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would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour, let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal, which is set upon his head; And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour. Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the parel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai, the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail, of all that thou hast spoken. Then took Haman the apparel and the horse and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour. How great must have been the mortification of Haman to have all that honour, which he had pictured for himself, confered upon Mordecai whom he envied and detested. How must he have felt himself degraded to be his lackey and herald, and to proclaim before him through the street, that the king was delighted thus to honour him. And now let us turn our thoughts to the gallows of seventy-five feet in height, which Haman had caused to be reared for Mordecai, and contemplate his sad disappointment. Harbonah said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged

Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then let not the monster envy have a residence in our hearts; lest it draw down vengeance on our own heads.

9th. We should guard against an envious spirit, for envy prevents the blessings of heaven, and torments the soul where it dwells, like death. The spirit of grace and an envious spirit, cannot possibly reside in the same heart. Envy more effectually secludes any gracious affections of the soul, than locks and bars can secure a castle. Light and darkness have not a greater contrast than the nature of the spirit of envy, and of that spirit which alone prepares for heaven. Envy, like a vulture preying upon the vitals, is sickness and death to the soul. Says Job, Wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. By this expression we are taught, that the inward torments of envy are death to the soul, as the taking away of animal life is the death of the body. Solomon says, A sound heart is the life of the flesh, but envy the rottenness of the bones. This expression shows, that the mental wounds of envy are deep and destructive. Thus it prevents the blessings of heaven, and torments the soul where it dwells, like death.

10th. We should not harbour the direful monster, envy, in our breasts, lest it should for ever reign in us to a dreadful degree in hell. Surely an envious man must be in the road to death. And by cherishing an envious spirit, he is fast preparing as a brand for the burning. Whilst some men are evidently preparing for heaven, so an envious man is emphatically preparing for hell. Envy is one of the most fiery ingredients of torment in the region of despair; for it is exercised in the view of the most consummate felicity of all the inhabitants of heaven. All who cherish it are preparing to be for ever filled with it, against the blessed God, and all his saints and holy angels.

IMPROVEMENT.

1st. Is envy so evil in its nature, and dreadful in its effects, as we have heard? Then the proverb is true, Let envy alone, and it will punish itself. It is so disquieting, restless, and tormenting in its very na

ture, that it needs 'no opposition to render the envious person wretched. It is self tormenting; and in its very existence it is inseparably connected with unhappiness. The envious man is not only punished in consequence of his evil doings, but he punishes himself. Envy, not only as it respects the future, but also for the present, biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. All the arguments of this discourse, which have been offered to show, that envy is one of the basest passions of the human breast, and dreadful in its effects, serve to prove the truth of the assertion, Let envy alone, and it will punish itself.

2nd. In the view of this subject we may see, how reasonable and glorious are the doctrines and requirements of the gospel. They are all according to moral fitness; calculated to promote the peace and joy of individuals, and the highest good of community. How safe and excellent the precept, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. And how benevolent the injunction, Look not every man on his own things, but also on the things of others. As far as the requirements of the gospel have their due influence on the minds of men, so far they enjoy a heaven below. As a selfish, envious spirit experiences in some degree the pains of souls in wo; so a benevolent mind has some fore-tastes of the joys of heaven. How reasonable and glorious, then, the doctrines and duties of the gospel.

3d. We may be led to see from this subject, how necessary for the true happiness of fallen man, that he be born again; that sinful passions be not only restrained, but subdued by grace. Mankind may do much for their own comfort, by checking and restraining unruly passions; but their reason is unable effectually to subdue them. Instead of cherishing anger, hatred, envy, malice, and revenge, they may cultivate all the amiable, social virtues. But these will not answer as a substitute for gracious affections. It is the spirit of God alone, which can erradicate the

seeds of wickedness from the heart, and implant those graces which are essentially different in their nature. Grace can subdue the passions, can give new vigour to our social feelings, and implant that love which is the fulfilling of the law.

4th. We may be led to see from this subject, that great must be the pains of hell, even from the direful ingredients of a wicked heart. When all the evil passions of the human breast are no more confined by restraints, but burst forth in all their ungovernable rage as in the region of despair, how wretched must they render the sufferer. How will they prove a gnawing worm, an unquenchable fire, to the soul. How painful and distressing are the stings of envy, malice, and revenge in the present state, even though but for a moment, and held back by restraints. But how intolerable must it be to endure the unrestrained rage and torment of all the sinful passions of a wicked heart, in that place where hope never cometh. Even in this life, the malignant exercises of only one of the human passions against an individual, is sufficient to destroy the comfort of any man, and render his moments wretched. Yet this is only a small portion of torment, a mere spark of those unquenchable flames which are enkindled from all the direful affections and passions of the finally impenitent against all holy beings. Thus we may see, that great must be the future torments of the wicked, even from the direful ingredients of their own heart.

5th. By contrast we may be led to see, that great must be the joys of the righteous in the future world, even from a benevolent heart. Benevolent, friendly exercises of heart, in the present state, fill the soul with peace and joy. But these are faint prelibations of that future peace, which passeth understanding, and of those joys, which flow at the right hand of God. The highest joys of mortals on earth, when compared to those above, are as the dim taper of a candle to the brightness of noon. Does a benevo

lent heart rejoice in the prosperity and felicity of its fellow mortals in this pilgrimage state? Then how will a sight of those joys of the blessed in glory, enkindle that heart into raptures of joy and transports of bliss! All the gracious and benevolent exercises of the soul in its tabernacle of clay, are only in the bud, and frequently nipt by chilling frost. But in a glorified spirit in a spiritual body, how will they flourish and bloom in endless day! Souls in glory are not only encircled in the arms of everlasting love, but they have within them a well of water, springing up unto eternal life, to produce constant joys, and render fully complete their bliss. Amen.