ON HOSEA XIV.- VERSES 2, 3. 69 a whole pile of wood, every stick will burn the brighter ; the greenest wood that is will take fire in so general a flame. Men usually have more courage in the body of an army, where concurrent shoutings and en- couragements do as it were infuse mutual spirits into one another, than when they are alone by themselves. David rejoiced in but recounting the companies and armies of God's people when they went up to Jerusalem in their solemn feasts, Psa. lxxxiv. 7. And therefore most covenants in scripture were general and public, solemnly entered into by a great body of people, as that of Asa, Josiah, and Nehemiah, the forwardness of every man whetting the face of his neighbour, Prov. xxvii. 17. IV. From the multitudes, strength, vigilance, malice, assiduous attempts of our spiritual enemies, which call upon us for the stronger and more united resolutions. For common adversaries usually gain more by our faintness and divisions, than by their own strength. Therefore soldiers use to take an oath of fidelity towards their country and service. And Hannibal's father made him take a solemn oath to maintain perpetual hostility with Rome. Such an oath have all Christ's soldiers taken, and do at the Lord's supper, and in solemn humiliations, virtually renew the same, never to hold intelligence or correspondence with any of his enemies. The first thing in a christian man's armour men- tioned by the . apostle, Eph. vi. 14. is the girdle, that which binds on all the other armour (for so we read of girding on armour, Judg. xviii. 11. 1 Kings xx. 11.) and that there is truth. Which we may understand either doctrinally, for stedfastness and stability of judgment in the doctrine of Christ, which we profess, not being carried about with every wind
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