even a covenant, and that to
one end, to seek and serve God in the purity of His ways, after the
purity of His will; to this, as Asa and his people, we swear.

The second is the extirpation of idolatry and wickedness, and all things
contrary to truth, not according to godliness, the proper and perpetual
matter of all covenants. So did Asa, so did Joash, so did Josiah, so did
Nehemiah. 1. Asa took away all abominations. He was impartial, sparing
neither sin, place, nor person: not sin, he removed all abominations;
not place, from all places, towns of his inheritance, and of his
conquest; not person, he deposed his mother, or rather grandmother from
her state for her idolatry. 2. Joash, or his covenanters. Indeed the
people of the land, (for such usually are most zealous) they ruined the
altars, house and all. They broke down all the monuments of idolatry,
all to pieces, thoroughly, to some purpose, priest and all. They slew
Matthan priest of Baal with the sword. 3. Josiah purged the whole
kingdom: and Nehemiah with zeal, extirpated the strange wives Here is a
covenant that rooted out idolatry, popery, the Baalistical prelate
Matthan, and all his prelatical faction the Chemarim, and all this, for
this end, that the Lord might be one, and His name one.

The third is, the preservation of the liberties of the kingdom and the
king, for matters merely civil. Such was that covenant that Jehoiada
established, after their engagements for spirituals to God. He made a
covenant between the king and people, that he should preserve their
liberties, they his authority, and both each other mutually.

The fourth, for the discovery and punishment of malignants, that
increase or continue our division. Without a covenant such a discovery
did Mordecai make of Bigthan and Teresh, the king's eunuchs. Such a
discovery made the Jews of Sanballat, and his fellows to Nehemiah.
Josiah was not without his informers. But with a covenant was the
punishment of such varlets settled. Whosoever would not seek the Lord
God of their fathers, should be slain without sparing, be he whom he
would be, small or great, man or woman. For why should not every one
value the public above the private, the common good before his own?

The fifth, the preservation of the union, and of the pacification
between the two kingdoms. This is the matter of all civil leagues. Such
a league made Isaac with Abimelech, Jacob with Laban, David with Hiram.
But chiefly such a pacif