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

3. 'Tis the most ignominious Folly. Shame arises from the sense of a debased Excellence: the Understanding is the most excellent Faculty in Man; and ⟨p. 144⟩nothing brings a greater disreputation to him, than when he is deceived by the ignorance or inconsiderateness of his Mind. And the delusion is most shameful in matters of great moment. Now for a Man to exchange his Soul, that is of Angelical Eminence, for transitory Vanities; O folly! how enormous, how astonishing! The Lord Jesus, who as the Creator and Redeemer of Souls, perfectly knew their Worth, puts the Question, so as to imply the strongest denial, What is a Man profited, if he shall gain the whole World, and lose his own Soul? or, what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul? The vanity of the Purchase, and the value of the Loss, is such, that no Man, conscious of his Immortality in the next state, but must acknowledge ⟨p. 145⟩that he is an infinite loser, and prodigious Fool, that gains the World by the loss of his Soul. 'Tis said of the ancient ^*Germans, that in their Commerce with the Romans, receiving Silver for their Amber, that has no virtue but to draw Straws to it, they were amazed at the price. And certainly the great Tempter cannot but wonder at the foolish exchange that Men make, in giving their immortal Souls to him for perishing Vanities; and having this scornful advantage, will much more upbraid them hereafter, than ever he allured them here.

3. 'Tis the most ignominious Folly. Shame arises from the sense of a debased Excellence: the Understanding is the most excellent Faculty in Man; and ⟨p. 144⟩nothing brings a greater disreputation to him, than when he is deceived by the ignorance or inconsiderateness of his Mind. And the delusion is most shameful in matters of great moment. Now for a Man to exchange his Soul, that is of Angelical Eminence, for transitory Vanities; O folly! how enormous, how astonishing! The Lord Jesus, who as the Creator and Redeemer of Souls, perfectly knew their Worth, puts the Question, so as to imply the strongest denial, What is a Man profited, if he shall gain the whole World, and lose his own Soul? or, what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul? The vanity of the Purchase, and the value of the Loss, is such, that no Man, conscious of his Immortality in the next state, but must acknowledg