'The Danger of Profperity. ------- prope'r Excellency, for whid1 rhey were made, and accord.ingly are valued : as Srm;gd; • or Beaory, Sw1!tnefs or Courage: fo, rhc firil: and chief and proper Excelle.ncy of :.\1.an, is rhe radonal Mmd, that dtftmgulfhe~ Ium f~om the Bru~c~ , and gtves lum a natura~ and regular Dominion over rhem. 'T!s rhe lughcil: and dlV!ncil:. Faculty of d1c Soul; and from hence the Deduction is clear, chat our Felic~ty confrll:s m rhc PerfeChon .of rhe Mind. If the Excellencies of all other Creatures were united in Man, they could deriVe no trite worth to him,' becaufe they cannot adorn ~nd perfe~ 'yh.at is _his propq Excellence. Now, according to the quality of the Obje<'ls, about which the Mi11d is conVdfanr', 'ti.S etcher raintc1 an~ deprect.atcd, oy p~ulfic~ an~ exalted. To ~pply it to ienfual worldly things , how to increafe R1eh;s 1 and make pr07Jijion for the Flejh, to fu/fl its Lufls, is more truly vilifying, than 1f a Pnncc fl10uld employ Ius Coun!ellors of Stare, and rhc_Jud~es of Ius Courts, 111 the Office~ of.Ius Kit~hc n~ or ro. di_g m d~e Coalpits. The Mmd IS corrupted and deba)ed by app.hcanon to mfenor pcnfhmg rhmgs, as Gold and Silver are allayed, and lofe of their Punty and Value,. by a mixture With Cop, per and Tm. God alone is the Sbvemgn Obje<'l of the Mmd, with. refpe<'l to 1ts dignity ahd capacity, irs fupehor and nobleil: Operations: and by contemplating his gtonous Attnbutcs and Excllcncies, w~10 ts ~eO: in lumfclf, and be{\: to us; the Mmd is inlighmed and enlarged, renewed and ra1fed, made holy and heavenly, full .of Bcaury, Order, and TranqUihry, and transformed mw rhe Likencfs of the Dtvme PcrfcctiOils. o. All the Profperity in the World caimot bring thie Sarisfa<'lion to him that enjoys it ; for 'tis difproporr~onar? to t~te fpirirual and. im~ortal nature o~ the SouL This is fo ~lcar by Rcafon, that 1t may fc~m as necdlefs and 1mpertinem ro 1nfifl: on it, as to ufe Arguments to prove that Gold and Diamonds arc no~ proper Food for rhe Body: but the felf- ~~~:~e~~~~IT~r~01t ~f~~~.~~~:' aJsH:~~~~,~~f:;;a~~~'d'd~a%;')c ~:~~'[ ~f,:~~~;;r~~~~ \~:~~,!~~~ known Truths, that Men may timely prcvem the !ad Colt(equenc~s ot fuch Folly, and noc De acccfL1rics to rhetr tormentmg ConvH~hon by expenence. .·Tts true, caq1al and maredal Things, pkafantly affect the outward Man; :rcr fuch a Vanity is in them, that they arc neither a pure nora prevalent Good, with re!ped: to the natural · a!l~. ciyil Stare of Man here. Riches, and Honours, and fenfual ~lcafures, are not without a mixrure of Birrernefs, that corrupt rli.e Content that Men expeCt in. them; they arc nor eili<;aci- ~:~e~~ ~~~~~\7{ rh~fo;~eo7~~~et~~;\ci11:J~!dea~;~d~~~i;:bf!~is ~~~nf~~~tZre ;~e~a~~ their Elevation, they cannot fupply thCWants and ExigencJes, nOr fatisfic the Ddires o( the Soul. They ca1inot reil:ore Men to the Favour of God, and bleffed Communion with him ; nor renew the Image of l~i s J:lolinefs iii them. They a~c bur a vait.l Name, a na:- ked fl1adow of felicity, and enmely depend upon the Simplicity and Fancies of Men foo th<Ir Valuation. The Apoille rherefoie tells us, ihat .they tbat will be rich, fall into te~nptation, and a fnare, and ~nto many foolijh luj}s. . ~hofc who refolvc and labour to get. Riches, thinking ro find Felicity in them, are miflea by as , grofs Folly, as rhofe who prei\une by their coil:ly preparations to turn Brafs or Lead into G'?ld. For if ir be Folly to defire and arrempt what is impoffJble, 'tis equally fo in thole who leek fqr joyful Saris, f.1<'lion in Wealth, and 1ri any other iecular Things, as in the Alchymiil:s, tliat wail:c their teal Efiarcs fo~ imaginary Ti·caftiies. Befides; tlie happieil: Condirl01i heie, as 'tis like the Moon, that at the brighteil: is fjJOtred and imperfe<'l; fo Ec!Iples are not lefs. il:range ro it than to that Planet. The ~0~~:~ ~~~~;~n~~~c~.f ·~~~h[~e~tl~~~~ \~h~~~~~~f1~i~]::~f~~~: ~~~l:~;da~~11J,i~~~j:~~~ ty ~y the Angel in the Revelation ; He liftedup hisJJand to iletr~Je~, imd}wore ry him tbat itvesfor ever, tJ~at T1me. fh~ll be no more; wtll be true of e!'ery mortal Per.fqn. The rich ~·~o\~~~~,;:~,~ ~~~7.~t~! ~~n:~~~r;:·i~a~·~~:~r?z?af~f,l:~h~'r:,~f ~~~~~~~~g. 1~0~~:! L•~· •'· .~.' tbis Nigbt foal! tby Soul h required of thee: tlmi whoj'e Jhall thofe Things '[,/ whicb t !JOt; haft. prO'Vided? ~ow, ~an ~hat be our Happinef$ th?t is_ of fuch an uncer.tai!?- ~enure, that every Hour may be fnarch d from us, or we from it? If one ffiou1d w:ith great Expences build a Manfion-Houfe, and plant Garaens in a pl~ce. fubje<'l ~o frequent Earthquakes, that would overturn all mto confufion;would not Ius folly Ge confpicuous 1 Yet how nJanY,prach fe themfclves what they would deride in oth.ers! They fer their Heart upon rhe th1ngs of the World, that are liable to a thoufand Clianges, and muil: fhortly be earted With for ever. The Slaves of Honour, that are fo fwell'd with airy Titl es of Great: nefs,. and the flatteri ng Re[pe<'ls of others, muil: Jhort!y be deveil:ed ·of all ; , and whCJ~ lmd m the~t TQmbsi the Trophies of Vanity, will be infcnfible o'f the Renown and, Applaufes
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