<Jhe Danger of Profperity. rempt with prevalcncy and fuccefs, without the C<>nfent of tkc Will; yet we arc told, that he is a prime Mover m the fms of Men. He cntrcd mto Judas , and by puttmg a a Iufire on the Silver, exciting his covetous Dcfircs, prev:11l'd with lum to betray the Lord of Glory. He works powerful!r In the Children of Di.fobedience. They are c.s it Eph<f '· '· were po"ffcfs'd and acted by his 1lrong Inchnattons. They arc hid to 6e taken captive ly' T;m. '· <- him at his Will. 'Tis an allufion to d1e catching of Beall:s; when by the addrcfs and craft of the Hunters, they are drawn or urg'd into the Toil prepared for them. Now ProfRerity furnifl1es him with the Materials whereof he weaves the moll: fatal Snares : for Ius ll:rengrh and art to dell:toy principally he in fpccious Rcprcfcntations, and fallacious Ptomites of Happinefs in the EnJoyment of worldly tlungs. Tlus will appear, by confrdcring, 1. That pleafant Temptations are moll: apt to fcduce the Souls of Men to ruin. As in fowing the Earth, when there is a congrUity bcnvecn the Sot! and the Sc~d, 'rzs nouriih'd and fprings up to a plentiful Harvefl. So when Temptations arc fUirable to the Heart, they are enttrrain'd with complacency, and arc produCtive of actual Sins. EveryJlm~::s r. '4• Man is tempted (cum ef(tElu by Satan) wben he ~s t!ran.m azvay by !Jir own L!ljl, and epti- ' 5 • ced.. the fenfiwl Appetite is drawn forth by dungs grateful to 1t : Tben JV!;en Lpjf batb conceived, it bringetb forth Sin; and Sin, when '.tis fnijh'd, bri11getb forth Death. When the Appetite has obtam'd the Confent of the w,n, the complear act of Sin follows; and Sin habitually indulg'd, ends in Death. Some Temptations of Satan arc of fuch a black Complexion, and fo terrible to humane Nature, that rhc Soul reflfis them, nil by vwlcncc ::tnd refi:lcfs importunity 'ris overcome: But by the Attradives of Pleafure he eafily prevails. _As in cutting of Timber, if one firikcs croiS rhe Grain, there is frrong reliftance ; but 1f the blow follows rhc V cin of the Wood, it eafily cleaves afUnder. The Temptations of Riches, Honour, and Plcafurcs, ·arc fO delightful, that the Devil commands or perfwadcs Men to a compliance with them. . . · Befldcs, his Malice in plcafant Temptations is lefs difccrnible; and confcquently Men ~iFcJ1~;(of~f1~~11~fp~~~~;'ar~0te~cl~c:J~t~lr~Jv~~eu~~~~~~afrt~;tar;:~:re:h:~ ~~u~e ~~= traordinary i\gonies of Spirit, we fCek for fupernatural Afiifiance, and forti fie our felves with holy Rcfolutions againfl rhe open Enemy. But by the Pleafurcs of Sin, he inflnuates into Mens Hearts, and feeds the deadly Difeafe fo gratefully, that they difcover not their danger t ill pafl recovery. Therefore he deflroys more by his Serpentine Suggeflions, by winning Charms, than by fiery Rage. Indeed he is never more a Devil, than when he deceives; and we are divinely warn' cl of his Guile, De-vices, f111d Wiles, that we may not be furpris'd and ruin'd by our invifible Adverfary. 2. Plentif:ll Profperity affords variety of Temptations, which he makes tile of to prevent the fariery and di!hke that the fame repeated Temptations would caufe. Since Man was divided fro~ God, the true Centre of the Soul, he breaks into a thoufand irregular Defires; and m the Apofllc's Phtafe, ferves divers Luf/s and Pleafures: and the Vanities of the World do rather cloy than fatisfie; that which brings tranfporting Joy at firfl, by Continuance becomes naufeous and infipid. Now the Tempter, with the abundance of ProfjJeriry, fo orders his Temptations , as to take off the wearinefs ·of one Plcafure by another, and keeps his Slaves in the Magical Circle of Variety. As a rich Epicure provtdes a UnivedC of Luxury, 'commands the Four Elements to make a fhow * the .. NtoiJcr,;, Earth, the Air,_ the Water,. o~ their Tr~afures, _and the_ Fire of its Art to drcfs them,~=:~ ~;:;;r; thereby to excttc the langmfhmg Appettte, to gtve a reh!h to Intemperance, and farisfie 11.1od tdu~~t the greedy Eye, as well as the blind Belly. Thus s~tJ.n, the ArchiteCt: of Pleafure atr, PDfm. brings our of_ his Srorehoufc fc~eral kinds of delightful Temptations, to rcinAame rh~ Carnal AppetJte when fated : Without variety defire often £1ils the Man, and Pleafure fails the Dcfirc. Voluptuaries are diifolv'd in the changing Streams of Pleafure. ~- Idlencfs, that is ofren the concomitant of Profperity, gives him a tempting opportumry, and makes Men more receptive of his Temptations. The Sjn and DeO:ru&on of Sodom was from hence. Tbis was the Iniquity of Sodom, Pride, fulnefs of Bread, tmd Ezet:. d;. 4;>. idlenefs 1vas in ber, ~nd her Daughters. The idle Perfon prevents the Devil, beckons the Tempter to do hts Office. Whc_n the Houfe is empty, the Mind not exercis'd with better Employments, and the Heart 1s loofe and unguarded, the Tempter is invited to take Poifeffion. Idlcn~fs is directly oppofite to Life, as well as Felicity. To live, is to be in aCl:ion. Inammatc th_mgs arc only bound with a. dead refr. And amongfr inanimate Bodies, as they afcc~1~ m Pcrfe~ion, they are m<?re Adive. The Heavens that excel in firuation and qualmes all rhmgs that are without Life, are · in conrinu'al Motion. And Man's S f Felicity
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