John Trapp on Esther 4:14-15

Verſe 14. But if thou altogether holdeſt thy peace] And ſo make thy ſelf guilty of a ſinful ſilence, nay, of the death of ſo many innocents! for not to do good, when it is in the power of a mans hand,Qui non cum poteſt, ſervat; occidit. is to do evil, and not to ſave is to deſtroy, as our Saviour ſheweth, Mark 3.14. Paſſive wickedneſſe is deeply taxed in ſome of thoſe ſeven Churches, Rev. 2. and 3. In a ſtorme at ſea, it is a ſhame to fit ſtill, or to be aſleep with Jonas in the ſides of the ſhip, when it is in danger of drowning. Every man cannot fit at the Sterne; but then he may handle the ropes, or manage the oares, &c. The ſelf-ſeeker, the private-ſpirited man, may he be but warme in his own feathers, regards not the danger of the houſe; he is totus inſe, like the ſnail, ſtill within doors and at home, like the Squirrel, he ever digs his hole towards the Sun-riſing: his care is to keep on the warme ſide of the hedge, to ſleep in a whole skin, to ſave one, whatever become of the many. From doing thus, Mordecai deterreth Eſther by an heap of holy arguments: diſcovering an heroical faith, and a well-knit reſolution.

At this time] There is indeed a time to keep ſilence, and a time to ſpeak, Eccl. 3.7. But if ever a man will ſpeak, let him do it when the enemies are ready to devoure the Church: as Croeſus his dumb ſon burſt out into, Kill not King Croeſus. For Zions ſake I will not hold my peace, and for Jeruſalems ſake I will not reſt, &c. Eſay 62.1. If I forget thee, O Jeruſalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, &c. Pſal. 137.5, 6. That noble Terentius, (General to Valens the Emperour) being bidden to ask what he would, asked nothing, but that the Church might be freed from Arians; And when the Emperour,Niceph. upon a defeat by the Gothes, upbraided him with cowardiſe and ſloth as the cauſes of the overthrow, He boldly replied, Your ſelfe have loſt the day, by your warring againſt God, and perſecuting his people.

Then ſhall their enlargement] Heb. Reſpiration, a day of refreshing ſhould come from the Preſence of the Lord. Confer Job 9.18. At preſent they could hardly breath, for bitterneſſe of ſpirit.

And deliverance ariſe] Heb. ſtand up, as on its baſis or bottome, ſo as none ſhall be able to withſtand. This, Mordecai ſpeaketh, not by a ſpirit of Prophecy, but by the force of his faith, grounded upon the Promiſes of Gods defending his Church, hearing the cries of his afflicted, ariſing to their relief and ſuccour, &c. Mira profectò at omnibus linguis, ſaeculis, [illegible: 2 letters]ciſque commendabilis fides, ſaith one. A notable faith indeed, and worthy of higheſt commendation. Thorough the Perſpective of the Promiſes (thoſe pabulum fidei, food of faith) a believer may ſee deliverance at a great diſtance; [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ſee it and ſalute it, as thoſe did. Heb. 11.13. What though Senſe ſaith, It will not be; Reaſon, It cannot be: yet Faith gets above, and ſayes, It ſhall be, I deſcryland.

Italiam, Italiam laeto clamore ſalutar.Virg.

But thou and thy fathers houſe ſhall be deſtroyed] Here he thundereth and threatneth her, if to ſave her ſelf ſhe ſhall deſert the Church. Mordecai's meſſage, like Davids ditty,Pſal. 101.1. is compoſed of diſcords. Soure and ſweet make the beſt-ſauce: Promiſes and menaces mixed will ſooneſt work. God told Abraham, that for the love he bare him,Gen. 123. he would bleſſe thoſe that bleſſed him, and curſe ſuch as curſed him. Their ſin ſhould finde them out, and they ſhould rue it in their poſterity. As one fire, ſo one feare ſhould drive out another.

And who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom] There is often a wheel within a wheel, Ezek. 1. God may have an end and an aime in buſineſſes that we wot not of, nor can ſee into, till event hath explained it. Let us lay forth our ſelves for him, and labour to be publike-ſpirited, ſuch as fully ſatisfied him. No man labour can be in vaine in the Lord. to ſee which way we may moſt glorifie God, and gratifie our brethren. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Phil, 1.20.