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to forecast the danger of an offence or in- | is not over hastened on either part: worthy discretion, may have leisure enough of an unseasonable repentance.

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dispositions labour only to deserve well, leaving the care of their remuneration to them whom it concerns; it is fit that God's leisure should be attended in all his designments. The hour is set, when Mordecai shall be raised: if in the meantime there be an intervention, not only of neglect, but of fears and dangers, all these shall make his honours so much more sweet, more precious.

That mind is truly great and noble that is not changed with the highest prosperity. Queen Esther cannot forget her cousin Mordecai; no pomp can make her slight the charge of so dear a kinsman in all her royalty she casts her eye upon him amongst the throng of beholders; but she must not know him; her obedience keeps her in awe, and will not suffer her to draw him up with her to the participation of her honour. troubles her not a little to forbear this duty, CONTEMPLATION V.-HAMAN DISRESPECTED but she must: it is enough for her that Mordecai hath commanded her not to be known, who, or whose she was.

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Perhaps the wise Jew feared, that while her honour was yet green and unsettled, the notice of her nation, and the name of a despised captive, might be some blemish to her in that proud court, whereas, afterwards, upon the merit of her carriage, and the full possession of all hearts, her name might dignify her nation, and countermand all reproaches.

Mordecai was an officer in the court of Ahasuerus; his service called him daily to attend in the king's gate: much better might he, being a Jew, serve a pagan master, than his foster-daughter might ascend to a pagan's bed.

If the necessity or convenience of his occasions called him to serve, his piety and religion called him to faithfulness in his service: two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, conspire against the life of their sovereign. No greatness can secure from treachery or violence: he that ruled over millions of men, through a hundred and seven and twenty provinces, cannot assure himself from the hand of a villain; he that had the power of other men's lives, is in danger of his own. Happy is that man that is once possessed of a crown incorruptible, unfadeable, reserved for him in heaven: no force, no treason can reach thither; there can be no peril of either violence or forfeiture there.

BY MORDECAI — MORDECAI'S MESSAGE TO ESTHER.

BESIDES the charge of his office, the care of Esther's prosperity calls Mordecai to the king's gate, and fixes him there. With what inward contentment did he think of his so royal pupil! Here I sit among my fellows; little doth the world think that mine adopted child sits in the throne of Persia, that the great empress of the world owes herself to me: I might have more honour, I could not have so much secret comfort, if all Shushan knew what interest I have in queen Esther.

While his heart is taken up with these thoughts, who should come ruffling by him, but the new-raised favourite of king Ahasuerus, Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite: him hath the great king unexpectedly advanced, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. The gracious respects of princes are not always led by merit, but by their own will, which is ever affected to be so much the freer as themselves would be held more great.

When the sun shines upon the dial, every passenger will be looking at it: there needed no command of reverence, where Ahasuerus was pleased to countenance : all knees will bow alone, even to forbidden idols of honour, how much more where royal authority enjoins obeisance! All the servants, all the subjects of king Ahasuerus, are willingly prostrate before this great minion of their sovereign; only Mordecai stands stiff, as if he saw nothing more than a man in that proud Agagite.

The likeliest defence of the person of any prince, is the fidelity of his attendants: Mordecai overhears the whispering of these wicked conspirators, and reveals it to Es- They are not observed that do as the ther; she (as glad of such an opportunity most, but if any one man shall vary from to commend unto Ahasuerus the loyalty of the multitude, all eyes are turned upon him. him whom she durst but secretly honour), Mordecai's fellow-officers note this palpable reveals it to the king. The circumstances irreverence, and expostulate it: "Why are examined, the plot is discovered, the transgressest thou the king's commandtraitors executed, the service recorded in the ment?" Considerest thou not how far this Persian annals. A good foundation is thus affront reacheth? It is not the person of laid for Mordecai's advancement, which yet | Haman whom thou refusest to adore, but

the king in him: neither do we regard so much the man, as the command; let him be never so vile whom the king bids to be honoured, with what safety can a subject examine the charge, or resist it? His unworthiness cannot dispense with our loyalty. What a dangerous wilfulness should it be to incur the forfeiture of thy place, of thy life, for a courtesy? If thou wilt not bow with others, expect to suffer alone; perhaps they thought this omission was unheedy, in a case of ignorance or incogitancy; it was a friendly office to admonish; the sight of the error had been the remedy.

