gt2 <Jhe Danger of Profperity. •· The fpecial Reafons wlty Profpcrity n\akes Men fo difpos'd ro quit the Truth in Ti~es. of ~~n~er, are, ~ becalife it w~aken~ tl~c Princip~c~ from whence Chrifl:ian lvlagl'l.ammlty fpnngs; and thofe afe unfeigned f~I[h, andd1vm~ Love. ~s in natural things the_ fotmarivc Ver~ue determinates the Matter to fuch a Being, and d.1fpofcs to f~cli OperatiOns i~ proportion to c:hc Princ~plcs fr?m which it rcfulrs: S_o m .moral dungs, the Soul is ddj>Ofed and regulated. in Its Acbngs correfpondently to Its Prmciples, and is ei· thet Carnal or Spiritual. The univerfal Princ1ple of Carnal .Perfons is to be happy here: thctr Eyes are c.ver engaged upon, anq their Dcfires ever durfiihg after fcnfual Satisf. 1Ction : ·Who wilt jhe1~ us anj j,ood ~ ~nd by confequencc their main care is, to o~tai_n and fccurc temporal tlungs, the matcnals of their Happincfs. Tl~c fupcrnarural Prmc1plc of a Saint is to pleafe God, and enjoy his Favout. As Men beheve they love, and as they love they live. 1' Unfeigned Faith of the Rewards of the Gofpel, is neceffary to keep a Chrifiiart 'tim. '· ••, fieady in his Courfe, through all rite Storms and Tides of this mutable World. It is a ' '· faithful foying, If we die with him, we jhall a/fo live witb bim. If we futfer with bim, we jhall reign witb him. The Apofile ufually prefaces with that firong Afli~rance , It is a !~:~tlfray;~~al'~:~u~~~ ~r~~~hdi~ ~~~Z~~:~"~ve1Jla~~t:({oc,ii~~~vi~~n~::.Y t0~!1~~~~~~ dedicated Maryrdom in his own Pcrfon : His Death was a Ranfom for us to God, and • 'im. 6. 'l· a fealing Tefiimony of the Gofpel to Men ' He witnejfed before Fontius Pilate a good ConfrjJiOII. The Terror of the Roman Tnbunal, nor the Rage of the Jews, tould nor make him retract the Divine Truth which he had fo often declared, that he Was the Son of God, come from He~ven to fave the World : and when the Crofs with its Infumy ;;~d ·,~~~/~i~~a;o:1 JH~sr:~:¥;, ~~~,d~~,:~~j~:!~vt~tK~~~~~~:· wi~;1,i~~~~~~'~t; {fj Patience, his Charity and Cortfifl.ncy, fhall reign with him. And what is more power~ i John!· ful ~or d1e ConiOlation and )~~fiablifh_n~cn~ of ~hrifiians, than that their SUfferings for ~~~~~ndfda~~~~~~ ~~~~~· ft!ah1~~s'~~ ~:~Ctl~~~,~~~~;~~tl~J:~~I:~ ,e:a:" :::riCi:':~ Flefh and Blood. The Heathens defpifecj the Hopes of Chtifiians as wretched Illufions, and with impious fcorn upbraided them for their Confiancy under Perfecur:ons : Where Mi", Fa/. is the God that can raife the dead, and not refcue tbe li-uing ? Unbclicf is blind, and can· not fee beyond this World to the Eternal State. But Faith in the bleffed Redemer, opens a Profpect into the World to come, fo full of Glory, that no Petfon that has an underfianding and will to difcourfe and choofe, if he fiedfafily believes it, but mufi. defpife all Rom. 8. t8. the Evils that the wit and !l:rengrh of Perfccutors can inR_ict in comparifon of it. I reef.·. on, faith the Apofile, that the fofferings of the prefent Life, in all their kinds and degrees, are not to be compared with the Glory that jhall be reveat'd. Inlightned Chrifiians efieemed their Suffcrings for the Caufe of God, no Arguments of his Weaknefs, but his Wifdom,to exercife and rry their Loyalty and cordial Obedience before he rewarded them; and had rcafon to admire his Providence, not to fufpect his Power artd Love. They knew ~~a~t~~~; pb~:c~h~fp~~f~~~sS~~~~~~:fut~~:~1 e~~~~~e1fr~~: t!li~~; r~~~l; :~~ ~fr}~a~Ju~~ them of a glorious Refimection after Death. The Body of a Martyr fhall be revived as a Phrenix out of its Afhes; when the Body of a Petfecutor fl1all be quickned, as a Serpent out of a Dunghil, the one to be glorified, the other tormented for ever. The Belief of this made them extrcamly valiant in the face of all their threatning cruel EncHeb. 3 . 1 2. mies. But tbe e-uil Heart of unbelief, caufes a departure from the li'Ving God. He that fufpects God's Fidelity in his PromifCs, will fuf~end liis own : Nature will fl1rink at the firfi fight of imminent Dangers. An Infidel, that lives as if he were all Body, and no immortal Soul, Judges the Lofs of the prefent Life, and the Comforts of it, as his utter Undoing and total perilhing. He has an appearance of Rcafon to fecurc his prefcnt Pol· fe!Tions, wbar-ever becomes of Religion; for he expeCts no future Good, that will infinitely more than cbuntervail his prefent Lofs : And that Profperity inclines Men eo Atheifm and Infidelity, has been proved before. ?. The Love of God infpires Believer~ widt a heavenly Fortitude, to endure the worft r john i· 18 · ~~i 1~r~~~\~~hebe~~~g1~( t~; !~~a~~~e·n?n;£:~ Lro~~a1: :u~ ;Jh~~ ~~~~~f~!es~~;;i~~ ~~ ~~~nt;~rfse~11;h~hS~i~~~,e ~=~a:~en~u~~~enJ;1~p~~v:rl~fu~~~n~eabi~e~~~~Y!fg~~~~~ t john4 • , 9 . them. We lO'Ve him, becaufe he jirjt lO'VeJ us. Love efleems God as the greatcfi Reward. A Saint does nor iO much love God for Heaven, rho' a place of inconceivable Glory, as Heaven for God, becaufe he there reveals his Perfections to his People. This Holy Love,
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