eligious,
just, and holy covenant made betwixt God and the three kingdoms, though
it cannot now be taken in the same consideration and extent, as at the
first framing it was, viz.: As a league betwixt us and the
representative body of the kingdoms of England and Ireland: where he
took occasion to go over the several articles of the covenant, showing
the nature and weightiness of the duties.

Beside these two more general doctrines which were chiefly insisted
upon, he observed several others pertinently deducible from the words,
as first, _That unfaithful dealing in God's covenant will breed distance
and estrangement from God._ This is implied in the children of Israel
and Judah seeking the Lord, asking the way to Zion, &c.; their asking
the way to Zion, importing that they had forgotten the right way of
worshipping God, and that their sins had made a sad separation between
them and their God. Secondly, That it is necessary that persons become
sensible of their sin against God, and of his anger against them, and
lay these things to heart, that they may be concerned about
reconciliation with God, and reform their lives. Thirdly, That the
kindly exercise of repentance in a backsliding people lamenting after
the Lord, and setting about to renew their covenant with him, hath an
effectual influence to unite and cement the divided people of God: thus
in the text the children of Israel and Judah, whom their iniquities had
long and sadly divided, are uniting together in this desirable frame of
weeping and seeking the Lord their God, and making a perpetual covenant
with him. This doctrine he proved and applied briefly as the time would
permit, both because of its native result from the text, and because of
his own, and our sincere desire to see a holy union and communion, in
the way of truth and duty effected by returning to the Lord, and
renewing the covenant with him, as among all the godly, so especially
among those that profess their dissent from, and dislike of the corrupt
courses of the times.

Sermon being ended, after prayer, the covenants were first read
according to the _Directory for renewing the solemn league and
covenant_, prescribed by the Act of the General Assembly at Edinburgh,
6th October, 1648, post meridiem, entitled, _Act for renewing of the
Solemn League and Covenant;_ and, thereafter, the following
Acknowledgment of Sins was also read: after which, prayer was made,
containing a comprehensive confession of