1344 E.fiherr. Contemplations. LIB. XXI. 'Itwas the fdC< ofEjhtrtbat mull: hope to win Abafotrm, yet that !hall be ma- A ceratcd \Vith fafiin·g, that !hemay prevail<. A carnall hem would have pampered the 1\elh,that it might allure thofe wanton eyes;fhe pines it, that !he may pleate. God,and not lhe,mu!l: work the hearc of the King; Faith teaches her rather to trufi her devotions, then her beauty. Either (uing to Ahafuerus. ·n ,) "r=::=::-=:=:=f~H E Iewsarc eafily intreated to fan, who liad received in them- B fdvesthefenrenceofdeath; what pleafure could they take in meat,thacknow what day t_heymN!teattheirlan ~ The three dayes ofabfiinence are expireol; now Ej/htr changes her fpirits noletfethcnherclothes'; Who that fees that!aco, and that ha~ bit,can fay !he had r.1oorned,!he had fafied~ Never did her roy. allappardlbecome hcr!o well. That God before whom !he had humbled ber felf, made her fo much more beautiful!,as file hatll been more dejeeled;And no1v,with a winning coofidtnce , !he walks into the inner court of rhe Kiog,and puts her fdf into that forbidden prefence: as it !he faid,Here I am with my life in my hand,ifit pleafcrhe King to take it,it isready for him ; raftlli, my prede. ce!for,forfeitedherplacefornoccommiag when !he was called; Ejlhtr fi~all now C hazard the torfeiture other life,torcommingwhen fi1c is nm called: It is necdliry not difobedience that harh pur me upon this bold approach ; according ro thy con~ O:ruetion, 0 King, I doe either live or die; either !hall bewelcome. The inexpeCled. netfe ofpleating obje<lts makes them many tiRJcs the more acceprabk:The beautiful countenance,the graceful dcmcanour,and goodly profence ofEj/htr,have no foooer taken the cycs,then they have ravilhed the heart ofKing Ar.a(uerus: Lov~ hath foon banifhed alldreadfulnelfe; A11d the Xi11g htltlout 11 Ejlhtr :hegolden Supur :h.:w.u in 611 hand: Moderate intermiffion is fo farre from cooling the affeelion, that it inflames it• had Ejlhtr been fecn every day, perhaps that fatiety had abated ofthe height ofher welcome, now,three and thirty dayes rctirednetfe hath indeared her D more to rhefurfeir<d eyes of v!hafimm. Had northe golden Scepter been held out, wh<re had Q!tcen Eft her been! The Perfian Kings affeCled a !tern awfulnetfe ro their fubjccts; It was death ro folicit them,uncalled; How fafc,laow eafr<,how happy a thing it is to have to doe with the King ofheaven,who is fo pleafed withour accetfe, that he folicits futorsl who,as he is unweariablc with our requdls,fo is infinit in his beneficences ! Howgladly doth Ejlher touch the top ofthatScepter,by which !he holds her life! andoow, whiles !he thinks it w<ll that !he may live, lh_e rcceivl:s befides pardon, favour WhaiJOiillho•,.9!!J•n 'Eft her, andwhat il thy rtquefl?it (haObtglven lhee,e<~tn 11 the-h•lf•feht Ki,.gdo,t. Commonly,when we fear moft, we fpeed bell:; God then mall: ofoil magnifies his bounty to us, when wehave mofi aiHidedour felvcs. Over-confident expellations are fddome but difappoinced 1 while~ humble fu[pitL E oos goe laughing away: It was the benefit and fafery of but one peece of the Kingdoltle char Iijlher comes to fi1e for,and behold v! h.jutrm offers her the free power ofthe half: He that gave Haman,atthe fir!! word, the Jives ofall his Iewip, fubje&s, is re•dy,to give Ejlhtr halfhis Kiogdome, ere fitc aske: Now lheis noletfe amazed at the loving munificenceof v!b•ftUrt14,then !hewas before afraid of his aufieriry; Tht Kings iltArl is in :he handof:he LorJp the riversofw•ttr!he tHriJtth iiJPherfower he,ifl. It i<not good to [wallow favours too greedily, left they either choak us in the palfage,or pro1 e hard ofdigefiion. The wife Q!_ccn, however fi1e mighc f<:cm to luveafairopporrunity offered to her fuic, finds it not gogd to apprehend tt too fuddenly
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