that goeth forth and weepeth c. Heb. Hee that going goeth c. which Luther interpreteth of temptations continued and mutually succeeding one another taking their turns upon a poor soul And weepeth Going and weeping and asking the way to Zion with their faces thither-ward Jer. 50.4 5. Some faces appear most orientally beautifull when most instampt with sorrow Bearing precious seed Such as are hope and faith in the truth of Gods promises Some render it seed of acquisition Camâ—strum Leo â—udâ— Bucer such as the poor seeds-man hath got prece precio by praying and paying dear for it Some bearing a Seed-basket or seedlop Shall doubtlesse come again with rejoycing Only hee must have patience Jam. 5.7 Bringing his sheaves with him Or Act. Mon. after some their handfulls even gripes of gladnesâ— as Philpet the Martyr rendreth it Then shall Abraham the good Mower saith Another bind us up into sheaves as pure corn and fill his bosom full with us carrying us into the Lords barn to make a joyfull Harvest in Heaven PSAL. CXXVII A Song of degrees for Solomon As Psal 72.1 Penned by David not long before his death and left his Son Solomon to teach him that nothing can be gotten or kept no not Children be gotten but by Gods blessing This last was a fit lesson for Solomon who by so many wives and Concubines left but one only son that wee read of and him none of the wisest Some render it A Song of degrees of Solomon Lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. 1. making him the penman of it yea Origen from this inscription entitleth Solomon to all the Songs of degrees but that 's not likely Vers 1 Except the Lord build the house Not the Fabrick only but the family and the Government thereof there is no good to bee done if God set not to his Fâ—at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. and say Let it bee done if hee blast or not bless mens indeavours and policies they are all but arena sine calce sand without lime they will not hang together but like untempered Morter fall asunder There is a curse upon such as Idolize themselves and kiss their own hands though they bee industrious Johoakiâ— for instances Jer. 22. Except the Lord keep the City the watchman Whether civill or military frustra nititur qui Deo non innititur Politicians stand on their own heads like Children and shake their heeles against Heaven but all in vain Souldiers some of them are ready to say with Ajax I acknowledge no God but my sword c. Such shall bee surely befooled and confuted and Gods blessing declared to bee all in all Vers 2 It is vain for you to rise up early Diâ—â—culantes surgere tardantes sedere to toil and moil in the World It were to bee wished that this Nisi nisi frustrà frustrà were ever sounding in the ears of worldings who will needs act upon their own principles God is not in all their thoughts To eat the bread of sorrows i.e. Hardly gotten or that men can scarce beteem themselves they are so miserable and parsimonious or bread eaten with carefullnesse as Ezek. 12.19 certainly men may sooner by their care adde a furlong to their sorrow than a cubit to their comfort For so hee giveth his beloved sleep Dilecto suo to each of his beloved ones not without an allusion to Solomons other name Jedidâ—ah Gods darling To these hee giveth sleep extraordinary quiet refreshing sleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with an Aleph quiescent which is not usuall that is hee giveth wealth without labour as to others labour without wealth saith Kimchi the world comes tumbling in upon them as wee say they have it quasi per somnium as Towns were said to come into Timothâ—us his toiles whiles he slept without anxiety they break not their sleep for the matter Plut. Omnia necessaria benignissime Dominus quasi per jocum largitur Beza but live by faith and make a good living of it too Vers 3 Loâ— children are an heritage of the Lord This Solomon could not but be sensible of See the title of this Psalm especially if by children are meant good children as Prov. 18.22 by a Wife is meant a good wife And here the poor man that hath no inheritance otherwise hath one from the Lord for such are oft full of children neither may hee wish as one gracelesse man did that God would keep such his blessings to himself for hee had too many of them Is his reward That is his free gift and God will be their exceeding great reward if by their Parents prayer and good education they prove towardly as the Lords heritage and as arrows in the hand c. Vers 4 As Arrows are in the hand of a mighty man Heb. Of a Gyant who sheâ—teth them with a courage and is cunning at it As clean and well-kept arrows 〈◊〉 similitude importeth that Children must have