Were there will be no end of it's rambling: And this difpofition is feen in other paffions. Haman went forth joyful, and with a glad Efther v. heart. But when he faw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he food not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation. — And Haman told of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things, wherein the king had promoted him above the princes and fervants of the king. -Yet all this availeth me nothing, fo long as I fee Mordecai the Jew fitting at the 1 Kings xxi. king's gate. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, faying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house; and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it. And Naboth faid, the Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to thee. And Ahab came to his house heavy and difpleafed, becaufe of the word which Naboth had spoken to him; and he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. Shall we only fay? men are found to want equally with a great deal, as with a little Or may we not add? that this very abundance, is the real fource of their neceffities; or at leaft of the exquifite mifery, which they feel under them. To fall fick for a garden of herbs, a man must be King over ten of the tribes of Ifrael. But we need not go fo far for arguments; or illuftrate the infatiable nature of one irregular defire, by comparisons drawn from others: let us venture nearer to our fubject; and take one example from Scripture, out of many, of the same perverfeness, in the very paffion we are treating of. There were two men in one city; the one 2 Sam. xii. rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing, fave one little ewe-lamb, which he had bought and nourished up; and it grew up together with him and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank drank of his own cup, and lay in his bofom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man; and he Spared to take of his own flock, and of his own herd, to dress for the way-faring man that came unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dreffed it for the man that was come to him. The offender in this fad, cruel inftance, had already many, both wives and concubines. But all is too little. Nothing is acceptable, but the wife of another man, a faithful subject, a brave foldier, abfent from his own family, enduring hardships, and braving death in his fervice. The allowance of polygamy and concubinage, as we fee by this example, is no fecurity against the fin of adultery; and perhaps might not fo much as leffen the temptation to it. For although it is very poffible, that these liberties might pre prevent the tranfgreffion, in fome particular inftances; yet they might alfo, on the other hand, create or inflame that vehemence of a pampered appetite, and rage of roving fancy, which is fo unreafonable and dangerous, and is never to be fatisfied with indulgence. Did ever a miser long lefs for gold, because he had already too much? Did ever an ambitious man arrive at the extent of his wishes? He imagines perhaps, that he fees fome end of his defires; and that the next acceffion of power, which he has in view, fhall be the utmost he will ever aim at: but he finds, that the horizon retires before him, and will stand still only when he ceafes to purfue it. Nothing has been faid of that perpetual uncertainty and difquiet, those jealoufies and contefts, thofe innumerable and endless distractions, which will be found attendants on polygamy and divorce; |