The danger of prosperity discovered in several sermons upon Prov. I. 27 /

2. The abuse of Prosperity is most injurious and provoking to God. To sin against his Law, is an high affront to his Majesty; but to sin against his Love and Benefits is more contumelious to him. The Apostle calls it, a despising ¹of God's goodness: what is more contumelious, than to employ his Benefits for the pleasing our dishonourable vile Affections? as the Gift of a Friend is slighted that is put to a base use; or as one that will not be reconciled by the Presents of a Friend, despises his Gifts: thus when the Favours of God do not melt the Heart into kindly resentments, ⟨p. 170⟩and endear him to us, they are despised.

2. The abuse of Prosperity is most injurious and provoking to God. To sin against his Law, is an high affront to his Majesty; but to sin against his Love and Benefits is more contumelious to him. The Apostle calls it, a despising ¹of God's goodness: what is more contumelious, than to employ his Benefits for the pleasing our dishonourable vile Affections? as the Gift of a Friend is slited that is put to a base use; or as one that will not be reconciled by the Presents of a Friend, despises his Gifts: thus when the Favours of God do not melt the Heart into kindly resentments, ⟨p. 170⟩and endear him to us, they are despised.

1. 1Rom. 2.

If a Favourite, that were raised by a Prince to the highest Honour and Trust, should betray his Magazines, both Arms and Treasures to his Enemy, could there be a fouler wickedness? and of this heinous nature is their Wickedness, who abuse the Mercies of God in the Service of Sin, and implicitly betray them into the Devil's hands, who maliciously wars against God. What a contumelious indignity heightened with the basest ingratitude was Jeroboam guilty of, who changed the Glory of the uncorruptible God, into an Image like a corruptible Beast.