<Jhe Danger of Profperiry. If any Man will come after me, let him deny bimfelf, . and take up /;is CroJi. and folic" me. The Cro!s imphes all kinds and degrees of !uRcnng, from rhclcafl: at!ltcbng Evtl, ro Death with Ignominy and Tonne~r. . And h<>.'Y Jllfl: 1: tt, tf we expect to be glon~e~ by his Suflerings, rhat we lhould wtllwgly fuller for Ius Glory. At the fir,fl: preaclung of d1e Gofpcl, many were offended at tbe 'Crofs of Cbrijl: rl1ey cfl:cemed It l•olty, to ex- , c".,. , pcct eternal Life from one rh~r was put to death, and that he fhould bnng them to rhc · higheft Glory, who fuffered m the lowefl: Weaknefs.· Our Saviour was conceal"d troni G.J. ,. "· rhcircarna l Eyes, by the ovcrfl1adowing rram of !its Aflltcbons.. And the Cro)i ofCbrifl, . r)lar IS tO be volunranly and obedtcntly taken np by his Difctp1es, is a greater .offence rq rhe World, than that to which he was nail'd. 'Tis a ha.:dcr LdTon? t~tat ;vc mufi obtai1~ Glory by ~:mr own Sutferings, than that it \',~as ~urch_aicd by our Savwur s. The Min~l more willmgly affcnrs to the Rcafons of Ius .SufTenngs, th;_tn of ours.: In the firfr, 1t only encounters with faliC Prejudices, and vain Shadows rhar dar~cn that mighry My- ~~:fs ~li~: i~l:l~~'~:7:~;e~o~~'~;,~~v~:c~~~ . rh~l~:r~;~~~~~~~ ~f,~~~~J-;~c~ud~I:~'~r~~~: menrs of the \\'odd, arc the caufes of forf~klllg Religion, when t!le owning of. u wtll co!l: us dear. And thofe who enjoy Profpcnty, arc mofl: eafily tcrnficd from there Duty r? ChriO:; the Accou!1t of which is open r~ Rea!On, b?t~l from fOme general Confideranons, and from lpectal, rhar rcfpec:t Sulfermgs for Rcltgwn. The general Confidcrati· -=~ . . , . The living in Pleafi1res and foft Delicacy, enervates the mafculinc vigour of rhe Spidr, and damps RefOlurion, rhar ir prefcnrly f~inrs when afTaulred with Difficulties. The Spirit of a Man, encouraged by jull, and wtfe, and generous Reaf~>ns, wiiJ !land firmly under heavy Troubles : But Fcar breaks the native ftrength of Mmd, and like a fecrer iUddch Palfie, that flackcns rhe Nerves, and loofens the ]olflts, caufes a trembling and incapacicy of b<aring Evils. T he leafl: .glimpfe of Danger, makes the FearJ~Il ro rct1re: I1ke fame, that apprehcnfivc of rhc nling Wm~s, wiH no~ vemure.an_y further in a Boat, than that one Oar may be on the Shore, wlul([ the other firikes m the Warer. The Timorous, when AllliCtions arrend the f.1ithful Profellion of the Gofpel, ufi1ally arc treacherous t~ God, to their Souls, and to the Truth. To God .( whofeSer:- vants they are by the dearefl: Titles) by contradiCting thejr Duty, which is .ro fuffer chearfully for his Gofpcl and his Glory, when called rorrh: and by re1•olring from his Service, rhey occali.on fuch dilhonourable unworthy Conceptions of him, as if he were regar~!lefs of his fuffering Servanrs, and would not glorioully reward tho~C who are faithful to rhe Death, the Seal of their Loyalty and Pcrfcvcrance: t hcjr ;~.!e trCacherous to rheir Souls, by preferring rhe Inrcrcft of the peri01!ng Flefl,, before the Happinefs of the 1mmorral Part: they betray rhe Trurh, by expoling ir ro a fufpt cion of Falfhood ; fOr _as the confirn~ung Religion by Suffcrings, dOth _moft effectu~lly rec~mmcn~ it tO the Behef and AffeCbons of others ; fo the Denial of It, or the Wtthdrawmg our Tefl:imo,.. ny in rimes of Danger, will incline others to judge that it is not the Trmli, Or at leafl: of no great moment, that the Profelfors of it do not think worth the:ir SUffering. HmY many fainr-hearred Pcr!ons have rhus betrayed rhc Son of God again, and rheir Confcicnces, and their Religion ? T heir Faith that fpark led id profpi:i:ous Tirl1eS, when Troubles come, .is a quench'd Colc, rak'd up in rhe cold pale Afhes of diftruHfu l Fe:irs, wirhout any Dtvine Ltght or Hear. , 2. Profpcriry makes Men unthought ful and carclcfs of Evils tlm may happen. I /a1d m my Frojperity, I jha/1 never he moved. Carnal Joy (die AffeCtion of Prolperity) and Folly are nearly allied , and flatrer M«! as if rhoir Eafe and Calm would never ~e difl:urb<d : and by fupine negligence, rhey arc unprovided for rhe encounrring witi1 Evtls. Accordmg to onr CircumfpeChon in Profi,e_I-i~Y , fuch IS our Courage ln Adverliry; ,and b~ ho~v mrich the !efs Affi idiori is expeCted, fo much the more a:re we perplex'd whentt fetzes upon us. The lan Day, that lhallftrangcly furprizc the World in Its deep Scc ~nry, is compar:d to Lightnmg ~or Its fuddenn~fs and tei-ror. Ou.r Saviou'r therefore plamly has forerold, that rhe Crofs IS the Appendtx of the Gbfpel, rhat'tis the Property of Error to perfccure, and the Lor ofTrurh ro be p·erfecutcd : He counfels liis D1foplcs to itmtare a W tfc Builder, thtir computes the Expence before lw begins rhc Fabnc~ lefl: havmg la1d the Foundatwn, .and nor being able to fintfh it, he be cxpoied to the JUfl: Cenfure of Folly. So Chri11:1ans are to forccafl: the Injuries ani:! Trottbles they are hkdy 'o fttffer for Religion, left when the Teinpeft threatens, they lhamefuJiy " deferr It. And how heavy will their Doom be? lhe fearful, tha~ are not Storm-proof, Rev. 21. 3". an~ the ~yars, that openly renounce what they believe, and profcfs what thcv d.o not believe, /hall be with !nfdels, Idolaters, and Murderers, cafl into tbe L ake that burns· with Fire and Brimflone. Tt o. The
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