Esther 5:14

 And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made. Esther 5: 14 Observe 1. The occurrence of Haman's pleasure. Esther's apparent preferment of him. 2. The cause of Hamn's pleasure. It was the council of his confederates that furthered his murderous, self-aggrandizing intent. 3. The basis for Haman's pleasure. Haman's certainty that the way was cleared for his murderous design. Even Mordecai's renewed offence Haman tempered, certain that recompense would shortly come. 4. The root of Haman's pleasure. It was his pride wounded by rapprochement, his intrinsic hatred for the Jews, and his desire for the preeminence, while blind to the true course of this world, which satiated his furious design. Doctrine. Man's evil design is to his own demise, but profitable to God's elect. Consider the first part of the proposition, in that every design of man but advances his own demise, noting that his design advances his damnable end, in: I. Every event. II. Every scheme. III. Every success. IV. Every satisfaction. Next, consider the latter proposition, and that every evil design and apparent advance is profitable to the elect. Noting this is true in: I. Every questionable or disheartening event. II. Every scheme of the reprobate and their prince. III. Every success apparent to their cause. IV. Every ease and joy they seemingly acquire. Uses