more in them than nature for arrows are not atrrows by growth but by art so they must bee such Children the knottiness of whose nature is refined and reformed and made smooth by grace and then they are cared for As if they prove otherwise they are a singular heart break to their poor Parents who are seen to sit under Elias his Juniper wishing for deaâ—h and saying with Moses Numb 11.14 15. I am not able to bear all this sore affliction because it is too heavy for mee And if thou deal thus with mee kill mee I pray thee out of hand if I have found favour in thy light and let mee not see my wâ—e chedness So are children of the youth Or young sons or â—â—ds springlings striplings vegetous and vigorous able to bee a guard to their aged Parents against the children of violence who seek to press in upon them at the door as the Sodomites dealt by righteous Lot see verse 5. besides the service they may do to the Commonwealth as did the Horatii and Curatii by their impetus hâ—roici valour and vertue Vers 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver That is his house full of them so they bee good children for else to bee childless is a mercy it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a blessed misery saith Euripedes and Aristotle concludeth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no blessing unless it bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to have a numerous issue unless they bee vertuous They shall not bee ashamed Neither Father nor Children se enim illi mutuo muniunt ac firmant they help each other But they shall speak with their enemies Periment saith Tremellius they shall foil them and non-sute them PSAL. CXXVIII VErs 1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord This Psalm is fitly subjoyned to the former and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a kind of wedding-sermon written for the instruction and comfort of married couples and shewing that Conjugium humanae est divina Academia
of Socrates Aristides Scipio Atticus Cato and other honest Heathens they were no better than splendida peccata glistering sins because they failed 1 Quoad fontem they did not out of the good treasure of their hearts bring forth those good things they were strangers to the Life of God to the new Nature 2 Quoad finem they brought forth fruit to themselves Hof 10.1 they had not good aims in their good actions Now Bonum non fit nisi ex integra causa malum ex quolibet defectu say the Schools No not one Vsque ad unum i. c. ad Christum saith Austin not considering the force of the Hebrew phrase which importeth an utter denial of any meer man that of himself doeth good Vers 4. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge No not so much as Pilates Wife had in a Dream for else they would take heed of having any thing to do with those justmen But they are workers of iniquity habituated and hardned in cruelty fleshed in bloud and having an hoof upon their hearts so that they are Masters of their Consciences and have taken a course with them In this question here asked the Psalmist doth not so much quaerere as queri ask as chide and complain Who eat up my people as they eat bread That is quotid'e daily saith Austin as duly as they eat bread or with the same eagerness and voracity These man-caters these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cruel Cannibals make no more conscience to undoe a poor man than to eat a good meal when they are hungty Like Pickerels in a Pond or Sharks in the Sea they devour the poorer as those do the lesser Fishes and that many times with a plausible invisible consumption as the Usurer who like the Ostrich can digest any metal but especially mony They call not upon the Lord viz. for a blessing upon that their bread as some sense it how should they sith God abhorreth them Psal 10.3 But better take it for neglect of the duty of Prayer they rob God of his inward and outward Worship and so deal worse with him than Idolaters do with their Dunghil-deities whom they cease not to call upon These will commit no Solecism in Gods Service and be sure that their prayer like that of Hamaus Esth 7.7 shall never be turned into sin If they pray in extreamity as then a Joah will lay hold on the Horns of the Altar it is but as blinde Beggers are forced to ask though they know not of whom Vers 5. There were they in great fear â— There and they and in great fear where and who and what kind of fear was it they were in For answer There that is in the generation of the righteous in the assemblies of the Saints according to that Psal 76.3 There brake he the arrows of the Bow the Shield and the Sword and the Battel Selah There that is in Salem where