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shake your hands of dishonest gains; make restitution of what you have defrauded others, as you expect salvation, non remittitur peccatum, nisi restituatur ablatum. This is a hard saying to some, who have no other wealth but what they have gained in a dishonest and unrighteous way; but will it not be harder to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire for this sin? Is it not better to impoverish yourselves, that you may be just and honest whilst you live, than to be damned and thrust into a place of torment when you die? You must leave what you have: if God do not take away what you have by some temporal calamity before, be sure death will strip you of all; and is it not better for you to part with it yourselves to the just owners, when this is the way to obtain pardon and peace, and an inheritance, which is of a thousand-fold more value? And do not fear but God will make provision for you whilst you abide in the world, if you resolve to be honest, and put your trust in him, who hath the disposal of the earth and the fulness thereof. Be righteous for the future; do not swerve a hair from the rule of right. "What you would that others should do unto you, do unto them" this is a principle inscribed upon the heart by nature, and "this is the law and the prophets," Matt. vii. 12.

10. Hypocrites, turn ye from your evil ways. Methinks the terrible voice of God should affrighten you, under your hypocrital shows, and outside devotions; methinks you should now bend your hearts to please the Lord, and approve

yourselves chiefly to him, who hath expressed so much displeasure against sinners, and is most highly offended with hypocrites. What good will a form do you, without the power of godliness? what good will shows do you, without sincere and substantial service? what benefit will you get by counterfeit graces, if your graces be not real? If your repentance, and faith, and love, and the like, be feigned, how ineffectual will they be to procure pardon, and peace, and salvation? Are you content to lose all your bodily exercise, and to have all your heartless lifeless duties rise up one day in judgment against you? What advantage will you get by a bare profession of religion, especially in such times when profession, if it be strict, is discountenanced, and professors, if their lamp shine with any brightness, and they carry any great sail, expose themselves to danger? And if you have not sincerity, which alone can yield you the true and sweet fruits of religion, you are like to lose all, and of all others to make yourselves most miserable; you may suffer from men because you have a profession, and you will suffer from God, because you have no more than a profession: what then, should you cast off your profession? No; so you would turn apostates, and may fall into the sin against the Holy Ghost, which will bring upon you inevitable damnation; but lay aside your hypocrisy, and become sincere: be that in truth, which you are in show; labour for sincerity in regard of your state, and labour for sincerity in regard of your duties.

Sinners, God calls upon all of you to turn from your evil ways by his thundering voice.

Turn presently: let the time past be sufficient wherein you have fulfilled the desires of the flesh and the mind; go not a step forward in the way of sin, lest you meet with destruction suddenly, and perish without remedy.

Turn _universally; say not of any sin, as Lot did of Zoar, "It is a little one;" cast away all your transgressions, and let no iniquity have dominion over you for the future.

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Turn heartily, from an inward principle of hatred to sin, and love to God; and not from outward considerations, and merely upon the account of sin's dreadful consequents.

Tarn constantly, and with full purpose of heart never to return unto your evil ways of sin any

more.

10. The Lord doth expect, after such judgments, that London should seek him; that they should not only turn from their evil ways, but also that they should "turn unto him that hath smitten them, and seek the Lord of Hosts," Isa. ix. 13. We read, Amos v. 2. "The virgin of Israel is fallen, she is forsaken, and none to raise her up" whereupon God calls this duty, ver. 4—8. "Thus saith the Lord to the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live; but seek not Bethel, &c. Seek the Lord, and ye shall live, lest he break forth like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour, and there be none to quench; seek him who made the seven stars, and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, &c. the Lord is his name:" and it follows,

ver. 15. "It may be the Lord will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph." And when this

duty is neglected, see the threatening, ver. 16. "Wailing shall be in all streets, and they shall say in all the high ways, Alas, alas! and they shall call the husbandmen to mourning, and such as are skilful of lamentation, to wailing." And now London is fallen, doth not the Lord call upon them, that they would call upon him? and as they would turn away his anger, and prevent their utter ruin, that they would seek him who can turn the shadow of death into the morning, and the blackest night of affliction into a day of prosperity and rejoicing.

London, seek the Lord, that ye may live, that there may be a reviving after the years of such death and ruins; seek the Lord, before the decree bring forth some other judgment, and ye pass away like chaff before the whirlwind, in the day of the Lord's fierce anger; it may be the Lord will be gracious to the remnant of this great city. God expects that London should now pray at another rate than heretofore they have done. It is said, Dan. ix. 13. "All this evil is come upon us, yet made we not our prayer unto the Lord our God:" and when God had consumed Israel, because of their iniquities, the prophet complains, Isa. xliv. 7. "There is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee." Had the prayers of London been such as they should have been, such as they have been, the desolations of London might have been prevented: God expects that London, under such chastisements should " pour

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out prayers before him," Isa. xxvi. 16. God hath spoken terribly unto them, he expects that they should cry mightily unto him. God expects that London should meet him in the way of his judgments, not only with weepings for their sins, that they have provoked him unto so great displeasure, but also with supplications for his mercies. When Jacob was devoured, and his dwelling place laid waste, Psal. lxxix. 7, you have their prayer, verses 8, 9, &c. "O remember not against us former iniquities; let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us, for we are brought very low: Help us, O Lord God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy name's sake." And the church, under desolating judgments, doth in prayer express herself very pathetically, Isa. lxiii. 15, &c. "Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness, and thy glory: where is thy zeal, and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels? and thy mercies, are they restrained? Doubtless, thou art our

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Father, &c. We are thine: return for thy servants' sake, &c. and chap. lxiv. 9. "Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever; behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people." God hath been pleading and contending with London by his judgments, and God doth look that London should plead with him in prayer for his mercies.

London, seek the Lord of Hosts, who hath come forth against you in battle, and wounded you with his sharp arrows, and yet hath not laid down his weapons: get to your knees; hang

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