Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

3 2 Or the dangerotefnet o f mortdly profperrt)e. firfl degree tofome dangerous frckneffe;fo when our world- ly efiate feemeth molt healthie,flrong,and vigorous,then is our corrupt nature prone to fall into the perillous difeafesof finne,which are attended vpon with eternalldeath.and de.. flruCIion. And therefore the wife man faith, that cafeflaieth Proua.32. the floolrfh,andthe pro fperitieoffooterdelirayeththem .Where by fooles bee vnderflandeth tanners and wicked men, who abufe their profperitie,by fetting theirheartsvpon it,louing and trufling in it more then in God, and flrengtlsening themfe.lues thereby to commit all manner of fanne andwic. kedneffe. So that worldlymen enioying profperitie,and ta- king all their delight and felicitie in it, are not vnfitly com- pared to the little infant,who fitteth at the hole ofthe Afpe, andplaieth with the Cockatrice, whole paflime is their ru- ine,and their pieafure death.Or like the childe playing with the fire; who no fooner toucheth it with his finger but is burnr,and changeth his fport into teares and crying ;fauing that herein they are much more foolifh then little children, for they feeling the fmarc doe euer after dread the fire; but thefe being often burned with the bright fpining flames of worldly profperitie,are not warned, nor made more warie by their owne harmes,but as being befotted in their loue, they flitl imbrace their ruiue,and hunt after that which mofi hurteththem; like vnto the foolifh flye,w hich is fo deligh- ted with the light ofthe candle, that it regardeth not the beate of the flame, but burning one legge after another, ta- keth no warning till be bewholly deflroyed and confumed. And fo doth the doting loue ofthefe fond worldlings be- reaue them not onely of all religion, but alto of' the vfe of reafon; yea info flupifieth the fenfes that they are deafe to all admonition ; inCenfible oftheir owns finart,and inno poili- bilicie of being ruled, and gouerned, ordered,or cöntained by any law: in which refpe& Chryfoftomecompareih them (tryfoft.in co fuch a man,as dwelling with a faire maid whom he fond - Match,ra.ho lyalfeCleth,isbyfltiCl order inioyned,thathee preftunenot Matt;, to looke vpon her with lafciuious and wanton glances ;.a thing to him no leffe vnpleafant then impoffible. 4.Seti.z. But the great danger ofyt'oddly prpfperitie will more plainly