Mordecai hears their challenge, their advice, and thinks good to answer both with silence, as willing they should imagine his inflexibleness proceeded from a resolution, and that resolution upon some secret grounds, which he needed not impart : at last, yet he imparts thus much, Let it suffice that I am a Jew, and Haman an Amalekite.

After a private expostulation, the continuance of that open neglect is construed for a sullen obstinacy; and now the monitors themselves grow sensible of the contempt: men are commonly impatient to lose the thank of their endeavours, and are prone to hate whom they cannot reform. Partly, therefore, to pick a thank, and partly to revenge this contumacy, these officers turn informers against Mordecai; neither meant to make the matter fairer than it was they tell Haman, how proud and stubborn a Jew sat amongst them; how ill they could brook so saucy an affront to be offered to his greatness: how seriously they had expostulated, how stomachfully the of fender persisted; and beseech him that he would be pleased, in his next passage, to cast some glances that way, and but observe the fashion of that intolerable insolency. The proud Agagite cannot long endure the very expectation of such an indignity on purpose doth he stalk thither, with higher than his ordinary steps, snuffing up the air as he goes, and would see the man that durst deny reverence to the greatest prince of Persia.

Mordecai holds his old posture, only he is so much more careless, as he sees Haman more disdainful and imperious. Neither of them goes about to hide his passion: one looked, as if he had said, I hate the pride of Haman; the other looked, as if he had said, I will plague the contempt of Mordecai. How did the eyes of Haman sparkle with fury, and, as it were, dart out deadly beams in the face of that despiteful Jew: how did he swell with indignation, and

then again wax pale with anger! shortly, his very brow and his motion bade Mordecai look for the utmost of revenge.

Mordecai foresees his danger, and contemns it; no frowns, no threats, can supple those joints: he may break, he will not bow. What shall we say then to this confirmed resolution of Mordecai? What is it, what can it be, that so stiffens the knees of Mordecai, that death is more easy to him than their incurvation? Certainly, if mere civility were in question, this wilful irreverence to so great a peer could not pass without the just censure of a rude perverseness. It is religion that forbids this obeisance, and tells him, that such courtesy could not be free from sin: whether it were, that more than human honour was required to this new erected image of the great king, as the Persians were ever wont to be noted for too much lavishness in these courtly devotions, or whether it were, that the ancient curse wherewith God had branded the blood and stock of Haman, made it unlawful for an Israelite to give him any observance; for the Amalekites, of whose royal line Haman was descended, were the nation, with which God had sworn perpetual hostility, and whose memory he had straitly charged his people to root out from under heaven. How may I, thinks he, adore where God commands me to detest? how may I profess respect, where God professeth enmity? how may I contribute to the establishment of that seed upon earth, which God hath charged to be pulled up from under heaven? Outward actions of indifferency, when once they are felt to trench upon the conscience, lay deep obligations upon the soul, even while they are most slighted by careless hearts.

In what a flame of wrath doth Haman live this while! wherewith he could not but have consumed his own heart, had he not given vent to that rage in his assured purposes of revenge. Great men's anger is like to themselves, strong, fierce, ambitious of an excessive satisfaction. Haman scorns to take up with the blood of Mordecai: this were but a vulgar amends. Poor men can kill where they hate, and expiate their own wrong with the life of a single enemy. Haman's fury shall fly a higher pitch: millions of throats are few enough to bleed for this offence: it is a Jew that hath despited him; the whole nation of the Jews shall perish for the stomach of this one. monarchy of the world was now in the hand of the Persian; as Judea was within this compass, so there was scarce a Jew upon earth without the verge of the Per

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stan dominions: the generation, the name, shall now die at once; neither shall there be any memory of them but this, There was a people, which having been famous through the world for three thousand four hundred and fourscore years, were, in a moment, extinct by the power of Haman, for default of a courtesy.