is Gods Tabernacle and in Sion where is his dwelling place vers 2. in the Congregation where the Saints were praying Or There that is in the very place where they oppressed and devoured the poor they were surprised with a sudden horrour even there where they had said In locoubi opprimuâ—â— R. David peace and safety c. and where no fear was Psal 53.5 no apparent cause of such an amazement Isa 13.8 A panick terrour fell upon them they feared a fear as the Hebrew hath it but could not tell why The Hornet within stings them and they have many a secret twinge that the World is never aware of Saul was afraid of David and Catiline trembled upon the least noyse made For God is in the generation of the righteous And natural Conscience cannot but do homage to the Image of God stamped upon the natures and works of the godly See it in the carriage of Nebuchadnezzar and Darius toward Daniel sticking stoutly to his Principles The piety patience mercy goodness exprest by the righteous when oppressed makes the hearts of wicked men ake within them and they are sore afraid of the Name of God called upon by them Deut. 38.10 Or God is in the generation of the righteous scil Ad juvandum eum saith Aben-Ezra to support and succour them and that strangely many times the enemies themselves being Judges to their great astonishment Vers 6. You have shamed the counsel of the poor And thought to mock him out of his confidence as Sennacherib did by Hezekiah and the Jews by our Saviour Religion was long since grown as it is also at this day among many not more a matter of form than of scorn In our wretched days as the Turks count all fools to be Saints so many with us account all Saints to be fools He is a fool we say that would be laughed out of his Coat but he were a double fool that would bee laughed out of his skin that would hazard his Soul because loath to bee laughed at Because the Lord is his refuge Sed Jehovah Protector ejus because he runs to God by prayer and commits himself wholly to him for direction and success in all his enterprises Pudefacitis id est facitis ut videatur putidum you'jeer and hold it an egregious silliness You reject his confidence and relye on the arm of flesh which yet was never true to those that trusted unto it Vers 7. O that the Salvation of Israel c. This is the second part of the Psalm wherein David prayeth to God to deliver his Israel out of the hands of those Atheists and Oppressors The whole Church must be remembred in our prayers Sanhed c. 11. and that ancient people of God the Jews not forgotten Many of their Rabbins make this whole Psalm a Prophecie of their dispersion among the Genitles their Oppressors and this a prayer for their restauration For our sins say they which are many the coming of the Messiah that Salvation of Israel is deferred the time of his coming is sealed up Dan. 12.4 Verum enimverò Deus nos dignabitur clarissima visione cum reducet Zionem tunc intelligemus res ipsas prout sunt saith Jachiades on that Text but God shall give us a clear sight of all things when he shall bring back Zion c. This is truth and we must hasten that time by our heartiest wishes for that obdurate people that a Redeemer would come to them out of Zion Rom. 11.26 that the covering cast over that people might be destroyed Isa 25.7 and a general joy conceived throughout all the Churches for their happy re-admission Out of Zion i.e. Out of the Church whence all good cometh and such blessings as are better than all else that Heaven or Earth affordeth Psal 134.3 PSAL. XV. VErs 1. Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle Heb. who shall sojourn for that is our condition whiles here in a forein Country and not at home The Church Militant also is Transportative as well as the Tabernacle and not fixed to one
dejection 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever befalls thee yea against all distempers sith they hinder comfortable intercourse with God and that Spiritual composedness that Sabbath of spirit that we must enjoy or else we cannot keep that continual Holy-day 1 Cor. 5.8 How many are there who through unnecessary sadness come to Heaven before they are aware Dr. Sibbes Hope thou in God Faith quieteth the soul first or last saith a Reverend man on these words there will be stirring at the first As in a pair of Ballance there will be a little stirring when the weight is put in till it come to a poise so in the soul it comes not to a quiet consistency till there be some victory of faith till it rest and stay the soul For I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance Heb. Homil. in Genes The healthâ— of his countenance Adhuc confitebor ei salutes vultus ejus Chrysostom