First, It doth adorne us: for this was the use of the studded belt, which the Souldiers did weare to hide the gaping of the joynts of their armour, which would have been unseemly: and nothing doth more adorne a soule, beautifie our actions, or raise admiration in them, then sincerity; as our Saviour commending Nathaniel, gave this speech of him,Joh. 1.47. Behold, a true Israelite in whom there is no guile.
Secondly, A girdle doth tie other clothes about us, which otherwise the winds would blow abroad, and would hang but loose upon us: so this girdle of truth doth containe and hold together all other graces, wherewith the soule is arraied, and unlesse truth doe keepe them together, in time all of them will be blowne away with the wind of temptation. That grace which was not knit together with honesty of heart, came to nothing in the end, as appeares in the Parable. The body, when the soule is once gone, may not long stay above ground, it must needs be buried. The hypocrites graces are but the body of grace, they want the soul and life, which is sincerity, and we cannot thinke they should long endure. An unsound horse, that hath some secret fault, may carry as good a shew as the soundest, and at first for a mile or two, travell as freshly and cheerfully as the best, but at length he tires, and shews what he is: so it is with an unsound Christian, notwithstanding all his shews, fair beginnings, and hopefull entrances, he continueth not.
Thirdly, A girdle trussing up the loins moderately, doth strengthen a man, a girdle is put for strength and ornament, Isa. 23. 10. for in the loines is the seat of strength and might, and with a girdle the loines are girded; whence are these phrases, I will strengthen him with thy girdle, Isa. 22. 21. Justice shall be the girdle of his loynes, Isa. 11. 5. He girdeth their loynes with a girdle, Job 12. 18. and looseth the girdle of the strong, Job 12. 21. She girdeth up her loynes with strength, Prov. 31. 17. And the exhortation so often used. Gird up thy loynes, Jer. 1. 17. Job. 38. 3. & 40. 7. 2 King. 4. 29. & 2 King 9. 1. So this grace addeth great strength to the inner man, as we may see in Job, who when God seemed, and men did fight against him, when heaven and earth seemed to conspire against him, yet this did stick by him,Job. 27.5. Untill I die, I will never take away mine innocency from my selfe.
Fourthly, In the Easterne Countries, where they were accusto-med
