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

6. Let the Favour of God, and Communion with him be most precious and joyful to us in the midst of Prosperity. The highest esteem and most ravishing apprehensions of God, the dearest delight in him as the most excellent suitable Good, and in whom the Soul has the most intimate propriety, is the honour due to his incomparable Perfection. The Holy Psalmist often declares his transcendent Valuation, and inflamed Affection towards God; How precious are thy Thoughts unto me, O God! (no artifice¹ of words could fully express it) how great is the sum of them? If I should count them, they are more in number than the Sand; when I ⟨p. 226⟩awake I am still with thee. As if he breathed not oftener than he thought of God with reverence and complacency. Thus also he despises all that carnal Men pursue with violent desires, in comparison of God's Favour, There be many that say, Who will show us any Good? that is, a sensual Good, for nothing is pleasant to them, but what appears in a fleshly fashion. Lord, lift thou up the light ²of thy Countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their Corn and their Wine increased. The carnal Man, who is a stranger to spiritual Joys, has a sweeter relish of carnal things, than a Saint that has a new Nature, that deeds the Appetite to dreggy Delights: and in the Vintage and Harvest there is a Spring-tide of carnal Joy: yet ⟨p. 227⟩David feels a more inward joy and cordial contentment in the fruition of God's Favour, than a natural Man has in the flower of his worldly Felicity. Nay, he prizes the Favour of God before Life it self, which is our most precious possession in this World. Thy loving kindness is better than Life, ³therefore my lips shall praise thee. Communion with God, is the beginning of Heaven, and differs from the fullness of Joy that is in the Divine Presence above, only in the degrees and manner of Fruition. As the Blushes of the Morning are the same Light with the glorious brightness of the Sun at Noon-day. The natural Man is averse from this heavenly Duty, and most in Prosperity. 'Tis the observation of holy Job; They spend their days in Wealth;