lilO Contemplations. Lz11.xv. n~arvelled,iffo holy~ man had nor found croffe~ in fo unequall a mltch, either in A h1s perfon, or at lea(hn his feed. Beauty, ifitbe not welldifciplined,proves notaFriend, but a Traytor· three of Davids Children ore undone by irar once,What dfe was guilty of Am•o;, ir.cdluous love,T amars raviilJment,Abfaloms pride!It is a bleffing to be fair,yer fuch a bleffing, is ifthe foul anfwer notto theface, may lead ro a curfe; Howcommonly have we feen the foulell fouledwell fairell l It was no fault of Tamars that 01ewas beautiful!; the Candle offends not in burning,the fooliilJ flye offends in fcorching it felfin the llame,yet it is no fmall mifery to become a tentatioo unto another, and to be made but the occafion ofothers ruine• ...Am non is love-fick of his fillet Tamar and.languif!Jes ofthat unnatural! heat. Whither will not wanton lull carry the in~ ordmate mmds ofpampered and ungoverned youths! None but his half-filler will B pleafe the eics ofthe Y?uog Prince oflfrad: Ordinary pleafures will not c~ntent th<:fe whom theconceit ofgreatnelfe , ,youth, and eafe, have let loole to their appetite. · Perhaps yet,this unkindly flame,might in time,have gone out alone,had not there been a lonaJab, to blow thefe coales with ill counfell. It were llrange if great Prio. ces lhould want fame Parafiricall Followers,rhat are ready to feed their ill humors. Why art thou, the Kings fon,(oltAnfrlmday 11da1! Asifit were unworthy the Heir ofa King, to fuffereither Law, or Confcience, to !land in the way ofhis defires: Wheras wife Princes knowwell,rhat their places give them no priviledgeof/inning but call them in rather to fomuch more llriC!nelfe, as their example may be m0re prejudiciall. C Ionadab \yas the Coufin ~er~ an of ..Amnon: Ill advice is lo ~uch more dangerous as the mterell ofthe g1vens more; Had he be<n a true fnend, he had bent all the forces ofhis dilfwafion, againll .rhe wicked motions of that fiofulllull l and had/hewed the Prince ofifrael how much thofe lewd defires provoked God, and blcmilhed himfelf; and hadlent His hand to llrangle them in their lirll conception. There cannot be a more worthy improvement of friend!hip,then in a fervent oppofition to the fins ofthem, whom we profeffe to love: No enemy can be fo morrall to great Princes, as thofe officious Clients,whofe flattery fooths them up in wickednelfe: Thefc are Traytors to the Soul,and bya pleafiog violence kill the bell part eternally. How ready at hand is an evill fuggcllion! Goodcounfell is like untoWe!-water, D that mu~ be drawn up with aPump,orBucket; Ill counfcll is like to Conduit-water; which ifthe cock be but turned, runs our alone 1 llnAdab bath foon projeC!ed how ..Amnon/hall accompli!h his lawlelfe purpofe. Th~ way mull be to fain himfdffick in body,whofe mind was fick oflull;and under thiS prctencetoproeure the prefence of her,who had wounded,and onlymight cur<him. The daily increafing lanouor, and lcanneffe , and paleneffe oflove-fick <.Amn"' mioht well give colourro a"Kerchiefe, and apallet. Now is it foon told D•vid th:C his eldell Son is coil upon his lick bed; .there needs no fuir for his vifitation; The carefull Father hallens to his bed. fide, not without doubts and fears: He that was lately fo affiittcd with the licknclfe ofa Child rhatfcar~e ~ived t? fee rh~ light, how fenfible mull we needs think he would be , of the 1Dd1fpofinon ofh1s firll- E' born Son, in the prime ofhis ~ge and hopes~ It is .not given to any Prophet to fore-fee all things. Happy had 1t been for DAvzd, 1fAmnonhad been truly lick, and lick unto death; yet who cotild have perf ~aded this paffion~te Father to )!ave been contentwith this fucceffioo of loffes, thiS early lolfa of h1s Succelfor: How glad is he to hear, that hisDlughterTamars >kill m!ghtbelikely to ~t the dyer of fo dear a patient. Conceit is wont to rule much both 10 fickneffe and 10 thecurc. T•- marisfentbyherFathertotheboufeof Am~1n; Her hand only mull d~effethat Di!h, which may plcafethe nice Palate ofher lick Brothe:. Even the Children of Kings, in thofe homelyer Time.s, did not fcorn to putrheu lingers, to fo~e works ofhufwifery: (S hee tDOk fl••re and did knwJ.zt, •nd tlzdmAke Cakes zn h11 ftght,Antl did bak'· the c4kes •ndmk a P•n •nd p1wred them 1111 hefore bzm.) Had lhee not , , ~~
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