101 lines
7.2 KiB
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101 lines
7.2 KiB
XML
<div2 id="Esth.xi" n="xi" next="xv" prev="Esth.x" progress="99.92%" title="Chapter X">
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<h2 id="Esth.xi-p0.1">E S T H E R</h2>
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<h3 id="Esth.xi-p0.2">CHAP. X.</h3>
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<p class="intro" id="Esth.xi-p1">This is but a part of a chapter; the rest of it,
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beginning at <scripRef id="Esth.xi-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Esth.10.4" parsed="|Esth|10|4|0|0" passage="Es 10:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>,
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with six chapters more, being found only in the Greek, is rejected
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as apocryphal. In these three verses we have only some short hints,
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I. Concerning Ahasuerus in the throne, what a mighty prince he was,
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<scripRef id="Esth.xi-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Esth.10.1-Esth.10.2" parsed="|Esth|10|1|10|2" passage="Es 10:1,2">ver. 1, 2</scripRef>. II. Concerning
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Mordecai his favourite, what a distinguished blessing he was to his
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people, <scripRef id="Esth.xi-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Esth.10.2-Esth.10.3" parsed="|Esth|10|2|10|3" passage="Es 10:2,3">ver. 2, 3</scripRef>.</p>
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<scripCom id="Esth.xi-p0.1_1" osisRef="Bible:Esth.10" parsed="|Esth|10|0|0|0" passage="Es 10" type="Commentary"/>
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<scripCom id="Esth.xi-p0.2_1" osisRef="Bible:Esth.10.1-Esth.10.3" parsed="|Esth|10|1|10|3" passage="Es 10:1-3" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Esth.10.1-Esth.10.3">
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<h4 id="Esth.xi-p1.6">The Glory of Mordecai. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Esth.xi-p1.7">b. c.</span> 495.)</h4>
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<p class="passage" id="Esth.xi-p2">1 And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the
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land, and <i>upon</i> the isles of the sea. 2 And all the
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acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the
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greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, <i>are</i>
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they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
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Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew <i>was</i> next
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unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the
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multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and
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speaking peace to all his seed.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Esth.xi-p3">We are here told,</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Esth.xi-p4">I. How great and powerful king Ahasuerus
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was. He had a vast dominion, both in the continent and among the
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islands, from which he raised a vast revenue. Besides the usual
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customs which the kings of Persia exacted (<scripRef id="Esth.xi-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:Ezra.4.13" parsed="|Ezra|4|13|0|0" passage="Ezr 4:13">Ezra iv. 13</scripRef>), he laid an additional tribute
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upon his subjects, to serve for some great occasion he had for
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money (<scripRef id="Esth.xi-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:Esth.10.1" parsed="|Esth|10|1|0|0" passage="Es 10:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>): <i>The
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king laid a tribute.</i> Happy is our island, that pays no tribute
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but what is laid upon it by its representatives, and those of its
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own choosing, and is not squeezed or oppressed by an arbitrary
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power, as some of the neighbouring nations are. Besides this
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instance of the grandeur of Ahasuerus, many more might be given,
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that were <i>acts of his power and of his might.</i> These however
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are not thought fit to be recorded here in the sacred story, which
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is confined to the Jews, and relates the affairs of other nations
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only as they fell in with their affairs; but they are <i>written in
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the Persian chronicles</i> (<scripRef id="Esth.xi-p4.3" osisRef="Bible:Esth.10.2" parsed="|Esth|10|2|0|0" passage="Es 10:2"><i>v.</i>
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2</scripRef>), which are long since lost and buried in oblivion,
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while the sacred writings live, live in honour, and will live till
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time shall be no more. When the <i>kingdoms of men,</i> monarchs
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and monarchies, are destroyed, and <i>their memorial has perished
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with them</i> (<scripRef id="Esth.xi-p4.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.9.6" parsed="|Ps|9|6|0|0" passage="Ps 9:6">Ps. ix. 6</scripRef>),
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the kingdom of God among men, and the records of that kingdom,
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shall remain and be <i>as the days of heaven,</i> <scripRef id="Esth.xi-p4.5" osisRef="Bible:Dan.2.44" parsed="|Dan|2|44|0|0" passage="Da 2:44">Dan. ii. 44</scripRef>.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Esth.xi-p5">II. How great and good Mordecai was.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Esth.xi-p6">1. He was great; and it does one good to
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see virtue and piety thus in honour. (1.) He was great with the
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king, next to him, as one he most delighted and confided in. Long
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had Mordecai sat contentedly in the king's gate, and now at length
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he is advanced to the head of his council-board. Men of merit may
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for a time seem buried alive; but often, by some means or other,
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they are discovered and preferred at last. The declaration of the
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greatness to which the king advanced Mordecai was <i>written in the
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chronicles of the kingdom,</i> as very memorable, and contributing
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to the great achievements of the king. He never did such acts of
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power as he did when Mordecai was his right hand. (2.) He was
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<i>great among the Jews</i> (<scripRef id="Esth.xi-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Esth.10.3" parsed="|Esth|10|3|0|0" passage="Es 10:3"><i>v.</i>
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3</scripRef>), not only great above them, more honourable than any
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of them, but great with them, dear to them, familiar with them, and
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much respected by them. So far were they from envying his
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preferment that they rejoiced in it, and added to it by giving him
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a commanding interest among them and submitting all their affairs
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to his direction.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Esth.xi-p7">2. He was good, very good, for he did good.
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This goodness made him truly great, and then his greatness gave him
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an opportunity of doing so much the more good. When the king
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advanced him, (1.) He did not disown his people the Jews, nor was
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he ashamed of his relation to them, though they were strangers and
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captives, dispersed and despised. Still he wrote himself
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<i>Mordecai the Jew,</i> and therefore no doubt adhered to the
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Jews' religion, by the observances of which he distinguished
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himself, and yet it was no hindrance to his preferment, nor looked
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upon as a blemish to him. (2.) He did not seek his own wealth, or
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the raising of an estate for himself and his family, which is the
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chief thing most aim at when they get into great places at court;
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but he consulted the welfare of his people, and made it his
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business to advance that. His power, his wealth, and all his
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interest in the king and queen, he improved for the public good.
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(3.) He not only did good, but he did it in a humble condescending
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way, was easy of access, courteous and affable in his behaviour,
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and spoke peace to all that made their application to him. Doing
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good works is the best and chief thing expected from those that
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have wealth and power; but giving good words is also commendable,
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and makes the good deed the more acceptable. (4.) He did not side
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with any one party of his people against another, nor make some his
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favourites, while the rest were neglected and crushed; but,
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whatever differences there were among them, he was a common father
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to them all, recommended himself to <i>the multitude of his
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brethren,</i> not despising the crowd, and spoke peace <i>to all
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their seed,</i> without distinction. Thus making himself acceptable
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by humility and beneficence, he was universally accepted, and
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gained the good word of all his brethren. Thanks be to God, such a
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government as this we are blessed with, which <i>seeks the welfare
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of our people, speaking peace to all their seed.</i> God continue
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it long, very long, and grant us, under the happy protection and
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influence of it, to <i>live quiet and peaceable lives, in
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godliness, honesty,</i> and charity!</p>
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</div></div2> |