The Danger of Profperity. rousand wicked. They arc hoodwink'd byProfperity, in avoluntary Darknefs, and fee nor rhe Precipices that furround them : And how flippery is their way by 10 numerous and iufmuaring Temptations; How eafliy, how frequently and dangerouOy do rhcy fall, and both defile and wound themfelves? Bncfly, they arc trUly nuferablc here, even whilll: they moll: pleafantly and contentedly enjoy the World, they are accumulating the Treafures of Wrath, and preparing new Torments for their Souls: They fl:and upon brirtlc Ice, and Hell is beneath ready,to [wallow them up in its deepen Gulf. As 'tis fai<i-by 'he Apotlic, concerning the Saints darkned by Sorrows here, that the!t glorious 1 ~:{e ::r~~1:·D~~~' ~'}d,~~a\~i~~~~:io~~Daaftfee;rA;,:~1iOt~~~;~ ai~ hl~~J''~r~: ~1~~~}e~ ~f CoL ,. Senfc, but fhall be revealed in the Day of Wrath. And to a wife Obferver, to a ferious Believer, the profperous Sinner is the moll: unhappy and compailionable ObJed: in the World; for he perifhcs by fuch a flattering kind of Death, that he is neithec apprchenfivc, nor affeCted with his Danger. And when an illuminate Chriihai'J fees the Marks of DamnatiOn in Sinners, whorri Profperity deceives and hardens, he cannot but be tenderly moved, and is obliged moll: carnefily to pray to the mcrcifi.Il Father of Spirits, whofc Grace is Omntpotcnt, that he would recover their lapf~d S?uls, blc~ding w eternal J?earh. If there be any hcavcnJy Charity in our Brcafis, 1t w11l melt our Hearts, and diffolvc us in Tears to prevent, or at leafl: to fOlemnizc and lament their heavy Defl:iny. S· From hence we are inftrud:cd to judge truly and wifely of Affiid:ions: They ard the ncccfTary and merciful Difpenfarions of Heaven, to ~ec?vct Silll~crscorrupted by Profperiry, and to return them to Go~. Senfe, rho' its pnnc1pal end _Is to prefCrve the Body, is_not always a fir judge_ of dung~ bcnc_ficial to it; the ~ppen_tes and Averfions are fomcumes permcious : One ~~ a Dropfie drmks to q~cnch Ius Tlurfl:,. and increafes hi_s Diftcmpcr. A bitter Porion IS reje.cted by a fick Chtld, not con!idcnng that a Medicine, nor Sweet-Meats, can cure hts Dtfeafe. The plcafure of the Tafl:e, IS no certain Indication of what is wholfome for Health: Much more uncapablc is Senfe to judge of what is ufeful for the SouL Reafon is ent,irely rcnounc'd, and 'fallacious Senfe is in the Throne, when Profpcrity with its gaudy Alluremcnts is c!l:eemed as our Happinefs, and Adver!ity is abhorr'd as the worft Mifcry. The wife Man iniliud:ed by dear Experi- , ~;~~~~, ;:~~~~~s; i;~,~~ :::~e:;:ftoJ:e~:Jeafjf:e o[vlJ:~u;~~;&;a;'~:n :: i:a~~.t!J~;::;(: t ~:;:e~ ~;~~r. 7· than Laughter: For by the fodnefs of tbe Countenance, tbe Heart is made better. Tbe H~art of tbe Wife is i~t the Houfe of Mourning, but tbe 1-!eart of Fools is in the Houfe of MJrtb. Profpcrity irntares and fortifies the fcnfual vtl e Ar!cd:ions, the plea!ing of wluch js fatal to rh~~ SouL .As 'tiS obfcrvecl by the natural H!fiorian, that t~le fpark- .. Pin~~·chimtu. ling Colour and d eh~1ous Rehfh of ~Vine, tempts Men to drink111g wirliour tlurfi, and}~;;',:;;";;,~:~~ from Intemperance, JllllUmcrabJe Dtfeafes flow. . . mur. Plin. ProfjJerity diverts the Mind from confidering the things rhat belong to our eternal Peace, and the Will from confenting to them. The Thoughts arc fo iCarrered abroad, that few are left at home, duly to ponder the mifcrablc Effcd:s of Sin. Now in this tlic Rules of natural and fpiritual Medicine agree, that ~ne Extrcam is to be ~ured by ano- :::~r;viZ1~~~f~~:~;~~~l:.1!c~h'ifisc~:;, s~~~~v~~s~~e':n"~yt~~t~~e~~,;~~~v~~ ~i,~; ~~~~ ~~~: .!::p~:::r.;;.~ gruous and•powerful means for that blcifed Effect. & Etlt•Dr~Jui mrntir ill m"li injit:t. Ita Di11h~!us lttiJ!t quod t'mjiu"t, r!bttl g;r,ti./f.b.is & 6tuftij]imis imhuit. Tctt. tMditis pul.. AffHCli~n makes u~ retire within our Hearts, and fhuts our the noHie throng of world~ [c~ir~r~~:11~il?~~~~: ~h~11et:l;~~ ~~dt~~e~~dlo~d~~c!~~dc~;r:l~~~ ;;,e~he~~~~~e~~ri~ffii~i~ on fixes the Mind upon rhofc Objed:s, that duly confidcred, are able to terrifie the moll: dctermin'd and refolvcd Sinner. There is no Man fo prodigioufly bad, fo perfed:ly a Brute, bur has at times. fomc twinges of ConfciCnce, fome workings in his Spirit, fome dcfu:es of Salvation. Even Balaam, who in the Judgment of the Angel was more !l:upid than the Afs he rode on, yet had fome fpringings in his Heart towards Heaven; 0 that I mtr,bt dte the Deutb of the Righteous, and my lajl end may h like his : But thefe arc Accnng and vanable, and fo weak in comparifon of the oppo!ite Dcfires of rhe Flcfl1, :J~!co~rcl;%~:7edi~~t~~uz;~n~~;~ th~,f~~~~ ~~~~;~cel~h; ~:~f~r"r~;~~v:~: ~~;~~~fnmgs, then he is effed:ually convinc'd of the Evil of Sin, and under!l:ands, by the beginlung of Sorrows here, what the Ilfues will be hereafter, and rctrad:s his foohfh choic~: In:
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