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

2. The other external means of recovering a Sinner from the snares of Death, is private admonition, ⟨p. 93⟩either authoritative, or merely charitative, by showing him his Sins, and the fearful Consequences that attend them. The neglect of this Duty, is a sign and effect of the greatest hatred; as the command of it implies, Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart, and suffer Sin to lie upon him. The performance of it, with prudence and meekness, with dear and earnest love, has a special advantage and efficacy, being directly applied to the Person whose Soul is concerned. The Reproofs of a Preacher are levelled in common against the Sins of Men, but not applied in particular to every Sinner. 'Tis the Office of Conscience, to bring home to every Man's Bosom, what is proper to his Case; and singularly to observe in himself, what is spoken ⟨p. 94⟩in the general. But in private Admonition, the Superior or Friend supplies the part of Conscience. And (in this sense) woe be to him that is alone! that wants a faithful Friend to supply the Duty of Conscience, either to preserve him from falling into Sin, or to raise him when down. Now a prosperous Sinner is most unlikely to receive the Benefit designed by admonition. If the Patient does not assist the Cure, by receiving holy Counsels with humility, respect, and thankfulness, they prove ineffectual, and much more if they be rejected with averseness and contempt. When a Superior, (like a Father that holds a Child over a Pit, to make him fear where there is danger) with solemnity admonishes him of his Guilt and approaching ⟨p. 95⟩Judgments, he is apt to slight his Person as censorious, and his Admonition as impertinent. When a Friend by faithful reproof endeavours to save his Soul from Sin and Hell, he entertains his Reproof with scorn, or with conviction and indignation. Thus the wise observer of Men declares the careless wretched disposition of Sinners in their Prosperity, by¹ their sorrowful reflections in Adversity: Thou shalt mourn at the last, when thy Flesh and thy Body are consumed, and say, How have I hated Instruction, and my Heart despised reproof? And have not obeyed the Voice of my Teachers, nor inclined mine Ear to them that instructed me? Instruction to prevent Sin, Reproof to correct Sin, were disregarded with an implicit hatred, or rejected with absolute and express hatred.