The mischiefs of self-ignorance and the benefits of self-acquaintance opened in divers sermons at…

And as Prosperity in it self is so great a Hinderance to the knowledge of your selves, so Flatterers that are the flies of summer, are always ready to blow upon the prosperous, and increase the danger. What miserable men are extolled as wise and virtuous and Religious, if they be but Rich and Great! Their vices are masked, or ⟨p. 446⟩[…] ⟨p. 447⟩[…] ⟨p. 448⟩extenuated, and made but little human frailties: Though they were swinish gluttons or drunkards, or filthy fornicator• or mere flesh-pleasing sensual brutes, tha• waste most of their lives in ease and sports and eating and drinking and such delights yet with their flatterers all these shall g• for prudent, pious, worthy persons, if they can but seek when they have done, to mock God and their consciences with some lip-service and lifeless carcass of Religion▪ O happy men if God would judge of them as their flatterers do; and would make a• small a matter of their wickedness, and as great a matter of their out-side Hypocritical heartless worship! But they must be greater then men or Angels, and higher then either earth or Heaven, before God will flatter them. When they can make him afraid of their high looks or threatenings, or when they can him put in Hope of rising by their preferment, then they may look that he should comply with their parasites, and complement with his enemies, and justify the ungodly; but not till then. O did they consider, how little flattery doth secure them, and how little the Judge of all the world regards their worldly pomp and splendour, yea how greatly ⟨p. 449⟩•heir greatness doth aggravate their sin and misery, they would frown their flatterers out •f doors, and call for plain and faithful deal••s. Of all the miseries of worldly greatness, is is not the least, that usually such want e necessary blessing of a glass that will uly show them their faces; of a friend at and that will deal plainly, and justly with their souls. Who tells them plainly of the odiousness, and bitter fruits of sin? and of the wrath of God and endless misery? How few such true and faithful friends have they? and what wonder! when it is a carnal inducement that draweth men to follow them: It it is their wealth and honour, and their power to do men good or hurt in outward things, that makes their friends: They are attended by these flies and wasps, because they carry the honeypot which they love: