will sell all that he hath with joy to buy this, and
blesses God for the bargain.

And because of all this, we are called to make a covenant this day.
Truth of doctrine and purity of worship were going, and much of them
both were gone. The liberty of our persons, and property of our estates,
were going, and much of them both were gone; we were at once growing
popish and slavish, superstitious and servile; we were in these great
distresses, "And because of all this we make a covenant this day." That
these are the grounds of our covenant, is clear in the tenor of the
covenant. The preamble whereof speaks thus:

"We calling to mind the treacherous and bloody plots, conspiracies,
attempts, and practices of the enemies of God, against the true religion
and professors thereof, in all places, especially in these three
kingdoms, ever since the reformation of religion; and how much their
rage, power and presumption are of late, and at this time increased and
exercised, whereof the deplorable estate of the church and kingdom of
Ireland, the distressed estate of the church and kingdom of England, and
the dangerous estate of the church and kingdom of Scotland, are present
and public testimonies: we have now at the last, for the preservation of
ourselves, and our religion, from utter ruin and destruction, after
mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutual and
solemn league and covenant."

So then, if we be asked a reason of our covenant, here are reasons,
clear reasons, easy to the weakest understanding, yea, open to every
man's sense. Who amongst us hath not felt these reasons? and how many
have smarted their proof unto us? And as these reasons are so plain,
that the most illiterate and vulgar understandings may conceive them; so
they are so weighty and cogent, that the most subtile and sublime
understandings cannot but be subdued to them; unless, because they are
such masters of reason, they have resolved to obey none. And yet where
conscience is indeed unsatisfied, we should rather pity than impose, and
labour to persuade, rather than violently to obtrude. Now seeing we have
all this for the ground of a covenant, let us cheerfully and reverently
make a sure covenant, which is the third point in the text, the property
of this covenant: we make a sure covenant.

In the Hebrew, the word covenant is not expressed. The text runs only
thus, we make a sure one, or a sure thing. Covenants are in their own
nature