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Perhaps that hereditary grudge and old antipathy, that was betwixt Israel and Amalek, stuck still in the heart of this Agagite; he might know that God had commanded Israel to root out Amalek from 7 under heaven; and now therefore an Amalekite shall be ready to take this advantage against Israel. It is extreme injustice to dilate the punishment beyond the offence, and to enwrap thousands of innocents within the trespass of one. How many that were yet unborn, when Haman was unsaluted, must rue the fact they lived not to know! How many millions of Jews were then living, that knew not there was a Mordecai! All of them are fetched into one condition, and must suffer, ere they can know their offence. O the infinite distance betwixt the unjust cruelty of men, and the just mercies of the Almighty! Even Caiaphas himself could say, It is better that one man die, than that all the people should perish;" and here Haman can say, "It is better that all the people should perish, than that one man should die." Thy mercy, O God, by the willing death of one that had not sinned, hath defrayed the just death of a world of sinners; while the injurious rigour of a man, for the supposed fault of one, would destroy a whole nation that had not offended. It is true, that, by the sin of one, death reigned over all; but it was because all sinned in that one: had not all men been in Adam, all had not fallen in him, all had not died in him; it was not the man, but mankind, that fell into sin, and by sin into death. No man can complain of punishment, while no man can exempt himself from the transgression. Unmerciful Haman would have imbrued his hands in that blood, which he could not but confess innocent.

It is a rare thing, if the height of favour cause not presumption. Such is Haman's greatness, that he takes his design for granted, ere it can receive a motion: the fittest days for this great massacre are determined by the lots of their common divination; according whereunto, Haman chooseth the hour of this bloody suit; and now, waited on by opportunity, he addresseth himself to king Ahasuerus: "There is a certain people scattered abroad, and dispersed among

the people, in all the provinces of the kingdom, and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws, therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them: if it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of the officers." With what cunning hath this man couched his malice! He doth not say, There is a Jew that hath affronted me, let me be avenged of his nation: this rancour was too monstrous to be confessed; perhaps this suggestion might have bred in the mind of Ahasuerus a conceit of Haman's ill nature, and intolerable immanity: but his pretences are plausible, and such as drive at no other than the public good. Every word hath its insinuation: "It is a scattered people :" were the nation entire, their maintenance could not but stand with the king's honour; but now, since they are but stragglers, as their loss would be insensible, so their continuance and mixture cannot but be prejudicial: it was not the fault, it was the misery of these poor Jews, that they were dispersed, and now their dispersion is made an argument of their extirpation; therefore must they be destroyed from the earth, because they were scattered over the earth. As good, so evils, draw on each other: that which should plead for pity in the well-affected is a motive to cruelty in savage minds. Seldom ever hath extremity of mischief seized, where easier afflictions have not been billeted before.

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All faithful Jews had wont to say unto God, Have mercy upon us, O God, and save us, for our soul is full of contempt, and we are scattered amongst the heathen!" And here this enemy can say of them to Ahasuerus, "Destroy them, for they are scattered;" root them out, for they are contemned. How much better is it to fall into the hands of God, than of men, since that which whets the sword of men, works commiseration in the Almighty! Besides the dissipation of the persons, "Their laws are diverse from all people." All other people live by thy laws, they only by their own; and how can this singularity of their fashions but breed disorder and inconvenience? Did they live in some corner of the earth apart, the difference in religion and government could not import much; now that they are dispersed amongst all thy subjects, what do these uncouth forms of theirs but teach all the world to be irregular? why should they live under thy protection, that will not be governed by thy laws? Wicked Haman! what were the laws of Israel, but the laws of

God? if this be a quarrel, what shall the death of the Jews be other than martyrdom?

