Prosperity, the state wherein things succeed ac- cording to our wishes, and are productive of affluence and ease. However desirable prosperity be, it has its manifest disadvantages. It too often alienates the soul from God, excites pride, exposes to temptation, har- dens the heart, occasions idleness, promotes effeminacy, damps zeal and energy, and in general has a baneful rel- ative influence. It is no wonder, therefore, that the Al- mighty in general withholds it from his children, and that adversity should be their lot rather than prosper- ity. Indeed, adversity seems more beneficial on the whole, although it be so unpleasant to our feelings. "The advantages of prosperity." says Paeon, "are to be wished, but the advantages of adversity are to be admired. The principal virtue of prosperity is tem- perance; the principal virtue of adversity is fortitude, which in morality is allowed to be the most heroical virtue. Prosperity best discovers vice; adversity best i discovers virtue, which is like those perfumes which are most fragrant when burned or bruised." It is not, however, to be understood that prosperity in itself is unlawful. The world, with all its various productions. ' was formed by the Almighty for the happiness of [ man, and designed to endear him to us, and to lead | our minds up to him. What, however. God often gives us as a blessing, by our own folly we pervert and i turn into a curse. Where prosperity is given, there re- |
ligion is absolutely necessary to enable us to act under it as we ought. Where this divine principle influences the mind, prosperity may be enjoyed and become a blessing; for "while bad men snatch the pleasures of the world as by stealth, without countenance from God, the proprietor of the world, the righteous sit openly down to the feast of life, under the smile o/ heaven. No guilty fears damp their joys. The blessing of God rests upon all they possess. Their piety reflects sun- shine from heaven upon the prosperity of the worlds- unites in one point of view the smiling aspect both of the powers above and of the objects below. Not only have they as full a relish as others of the innocent pleasures of life, but, moreover, in them they hold com- munion with God. In all that is good or fair they trace his hand. From the beauties of nature, from the improvements of art, from the enjoyments of social life, they raise their affections to the source oVall the happi- ness which surrounds them, and thus widen the sphere of their pleasures by adding intellectual and spiritual to earthly joys."
.Spiritual prosperity consists in the continual progress of the mind in knowledge, purity, and joy. It arises from the participation of the divine blessing; and evi- dences itself by frequency in prayer, love to God's Word, delight in his people, attendance on his ordi- nances, zeal in his cause, submission to his will, useful- ness in his Church, and increasing abhorrence of every- thing that is derogatory to his glory (3 John ii). See Blair, Sermons, vol. i, ser. 3; Bates, Works, p. 297.— Buck. Theol. Did. s. v.
Prosphora (Gr. Trpcacfiopa, i. e. an oblatioii), one of the words by which some of the early ecclesiastical writers designate the Lord's Supper. The literal mean- ing of the word is a sacrificial offering, and especially the matter for a sacrifice: it has this signification in the Epistle to the Hebrews. In Christian antiquity it is used principally for the elements or "species" in the Lord's Supper. Later Greek writers use the word ava- (popd as synonymous with tvpoafopd, and rather in a moral and spiritual than in a physical sense, and with allusion to the exhortation, "Lift up your hearts." The Latin word offertorium, which means a gift brought as an offering, was formerly applied to the consecrated bread. The words dvafopd and TTpoatyopd were in- troduced by Justin Martyr, and brought into common use by Irenreus. Irena?us contends that the Eucharist should be regarded as a sacrifice ; he did, however, dis- tinguish it from the Mosaic sacrifices, and speaks of a symbolical presence of Christ in the elements. — Farrar, Pedes. Did. s. v. See Coleman, Primitive Christianity, p. 414; Kiddle. Christian Antiquities, p. 546.
Prcsser, Lomenzo D., a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a native of New York State, and was born in 1805. He was early converted, and joined the Church as a mere youth. In 1827 he was received into the Pittsburgh Conference, and successively ap- pointed to the following circuits, namely : Butler, Grand River, Mercer, Hartford, Twinsburg, Windsor, and Colum- biana. In 1836, when the Erie Conference was formed, he fell into its bounds, and received from it his appoint- ment to the following fields of labor, namely : Ellsworth, Cleveland, Harmonsburg. M'Kean, Wesleyville. Char- don, Chagrin Falls, Wesleyville. Edinborough Mission, M'Kean, Albion, and Springfield. This last appoint- ment he held in 1862. The next year he became su- perannuated, and continued in that relation until his death, April 13, 1869. He was of a nervous tempera- ment, and bis burning zeal led him often to exert him- self beyond his strength. His preaching was with power, and at times his exhortations were overwhelm- ing. See Minutes of Annual Conferences, 1869.
Prostitute, (a) female, in Hebrew nil't, iTlt, it^rS, Jimp (on the last see Gesen. Thes. iii, 1197)'; (b) male, in Hebrew 1B"?J3. While all sexual inter- course between others than married persons was for-