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

2. Infidelity, that is occasioned and confirmed by Prosperity in Sin, renders the Gospel ineffectual to the Salvation of Men. The Word preached did not profit the Jews, ¹not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it. A steadfast belief of Divine Revelations, is the principle of Obedience: without it, Motives of the highest strain are ineffectual. Eternal things are not within the prospect of Sense, and tho set forth with the clearest evidence of Reason, and enforced with the greatest earnestness of Affection, yet the Sons of Darkness sleep profoundly in their sins. If Heaven with its Joys and Glory be revealed in the most affecting manner, it has no more efficacy to move them, than charming Music to awaken one out of a Lethargy: only violent ⟨p. 89⟩Remedies, bleeding, scarifying, and burning, are proper and powerful for his recovery. If they are warned, that the everlasting King will shortly open the Clouds, and come with terrible Majesty to the universal Judgment, and require an account for his abused Mercies: their Hearts are apt to reply, as the Priests did to Judas, What is that to us? see ye to it. The Terrors of the Lord no more affect them, than Thunder does the Deaf, or Lightning the Blind. In short, tho charged and adjured by all the Threatenings of the Law, and the neglected Gospel, tho entreated by all the precious Promises of Mercy, they continue hardened in their voluptuous sins: they despise the eternal Rewards of Holiness and Wickedness, as incredible and ⟨p. 90⟩impertinent, and Ministers as men of vain talk and imaginations. For the Infidel Senses are not affected with things future, and Sinners, whilst prosperous, are under their Dominion.

2. Infidelity, that is occasion'd and confirm'd by Prosperity in Sin, renders the Gospel ineffectual to the Salvation of Men. The Word preached did not profit the Jews, ¹not being mixt with Faith in them that heard it. A stedfast belief of Divine Revelations, is the principle of Obedience: without it, Motives of the highest strain are ineffectual. Eternal things are not within the prospect of Sense, and tho set forth with the clearest evidence of Reason, and enforced with the greatest earnestness of Affection, yet the Sons of Darkness sleep profoundly in their sins. If Heaven with its Joys and Glory be revealed in the most affecting manner, it has no more efficacy to move them, than charming Musick to awaken one out of a Lethargy: only violent