The covenant engages us not only to do but to suffer, not only to endeavour but to endure. Such is the tenor of the sixth article where every man promises for himself that he will not suffer himself to be withdrawn from this blessed Union by any terrors. If not by any terror, then not by any losses, imprisonments, torments, no, nor by death, that king of terrors. You see, then, that the price of this covenant may be the price of blood, of liberty, and of life. Sit down and consider. Are you willing to be at this cost to build the tower? Through the goodness of God in ordering these great affairs, you may never come actually to pay down so much, haply, not half so much, but except you resolve (if called and put to it by the real exigencies of this cause) to pay down the utmost farthing, your spirits are too narrow and your hearts too low for the honour and tenor of this covenant. If any shall say these demands are very high and the charge very great, but is a part in this covenant worth it? Will it quit cost to be at so great a charge? Wise men love to see and have somewhat for their money; and when they see they will not stick at any cost so the considerations be valuable. For the answering and clearing of this, I shall pass to the Second point which holds forth the grounds of a covenant from those words of the text, "And because of all this." If any one shall be troubled at the "All this" in the price, I doubt not but the "All this" in the grounds will satisfy him. Because of all this, we make a sure covenant. Here observe: 1. A covenant must be grounded on reason: we must shew the cause why. God often descends, but man is bound, to give a reason of what he doeth. Some of God's actions are above reason, but none without reason. All our actions ought to be level with reason and with common reason, for it is a common act. That which men of all capacities are called to do, should lie in the reach of every man's capacity. Observe: 2. A covenant must be grounded on weighty reason; there must be much light in the reason (as was shewed before) but no lightness. "Because of all this" saith the text. There were many things in it, and much weight in every one of them. And the reasons, in their proportion, must at least be as weighty as the conditions. Weighty conditions will never be balanced with light reasons. If a man ask a thousand pounds for a jewel, he is bound to demonstrate that his jewel is intrinsically worth so much, else no wise man will come up to his demands. So when great things are demanded to be paid down by all who take part in this covenant, we are obliged to demonstrate and hold forth an equivalent of worth in the grounds and nature of it. Hence observe