John Trapp on Ezra 1:4

Ver. 4. And whoſoever remaineth in any place where he ſojourneth] Heb. Gar-ſhom. A name that Moſes gave his eldeſt ſonne borne in his baniſhment; for he ſaid I have beene a ſtranger in a ſtrange land, Exod. 2.22. Theſe poore captives had beene longer ſo then Moſes in Midian, and met with more hard meaſure, Pſal. 137.1, 8. But as thoſe who are borne in hell know no other heaven (as the Proverb is) ſo fared it not with a few of theſe; loth to be at the paines, and run the hazard of a voyage to the holy Land. A little with eaſe is held beſt. Let us who are ſtrangers here, haſte homeward, heaven-ward. Some of theſe poore Jewes had a minde to returne; but wanted meanes. For theſe neceſſitous people the King takes care and courſe here, that they be ſupplied and ſet forward on their journey after a godly ſort, or worthy of God, (as Saint John phraſeth it, 3 John 6.) who elſe will require it.

Let the men of his place] Whether Jewes or Proſelytes, brethren by race, grace, or place onely.

Help him wish ſilver] Heb. Give him a lift out of the duſt, as Jobs friends did him off the dunghill: as Joſeph did his brethren when he filled their bags, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. and returned them their moneys; And as all Chriſtians are bound and bid to ſupport or ſhoar up their weaker brethren, 1 Theſſ. 5 14.

With ſilver an with gold] Theſe are notable good levers at a dead lift in this preſent world, where money beares the maſtery, and anſwereth all things: Eccleſ. 10.14. a ſatisfactory anſwer it giveth to whatſoever is deſired, or demanded: He that helpeth a man therefore in his neceſſity with ſilver and gold, is a friend indeed. Let a man make God his friend, and then (ſaith Eliphaz,) the Almighty ſhall be his gold, and he ſhall have plenty of ſilver, Job 22.25. Jacob ſhall be ſure of ſo much as ſhall bring him to his journeys end, a ſufficiency (if not a ſuperfluity) of all things, needful to life and godlineſſe.

And with goods] Heb. Recuſh (whence haply our Engliſh words Riches and Caſh) chattels, movables, gathered ſubſtance, as the word ſignifieth, which whoſoever he was that firſt called ſubſtance, was utterly miſtaken; ſith wiſdome onely (that is, godlineſſe) is durable ſubſtance, Prov. 8.21. Wealth is but a ſemblance, Proverbs 23.5. 1 Corinth. 7.31. And he that firſt called Riches Goods, Pſal. 4.6. was a better huſband then Divine. But it may be thought, the moſt are ſuch husbands: ſith the common cry is, Who will ſhew us any good? a good booty, a good bargaine, a good beaſt, &c.? That one thing neceſſary that is both Bonum hominis, The good of man, Micah 6.84 and Totum hominis, The whole of man, Eccleſ. 12.13. lieth wholly neglected by the moſt.

And with beaſts] Thoſe moſt ſerviceable creatures both ad eſum & ad uſum, for food and other uſes, as Sheep, Horſes, Camels, Dromedaries, ſwift, patient, painful.

Beſides the free-will-offering] Which the King preſumeth all Gods free-hearted people (Voluntieres, every ſoul of them, Pſal. 110.3.) will be moſt forward unto,See Lev. 5.6, 12. and 14.10, 21, 30. In Pſal. 1. in ſo good a work, ſo acceptable a ſervice. God ſtraineth upon no man, Exod. 25.2. and 35.5. Lex quaerit voluntarios, The Law calleth for Volunteires, ſaith Ambroſe. See Eſay 56.6. and 2 Cor. 8.12. and 9.7. and learne to come off roundly and readily in works of Piety and Charity: for elſe all's loſt; ſith Virtus nolentium nulla eſt, unwilling ſervice is nothing ſet by.

That is in Jeruſalem] This City he ſo often nameth,Pſal. 137:6. that he may ſeeme delighted with the very mention of it: and to be of the ſame minde with thoſe pious captives, that vowed to preferre Jeruſalem (that joy of the whole earth) before their chief joy, to make it aſcend above the head of their joy, as the Hebrew hath it.

How then ſhould it chear up our hearts to think of heaven, and that we are written among the living in Jeruſalem, Eſay 4.3? fellow-citizens with the Saints, and of the houſhold of heaven, Eph. 2.19?