mmering light of nature; how will His anger not only
kindle, but flame in the avenging of such baseness upon Christians, a
people of His own, who have the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, to discover to them higher and heavenly ends and references? So
that such a kingdom, people, or person, that should dare to bring such
base carnal ends, to so spiritual and divine a contract, should be made
a monument of the wrath and vengeance of divine justice; and while they
propound to themselves safety, or riches, or greatness, from such an
excellent ordinance, God makes it by a strange but a righteous hand, an
occasion of misery and ruin to them and their posterity, to many
generations.

Christians, labour to set up God in this day and duty, wherein you
engage yourselves so nigh unto Him; and if you would have heavenly
blessings, see that you propound and pursue heavenly ends and aims;
lest, while you come to make a covenant with God, you commit idolatry
against Him. Whatsoever we make our ultimate and highest end, we make
our God. If therefore you cannot make God your sole, your only end, yet
be sure you make Him your choicest, your chiefest end; keep God in His
own place; and let all self-respects whatsoever vail to His glory,
according to that great rule, "whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever
ye do, do all to the glory of God."

_Fifthly_, To do this business to acceptation, we must do it cheerfully:
as God loves a cheerful giver, so He loves a cheerful hearer, a cheerful
petitioner, and a cheerful covenanter; and you have it in the text too,
"come let us;" there is their readiness and cheerfulness to the work; as
it was that for which the apostle doth commend his Macedonians in
another service. "This they did, not as we hoped, but first gave
themselves to the Lord." So these, they give themselves to God of their
own accord, "come let us." Oh! that the ministers of the Gospel might
have occasion to make the same boast of you, concerning this solemn
ordinance before you, that they might say and rejoice, that you were a
people, "that gave yourselves to the Lord," and unto the work of
reformation, not by a Parliamentary fear, or by our ministerial
compulsions; but, above our hopes, and beyond our expectations; of your
own accord. See what a wonder, not only of cheerfulness, but of joy and
triumph, is recorded of the Jews in king Asa's time, in their taking of
the covenant. "They sware unto the Lord with a loud vo