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1 Faith in prosperity, keeps the heart in a holy temper and
disposition, in humility, meekness, tenderness, and compassion
towards others, in thankfulness, obedience, and in the
fear of the Lord. Satan himself [w??'d] reply to the Lord, "Doth
Job fear God for nought? hast thou not set a hedge about him?"
in this case faith will remember man of his duty, and
persuade him to be so much. The more serviceable, as God's
mercies are more plentiful upon him.
2 Faith makes a man heavenly-minded in the use and
possession of a prosperous estate; as it receives all earthly
blessings from God, so it winds up the soul to God again:
and, if it be rightly considered, prosperity is the fittest
reason for heavenly contemplation; the less trouble lies
upon the estate, the more liberty we have to think of
heavenly things: however, faith considers these things
as pledges of God's love, as part of our child's -portion, and
so it makes us look at the better part, those never-fading
riches which God hath reserved in heaven for all that
fear him.
3 Faith breeds a Godly jealosy and suspicion, lest the
heart should be drawn away with the pleasing delights
of things transitory, for by grace it is, that we are
made conscious of our own weakness, and of the
snare that is in every creature to take, & entangle us:
Prosperity is pleasing but dangerous; a man may quickly
[s??ict] of sweetmeats. This makes the wakeing believer
circumspect and watchful, and jealous, and suspicious
of his own heart, lest he miscarry in prosperity, considering
there is a snare in it.
4 Faith minds a change, even when our mountain
Season