which had hitherto engrossed her heart. I say, the difference in the object, in the proceedings, and in the correspondence.
In the object: the depravity of her heart had attached her to men, corrupted, inconstant, deceitful, rather companions of her debauchery than real friends, less watchful to render her happy than attentive to the gratification of their own inordinate passions; to men, who always join contempt to a gratified passion; to Amnons, in whose eyes, from the moment that they have obtained their wishes, the unfortunate object of their love becomes vile and hateful; to men, whose weaknesses, artifices, transports, and defects, she well knew, and whom she inwardly acknowledged to be unworthy of her heart, and to whom she paid any attention, more through the unfortunate bias of passion, than the free choice of her reason; in a word, to men, who had never yet been able to fix the natural instability and love of change of her heart. Her penitence attaches her to Jesus Christ, the model of all virtue, the source of all grace, the principle of all light: the more she studies him, the more does she discover his greatness and sanctity; the more she loves him, the more does she find him worthy of being loved: to Jesus Christ, the faithful, immortal, and disinterested friend of her soul, who is concerned for her eternal interests alone; who is interested only in what may render her happy; who is even come to sacrifice his ease, his glory, and his life, in order to secure her immortal happiness; who has distinguished her from among so many women of Judah, by an overflowing of mercy, when she had rendered herself the most conspicuous of her sex, by the excess of her wretchedness; who expects nothing from her, but is willing to bestow on her far more than she could ever have hoped; lastly, to Jesus Christ, who has tranquillized her heart, by purifying it; who has fixed its inconstancy, and subdued the multiplicity of its desires; who has filled the whole extent of her love; who has restored to her that internal peace which creatures had never been able to bestow.
O my soul! how long shalt thou continue to love, in creatures, what is but thine affliction and punishment? Wouldst thou suffer more by breaking asunder thy chains, than thou now dost in bearing them? Would virtue and innocence be more painful than those shameful passions which at present debase and rend thee? Ah! thou shalt find every thing light and easy, in comparison with the cruel agitations which render thee so unhappy in guilt. — Difference in the object of her love.
Difference in the steps. The excess of passion had led her to a thousand steps, in opposition to her inclination, her glory, and her reason; — had led her to make a sacrifice to men of her quiet, her inclinations, her honour, and her liberty; to shameful condescensions and disagreeable submissions; to important sacrifices, for which the only return was their thinking themselves more entitled from thence to exact still more: for such is the ingratitude of men; the more you allow them to become masters of your heart, the more they erect themselves its tyrant: in their opinion, the excess
