xviii. 39. k Ps. xciii. 1. ' Hos. x. 2.