The diversity of judgment and practice from the rest of the world hath been an old and envious imputation cast upon God's church. What if we be singled from others, while we walk with God? In matters lawful, arbitrary, indifferent, wisdom teacheth us to conform ourselves to all others; but where God hath laid a special imposition upon us, we must either vary or sin. The greatest glory of Israel was their laws, wherein they as far exceeded all other nations, as heaven is above earth; yet here their laws are quarreled, and are made the inducements of their destruction. It is not possible that the church of God should escape persecution, while that which it hath good is maligned, while that offends which makes it happy.

Yet that they have laws of their own were not so unsufferable, if withal they did observe thine, O king! but these Jews, as they are unconformable, so they are seditious: "They keep not the king's laws." Thou slanderest, Haman! they could not keep their own laws, if they kept not the king's; for their laws call them to obedience unto their sovereigns, and adjudge hell to the rebellious. In all those hundred and seven and twenty provinces, king Ahasuerus hath no subjects but them; they obey out of conscience, others out of fear: why are they charged with that, which they do most abhor? what can be the ground of this crimination? Ahasuerus commanded all knees to bow to Haman; a Jew only refuses. Malicious Haman! he that refused to bow unto thee, had sufficiently approved his loyalty to Ahasuerus; Ahasuerus had not been, if Mordecai had not been a good subject. Hath the king no laws, but what concern thine adoration? Set aside religion (wherein the Jew is ready to present, if not active, yet passive obedience) and name that Persian law which a Jew dares break. As I never yet read or heard of a conscionable Israelite, that hath not passed under this calumniation, so I cannot yield him a true Israelite that deserves it. In vain doth he profess to acknowledge a God in heaven, that denies homage to his deputy on earth.

"It is not for the king's profit to suffer them." Worldly hearts are not led by good or evil, but by profit or loss; neither have they grace to know, that nothing is profitable but what is honest, nothing so desperately incommodious as wickedness; they must needs offend by rule, that measure all things by profit, and measure profit by their imagination. How easy is it to suggest

strange untruths when there is nobody to make answer! False Haman! how is it not for the king's profit to suffer the Jews? if thou construe this profit for honour, the king's honour is in the multitude of subjects; and what people more numerous than they? if for gain, the king's profit is in the largeness of his tributes; and what people are more deep in their payments? if for service, what people are more officious? How can it stand with the king's profit to bereave himself of subjects, his subjects of their lives, his exchequer of their tributes, his state of their defence? He is a weak politician that knows not to gild over the worst project with a pretence of public utility. No name under heaven hath made so many fools, so many villains, as this of profit.

Lastly, as Ahasuerus reaps nothing but disprofit by the lives of the Jews, so he shall reap no small profit by their deaths: "I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the king's treasury for this execution." If revenge were not very sweet to the malicious man, he could not be content to purchase it at so high a rate. How do we see daily, that the thirst hereof carries men to a riotous prodigality of estate, body, soul!

Cruel Haman! if thou couldst have swimmed in a whole sea of Jewish blood, if thou couldst have raised mountains of their carcasses, if thou couldst have made all Persia thy shambles, who would have given thee one farthing for all those piles of flesh, for all those streams of blood? yea, who would not rather have been at charge for the avoiding of the annoyances of those slaughtered bodies, which thou offerest to buy at ten thousand talents? It were a happy thing, if charity could enlarge itself but so much as malice: if the preservation of mankind could be so much beholden to our bounty, as the destruction.

Now when all these are laid together— the baseness and dispersedness of the people, the diversity of the laws, the irregularity of their government, the rebellion of their practice, the inconvenience of their toleration, the gain of their extirpation; what could the wit or art of man devise more insinuative, more likely to persuade? How could it be but Ahasuerus must needs think (since he could not suspect the ground of this suit), What a zealous patriot have I raised, that can be content to buy off the incommodity of the state at his own charge! how worthy is he rather of the aid both of my power and purse! Why should I be fee'd to ease my kingdoms of rebels? "The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as seemeth good to thee." Without all delay,

the secretaries are called to write the warrants; the king's ring is given to seal them; the posts are sent out to carry them into all the provinces: the day is set wherein all Jews, of all ages, of both sexes, through the hundred and seven and twenty provinces of the king, shall be sacrificed to the wrath of Haman.

