John Trapp on Esther 3:15

Verſe 15. The Poſtes went out, being haſtened by the Kings commandment] As if the enemy had been at the gates, and his crown had hang'd on the one ſide of his head: he could not have been more earneſt and diligent in ſuch a caſe, then now he is. So much ſet upon't are Gods enemies, to bring their evil purpoſes to paſſe; that till then, neither themſelves nor others, can be ſuffered to reſt for them. Quicquid volunt, valdè volunt, bearing down with creſt and breaſt whatſoever ſtands in the way of their ſinful luſts. What a ſhame is it then for Saints, not to be zealous of good works, valiant for the truth, and violent for the Kingdom?

And the decree was given in Shuſhan the Palace] Pependit, ſaith the Vulgar, it hung up upon the poſts to be read of all, the King not ſhaming to have his privities ſeen, (as the phraſe is, Ezra 4.14) to traduce himſelf (as it were) in a publike theatre, for a fooliſh and oppreſſive Prince[illegible: 1 letter] neither caring what might be the evil conſequents thereof, ſo that he may ſatisfie his own luſt, and gratifie his minion.

And the King and Haman ſate down to drink] So to drown the noiſe of conſcience, (if not altogether dead and dedolent) and ſo to nouriſh their hearts as in a day of ſlaughter. Thus Joſephs brethren, when they had caſt him into the pit, ſate down to eat bread, Gen. 37.25. (when it had been fitter for them to have wept for their wickedneſſe.) So did the Iſraelites when they had made them a golden calfe, Exod. 32.6.Mat. 14. Herod feaſteth, when he had caſt the Baptiſt into priſon. The Antichriſtian rout, revel and riot, when they had ſlain the two witneſſes. Rev. 11. The Pope proclaimed a Jubilee upon the Pariſian Maſſacre. The King of France ſwore, that he never ſmelled any thing more ſweet then the Admirals carcaſſe, when it ſtank with long lying. As for his head,Epit. Hiſt. Gallic. speed. he ſent it for a preſent to the Queen-mother. And ſhe balming it, ſent it to her holy Father the Pope for an aſſurance of the death of his moſt capital enemy. Thua[illegible: 1 letter]us writeth that the Pope cauſed that Maſſacre to be painted in his Palace: Had the Powder-plot ſucceeded, it ſhould have been pourtrayed (ſurely) in his Chappel or Oratory. Faux was to get into the fields to ſee the ſport; for they made no other reckoning, but that all was their own. No more did the King and Haman here, and hence their jollity, but it proved ſomewhat otherwiſe. God oft ſuffereth his enemies to have the ball on the foot, till they come to the very goale, and yet then to make them to miſſe the game: He loveth to make fooles of them, to let them go to the utmoſt of their tedder, and then to pull them back with ſhame to their task.

But the City Shuſhan was perplexed] That is, the Jewes that dwelt there: together with the reſt that loved them, and wiſhed well to them. Theſe wept, ſaith the Vulgar Latine, were in heavineſſe, ſay others, they were intricated, inſnarled, at their wits end, ſo that they knew not what to do, (as the word here g[illegible: 1 letter]i[illegible: 2 letters]eth) only their eyes were toward the hills, from whence ſhould come their help. Their comfort was to conſider, that melior eſt triſtitia iniqua patiemis, quàm laetitia iniqua faelentes. Auguſt. Better is the perplexity of him that ſuffereth evil, then the jollity of him that doth evil. Deliverance would come they believed, chap. 4.14. but whence they knew not. Hard things may be mollified, crooked things ſtreightened, Non omnium dierum ſol occidit: Whiles there is a Sun to ſet, I will not deſpaire of a good iſſue, as Queen Elizabeth ſaid when ſhe was moſt perplexed, as being to be ſent Priſoner to the Tower,Engl. Eliz[illegible: 1 letter] then the which never went any thing nearer to her heart.