3 r 4- . ____ _.c.T_be_D_cm..:::g:_ei_·af_:_P_r_:.ofi-'-pe_r-"-itj. ______ ·tnoiV ye ;idt ; what ·tonfufi?n~ what anguifh w_ill fcizc upon the-m! They fl1a1! be Ua- ~lifild fro':~ hiS glo"riou~ Kmgdom, e~commum~at_ed from L~is bl~lfed Society, and tormcnt<!d ~v1rh the ·rebellious Angels for ever. T1s true, dus umvcrfal at~d peremptor Thrcamn:g, n1ufl be undedl:ood wiri: an Exccpti?n_ of rhofe who a~tcr thetr falling awa~ J~~;t~~6t\~,Jftr~~p~h~~fr~e;ha~l:~~~~~r:ly~~fo~~~d ~;~~:c~~~ ~~;~~~~:h1~,i:'ti?:"~~;;, iteb. ). 7 that for wluch Life is wonhy the cnjoymg; y~t by ~rong T~mptatwns has bee~ fainrhcartcd and denied the Truth: Like one that d1fanuls m the he1ghrh bf a Fever, the Will :~~v~:a~~ 1 ~n1 d~ri~~g~}l~ffl~ar~fr;:u~~~~n~~r'c:~~~lr~~J~~c~{1~1 ~~ti;b~u:dda1~~~~1d~dur~t~a~~~ in a fiery Chariot. Laf\ly, The Profperity ot Siru\ers is the great Tcmptlltion to delay R~perttaiicc rill their State is defperare. Nothing fills Hell with fo many loll: Souls, as the purring off" Rcptntance till hereafter. How many D1feafes would b~cur'd 111 rime, 1frhcy duearned prdcnt Death ? But their Malignity being of a fllllv Operation, they are defpifcd as not worth the Trouble of a Cure, rill they arc dCfperate. 'Tis in Spiritual DifeafCs ~s 'tis In rhofc or the Body: For Sin that is a ficknef~ unto Death, might be prCYCn: tcd by fpcedy Repentance ; but many, not. apprchcndmg pre!cnt Danger, neglect rhc preciOuS Remedy ttll they are defperarely rum'd: To day if you IVill bear his Yoice, harden uo: your 1-learts. The ~omthartd rcfpccts the Scafon as well as _rhe Duty? As our 2'~l~:c~~~I;l~~~e~~~d~:l~~,~~~~u~l;~~~[~~i;ol~ t~~l~~~~i ~l~[ r~~~~nt T~~~tl~~~~n:~1~o~};/! e1_'1Cc fometimcs 11ips Sccitrity, and rhete is a firange. union of Contrarieties in die Breafr of a _Siilnct, rhat makes him ineXcufable and incurable. ~c complains. of the Bondage to Ius Ll~fis, x.et takes pleafure in it: he is COI~Vinc' d 'twlll be defiruChve, yet voluma~ rily contmucs m that fwect Captivity. If ConfCicncc be troublciOmc, he pacifieS ir wirh an intcmion ro reform hereafter, and thinks that a future Repentance will be fuflicient to prcp"'c for a future Judgment. And none are fo cafily and willingly deceived to their c~erlafling Rui11 by this pretence, as thofc who enjoy the prcfent World. Profperiry makes thcn1 forgetful oft~1e Grave, and luunaneVIclfl!ttides, and.hardens.them in deep Security. 'Twas. the Di~me ~tayer of Mofes, So teacb us to num!Jer our dav~. as to apply ~ut hearts unto Wifdom; tmplymg, that the great Cau1e of Mens dell:ruchve Folly, is from not reflecting upon the fhortnefs and uncertainty of their Time here. Death is Ccr· rain to the Old, and Life uncertain to the Young. There are 111any back Doors ro the Grave, alld Men arc led fi~tprifingly thither. The time of their Refidcnce here is fixed by the Divine Determination, and concealed frotn their Eyes. How many in their Yourlt and Profpcrity have prcfum'd upon a lbllg Life, yet unexpectedly have returned to their Eartb; as a Wall covered with Ivy, that falls bn a fuddcn with its green Ornaments, by its weight and wcaknefs. The Hour of Death, is the HOltr of Mens Deftiny for ever. I~:~n~~~diffei~e a~~e~~fse~~;~~t:~:~:;;:~;:labd~~~f.~e~;r~t~~~~~1!u~~:~7' ;h~~~s t patt cxeClitcd, arid !hall be publick and entirely executed at the !all: Day. Yet Men boldly venture to contiriue i~ their pleafant Sins, upon the forlorn Hope of a Seafon ro repent hereafter. Aflpni!hing enottnous Folly! as if they were alfured of Time, and the Divine Grace. And thus •tis fully proved how fatal and delhuctive Profperity is ro the Wicked. c~~i~c:re~f,~~ ~~~f.n~~~!p~~g;~•:::;d;~h~h~Jc~~~~,;~o~~r~~~i~~n~~~}cd.Fo~;sm~fr proper Notion of Folly is, that rhe underibrtding Miflakes m judging and comparing things; from Whence the Will flides into Error, and makes an unwc>rrhy choice : And according ro the weight arid confcquence of things, the more remarkable ts the degree of Folly in not difcerhing their Differetices. Now when Men value and are delighted in temporal Pro!perity as their Happinefs, and Heaven with its Glory and Joys is neglected and vilified ln the Comparifon, 'tis Folly above all wonder; Folly of fo tare and fmgu· lar a Nature, that if the judicative Faculty were not corrrupted, it were imporrible they !hould be gtiilty of it. This will appear by tonfidering rhc elfential and infeparablc Properties of Man's FcliCitJ ; 'tis petfective and farisfying Of Man in his fupream Faculties. '· .The Perfection of Man does principally confifl in the Excellencies of his fpirirual In :~nt f•t.~ ~ and immortal Part : As m the vanous kinds of Creatures, there is fomcthmg that JS theJr t.7.£:f;;,'(f; *';' ~;::: '":!:.: t.~:::~r:' ;,:.~;;;;; t.z·t;;;,r;; '"5;~~:.· ,}j,'~r.'q' '''''"'" •Ji, "' .. pu", 1 " ""fi'" .:~,:;~;
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