In all the carriage of Ahasuerus, who sees not too much headiness of passion? Vashti is cast off for a trifle; the Jews are given to the slaughter for nothing: his rage in the one, his favour in the other, is too impotent. He is not a worse husband than a king: the bare word of Haman is enough to kill so many subjects. No disposition can be more dangerous in great persons, than violence of affection mixed with credulity. O the seeming inequality of human conditions!" The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed." It is a woful thing to see great ones quaff the tears of the oppressed, and to hear them make music of shrieks.

With what lamentation do we think all the synagogues of Jews, through the world, received this fatal message of their proclaimed destruction! How do they bemoan themselves each to other! how do their conjoined cries fill heaven and earth! But above all, what sackcloth and ashes could suffice woful Mordecai, that found in himself the occasion of all this slaughter! what soul could be capable of more bitterness than he felt! While he could not but think, "Wretched man that I am! it is I that have brought all this calamity upon my nation; it is I that have been the ruin of my people! Woe is me that I ever put myself into the court, into the service of a pagan! How unhappy was I to cast myself into these straits, that I must either honour an Agagite, or draw vengeance upon Israel! Yet how could I imagine, that the flame of Haman's rage would have broken out so far? Might that revenge have determined in my blood, how happy should I have been! Now I have brought death upon many thousands of innocents, that cannot know wherefore they die. Why did I not hide myself rather from the place of that proud Amalekite? why did I stand out in contestation with so over-powerful an enemy? Alas! no man of Israel shall so much as live to curse me only mine enemies shall record my name with ignominy, and say, Mordecai was the bane of his nation! O that my zeal should have reserved me for so heavy a service! Where now are those vain ambitions, wherewith I pleased myself in this great match of Esther? How fondly did I

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hope, by this undue means, to raise myself and my people! yea, is not this carnal presumption the quarrel that God had against me? do I not therefore smart from these pagans, for that I secretly affected this uncircumcised alliance? Howsoever it be, yet, O God! what have thy people done? O let it be thy just mercy that I may perish alone!"

In these sad thoughts did Mordecai spend his heart, while he walked mournfully in sackcloth before that gate wherein he was wont to sit: now his habit bars his approach; no sackcloth might come within the court. Lo! that which is welcomest in the court of heaven, is here excluded from the presence of this earthly royalty: "A broken and a contrite heart, O God thou wilt not despise."

Neither did it a little add to the sorrow of Mordecai, to hear the bitter insultations of his former monitors: "Did we not advise thee better? did we not fore-admonish thee of thy danger? see now the issue of thine obstinacy:" now see, what it is for thine earthen pitcher to knock with brass. Now, where is the man that would needs contest with Haman? Hast thou not now brought thy matters to a fair pass? Thy stomach had long owed thee a spite, and now it hath paid thee: who can pity thy wilfulness? Since thou wouldst needs deride our counsel, we will take leave to laugh at thy sackcloth. Nothing but scorns, and griefs, and terrors, present themselves to miserable Mordecai. All the external buffets of adversaries were slight to the wounds that he hath made, and felt in his own heart.

The perpetual intelligences that were closely held betwixt Esther and Mordecai, could not suffer his public sorrow to be long concealed from her. The news of his sackcloth afflicts her, ere she can suspect the cause; her crown doth but clog her head, while she hears of his ashes. True friendship transforms us into the condition of those we love; and, if it cannot raise them to our cheerfulness, draws us down to their dejection. Fain would she uncase her foster-father of these mournful weeds, and change his sackcloth for tissue; that yet, at least, his clothes might not hinder his access to her presence, for the free opening of his griefs.

It is but a slight sorrow that abides to take in outward comforts: Mordecai refuses that kind offer, and would have Esther see that his affliction was such, as that he might well resolve to put off his sackcloth and his skin at once; that he must mourn to death, rather than see her face to live.

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