'1 he Danger of Projperity. to the ignoble and unruly Appetites. Millions had been lefs guilty a,;d defiled, and lefs 1mferablc for e~er, tf they had not been furrounded by plea1ant Temptations and intanglements of Iniqutty. . 2. Ptofperity oecafionally incenfes the irafcible Appetite: For the ufual Incentives of Anger, are the croffing the Defires, and Contempt; and rhc fironger the Dcfires rhc more impatient they are to be controll'd; and in proportion eo the height of Mind' is the Indignation for any Contempt that is offer'd. Now Proiperity makes the carnal Dcfircs more exorbitant, anJ coniC~uently raging when frufirated. Violem burning Dcftres, when controll'd, provoke vwlcnr burning Anger: and, Anger inAam'd, exringuilhes the calm Light of Reafon, becomes blind and furi6us in revenging apprehended Jaiheq.. 1. Injuries. 'Tis the Inquiry joyn'd with Conviction, by St.James, From whence come Wars and Fightings amo~g you? Come they not from your. Lujls tbat war in your Members ,l The voluptuous, ambinous, covetous Paflions when d1fappoinccd, are the common and natural Caufes of all the bloody Diforders in the World. The other Caufe of Anger, is Contempt, either r~al or iuppos'd; and that is more provoking to tho1C, who rais'd by Profpcrit}', look with a ciifiance of Mind upon others below them. Profperity in any kind, fwells Men with a vain opinion of their Wonh and Dignity ~ and makes them infolcnt and intolerable.. There is a ~range Dificmper of the Eyes 111 fome Perfons, where-ever they look, thc1r own Image vifibly encounters them. The reafon of it is aflign'd by an inquiring Philofophcr, ' That the vifive Facul- ' ty has not fpirits and vig!=mr to penetrate through the Air to fee other things, and rhe ' Air as a Glafs makes the RefleCtion of their own Image. Thus one of a lhallow and weak Undcrfianding, is continual1y reprefenting to himtClf his own conceited Exccllen- ~~~~~c . A.'~i;~o[~e:ito1~~~~~fbl~}:1:I~a~e~;e~{~ t;;~n~;;~~ ~~dedS~;:~~~l~b~-~fiv~h~i~~rca; and by a natural Inchantment, makes an cxorb1tant F1gure, a Dwarf to appear a Giant. Now as Pride is the ufual Concomitant of Profperity, fo there is no Paflion fo infCpara· Prov. '3· 10 • ble from Prld~, and fo proper to it, as Anger. By Pride comes Contention; 'ris the Ob· fervation of the wifefi Man, confirm'd by univcri3l Experience. Pride makes Men imperious mid impatient, boifierous and fl:onny againfi: all that offend them. Pride, Anger, and Revenge, like Serpents twine and wreath about one another. Pride interprets an Offence as an high Contempt, and raifes Anger ; and Anger provok'd, rakes propor· • 2 Kings s. f~oS~~~t~~~'enf~~z~;~,~h~~e}:~~t!fAu~~-th~~~:r:~n~~~~~\~!!,~~l~:l~c ~~~1jfi~%oh~~~ u, 1 J, felf with the Innocent Blood of t11e Ifraelitcs, flay their young Men witb the Sword, and Jajh tbeir Children, and rip up tbeir Women with Child: He ftartlcd at it as an execrable Cruelty? And Hazael faid, But JVhat, is thy Seruant a Dog that he fhould do this great thing ? And Eli!ha anjivered, The Lord hath jheJVed me,. that thou Jhalt be King troer Syria. 'Vhen advanc'd to empire, he dJvefied .human~ty. Pr1de armed with Power is furious at Oppofition ; and the flaming Pallion, hkc a fnghtful Comet, ptcfagcs and produces terrible Elfeets, Thus 'tis evident how the Lulls of the Flcfi1 are fomented by Profperity. 2. Profperity.inclines Sinners to an impious negleCt of God, that is a Sin of thehigh- ~~c~:~;r~ilead~fi~~~;tx~r~;:,u~t~~:~;~ ~~~l:~ai~~~g 5~~~j5l:~,~~r~~~1C~~;;u~~:h~~ ~:~ ~}~~ difefl:eemand indifference to the Creator, andProfpcrity increafes the averJion of the car- ~~! ~~a~~e~~~~ ~~~' i::~~e~~:c~~~~c~o3:o~~fi~~~~~~~1~;Tc,t~~~l ~~dp::~~~~;l~e~~~1~0~~~ from the reafonable Creature to God. And they arc Four comprehcnfivcof all rhc rcfi. ( r.) A folemn thankful recognition of him as the Author of our Beings, and all rhe Comforts we enjoy. - ( 2.) Suprcam love to him. ( .l·) An humble fear of his Difpleafure. . ( 4·) Entire obedience to his Will. As in this tcgular Univerfe, every kind of being has its proper End ; fo it cannot be demed, Wlthour the mofl: evtdenr abiurd1ty, rhat God in all thefe refpeets is the chief End of Man. ( 1.) A fo!cmn thankful recognition of God, as the Author of our Beings, and all ~~j~fr;~~~s,dfo~;"~}n~~1, ~~1d t7o h~~~tra;i 1~~1~t~~ ~o~1bi:t~f~gc~~~;~~~~ss:~ 1!~: Mercy and Goodnefs, that •ris an Offence infinitclf t~rovok~ng. In every ~ranfgreffion the Authotity of the Lawgiver is defpifed; . but tlus unmcdrat~ly refleCts D1fhonour upon the Deity. As a common ~elony is a .breach of _the Kmgs Law~, ?ut Treafon nor only violates his Laws, but flnkes Immcdmely at lui Perfon and Drgmty. No1~p!:~
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