66 SECOND SERMON whereof we have such infirm principles as are a mutable will, and an unstedfast heart. For the latter, our relation unto him, we are his, not only by a property founded in his sovereign power and dominion over us, as our Maker, Lord, and Saviour, Psa. c. 3. 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. but by a property growing out of our own voluntary consent, whereby we surrender, and yield, and give up our- selves unto God, Rom. vi. 19. 2 Cor. viii. 5. We are not only his people, but his willing people, by the intervention of our own consent, Psa. cx. 3. We give him our hand (as the expression is, 2 Chron. xxx. 8.) which is an allusion to the manner of cove- nants or engagements, Prov. vi.1.17,18. Ezek. xvii. 18. We offer up ourselves as a free oblation, Rom. xv. 16. and are thereupon called a kind of first fruits," Jam. i. 18. We are his, as the wife is her husband's, Hos. ii. 19. Ezek. xvi. 8. Now such an interest as this ever presupposeth a contract. As in ancient forms of stipulation there was asking and answering; as in contract of marriage the mutual consent is asked and given, Gen. xxiv. 58. so it is here between God and the soul, the covenant is mutual, Gen. xvii. 2. He promiseth mercy to be our exceeding great reward, and we promise obedience, to be his willing people, and usually according as is the proportion of strength in our faith to believe God's promises of mercy to us, such is also the proportion of care in our obedience to perform our promises of duty unto him. II. From ourselves. And here covenants are needful in two respects. 1. In regard of the falseness, and deceitfulness of our corrupt hearts in all spiritual duties. The more cunning a sophister is to evade an argument, the more close and pressing we frame it. The more vigilant a prisoner to
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