nd into the fold of My covenant, and cast out the
wicked and unsound." Which interpretation is not only favoured, but
fully approved, in the words immediately following, "I will bring you
into the bond of the covenant, and I will purge out from among you the
rebels, and them that transgress against Me."

A covenant is to a nation, as a fan to the floor, which purges away the
chaff and purifies the wheat. It is like the furnace to the metal, which
takes away the dross and shews you a refined lump. It is a Shibboleth,
to distinguish Ephraimites from Gileadites. And who knows not how great
an advantage it is for the successful carrying on of any honourable
design, to know friends from enemies, and the faithful from false
brethren? Some have thought it unpolitical to set-a-foot this covenant,
lest it should discover more enemies than friends, and so holding out to
the view more than otherwise can be seen, the weakness of a party may
render them, not only more obnoxious, but more inconsiderable.

To this I answer, in a word, invisible enemies will ever do us more hurt
than visible; and if we cannot deliver ourselves from them, when they
are seen and known, doubtless unseen and unknown, they will more easily,
tho' more insensibly devour us. And I verily believe, we have already
received more damage and deeper wounds from pretended friends, than
from professed and open enemies. The sad stories of Abner and Amasa
inform us, that there is no fence against his stroke, who comes too near
us, who stabs while he takes us aside to speak kindly to us, who draws
his sword, while he hath a kiss at his lips, and art thou in health, my
brother, at his tongue. Let us never think ourselves stronger, because
we do not know our weakness; or safer, because we are ignorant of our
danger. Or that our real enemies and false friends will do us less hurt,
because they are less discovered. I do not think, that a flock ever
fared the better, because the wolves that were amongst them, went in
sheep's clothing. Rather will our knowledge be our security, and the
discovery which this covenant makes, help on both our deliverance and
our business. For as, possibly, this covenant may discover those who are
faithful to be fewer, than was supposed before this strict distinction
from others; so it will certainly make them stronger than they were
before, by a stricter union among themselves. And this is

2. The second benefit of this covenant, which I shall ne