immediately after the making of his covenant, "all the people of the
land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down--his altars, and his
images brake they in pieces thoroughly; and the priest appointed
officers over the house of the Lord;" and they slew Athaliah with the
sword. The like is evident in Hezekiah's covenanting, 2 Chron. xxxiv.,
xxxv. chapters.

3. This upright renewing of covenant with the Lord is a way and mean to
procure many mercies, both spiritual and temporal, from the hand of the
Lord; which should be a strong inducement and motive to engage us
thereunto. Spiritual mercies are entailed upon it, Deut. xxix. 12, 13.
"That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into
his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day: that he may
establish thee to-day for a people to himself, and that he may be unto
thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy
fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." Temporal mercies are also
promised to this upright renewing and keeping covenant, Deut. xxix.
9--"Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may
prosper in all that ye do." And, it is remarked, 2 Chron. xv. 15, that
after Asa's covenant, "the Lord gave them rest round about."

4. The malice and opposition of the Popish, Prelatical, and malignant
party against the covenants, and their doing what in them lies, to make
their obligation void and null, may be a motive and argument for the
people of God so much the more to avouch their respect to them by a
public adherence, especially after long continued breaches.

5. Upright entering into, or renewing covenant with God, is a most
sovereign medicine for healing a people's breaches, as well as their
backslidings, the covenant being a cement, as well to join and unite the