bringeth in a man loaden with troubles coming into the Church where when he heard this passage read Why art thou cast down hope in God c. he presently recovered Vers 6. O my God my soul is cast down within me Though before he had schooled himself out of his distem pers yet now he is troubled again such are the vicissitudes and interchanges of joy and sorrow that the Saints are here subject unto as soon as the Spirit gets the better as soon the Flesh sometimes good affections prevail sometimes unruly passions Affections are the wind of the soul passions the storm The soul is well carried when neither so becalmed that it moves not when it should nor yet tossed with tempests to move disorderly Therefore will I remember thee from the Land of Jordan That is saith one I will call to minde former experiments there and take comfort Or I will remember thee as I may here at Mahanaim beyond Jordan under the mount Hermon and that other little Hill where I have found thee in my meditations and prayers propitious unto me though I cannot now worship thee in the beauty of holiness being driven out by my ungracious Son Absolom from the place where thine honour dwelleth Vers 7. Deep calleth unto deep Vorago voraginom advocat i.e. one calamity inviteth another Aliud ex also malum they come thick and three-fold Gurges gurgitem excipit Beza the Clouds return after the rain Eccles 12.2 as one shower is unburthened another is brewed One affliction followeth and occasioneth another without ceasing or intermission so that they are grown as it were to an infiniteness as Psalm 40.12 At the noyse of thy water-spouts i.e. Thy Clouds pouring down amain in a storm at Sea especially by a Cataclysm of waters falling at once out of the Clouds sometimes to the overwhelming and breaking of a ship This Mariners call a spout Psal 18.4 The flouds of Belial made me afraid All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me Fluctou fluctum trudit yet not without the Lord the enemies and the evils that befell him are called Gods waves or breakings Propter peccata noltra à te immiffa Kimchi Vers 8. Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness He will after all this misery send forth a Commission and a command to set me free and his Mandamus will do it at any time And in the night his Song shall be with me When others that are without God in the World have restless nights the gnats of cares and griefs molesting them a Saint can sing away care and call his soul to rest as Psal 116.7 being filled with peace and joy through beleeving such as setteth him a singing to Gods glory And my prayer unto the God of my life i.e. My Praises which are a chief part of prayer 1 Tim. 26.1 Thanks-giving is an artificial begging Gratiarum actio est adplus dandum invitatio Vers 9. I will say unto my God nay Rock why hast thou forgotten me Tenè veâ—â— mei immemoremesse Thus I will in a familiar manner expostulate with him and lay my case open unto him as to a friend The flesh suggesteth that he is forgotten but faith holdeth its own fastning on the Rock of ages Why go I mourning Heb. Black as one that is in mourning weeds or that had lain among the pots Vers 10. As with a sword in my bones Heb. A murthering weapon which when thrust into the bones causeth most exquisite pain so deeply was good David affected with the dishonour done to God by his blasphemous enemies it went to the very heart of him as a dagger While they say daily See the Note on vers 3. Vers 11. Why art thou cast down See vers 5. Who is the kealth of my countenance i.e. The Author of my manifold present and apparent safety such as shall make me look blithe and beautiful cheery and chirp PSAL. XLIII VErs 1. Judge me O God This Psalm is as it were an Epitome or an Appendix to the former and little differing in words or matter Plead my cause See Psal 35.1 Against an ungodly Nation Heb. A Nation not mild or merciful so he calleth Absoloms Complices who sought and would have suckt his bloud Such are a people of Gods wrath and of his curse O deliver me c. From Absolom or Abitophel or the whole Faction Vers 2. For thou art the God of my strength As being in Covenant with me both offensive and defensive In the Lord Jehovah is a Rock of ages or everlasting strength Isa 26.4 for God of my strength Psa 42.9 is my Rock Why go I mourning See Psal 42.9 Vers 3. Lux veritas piorum comites O send out thy light i.e. thy comforting grace opposed to that vers 2. I go mourning or in black And thy truth i.e. Thy faithfulness opposed to the deceitful man vers 1. The Rabbines interpret Light and Truth by Christ and Elias the Arabick maketh it a prayer for the Jews conversion Let them bring me unto thy holy