. 322 'The Danger of Profperity. rh~ ~vil and the Good: but the Favour from whence proceeds GracC and Glory, is the Prmlcge of h1s Chofen. J"hc temporal Profperity of the Wicked is conflllenr with God's Hatred. When Men n~rn his Bleffings into the fuel ?f _their Lu!l:s, and lus Patience into an advantage of fm. nmg more 1ecurely, how flounfumg focver they are in the World, he looks on them with an avenging Eye.. He hates all the workers of !niguity. His fceming connivance is no Argument that he IS not highly provok'd by thctr Sins, or that they may obtain an ea tic Pardon. Y er this is the inward Principle of the grofs and outward Sins in the Lives of Men,. rho' unobfervcd by rh~m. ~s the viral Hear is not felt in the Hearr, that is p;,J. lo. the Cau(c of all the Heat that IS felt m the outward parts of the Body. Thefe things haft thou done, (faith God to the rebcllwu~ Smner) and I l·ept jilence, that is, fufpcnded the ternble Effect~ ofJuflice, thou thoug!Jt'f/ I wa.r altogetlm fuch a one as tby felf. Ailonifhing Blindnefs! not to difcern the apparent Antipathy of fuch Connexions. As if God's forbearance of the Guilty were forgi vcncfs : and rebellion againfi: his Commands and the Love of Sin which is enmity to him, were confifienr with the fruition of hi; Favour. But .we have the ~oft clear a!1d c~nvi.ncin~ Affiuancc, God cannot _be plcafed wirh Men, Wtthout their bemg made hke lum m R1ghtcoufiJcfs and rruc Hohncfs. He fees and hares Sin, and abhors the S.... "\Cts rho' for a time they arc fpared. Jufiice and Na!u::m '- 3· Parien~e are his Attribute~ : He is flow to Anger, a"'{/{eat ilt Power,_ and will not acqHit Ram 9· lZ. 1efl~~~~Z~ ~~:~:~~~~;;~o:;'~i;::~t;g:;i:Sg ~~~:;~ra~~J~~~:tf:;r~;;;.d~e~sa;; {J~e~{;~ not !'o hatcfui to God, bccauic h~ enjoy~ the World in abundance, and expects an cafre ~;;'J,~~i~,}t lafl:, fearfully deceiVes Ius Soul: I£e ./ows the Wind, and jhall reop the l· The Profperiry of the Wicked is fo £1r from being ' a lign of God's Love that it of- ~~JilK~;~~,~=tl~~~: ~~~ ~:~~f:i~~~~eg~~~~ti~~.is ~ ~~~: cl~~:i~~r~k~~ ~1t~o~!~~~~~~~; Souls, of Heaven and Eternity, and they become incorrigible in their pcrverfc Wills and wicked Ways, and irrecoverable in their loft Stalie. Profpcrity induces Secu.rity thar prefages and accelerates their Ruin. 'Tis expreil as the mofl fearful and forefl Judgment by the Prophet, The Lord bath poured out upon you thefpirit of deepf/eep, an infenliblcncfs of the_ wodl: Evi_ls, . thelt Sms, and_ the infinite danger that arte_nds them. This Judg~ menr IS ufually mfl1cted from the nghreous God by the Pro!penty ot the Wicked, and eX[reamly ~rovokes hin:, it bejn~ a Si_n of the grearefr Guilt, ~s well as a Punin1menr of former lugh Provocanons. 'Tts a dtfi.inguifhing Judgment inAtded upon his Enemies, from which his Children arc exempted. Other Judgments that caufe grief and trouble ro Sinners, often incline his Compailions to them ; but this Judgment inflames his Wrarll. In fhott, the Profpetity of the Wicked here, is a fatal lign they arc referved for the Se- :;:\:~ :ahur~~~~bl:,0rrf;~~i~n}~,~~tl1J!ili~;~~le:ndfc~;~atJ~~in;~'~;!~~~!~:~gments that 4· From hence we are infiruClcd to look upon Profperous Sinners with pity, nor wirh Envy and Indignation. They plcafe themfclvcs, and triumph in their conceired Hap· pincfs, as rhc Plalmifl cxprciferh it, Whiif/ he lived, he UejJed his Soul. Bur how confl~~r~~~t~~cc~Jl~J~~~~d~~~~!~c~e~~ ~~;!~~~n~~,~~ o;,~;:~~~;f~ey~r~~~~~n~~~e~:;J ;~~; Confolation! Wo unto you that are full, for ye fha~ ln!ngcr : Wo unto you that laugh nozv, pfaJ. 49 . for ye foal! mourn and wee;. And we arc told by the mfptrcd Prophet, Man tbat is ~n honour, "and underj/ands not, (rh~t does not confider rh~ Vamty and frail Tenure of h1s prcfent flourif11ing State; nor Ius Duty and Interefi: to tmploy his Riches, Power, and Grearncfs, for fecuring his evcrlafling Felicicy) is like the Beaj/s that perijh, flupid .and infenfiblc of approaching Ruin; as the Beafl: that was to be £1crificed , did not perceive that the gilding its Horns, and adorning it with Garlands, was a fign it was defi.in'd to Death. They now live in cafe and plcafurcs; but they mufl: fhordy remove from their rich Pof~ feffions, and fplendid Palaces, to the datk Regions of Woe, and Death will be an cnEeclef.?. ~~1~h~~t1~0fl~~:l~s3;~}~~~sdan~id ~~~h~~tit~fl~!d.is lil:e the cracl:ling of 7borns undet pr,r. H· 6.. 'Tis a dreadful Imprecation of the Holy PJalmifl; Let tbeir way be .dark and }lipperJ; ~5J!::'~!:-. =~~ 'l~ ::ef1tf::o0~1~"~I;:;~tdr£f~=:~::e;:~ En~b1e~!~~ :l::irdC~~d~r~~n1,n \~lft~:~ r,;~~~:~ !;:' j~~~;R~u;l Lubri&um filum rpdt #OrJ 'IWtAt ? In ttnebris & {u6rico quA iJ? Ubi ptdrrn jigit? Sunt ijltt m•tr.-' pr~tntt hDminum. Aug.
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