?:he Danger of P<ofperity. ipi~,/'J:;~o/:;~ Applaufcs of rhc World. it- Ale~ander the Great is long ~nee dead to the pl~afurc of hi~ 'trmt•! Ju• Immortal Name. And Death will make a final fcparauon between the ~1ch and their tm11:. Trcafi.trcs, and put an _end ~o all the _Delights of Men. Now what Folly IS it re prefer a Felicity, tl_tat is d~ccttful tn the Enjoyment, and leaves rhc Soul empty when it mofl: fills it, rhat ~ s fo vatn and rranfirory, before an Eternal Heaven; a blcnedncfs rhat furpaffcs our Hopes, that fccures our Fcars, that iarisfics our immcnfc Dclircs ; a blcllCdncfs that the humane Underll:anding in all the Capacity of its Thoughts is not able to comprehend ; a blelfcdncfs becoming the MajeO:y and Magnificence of God that bcO:ows it. What madncfs, to dcfj)ifc Heaven, as if the Eternity of the next World were bur a ~omcnt, and to love t his World, as if this momenr~ry Life were a1~ Eternity. The full Aggravation of this, dies the Love of the World wJth the deepe£1: rmcture offoily: as wd1 appear by confidenng, Pro. 1. 2:. !ra.t. 1. 'Tis a voluntary chofen Folly. Thus the Divine Wifdbm with Pa(lion reproaches wretched Sinners, J-IolV loNg ye jimple ON~s, will )'t lrrue jimplicity ? Tl~is heightens their Character to love fo obfiinatcly, what IS fo unl ovcly and unbcconung the reafOnable Natutc. T he Light of RcaiOn and Re,·clation difcovers the Vanity of the World: 'tis not for "·.ant of EYidencc, but for want of uling the Li ght, that Men do not difcern their J~~~~~1~~ ~~iA~1 ~~g ;t~~t~o~n~~~~~ ~i~~~~ fsrb~hd~;c~o~fidc~at:~~ n~~:~,~~~· rcJ;~~ from the \V odd, and makes a folcmn enquiry; For what End am I created? For what do I confiune my T ime ? If my Endeavours arc all for the Earth~ what remains for HeaR~,~ 1:~~a~v~ll ~ h~e&::::e 'i1~~~f~~::tcl~~ v~f~hl;v~~~r~~l~~d ~~~~ ;l~e t};~e~~;:bf:aft~; into rl.te ~1ext,. immcdiatcly .appcar before the .enlighrned Tnbunal of God , whofe Judgn~cnt IS fo finCt, that the Rzg,bte'ous are fcarcely favec!, and fo , h_eavy, thar the fl:rongcft Su1ncrs cannot en<iure ? Can the World prevent my doom to Hell, or relcafe me from it ? ~' i ll the remembrance of the Enjoym~nts here, affO~d any refreflunent i 1~ Everlafl:ing .Uurnmgs? By fit eh . fad arid frequent Sol1loquics , the v1cious feniiwl AffeCbons are erad icated, and the Heart is tranfplanred from Earth to Heaven. If Men would wilcly ponder things, if ConfClcrtee, the lincere and unfufpected Judge did hold rhe Bal ance, and put into one Scale the Glory, the Riches, and Pleafhres of this World; and into ~he other, the Promifes that belong to Godline1S here, and hereafter, how dcfpicably light will rhey be found ? 'T was truly faid, rhat falfe Scarier appears with luO:re, till tompared with the Rich and True; fo the ficti t ious Felicity of this World is very fpecious, and ravifl1es the Mind of Men, till comp.red with Cre!eO:ial Felicity. Worldly Honour is counterfeit, becaufe 'ns no certain Argument of mhercl~t worth: Vai~t~glory and real Infamy, often meet in the fame Perfon: yet 'tis adnur'd, and ambltloufly fought, till compar'd with the Honour of tbe Saints. What is a Reputation and Honom \vith the \Vorms and Moles of the Earth, compared with the Honour that comes from ~11~ e;~~~:rar?~~~j~ ~1~u~~~;,ls~nd~~fi:~~~~ ~~;e~~~e;K~r~~~n:~0~i1a~~~o ~n~~~I/11~:; :lltadow of Reputation, againtl art eternal inefl:imablc weight of Glory! Whar arc the ){i chcs of this World, Gold, and Silver, and Jewels, for gaining of which fo many lofe their Souls, bur vile trafh compared with the facred Treat it res of Heaven , the Graces of the Saints? What arc t he empty Delights of the Senfes, compared with the Peace ofConfcieNce, mu! Joy in the Holy Ghojl, that can fweeten all our Sorrows here, and the ful~tcfs of Joy that fpri ngs from God's Ptefcnce in Heaven ? Jf Men would make judiciOUS ComparifOns, their AffeCtions would cool towards perifhing Vanities. I3ur. they will only look upon what is plea13nt and attractive in the World, without rcgardmg its mifetablc DefcCl:s, wi thout confidering what is infinitely bette~, and mofl:. worthy of _their ardent Delircs and vigorous Endeavours. They are fo plc:!as d with theu Error, fo mgaged in the fweet Captivity of the World, that they cannot extricate themfelves if they would , becaufe they will not if they could. 2. ' Tis .a culpable and guilty Folly. Whert Children prefer things of Luil:re before things of V >lue, their chi!di!li Toys, before real Treafures ; when they chufe a little prcfCnt Enjoyment, befotc a fUture Good that is incomparably better, their Folly is Jll - noccnt, bccaufe Reafon cannot difplay its Operations in then1: : But when Men, who :z~tc~;.:b~~ttfo~:~ .. nfe:~ .. ~~,:~~~] r;l~e~1ifo~~i~l~ ;;i:'~~.;fi~:~i~~~~t,b:ro:/~~i;:;~tJ: notwithfianding the vafi difference between t hem, both in the q~tahty and duratr~n, their choice is fo criminal, as dcferves an evetlaO:ing Hell. If Eja" had been a Cluld when
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=