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

3. The Prosperity of the Wicked is so far from being a sign of God's love, that it often proceeds from his deepest Displeasure. 'Tis a Curse candied over with a little vanishing sweetness, but deadly in the Operation. It makes them careless of God and their Souls, of Heaven and Eternity, and they become incorrigible in their perverse Wills and wicked Ways, and irrecoverable in their lost State. Prosperity induces Security, that presages ⟨p. 180⟩and accelerates their ruin. 'Tis expressed as the most fearful and sorest Judgment by the Prophet, The Lord hath poured out upon you ¹the spirit of deep sleep, an insensibleness of the worst Evils, their Sins, and the infinite danger that attends them. This Judgment is usually inflicted from the righteous God by the prosperity of the Wicked, and extremely provokes him, it being a Sin of the greatest Guilt, as well as a Punishment of former high provocations. 'Tis a distinguishing Judgment inflicted upon his Enemies, from which his Children are exempted. Other Judgments that cause grief and trouble to Sinners, often incline his Compassions to them; but this Judgment inflames his Wrath. In short, the Prosperity of the Wicked here, is a fatal sign ⟨p. 181⟩they are reserved for the severity of Justice, for their abuse of the Riches of his Mercy: and of all Judgments that is the most terrible, that insensibly destroys, and certainly brings damnation.

3. The Prosperity of the Wicked is so far from being a sign of God's love, that it often proceeds from his deepest Displeasure. 'Tis a Curse candied over with a little vanishing sweetness, but deadly in the Operation. It makes them careless of God and their Souls, of Heaven and Eternity, and they become incorrigible in their perverse Wills and wicked Ways, and irrecoverable in their lost State. Prosperity induces Security, that presages ⟨p. 180⟩and accelerates their ruin. 'Tis exprest as the most fearful and sorest Judgment by the Prophet, The Lord hath poured out upon you ¹the spirit of deep sleep, an insensibleness of the worst Evils, their Sins, and the infinite danger that attends them. This Judgment is usually inflicted from the righteous God by the prosperity of the Wicked, and extreamly provokes him, it being a Sin of the greatest Guilt, as well as a Punishment of former high provocations. 'Tis a distinguishing Judgment inflicted upon his Enemies, from which his Children are exempted. Other Judgments that cause grief and trouble to Sinners, often incline his Compassions to them; but this Judgment inflames his Wrath. In short, the Prosperity of the Wicked here, is a fatal sign