An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of…

And further, Wicked men labour to satisfy their consciences with the prosperity they are in, and what they have got by their sin as they set it against their guilt, so in the Seventh place, They persuade themselves that God is ¹not, (at least) so much displeased with them as many would bear them in hand. Surely if my condition were so dangerous as you would persuade me to, I should not prosper so much in my way as I do, I should not get riches so as I do; upon this they begin to think that God is of their mind, as in Psal. 50. 21. Thou thoughtest I was like unto thy self: we find it by experience that when men are under affliction, when Gods hand is upon men then they begin to think that God doth not like of their ways; but when they go on and prosper they are ready to think that God approves of their ways, that they walk in. There's a notable story concerning the Mother of Lombard, Gratian, and Comestor, [The first, the Master of the Sentences (as they call them.) The Second, the compiler of a great part of the Popes Law, the Decretal Epistles; the third, the Author of the Scholastical History, the best man and book of the three.] All famous men, and all ²three of them were Bastards; Now the Mother of them being a Whore, when she came to make her confession to the Priest, she could not acknowledge much evil in it, ⟨p. 328⟩and she profest she could not find her heart grieved or troubled much about it; (when the Priest urged her penance and repentance for it) because though it's true, that the thing was evil that she did, yet that she did prosper so well, that they were three such eminent men of such great use as those were. Thus it's ordinarily, men think that it may lessen the-greatness of their sin if they get any thing by it, if they prosper in their sinful way, there is no such cause of trouble and grief for it: The people they may laugh at me (saith a covetous man) but ³I applaud my self at home, when I behold the money in the Chest, so long as I see comings-in, let men talk what they will, I cannot believe that things are so bad as they report, that God is so much against me, but I hope God loves me. These are the reasonings of a carnal heart, and all because he prospers in his sin. I remember it's reported of Dionysius that when he had committed Sacrilege, and had a good voyage after it, saith he, See