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

Such Monsters were the ungodly and unrighteous Heathens; half Men in their Understandings, and half Mud in their filthy Affections. ⟨p. 81⟩And there are innumerable such Monsters in the Christian world.

2. The Testimony of Conscience is supperest and neglected by the prosperous Sinner. If Conscience be in some degree Righteous, and faithful in its Office, and reproves him, and sets his Sins in order before his Eyes; he will not regard its earnest Warnings. He is as unwilling to hear that sincere Witness in his Bosom, as Ahab was the inflexible Prophet Micaiah; of whom he said, I hate him, for he doth not prophesy Good of me, but Evil. Prosperity affords many diversions, whereby the sinner shifts off conversing with Conscience, and remains engaged in his sinful state. I hearkened, and heard, saith the Prophet Jeremiah, but they spake not aright; no Man repented of his Wickedness, saying, ⟨p. 82⟩What have I done? What foul ignominious Acts, how defiling and debasing my Soul, how offensive to the pure Eyes of God, who is so glorious in Majesty, and dreadful in Power? Such a sight of Sin would make the Conscience boil, and chill the Passions, and urge sinners to return to their Duty. But whilst they prosper, they are obstinate in Rebellion; Every one turned to his course, as the Horse rushes into the Battle. As the Horse when inflamed, by the noise and other Accidents of War, furiously rushes to his own destruction: thus sinners when they encounter alluring Objects that divert the Mind from serious consideration, either they do not discern, or will not observe the Dangers before them, and with as little consideration, and as much fierceness as ⟨p. 83⟩the Beasts venture upon their own destruction. Conversion is the product of the most serious and sad thoughts, from which a prosperous sinner is most averse.

2. The Testimony of Conscience is supprest and neglected by the prosperous Sinner. If Conscience be in some degree Righteous, and faithful in its Office, and reproves him, and sets his Sins in order before his Eyes; he will not regard its earnest Warnings. He is as unwilling to hear that sincere Witness in his Bosom, as Ahab was the inflexible Prophet Micaiah; of whom he said, I hate him, for he doth not prophesie Good of me, but Evil. Prosperity affords many diversions, whereby the sinner shifts off conversing with Conscience, and remains ingaged in his sinful state. I hearkned, and heard, saith the Prophet Jeremy, but they spake not aright; no Man repented of his Wickedness, saying,