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his Pride and Ambition, by concurring in an Opinion of his extraordinary Happiness. Himself in order recounted his Dignities; and they admired them. He reported the Favours of his Prince; and they extolled them. He boasted of hisGrandeur and Riches; and they proclam'd him Happy. Yet himfelf, who beft knew what Happiness he received from thence, declared himself unhappy, and all this to avail him nothing.

Lastly, this was spoken by Haman, whilst yet in full Favour with his Prince, and expecting to receive greater Demonstrations of it. He suffered no Apprehenfions of lofing his present Enjoyment. Such Thoughts indeed distract a worldly Man, imbitter all his Pleasures, and suffer him not to rest contented. It would be impoffible to him to relish any delight, while afflicted with Fears and Doubts, while defpairing to retain his prefent Happiness. He would grow pale at the Profpect of an approaching Storm, and instead of receiving any Complacency from his prefent Profperity, diftract his Thoughts with the Fear of future Mifery. In fuch Circumftances an Epicure might well confefs, that all the outward Advantages of his Life profited him nothing, while he suffered inward Distraction from the Apprehenfion of his Fall, which would render him fo much more miferable, by how much it deprived him of a greater Profperity. Haman at this time had no fuch Fears, he had yet received

no repulfe at Court, his Favour daily increafed, he had that very Day received eminent Marks of his Prince's Affection, and was the Day after to receive yet more. All this he was fenfible of, and all this he acknowledged in the clofe of his Speech, 12. For he faid moreover, Tea, Efther the Queen did let no man come in with the King unto the banquet that he had prepared, but my felf; and to morrow am I invited unto her alfo with the King. Far from fearing the lofs of his prefent Greatness, he probably hoped the increase of it, and yet concluded, that all this availed him nothing.

If then Haman under all thefe Circumstances miffed of his defired End, of being made Happy by worldly Enjoyments, we may reasonably fufpect fome defect to be in the Nature of them, upon the account of which neither Haman could, nor any other. can, receive any real Happiness from thence, And this I proceed in the Second place to treat of in fome few Confiderations.

First then, nothing on this fide Heaven is able to fatiate the Soul of Man; and however temporal Benefits may at a distance ravish the Imagination, and create extraordinary Conceptions of their own Excellency; yet when obtained, they are found to be Empty and Trifling, unable to fatisfie the Defires of the Soul, and fill its Capacity. They are like the Fruit of Sodom, which by their external Beauty attract the Eye,

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but when touched, crumble into Ashes. While they are yet only Objects of Defire, Men form to themselves as it were, Systems of Happiness, to be enjoyed in them. No fooner do they become Objects of Fruition, but the meannefs of them is dicovered; and after a full Enjoyment of them, Man is forced to confefs, this is not that he defired, that which he propofed to himself. He is never enabled by the Poffeffion of them to fay, I am now compleatly Happy, I here terminate my Defires. He is forced to carry his Defires yet farther, and feek true Felicity fomewhere elfe; which, while conftant to his Principle, he can place no where else, than in a greater Degree of the fame Happinefs. This therefore he earnestly purfues, yet never attains that Degree. If he fixeth the measure of the Degree, he may indeed arrive at that; but when arrived, finds himfelf as far as ever removed from True Happiness. He turmoils and diftracts himself, experienceth the Vanity of former Projects, invents new Methods of Happiness; until Death puts an end to his Life and Defigns together.

The greatest ofthefe worldly Enjoyments are generally fuppofed to be Riches, and fenfual Pleasures. The latter are common even to Beafts, who are endued with Senfes no less strong and lively, than Men. And then furely none will fo far debafe his Nature, as to level himself with Beafts, by propoE 4

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fing to himself a Felicity, of which they are no less capable. It cannot be denied indeed, that as we confift of Soul and Body, God intended Happiness to each part; that he put us into this World, to make our felves Happy, even in this life; but then, as Soul and Body together conftitute but one Perfon, the Pleasures of either must be such as confift with the Nature of both. As the Soul ought not to tyrannize over the Body, by impofing on it unneceffary Rigours and Mortifications; fo the Excellency of the Soul ought not to be debafed for the fatisfaction of the Body. A limited use of Pleasures is not to be denied to the Body; but then that very Limitation fuppofeth a better and more noble End of Man, for the fake of which they are limited. And after all, the real Happiness of fuch limited Pleafures confifts not fo much in the report of the Senfes enjoying them, as in the reflex Thoughts of the Soul forming to its felf an Act of Complacency, for having limited them according to the Laws of God. The unlimited ufe of thefe Pleasures, instead of conferring a real Benefit, involves Men in Troubles and Anxieties; in Cares and Dangers: and when enjoyed, endures but for a Moment, no longer than the impreffion of Senfe continueth; when expired, leaves only a Weariness and Naufeoufnefs behind them. So then, fenfual Pleasures conduce little to the Supreme End of Man; unlefs we should

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be fo foolish as to imagine that to be the utmoft Happiness of Man, which renders him happy but for a few Moments.

And then as to Riches, the natural Use of them is fubordinated to fenfual Pleasures, and the Conveniencies of Life, and therefore can bestow nothing beyond them. If any imagine, as it cannot be denied that too many do, that the very Satisfaction of poffeffing Riches, without any respect to the Ufe of them, bears any part in the Happiness of Man; this is fo grofs and unmanly a Conception, as nothing can exceed the Wickedness of it, nothing can equal the Folly of it. This is a greater Depravation of Nature, than all the Villanies of Senfe, or Sins of Violence; and if no Punishment attended it hereafter, would rather deserve our Scorn than Envy. The Acquifition of Riches is generally indeed, at least indirectly, referred to the Enjoyment of fenfual Pleasures to be procured by them; and as fuch, can carry the Happiness of them no farther, than the Nature of them will permit, which we before confidered. Not to fay, that it is an invincible Argument of the unfatisfactorinefs of Riches, that those who seek after them, feldom or never fet Bounds to their Defires: And although in the acquiring of them, they generally please themselves with the Thoughts of commanding all fenfual Pleafures, when they fhall have obtain❜d them; yet they

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