bviate all such misreports, we have
thought fit to make this brief relation thereof.

Upon Wednesday, July 23d, those who had the work in design being met
together, the minister began the day's work with prayer for special
assistance to attain due preparation, and a suitable frame, throughout
the whole solemnity: and thereafter had a prefatory discourse to the
people, showing the nature of the work in general, its lawfulness,
expediency, and necessity, from scripture precedents and approven
examples of the people of God, adducing the 9th chapter of Ezra, Neh.
Ezek. Dan. and Neh. x. 28, 29, for proof thereof; and of the day in
particular, that it was a day of fasting and supplication, with
preaching of the word, in order to preparation for the solemnities
intended, both of renewing the covenants and celebrating the sacrament
of the Lord's, Supper. After which a part of the lxxviii. Psalm, from
the 5th to the 12th verse being sung, Mr. John M'Neil, preacher of the
gospel, had a sermon upon Jer. 1. 4, and 5. "In those days, and in that
time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the
children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go and seek
the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces
thitherward, saying, Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a
perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." From which text he
raised and prosecuted largely, and particularly the two following
observations, as most pertinent for the work of the day; the first
implicitly supposed, the other more explicitly asserted in the words;
viz. 1. That, _a people in covenant with God may be forgetful of and
deal falsely in their covenant_; or that _covenant-takers may be
covenant-breakers_. 2. That, _it is the duty of a people who have broken
covenant with God to engage themselves again to the Lord by the
renovation of their covenant_. Where in prosecuting the former, he
showed by what gradual steps of declension a people usually come to deal
falsely in God's covenant, such as, (1.) By forgetfulness, Deut. iv. 23.
There being a connexion between forgetting and forsaking, or dealing
falsely in God's covenant, so the church intimates, Psal. xliv. 17, 18.
"All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have
we dealt falsely in thy covenant; our heart is not turned back, neither
have our steps declined from thy way." And the returning remnant of
Israel being sensible of th