37~ ,_____ ._cr_he_fure Trial . ....,of_V_:_pr-=ig:::..h_tl-=7efi'-s._____ impiety, ·grow and flourifi1 'in Profperity. . Affii4ion calls ho111e ~he wandring Spirit, ~:~kcs us refleCt W1Ch folemmty ?pan our felves, exc1t~s us ro arm our.Minds wirh ReligiOus Rcfoluri~ns againfi rhe World; whereas Prof~cnry relaxes and d!lfolvcs rhc Spitir, a:nd foments the Lull:s of the}lefh. Thofe who_hvc 111 the Courts of Princes, \Vhere 'the IJeigh~. oJ Hono_ur, a~1d rhe Ce~r~e ~of Pl~afure arc, where Ambi tion, HypOcrific, Ava~tce?. and Scnfuahry re_;gn, are Cncird~d wtth dangerous ~nchantmenrs, and ufilally .;:;~~~:,~:ea~~l~~;rtl{.~ei~ ~~e~~c~;tv'J~~d~~~~::c~:fcb:~t ~~l~~,~~:o;j~~~ ;;~;o~~~~~;L,~~i ·pumping_ it cannot be kept above Water; fo without the fhidc!l: guard over tl_1cir Hearts ~:~};;~~~];, f:}l~~~ej~~~nc~~:~:~:~,t;~):~.~"~~;~)~;~;,~~f f:f{~:'~y ~[;~~~~·;; Gon. ' 3 ~~; :'1~~ i~:;'j~e <1~1~~/;:: ~~::'t~r1°ms~J'ci~~~~ !hcd~!'o[~~~e,/~~a~;: t:t~u~0;h; Inhabitants rhc \vorfi .: Within a fhon rime the Cry of their Sins rcach'd as higb as the TllrbilC Of God , and brought down fhowers of Fire and Brimfione, rhar turned tl~;;.r na~ rural Parad ifc into an Hell. . . , Riches have a Train of Tempt~tions, and Poverty is not c>;cmpt from-them. 'Twas ·Prov.:;o. 8,9. rhc wife Prayer of Agur, Gi-ve me neither P(Yl)trty nor Ric/Jes, lefl I be full and de") t!Ju, and fay, Who is the Lord! Or left I be poor andj/eal,and take the Name of my God in -uain. A full Efl:ate '".rircly polfelfcs t.he Heart, and excludes the et~rnal World from the Thoughts :'n:-c<...'b~ns: ns thercfor~ . \vtfe Advcte, If R1ches ntcreafe, Jet not yo«'r 'Heart upon them, u:mmarmg they are a Snare to the mofi in the corrupt State. They ofren induce in Mens ~in?s a..n ung~a~cfu l Oblivi?Jl of their Divine Bcnefador, as 'ris cl!arg_'d upon Ifrael, ~~::: J{,~~;~S:j::r~ffic~~~~ ~ '::J~~er:~ehid~{oclf:'~~n~:~e ti!~efs 1dl~~11~~o~~~i;°C~~~~ turcs, _an humbl e thankful dependance upon his Providence every Day. The Pfalmift faith, lhey trtif/ ;;, the Wealth, and /,oaf/ themfelver in the multitude of their Richer. They arc engaging SnareS tO rcnoll:J~~C Religion, when-ever the fincere, and open Profeffion of it, cxpo!Cs our Efl:ates to Hazard. Briefly, as .the Ifraelitcs made an Egyptian Idol of t hei r Egyptian Jewels; fo worldly Things arc abus'd for worldly Lulls. The moft who en:ioy Profpcrity, perifh by the Abufc of it: 'Tis a rare Effect of Divine Grace to prc- ;~r;l~ytl~~~e=~~ ~~n~h:~~:~~r~~ s~eri~htf~~:ld. co~t~t~h! ~~~t;:;;nfiaJ'~~~~~e~~ and AffiiCtioh in any kind, if fhatp, has its pecul iar Temptations; Difcontcnt, and the ufc of unlawful Meahs to obtain what they want and dcfire, is the Sin of the Poor. The Afflicted are ready to faint tinder the \veight of Sorrow : The lofs of one Comfort blafls all the Content of their Lives. There is a perpetual confumption of their Thoughts ~nd Time in revolving the afflicting Circumfiances of their Condition, and th~y are apt to think as if God were regardlefs or very fevere to them. Fearful depth!. they wretch- ~~1fr ~l~~~cec~~cp~~~: :!',~}e;;!~!~ ~~e2:f:~~~~~ ~h~;~~fc ~~t,:~~~~ 'Zu~~nc~~~;~i~~~ Languifi1ings, or ended with dead,ly Grie~ , If the Affliction be fingulara"d e.xtraordinary, Sorrow often increafes tofuch difmal Degrees, that mofl: woful Effects proceed from that Paffion. The AngUJfil of Spmr cJthcr breaks out in unk,indly and unholy Expreffions, or inward ly fcfl:ers With Repmmg, ;t~~~,10~~~l~',~,~~~~~~bfc3~nt~~~12~~~1~~~;· o/~~~b~~~~~l~~~~h:;\~mJe}~~CJl~~~;l~eTt1:!~ J~;k upward to t he Hand of God that difpofes all Evils, not inward to their Sins, the mo!t righteous procuring Caufe of them : But ferious Reflection would confrrain rhe":J to acknowledge t hat God punilhes them lefs than their Sins deferved, and that thetr Drofs tlceded the vehemence of the Fire _to purge it away : A meek yielding our feh•es, and a complying With the blclfcd Ends of his afflicting Providence, lvill make uS to underfiand by Experience, that ;~ll our fharpell: Sufforings were mofl: wifely and divinely ordered liy our Heavenly Fatlici. 1· VVc mufi fcarch for our peculiar Sin in the Society wirh whom we arc cDJn-crfanr. Ot1r Company that we choofe, and arc frequc11rly Cngaged with, difcovers us to others and may to our fclves. _'Tis a true Glafs that by reflexion makes vifible the Coun_tc· mlnce" and Complexion_of our Minds. Lo':e proceeds from Li~e?efs, and the Eletbon of Friends. from a Correij:>ondencc in the ·Tempers of Men. T ts tl'ue, there ~ay be i~tr::~fts~~~-;c~n~~!~~:~ld~i~~:;~"~~:Te~cac~rcw~til ~:!~~;J~~;~ ?~~sr~,~fi~~~, ~~~~sc;r~ nnlity, in' its various kifids, co llents FI::,iendlhips: the Intemperate, the Lafci vi~V~rtSJ~~
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