bill Zion the place of holy assemblies for Gods service Iterum commendatur hic dignit as ministerii Publici Vaeigitur illis qui caducorum bexeruns usum redimunt sacri ministerii jacturâ qui conciones â—acras Sacramenta ultro negligunt c. And to thy Tabernacles Socalled either because it was set up at sundry times in sundry places whilst it was tranfportative or else because it was parred by veiles into several rooms Heb. 9.2 3. Vers 4. Then will I go muto the Altar of God Not without store of Sacrifices Gods service is now nothing so costly and should therefore be more chearfully performed Heathens had their Altars c. all save the Ferfiaus Vers 5. Why art thon bowed down c. See Psal 42.9 11. PSAL. XLIV MAschil i.e. Making wise or giving instruction for which purpose this Psalm was composed by David as it is most probable or some other excellent Prophet for the use of the Church which is hares crucis
any edicts are to be written against Religion the Secretaries cannot satisfie themselves in devising significant words whereby those edicts may be rendred the more cruel and sanguinary All Jewes both young and old little children and women All ages sizes and sexes What could the devil himself have added to this abhorred cruelty if it had gone on such a slaughter made Doeg at Nob the Sicilians at their bloody vespers the King of France with the Templars throughout his Kingdom Minerius the Popes Champion with the Protestants of Merindol and Chabriers besides that of the Parisian Massacre before-mentioned and by Merlin upon this verse graphically described like as that of Babylon is by Jeremy chap. 51.34 what a woful slaughter had here been made had Faux but fired the powder What an Acheldama had this whole Land been turned into in a few dayes space Necdum interiit saevus Hamani animus Neither yet is Haman dead but reviveth daily in his bloody and blasphemous successors That like as one saith of Cain the devils Patriarch there are not a few that still carry about adore and worship as a sacred thing Cains club Bucholc red with the blood of Abel so it is here Even upon the thirteenth day that it was to be no sooner done was by a special Providence of God that ere that time came it might be happily prevented as was afore noted See verse 7. Hamans folly also was not a little seen in deferring the execution so long for how knew he what a day might bring forth it was indeed mirabile simulque miserabile dictu as one saith a wonderful and withal a miserable thing that none should be found among the Persians Medes and Chaldees to pity this poore people and to intercede for them To have spoken to Haman for them might likely have been as bootlesse as once it was to Minerius in the behalf of the Merindolians Of whom when a few had escaped his all-devouring sword and he was intreated to give them quarter for their lives he sternely answered I know what J have to do Act. Mon. 869. not one of them shall escape my hands I will send them to dwell in hell among the devils But if Haman resolved no better yet what knew he but that in time the King might relent and repent of that rash and wretched edict as he did Nam faciles motus mens generosa capit Ovid. We reade in our Chronicles that when King Henry the third had given commandment for the apprehending of Hubert de Burgo Earle of Kent he fled into a Church in Essex They to whom the businesse was committed finding him upon his knees before the High-Altar with the Sacrament in one hand and a Crosse in the other carried him away neverthelesse unto the Tower of London The Bishop taking this to be a great violence and wrong to the Church would never leave the King until he had caâ—sed the Earle to be carried to the place whence he was fetch 't This was done and although order was taken he should not ' scape thence yet it gave the Kings wrath a time to coole and himself leisure to make proof of his innocency By reason whereof he was afterwards restored to the Kings favour and former places of honour And the like befel these Jewes are the thirteenth of Adar but Haman blinded with pride and superstition could not foresee it And to take the spoile of them for a prey To be sure that none should ' scape the goods of the slain are proposed for a reward to them that should slay them and how far that would prevaile with many covetous wretches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who knoweth not Covetousnesse is daring and desperate how much more when it is encouraged as here by a Permission nay a Precept from the King and his chief Favourite where we may be sure the wealthier any man was the sooner he should have been sent out of the world as a tree with thick and large boughes