from heaven;—­’We do humbly and sincerely, as in His sight who is the searcher of hearts, acknowledge the many sins and great transgressions of the land; we have done wickedly, our kings, our princes, our nobles, our judges, our officers, our teachers, and our people.  Albeit the Lord hath long and clearly spoken unto us, we have not hearkened to his voice.  Albeit he hath followed us with tender mercies, we have not been allured to wait upon him and walk in his way.  And though he hath sticken us, yet we have not grieved:  nay, though he hath consumed us, we have refused to receive correction.  We have not remembered to render unto the Lord according to his goodness, and according to our vows and promises; but have gone away backward, by a perpetual backsliding, and have most sinfully and shamefully broken the National Covenant, and all the articles of the Solemn League and Covenant, which our fathers sware before God, angels and men.’” Albeit there has been in the land, ever since the reformation of religion, some of all ranks who have been for a testimony unto the truth, and for a name of joy and praise unto the Lord, by living godly, studying to keep their garments pure, and being steadfast in the covenant and cause of God; and there yet continues to be some, though reduced to a very small number, destitute of outward power and ability, and other helps fit for the right managing of a testimony, wanting the countenance of civil authority, and having few to feed or lead them; who are, notwithstanding all these difficulties, labouring in the strength of Christ to keep the good old way of these faithful witnesses who are gone before, in bearing testimony to the truths of Christ.  “Yet we have reason to acknowledge, that most of us in this land have not endeavoured with that reality, sincerity, and constancy that did become us, to preserve the work of reformation in the Kirk of Scotland, as we are obliged by the first article of the Solemn League, and by the National Covenant; wherein we promise and swear by the great name of the Lord our God, that we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this kirk, and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power all the days of our lives, under the pains contained in the law, and danger both of body and soul in the day of God’s fearful judgment, and resist all contrary error and corruptions, according to our vocations, and the utmost of that power God hath put in our hands all the days of our life—­according to these Scriptures.”

Ezra ix. 10, 11, “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments.  Verse 11.  Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, &c.”  Isaiah xxiv. 5, “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, broken the everlasting covenant.”  Jeremiah ix. 13, “And the Lord saith, because they have forsaken my law, which I set before them,