And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers:
Ver. 9. And in the fruit of thy land for good.] God will provide that thou shalt not be the worse for thine outward abundance; that fulness shall not breed forgetfulness. It is as hard to bear prosperity, as to drink much wine and not be giddy, or as to drink strong waters and not weaken the brain thereby. The parable of the sun and wind is well known. Some of those in Queen Mary's days, who kept their garments close about them, wore them afterwards more loosely, when they came to prosperity and preferment. It is a marvellous great mercy to have outward comforts and contentments for good. Bonus Deus Constantinum Magnum tantis terrenis implevit muneribus, quanta optare nullus auderet, saith Augustine, a God of his goodness heaped all good things upon Constantine.
a De Civ. Dei, lib. v. cap. 25.