answerable to God, whose cause and work is in hand,
nor to this church and kingdom, unto which we have made so large
profession of duty, and owe much more; nor to our native kingdom, so
abundant in affection towards you; nor to our own hearts, which
exceedingly rejoice to see this day. We have greater reason than the
leprous men sitting in a time of great extremity at the gates of
Samaria, to say one to another, "We do not well, this day is a day of
good tidings, and we hold our peace." It is true, the Syrians are not
yet fled; but our hope is through God, that the work begun this day,
being sincerely performed, and faithfully pursued, shall put to flight,
not only the Syrians and Babylonians, but all other enemies of the
church of God, of the king's honour, and of our liberty and peace.

For it is acceptable to God, and well pleasing in His sight, when His
people come willingly in the day of His power (and how shall they not be
willing in the day of His power?) to enter into a religious covenant
with Him, and amongst themselves, whatsoever be the condition of the
people of God, whether in sorrow and humiliation before deliverance, or
in rejoicing and thanksgiving after deliverance. This is it which the
Lord waits for at their hands, which they have been used to perform, and
with which He hath been so well pleased, that it hath been the fountain
of many deliverances and blessings unto them. When a people begin to
forget God, He lifteth up His hand against them, and smiteth them: and
when His people, humbled before Him, lift up their hands, not only in
supplication, but in covenant before the most high God, He is pleased
(such is His mercy and wonderful compassion) first, to lift His hand
unto them, saying, "I am the Lord your God;" as we have it three times
in two verses of the 20th of Ezekiel: and next He stretcheth out His
hand against His enemies and theirs. It is the best work of faith, to
join in covenant with God, the best work of love and Christian
communion, to join in covenant with the people of God; the best work of
the best zeal, to join in covenant for reformation, against the enemies
of God and religion; the best work of true loyalty, to join in covenant
for the preservation of our king and superiors; and the best proof of
natural affection, (and to be without natural affection is one of the
great sins of the Gentiles) to join in covenant for defence of our
native country, liberties and laws: such as from t