is most likely to be lopped Trithemius telleth us that the Templars above-mentioned were massacred by Philip the Faire King of France upon pretext of heresie but indeed because they were rich and Philip sore longed after their possessions The Cyprians for their great wealth became a spoile to the Romanes Quid non mortalia pectora cogis Auri sacra fames Verse 14. The copy of the writing was published Phathsegin a Syriack word saith R. David and not found but in the books about the captivity The vulgar rendreth it Summa R. Nathan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the same sense Transcripts of the Original were sent to all places that none might be ignorant or negligent in doing execution But why did not the Jewes upon such notice save themselves by flight may some say Alas whither should the poor soules flie with their families being compassed about with so many deadly enemies and having none that durst own them in that distresse It was a just wonder and a special work of God that their enemies forbear to fall upon them before the black-day came if but for the spoile-sake We reade chap. 9. that notwithstanding the known favour of the King the patronage of Mordecai and the hanging up of Haman c. the thirteenth of Adar is still meant to be a bloody day Hamans Abettours joyne together to performe that sentence whereof the Authour repented c. But God was seen in the Mount he loveth to help those that are forsaken of their hopes as he did these poor Prisoners then when it might seem that there was neither left unto them hope of better or place of worse Who would not therefore trust in God Deo confisi nunquam confusi Trust in God will surely triumph That they should be ready against that day That long-look't-for day by Haman and his Party wherein they meant to roll themselves and wallow in the blood of those Jewes and to say as Hannibal did when he saw a ditch filled with mans blood O jucundum spectaculum O pleasant sight Or as Valesus when he had slain three hundred O rem regiam O Kingly act Or as that Queen who when she saw some of her Protestant subjects lying dead and stripped upon the earth cried out the goodliest tapestry that ever she beheld Are not such blood-suckers of the vulturine kinde spoken of in Job whose young ones glut-glut blood the Original word seemeth made from the sound and where the slain are there is she Job 39.30 Verse 15. The Postes went out being hastened by the Kings commandment As if the enemy had been at the gates and his crown had hang'd on the one side of his head he could not have been more earnest and diligent in such a case then now he is So much set upon 't are Gods enemies to bring their evil purposes to passe that till then neither themselves nor others can be suffered to rest for them Quicquid volunt valdè volunt bearing down
with crest and breast whatsoever stands in the way of their sinful lusts What a shame is it then for Saints not to be zealous of good works valiant for the truth and violent for the Kingdom And the decree was given in Shushan the Palace Pependit saith the Vulgar it hung up upon the posts to be read of all the King not shaming to have his privities seen as the phrase is Ezra 4.14 to traduce himself as it were in a publike theatre for a foolish and oppressive Princeâ— neither caring what might be the evil consequents thereof so that he may satisfie his own lust and gratifie his minion And the King and Haman sate down to drink So to drown the noise of conscience if not altogether dead and dedolent and so to nourish their hearts as in a day of slaughter Thus Josephs brethren when they had cast him into the pit sate down to eat bread Gen. 37.25 when it had been fitter for them to have wept for their wickednesse So did the Israelites when they had made them a golden calfe Exod. 32.6 Mat. 14. Herod feasteth when he had cast the Baptist into prison The Antichristian rout revel and riot when they had slain the two witnesses Rev. 11. The Pope proclaimed a Jubilee upon the Parisian Massacre The King of France swore that he never smelled any thing more sweet then the Admirals carcasse when it stank with long lying As for his head Epit. Hist Gallic speed he sent it for a present to the Queen-mother And she balming it sent it to her holy Father the Pope for an assurance of the death of his most capital enemy Thuaâ—us writeth that the Pope caused that Massacre to be painted in his Palace Had the Powder-plot succeeded it should have been pourtrayed surely in his Chappel or Oratory Faux was to get into the fields to see the sport for they made no other reckoning but that all was their own No more did the King and Haman here and hence their jollity but