The Danger. of Pro/perity. in Arms whiHl: conAichng wirh Adverfiry, and vanquifh'd by enricing P!eafures. 'Tis obfcrved of the Lamps in fome of the Roman Tombs, that hav~ burnt for ~any Ages? and are bdght whilfi kept clofc , that as foon as they are _op~n d to the ~u, a bre~r.h of Wind cxtinguifhes them: Thus rhe Verrucs of fomc flune 111 a low retired Condmon, when there are no Temptations, no occafi~n of qu_cnching them.= bur wh:n brought forth inro rhe open World, an~ ihould appear m conipt.cuous O_peratJons,. rhctr Vermes arc of fo weak and confumpuvc a Spirit, that _rhe ~tghr .exptres and dtc_s. Even rhe Piety of David was chill'd by Profperiry. 'Tts . i:i11d , wttl_t an e?1ph~lis, ~onc~rning , , ~-~ Jeho[aphnt, that he wnlk'd in the frf/ Ways of his Father Davtd: Intunatlllg that Ius Re-;. Ch,on. '1· !igion was not fo exact when he was in the Throne, as m lus Bam~1ment. . 'Tis equally excellent as difficult. To be holy and heavenly m the nudO: of fenfiial tempting Objects, is . the cleareO: difcovery of the Truth and Power ofDtvine Grace, of the Piety, Ingenuity, and Generofity of the ChnO:tan Spmt. Hunultty and Modefry in a Io_w Condition, are not f~ praife worthy, as the abfencc of them IS odiOus: ~ut Humility m a fl:ate of Honour, ts more illuftrious tha? the Splendor of external Dignity. Temperance in a Cottage, where are only fttppltes of hunger and thirft, feemS rather the cffed: of Necefiiry, thatt of wife Choice : But to be temperate when abundance and variety tempt the {Cnfual Appetites, when the fparkling colour and ?elicious relifh of the pureO: Wines tempt the Fancy and the Palate, is Vertuc in a hetghr and excellency. To be Piqus, and weanc~ fro~ the _World m Affit~~bons, is no wonder; but in Profperity a~1d Power to be fen~us m Religion, a~d defptfe _the fplendid V ~ni- ,~, ties of the World, IS Verrue _of a ~1penor Ord~r. What ts rh~ervcd of the perful111n~ Sp4ntt .m": Gums of Arabia t/g ~appy~ JS appltcable in rlus mattter : to!e } hat ~ifiill freely from;:;;,. ~Jt~~;;: the Tree, excel in punty,_ m fragrancy, and value, wha1 C( . ,.. .., rom It. when the Bar~ titus mtiris_ . of it is cut. Thus Obedtence that comes from the Hearc 111 love With God for lus ":'ut~m ~.Jdl~r Benefits, is more valuable and precious than what is the effect of Compulfion, that i"o1i~i'ur. comes from the Heart wounded with terrors in adverfity. , I fl>all add farther, The uling Profperity aright is moO: comfortable. The Love of God can fW'ecten Afflictions, and make a Dinner of green Herbs as favory as if they ~=~~~~:~r~~i~;~~y~dda~i};:l~~ £~~~~;;~~~~~:tr:(l:;/l,i:l~~~~i~~~f:,r~~~t~~gcl;e~~~:~ efl: Enjoyment of them. Now when Profperity is made fubfcrvient ro his Glory, wheri it endears Obedience to us, we have an infallible Tefl:imony 'tis from his fpecial Fa- \ 'Our to us. The Rules how to tnanage Profperity for our evcrlaO:ing Good, are, '- Let us prcfervc an humble fenfe of our original Me:innefs, cominual Frailty , and finful Unworthinefs in the midO: of Profperity. Men arc apt to be high-minded, and to cherifu undue Conceptions of their Worth when rats' cl 111 the World: As tfthey were not as inferior to the MajeO:y of God, and as liable to his Impartial JuO:ice as others: They lofc the Knowledge of rhemfelves in a MiO: of Vanity. This proyokes the hig/} and h~ly One tkat inhabits Eternity, to blafl: ~hem i~ thctr mofi Rounflnng. and_ iCcure flare, and convmce them how deceitful and miilffictent the grounds of thexr Pnde are~ He puts them in fear, that they may know them/elves to le but Men. There are fuch great pf,( ~. ;~~ju~o'i-!~';;~/£~~~~Ida~~e~:~:r,~~~t;~~o~~~~:~c~: P~~;;; ~fo~::p !'~(;~:,~~~~',!;~{,~~~ of God fl1imng in the Heavens, is in an extafie at his condeiCcnd111g Goodnefs. What is Man that thou art mindful of him ? Or the Son of Man that thou regardej/ him! His Origmalts from the Earth, the loweO: Element : all that he polfeiles, to !upply his want ~nd fattsfie his defires, is from pure Mercy : And the more eminent the Advantage of fome is above others in this World, the greater are their Rcceits and Obligations : and who would be proud that he is in :1 mighty Debt? Ric\1 and Poor, Honourable arid Meari, are DiO:inctions among Men; but in refpetl: to God all are equally mean and low. Neither do thefe things give any inherent worth, and make Perfons more acceptable to God. Poor Lazarus who was a miferable Spectacle, his Body corroded with Ulcers, ?'et had a precious Soul under it : The glorious Angels dcfcended from Heaven to receive ~~a~' ~~n fn~~k~~~e~!~~~~, c~~,;':~~~r~~~nr~;~v~~frh~e~ed~~,~~ ~~~~sb~~ ,\~~ ~~r~ar! Is he truly rich whofc Whole EO:ate lies io a Ship abroad, that is to pafs rh,ough Sea.s expofed to TempeO:s, and infeO:ed Wtth Pirates, and runs a double hazard of bemg· ~~~; ~~~~v(l: M:~a :n ~nl~~~eg~;;n~~~tio;.~~e~~~f,A~oak~~~~~~ft:ml~~ ~ecar~;~,"~~d j,ri,, i. if:• dre '
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