things.

_First_, The seasonableness.

_Secondly_, The success of such engagements.

_First_, The seasonableness: there is a time for all purposes, and every
word and action is beautiful in his own time. A public engagement is
then seasonable, 1. When a land hath been full of troubles: God by such
troubles prepares a people for Him in this duty. "I will cause you to
pass under the rod, and so I will bring you into the bond of the
covenant." And we know, we feel God hath chastised us sore of late; but
in them He hath not given us over to death, that by them He might
prepare us for Himself. When a land hath been full of corruptions, and a
shrewd decay hath been in spirituals: by a covenant hath such a people
recovered themselves, and regained their God. After the great apostasy
by Athaliah, Jehoiada renewed their interest by a covenant. When
Manasses and his son had suffered destruction from God, and advanced
idolatry with or above God; Josiah purged all by a covenant. Our decays
are evident, our corruptions destructive; our covenant therefore
seasonable. Come, let us engage our hearts to approach to God. 3. When
the enemy begins to fall, and God begins to shine upon His own. Asa
returning from a victory, called his land to a covenant. When Athaliah
was slain, the league was sworn, by Joash and his kingdom. Since this
motion of a covenant is come among us, God hath, as it were, begun to
draw near, in the siege of Gloucester raised, in the success at Newbery,
gained. God is worming out His and our adversaries, which He will do by
little and little, till they be consumed. The covenant is seasonable.

_Second_, The success. Come and see the works of the Lord, what wonders
He hath wrought, when a people hath thus bound themselves to be His. 1.
A king injuriously put from his right by an usurping hand, after such a
covenant was re-established, "He sat him down on the throne of the
kings." 2. A land miserably put from its peace, after such a covenant,
was re-settled, peace was re-obtained; and that as a fruit of prayer,
and so acknowledged, "Israel had sworn, and sought God; God was found of
them: and the Lord gave them rest round about." 3. Religion craftily,
and wickedly put from its purity after such a covenant, was reformed;
after such a reformation continued. The engagement being made, "all
Josiah's days they returned not back from the Lord God of their
fathers." 4. Rebels and rebellion, basely and bloodily backed and