John Trapp on Esther 10:2

Verſe 2. And all the Acts of his Power and his might] Lyra and Rikelius obſerve, that Ahaſhuerus had all this power and might given him by God, as a recompence of his courteſie to the Jewes, and juſtice done upon their enemies. No man ſerveth God for nought. He is a liberal Pay-maſter, Mal. 1.10. See the Note there.

And the declaration of the greatneſſe of Mordecai] Heb. the Expoſition. Many make large Commentaries upon their own greatneſſe, which a right Expoſition would ſhew to be rather belluine then genuine. Great men are not alwayes wiſe, ſaith Elihu, Job 32.9. But Mordecai was a great wiſe man, every way accompliſh't, one of Gods Rabbines, as Daniel calls them, fit to ſerve any Prince in the world. There is a ſpirit in man, a rational ſoule in an ordinary man: but the inſpiration of the Almighty giveth them underſtanding, Job 32.8.

Whereunto the King advanced him] Heb. wherewith the King greatned him; wherein he ſhewed himſelf a wiſe and Politick Prince; as did likewiſe Pharaoh in advancing Joſeph, Darius Daniel, Conſtantius Chlorus Chriſtian Officers, our Henry the eighth, the Lord Cromwell, whom he made his Vicar-General. Jovianus the Emperour was wont to wiſh, that he might govern wiſe men, and that wiſe men might govern him. Juſtin Martyr praiſeth this ſentence of divine Plato. Common-wealths will then be happy, when either Philoſophers reigne, or Kings ſtudy Philoſophy. Juſtin. Apol Jethro's Juſtitiary muſt be a wiſe man, fearing God, &c. Exod. 18. and that famous maxime of Conſtantius Chlorus, recorded by Euſebius, is very memorable. He cannot be faithful to me, that is unfaithful to God, Religion being the foundation of all true fidelity and loyalty to King and Countrey.

Are they not written in the book of the Chronicles] Theſe Chronicles of Media and Perſia, if they were now to be had, (as they are not) would far better acquaint us with the hiſtory of thoſe times, then the fragments of them, collected by Herodotus, Diodorus, Arrianus, Je[illegible: 1 letter]ſtin and Curtius. But better books then theſe Chronicles are now wanting to the world: as the Chronicles of the Kings of Iſrael and Iudah, the Book of the warres of the Lord, the book of Jaſher, Origens Octapla, (the loſſe which work ſaith a learned man, deplorare poſſumus, compenſare non poſſumus, bewaile we may, but make up we cannot). Chryſoſtome upon Matthew, (when promotions were offered Thomas Aquinas, his uſual anſwer was, Chryſoſtomi Commentarium in Matthaeum wallem, I had rather have Chryſoſtomes Commentary upon Matthew); and many other precious pieces, which learned men would gladly buy at as deare a rate, as Plato did thoſe three bookes that coſt him thirty thouſand Florens. That we have the holy Scriptures ſo perfect and entire, preſerved ſafe from the injuries of time, and rage of tyrants, who ſought to burne them up and aboliſh them, is a ſweet and ſingular Providence: and muſt be ſo acknowledged.