John Trapp on Esther 5:1

CHAP. V. Verſe 1. Now it came to paſſe on the third day]

THat is,Seder. Olam. on the fifteenth day of the moneth Niſſan, as the Hebrew Annals ſay. Cum adhuc ferverent popularium ſuorum preces, (whiles the prayers of her Countreymen, like thoſe of Cornelius, Acts 10.4.) were come up for a memorial before God: ſhe takes her opportunity and ſpeeds accordingly: ſhe knew that ſweet paſſage, Pſalme 145.18. The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfil the deſire of them that feare him, he will alſo heare their cry and will ſave them, &c. Joh. Manl. loc. Com. 142. This ſhe could afterwards ſeale to and ſay, This poor ſoul cried, and the Lord heard her, and ſaved her out of all her troubles, Pſal. 34.6, Luthers widow confeſſed, that ſhe never underſtood many of Davids Pſalmes, till ſhe was in deep affliction.

That Eſther put on her royal apparel] She knew that Hanc homines decorant, quam veſtimenta decôrant. People are uſually regarded as they are habited; & good cloaths conduce much to the ſetting forth of beauty to the beſt. Like a right daughter of Sarah, ſhe knew that the outward adorning,I Pet. 3.3, 5. by plaiting the haire, wearing of gold, and putting on of apparel, would not at all commend her to God, (in obedience to whom ſhe had wanzed her face with faſting, and truſted that he would put upon her his comelineſſe) But conſidering that the King, her husband looked much at ſuch things, ſhe laid aſide her faſting-weeds, and put on her beſt, Ind uit ſe regno (ſo the Original runs) ſhe clothed her ſelf in rich and royal aray: as Queen Mary of England did on her Coronation day: her head was ſo laden with precious ſtones, that ſhe could hardly hold it up, ſaith the Story: and all things elſe were according. Whether Eſther came to the King, leaning upon one maid, and having another to hold up her traine, as Joſephus hath it, is uncertain. 'Tis likely ſhe left her Attendants without, leſt ſhe ſhould draw them into danger: and contented her ſelf (when ſhe went in to the King,) with thoſe faithful companions, Faith, Hope and Charity, who brought her off alſo with ſafety, according to Prov. 18.10. and 14.26.

And ſtood in the inner Court of the Kings houſe] A bold adventure queſtionleſſe, but the fruit of the prayer of faith, this was it that put ſpirit and metal into her. What if ſhe were Queen? ſo had Vaſthi been, and yet diſcarded for her diſobedience. Beſides, how could ſhe tell, either what the Kings minde toward her was (he had not ſeen her of a moneth, and if Haman knew her to be a Jeweſſe, what would not he ſuggeſt againſt her? Or, what was the minde of God, till he had ſignified it by the event? It was therefore an heroical courage in Eſther, proceeding from her ſaith, which when it is driven to work alone without ſenſe, then God thinks it lieth upon his credit to ſhew mercy.

Over againſt the Kings houſe] Where ſhe might ſee him, and be ſeen by him. This ſhe did, Nec temerè,Lib. 12.3. 1 Kings 10.18. nec timidè, which, ſaith one, is the Chriſtians Motto.

And the King ſat upon his Royal Throne] Royal indeed, as Athenaeus deſcribeth it. But yet ſhort of Solomons, much more of the Lord Chriſts, ſupported and ſurrounded with an innumerable company of Angels. It ſhould be our earneſt deſire to ſee this King of glory upon his Throne: to ſee him and enjoy him. Auſtin wiſhed that he might have ſeen three things, 1. Romam in flore. 2. Paulum in ore. 3. Chriſtum in corpore. Rome in the flouriſh, Paul in the Pulpit, Chriſt in the fleſh. Venerable Bede cometh after, and correcting this laſt wiſh, ſaith, Imo verò Chriſtum in ſolio ſedentem. Let me ſee Chriſt upon his Throne-royal rather. Eſay ſaw him ſo ch. 6.1. and took far more delight therein, then the merry Greeks did or could do at their Olympick games, celebrated at the ſame time, in the one thouſand five hundred and fourtieth yeare after the Flood, as the divine Chronologer computeth it.Bucholc. 541.