it proved somewhat otherwise God oft suffereth his enemies to have the ball on the foot till they come to the very goale and yet then to make them to misse the game He loveth to make fooles of them to let them go to the utmost of their tedder and then to pull them back with shame to their task But the City Shushan was perplexed That is the Jewes that dwelt there together with the rest that loved them and wished well to them These wept saith the Vulgar Latine were in heavinesse say others they were intricated insnarled at their wits end so that they knew not what to do as the word here gâ—iâ—â—eth only their eyes were toward the hills from whence should come their help Their comfort was to consider that melior est tristitia iniqua patiemis quà m laetitia iniqua faelentes August Better is the perplexity of him that suffereth evil then the jollity of him that doth evil Deliverance would come they believed chap. 4.14 but whence they knew not Hard things may be mollified crooked things streightened Non omnium dierum sol occidit Whiles there is a Sun to set I will not despaire of a good issue as Queen Elizabeth said when she was most perplexed as being to be sent Prisoner to the Tower Engl. Elizâ— then the which never went any thing nearer to her heart CHAP. IV. Verse 1. When Mordecai perceived all that was done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Josephus when he had learned or fully informed himself Jadang so that he knew it to be so as the Hebrew text hath it Sollicitous he was of the Churches welfare and sat listening as Eli did once what would become of the Ark. 1 Sam. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now therefore as ill newes is swift of foot saith Sophocles and comes like ill weather before it be sent for Mordecai taketh knowledge of that bloody decree though Esther and those about her had not heard of it ver 4 5. Neither sitteth he still at home as desponding and despairing or seeketh by sinister practices to help himself and his people but applieth himself First to God by hearty humiliation and prayer And then to the King by the intercession of Esther A carnal heart would have taken other shifting courses like as a dog that hath lost his Master will follow after any other for relief Mordecai rent his clothes To shew that his very heart was rent with sorrow for Sion This custome of renting their clothes in time and in token of greatest grief was in use not among the Jews only but Persians also and other Nations Herod l. 3. 9. Curt. l. 3 4. 11. as is noted by Herodotus and Curtius And put on sackcloth The courseft clothing he could get as holding any clothes too good for so vile a caitiâ—â— and shewing that but for shame he would have worn none So the Ninivites sat in sackcloth and ashes for more humiliation See Exod. 33.4 c. And 〈◊〉 He put on ashes or dust that is a dusty garment sprinkled with ashes saith 〈…〉 his mouth in the dust as Lâ—â— 3.20 acknowledging himself to be of the earth earthy and fit fuel for hell fire Nonè 〈…〉 è terra desumptum pulrerem notar Merlin And went out into the midst of the City That he might be a pattern to others Si vis me flere c. And cried with a loud and bitter cry More â—arâ—arico after the manner of that countrey but there was more in it then so It was not his own danger that so much affected him how gladly could he have wished with Ambrose that God would please to turn all the adversaries from the Church upon himselfe and let them satisfie their thirst with his blood as that so many innocent people should perish This made him lift up his voice unto God on High On 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joseph Verse 2. And 〈◊〉 even before the Kings gate Which should have been alwayes open to poor Petitioners as the gate of the Romane Aedilis was but was now shut against such Mourners as Mordecai A night-cap was an ill sight at Court Jolly spirits cannot endure sadnesse so great enemies they are to it that they banish all seriousnesse like as the Nicopolites so hated the braying of an Asse that for that cause they would not abide to heare the sound of a trumpet For none might enter into the Kings gate clothed with sackcloth Behold they that weare softs are in Kings houses Mat. 11.8 and those that are altogether set upon the merry pin Jannes and Jambres those Juglers are gracious with Pharaoh when Moses and Aaron are frown'd upon Baals Prophets are fed at Jezabels Table when Elias is almost pined in the desert 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 14.6 The dancing Damosel trippeth on the toe and triumpheth in Herods Hall when the rough-coated Baptist lieth in cold irons and Christs company there is neither