The bange~ o/ P~ojperity. Felicity confills in the moll: perfe~ Actions of the moll: perfect Life; in tile Vifion and Enjoy1he1it of the Bleffed God. Now Mannaturally being averfe from a fl:ate contrary 'i:o Life and felicity, 1fhe is not employodinllufmefs beconung the reafonable immortal S'o,ul, rather than languiJh in Idlcntfs, IS acti~e in makingpropijio11 for tbe Flejh, to Juljl ~be Luj/s thereof. T1me IS tedwus, and that 1t may p,afs away plca!anrly, Men leek for Divedions rh.at a[c uiu~lly either finful in their own Naru~e, or connext with S_ins. A lawful Employment, is a double Security again£1: Temptations: Partly Divine as it erltides us tO GOd's ProvidcriCc over us; for \Vhilfi ~~ are obeying his Command 'we ~tc cncml.raged by his Promife, tha~ !Je ~vill keej us In all our 1V'V,s? cithci picv~hr T~mpt ations, ot afford us affifrance to vanqm01 them: And partly Natural; for wlnHl: we are dilige!\tly exercis'd in a lawful Calling, the Mind is not at lcifurc to attend the Tcmptatwn, and the Senfes do not fo eaftly admit thole Objects that betray the Soul. And 'ris oofervable, that God, who is merciful in his Chafl:ifements, orders that fallen Man fl1mdd ~~~~fra~~eL;;,':~~s•~i~l~~1~r~~~~ethi~~;~: i~fe,~;~e> br~~~~' ~~v~~~~~t1¥ga~~~~vi~' tf;~·~c~~~~~ nary of fo many vile Lufl:s. . . 4. As the Temptations of Profpcriry make Men an eafie Prey to Satan, fo rhcy keep them irt die. nlofl: perfe_ct ~nd m1fetable Bondage under. his Power. When he has taken hald of thw Afli:~wns? . he leads them capti-ue at !m Will. They are freely dra~· n by the pleafing force of Ins Temptatwns: They are voluntary Slaves, and 111 love with thci~ Ca~iviry. 'Twas the c~uel and crafty 4dvicc otfcr'd to tl~e Atbe;;iCfns, ro keep .;. if1 ~rmos the fubdued Inhabitan~s b_f Egina from rebelling, to cut off chetr Thumbs, that they ~~"' poffi'c ~ •. might be .:. tinca,pable to ffianage a $pear, and by W?r obtain a victorioUs refcuc from t:t~;~,%:,~m ~!~\~1~~~~~}~1{;isb~ta~:s~r l~ b~11d~1cpl~~~r!~ .~r;e~~~ll:~~ir J::r~~1 !~b~:~k~fd~f:~~ from vigorous and holy Rcfolutions to rcfi!l: his Power; they cannot make ufc of the A rmour of Got! for their Defence : and their Lufis arc ftrong, they are p:1tienr of his Drud- ~cry, con!l:ant at the Oar, and faithful to their Chains. And from. hence 'tis evident th3t Men are never mote dangerouOy under the dcO:ruCtivc Power of Satan than whan they enjoy Piofperity. • H~c ,,im J · Pioiperit)r is defl:rutlivc to many, in that it affor~s them Achranrages to corrupt tf•Jiti• {uptri- bthers, and reciprocally expofes them robe c:;orrupte~ by others. Perfons in Dignity, ;;;~~~~ f.d- Wealth? and PO\;cr, when depraved in their Inclinations*and Actions, are like publick ;~~~~~~:t'& ;,~t;~~~~J~lt~;~~;,d,a~~~~r~v;!tl~l;i~d~~~n~~~~~ya:;~a~ulc~~~~~~l~~;~i;~~~~;l~~~~~o3rd~~ ~;n_:.~t~:us as Rulci'S. . The Manners of Princes arc as current as their Money, that being fl:amp'd ;,.uirnu'1"if.f; with their Image and Sup~~cription, though the Metal be b~fe, paffes freely among the, Q:j~;iJ. People. The Reafon_ of tt ts evi~ent,. for without the refl:rauits of Shame and Fear, the ibnfital PafTions arc notous and hcenttous. Shame, is a difpleafure at Evils that arc attended with Di!honour and Infamy, cfpecially at finful Evils that are fo fl1ameful ir~ their own Nature, thar the m oil: fordid, thin~s in comparifon are lefs ignominious. Now foul Vices when 11ractis'd by Men of confpicuous Emmence, _do nor feem wl[h that ~urptrudc and deformity as ~~ mhcrcnt m their Nature. As a muddy Vapour drawn up by the Sun, and cnamcl'd with ,rhe Rays of Light, appears amiable to the Eye, not dreggy aQd foul as 'tiS 111 it felf. Innumerable mifcarry by the vicious Examples of Pcrfons 111 Honour ; for when Stns ar~ grlded ~~:; ~~t; b~et;~~~~bf~ n~b(7. t~~~ ~ZI~e~~~~~fe ;ha~~;.;'1I,~k~~~1~t~:~~:ya~1;ep;~~~~ lege for licencioufitefs in Sm, Inferiors ate vtcwuOy bold, e'\pcC:hng FaCility and Indulip/4 viti• ,1 _ gcncc iit the pardonin~ ~hofc F au.lts of which th.eir Superiors arc guilty: And tho~C :vho ligi~f• funt, do not fear to be pumihd, do not f~<;1r to(~. !:bus amongfi: the H~arhens, Lafctv~~uf- ::~;:ft:::~:: ~~~ d~dsn~~'f~~,rl~~~~~~::;i~~ j~fu:df~~1~~1t:~c~~~~ ~~~~~d ~yt~h~~~up.~~~S:~et~~~~ '"'· L•lt. fperity expofes the Rich and Great robe more corrupted by others. Scmle Spmts w•ll be cruelly obfequious to the Humors and Lufis of thofe upon whom they depend, and the ready Infirumcnts of accomplifhing their irregular Dcfli'es.- 'Tts rhe1t Imerdl to pleafe rhein, from \Vhom they receive Favours and Benches. And how few have. lo firm ~ V crtue,_ as to break the rwificd Tcmpta~ions of_ Pleaf~re and Prof1J? ~h~ Rtch an? Great in the World, are ufually attended Wtth a tram of_ Dcpcnd~nts, ?r '?ctous Affocr ~ ~:~i·r~h~~e~~~:'cliV~de~~::~~r~t~fl~t~~~a~ ~h11~~ft~r~t~~~~~~:, ~:t1°~~d~~~~tdo~~~rr~~~~ ~ent of infernal Fire, Luft and Rage, in the Breatl:s ~f thofc with whom they .convcrfc. 'Tis the peculiar mifcry of Men in a high and flounfl1ing Condition, that they~~:;
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