John Trapp on Esther 4:8

Verſe 8. Alſo he gave him the copy of the writing] That ſhe might ſee it, and reſt aſſured, that it was even ſo, and no otherwiſe: and that therefore now or never ſhe muſt beſtir her ſelf for the labouring Church.

That was given at Shuſhan] Which if ever it were full of judgement, and white as a lilie, (according to the name) is now ſtain'd with blood of innocents. if ever righteouſneſſe did lodge in it, yet now murtherers, as Eſay. 1.21.

To ſhew it unto Eſther] That her eye might affect her heart, and her heart ſet all awork for her people, that is, her ſelf, according to that Phyſician heale thy ſelfe; Lam. 3. Luke 4. that is thine own Countreymen.

And to declare it unto her] In the cauſe, viz. his refuſing to bow to Haman againſt his conſcience, (whereof it no whit repented him) and in the ſeveral circumſtances laid forth in the livelieſt colours, for her thorough-information.

And to charge her that ſhe ſhould go in unto the King] Hoc perquam durum eſt, ſedita lex ſcripta eſt, ſaith the Civilian. This Mordecai knew would hardly be done: he therefore makes uſe of his ancient authority, and ſets it on with greateſt earneſtneſſe. So Saint Paul, I charge you by the Lord, 1 Theſ. 5.27. And again, I charge thee before God and the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, &c. 2 Tim. 4.1. So Saint Auſtin to his hearers, Per tremendum Dei judicium vos adjuro, I require and charge you by that dreadful day of judgement, when that doomeſ-day book ſhall be opened, &c. It is a weakneſſe to be hot in a cold matter, but it is a wickedneſſe to be cold in a hot matter. He that is earneſt in good, though he may carry ſome things indiſcreetly, yet is he far better then a time-ſerver, and a cold friend to the truth: like as in falling forward is nothing ſo much danger, as in falling backward. Eli was too blame with his Do no more ſo my ſonnes. And ſo was Jehoſhaphat with his Let not the King ſay ſo. And the people in Ahabs time, who when they were preſſed to expreſſe whom they were for, God or Baal? they anſwered not a word, 1 Kings 18.21. And yet how many ſuch cold friends hath the truth now adayes? Luke-warm Laodiceans, Neuter-paſſive Chriſtians, &c? When Callidus once declared againſt Gallus with a faint and languiſhing voice; Oh (ſaith Tully) Tu niſi fingeres, ſic ageres? Would'ſt thou plead on that manner, if thou wert in good earneſt? Mens faint appearing for Gods cauſe ſhewes they do but faine: their coldneſſe probably concludeth they do but counterfeit. Mordecai plays the man, and chargeth Eſther to improve her intereſt in the King her husband, for the Churches deliverance. See here how he turneth every ſtone, tradeth every talent, leaveth no meanes unuſed, no courſe unattempted for the Saints ſafety. And this the Spirit of God hath purpoſely recorded, that all may learn to lay out themſelvs to the utmoſt for the publike; to be moſt zealous for the conſervation and defence of the Church, when it is afflicted and oppoſed by Perſecutours; ſeeing they cannot be ſaved, unleſſe ſhe be in ſafety; neither can they have God for their Father, unleſſe they love and obſerve this their deare mother. Ʋtinam, iterùm autem utinam diligentiùs à cunctis ordinibus haec hodiè conſiderarentur, ſaith one.Cypr. Aut. l. de unit. Eccleſ. Oh that theſe things were duely conſidered by all ſorts now adayes.

To make ſupplication unto him] Heb. to deprecate diſpleaſure and miſchief, as 1 Kings 8.28. Zech. 12.10.

And to make requeſt before him] Ad quaerendum à facie ejus; ſo Pagnine from the Hebrew, to ſeek for good from his face, an effectual ſmile, a gracious aſpect, that they may live in his ſight. For in the light of the Kings countenance is life, and his favour is as a cloud of the latter raine, Prov. 16.15. The ancient Perſian Kings were moſt fond of their wives, doing them all the honour poſſible in Court, as Partakers of all their fortunes, and carried them and their children into their fartheſt warres: by the preſence of ſo dear pledges, the more to encourage their mindes in time of battel. Now therefore Eſther (whom Herodotus alſo witneſſeth to have been Xerxes his beſt beloved) is to try what ſhe can do with him for her people, who were haply grown too ſecure upon Eſthers preferment: as the French Churches alſo were upon the Queen of Navarres greatneſſe, and the promiſe of peace by that match. God therefore ſhortly after ſhook them up, (not by ſhaking his rod only at them, as here at theſe Jewes, but) by permitting that bloody Maſſacre.