John Trapp on Proverbs 31:6

Verſ. 6. Give ſtrong drink to him, &c.] To thoſe that ſtand at the barre, rather than to them that ſit on the bench. Wine maketh glad the heart of man, Judg. 9.13. Pſal. 104.15. Plato calls Wine and Muſick the [non-Latin text not transcribed]: Mitigaters of mens miſeries. Hence that laudable cuſtome among the Jews at Funerals, to invite the friends of the deceaſed to a feaſt, and to give them the cup of conſolation, Jer. 16.7. And hence that not ſo laudable, of giving Wine,Bacchus & afflictis requien[illegible: 1 letter] mortalibus affert. Tibul. mingled with Myrrhe, to crucified Malefactors, to make them dye with leſsſenſe. Chriſt did not like the cuſtom ſo well, and therefore refuſed the potion. People ſhould be moſt ſerious and ſober when they are to dye: ſith in Death, as in Warre, non licet bis errare, if a man miſs at all, he miſſes for all and for ever.Vitellius trepidus, d[illegible: 1 letter]in tem[illegible: 1 letter] lentus Vitellius therefore took a wrong courſe, who looking for the meſſenger Death, made himſelf drunk to drown the fear of it.

And Wine unto thoſe that be of heavie hearts] Heb. bitter of ſpirit, as Naomi was, when ſhe would needs be called Marah, Ruth 1.20. as Hannah was, when ſhe pleaded that ſhe had neither drunk Wine nor ſtrong drink (though at that time ſhe had need enough of it) but was a Woman of a ſorrowful ſpirit, 1 Sam. 1.15. as David was, when his heart was leavened and ſowred with the greatneſs of his grief: and he was pricked in his reins, [non-Latin text not transcribed] Pſal. 73.21. This grief was right, becauſe according to God, 2 Cor. 7.11. ſo was that bitter mourning, Zach. 10.12. and Peters weeping bitterly. Theſe waters of Marah, that flow from the eyes of repentance, are turned into wine, they carry comfort in them; there is a clear ſhining after this rain, 2 Sam. 23.4. Such April-ſhowers bring on May-flowers.

Dejicit ut revelet, premit ut ſolatia praeſtet: Enecat ut poſſit vivificare Deus.