our access, that he solicits suitors; who, as he is unweariable with our requests, so is he infinite in his beneficences!

How gladly doth Esther touch the top of that sceptre, by which she holds her life! and now, while she thinks it well that she may live, she receives, besides pardon, favor: What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy request? it shall be given thee, even to the half of the kingdom.' Commonly, when we fear most, we speed best. God then most of all magnifies his bounty to us, when we have most afflicted ourselves. Over-confident expectations are seldom but disappointed; while humble suspicions go laughing away. It was the benefit and safety of but one piece of the kingdom, that Esther comes to sue for; and behold, Ahasuerus offers her the free power of the half. He, that gave Haman, at the first word, the lives of all his Jewish subjects, is ready to give Esther half his kingdom, ere she ask. Now she is no less amazed at the loving munificence of Ahasuerus, than she was before afraid of his austerity. The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water he turneth it whithersoever he will.'

It is not good to swallow favors too greedily; lest they either choke us in the passage, or prove hard of digestion. The wise queen, however she might seem to have a fair opportunity offered to her suit, finds it not good to apprehend it too suddenly; as desiring, by this small dilation, to prepare the ear and heart of the king, for so important a request.

Now, all her petition ends in a banquet; If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet, that I have prepared for him.' It is an easy favor, to receive a small courtesy, where we offer to give great. Haman is called; the king comes to Esther's table; and now, highly pleased with his entertainment, he himself solicits her to propound that suit, for which her modesty would, but durst not, solicit him. Bashfulness shall lose nothing, at the hand of wellgoverned greatness.

Yet still, Esther's suit sticks in her teeth; and dares not come forth, without a further preface of time and expectation. Another banquet must pass, ere this reckon

ing can be given in. Other suitors wait long, for the delivery of their petition; longer, for the receipt of their answer: here, the king is fain to wait for his suit. Whether Esther's heart would not yet serve her to contest with so strong an adversary, as Haman, without further recollection; or, whether she desired to get better hold of the king, by endearing him with so pleasing entertainments; or, whether she would thus ripen her hopes, by working in the mind of king Ahasuerus a fore-conceit of the greatness and difficulty of that suit, which was so loath to come forth; or, whether she meant thus to give scope to the pride and malice of Haman, for his more certain ruin howsoever it were, to-morrow is a new day, set for Esther's second banquet and third petition.

The king is not invited without Haman. Favors are sometimes done to men, with a purpose of displeasure. Doubtless, Haman tasteth of the same cates with his master; neither could he in the forehead of Esther read any other characters, than of respect and kind applause; yet had she then, in her hopes, designed him to a just revenge. Little do we know, by outward carriages, in what terms we stand, with either God or man.

Every little wind raiseth up a bubble. How is Haman now exalted in himself, with the singular graces of queen Esther; and begins to value himself so much more, as he sees himself higher in the rate of others' opinion.

Only surly and sullen Mordecai is an allay to his happiness. No edict of death can bow the knees of that stout Jew: yea, the notice of that bloody cruelty of this Agagite hath stiffened them so much the more. Before, he looked at Haman as an Amalekite; now, as a persecutor. Disdain and anger look out at those eyes, and bid that proud enemy do his worst. No doubt, Mordecai had been listening after the speed of queen Esther; how she came in to the king, how she was welcomed with the golden sceptre, and with the more precious words of Ahasuerus; how she had entertained the king; how she pleased: the news had made him quit his sackcloth, and raised his courage to a more scornful neglect of his professed adversary.

Haman comes home, I know not whether more full of pride or of rage; calls an inward council of his choice

friends, together with his wife; makes a glorious report of all his wealth, magnificence, height of favor, both with the king and queen; and, at last, after all his sunshine, sets in this cloudy epilogue, 'Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.' It is seldom seen, that God allows, even to the greatest darlings of the world, a perfect contentment. Something they must have to complain of, that shall give an unsavory verdure to their sweetest morsels; and make their very felicity, miserable.

The wit of women hath wont to be noted, for more sudden and more sharp. Zeresh, the wife of Haman, sets on foot that motion of speedy revenge, which is applauded by the rest: Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and to-morrow speak thou to the king, that Mordecai may be hanged thereon; then go thou in merrily with the king, unto the banquet.'

I do not hear them say; 'Be patient awhile. Thou hast already set Mordecai his last day. The month Adar will not be long in coming. The determination of his death hath made him desperate. Let him, in the mean time, eat his own heart, in envy at thy greatness.' But they rather advise of a quick dispatch. Malice is a thing full of impatience; and hates delay of execution, next unto mercy.

While any grudge lies at the heart, it cannot be freely cheerful. Forced smiles are but the hypocrisy of mirth. How happy were it for us, if we could be so zealously careful, to remove the hindrances of our true spiritual joy, those stubborn corruptions, that will not stoop to the power of grace!-Esther v.

MORDECAI HONORED BY HAMAN.

THE wit of Zeresh had like to have gone beyond the wit of Esther. Had not the working providence of the Almighty contrived these events, beyond all hopes, all conceits, Mordecai had been dispatched, ere Esther's second banquet. To-morrow was the day pitched for both their designs. Had not the stream been unexpectedly turned, in vain had the queen blamed her delays; Mordecai's breakfast had prevented Esther's

dinner for certainly he, that had given to Haman so many thousand lives, would never have made dainty, on the same suit, to anticipate one of those, whom he had condemned to the slaughter. But God meant better things to his church; and fetches about all his holy purposes, after a wonderful fashion, in the very instant of opportunity; He, that keepeth Israel, and neither slumbereth nor sleepeth,' causeth sleep that night to depart from him, that had decreed to root out Israel.

Great Ahasuerus, that commanded a hundred and seven-and-twenty provinces, cannot command an hour's sleep. Poverty is rather blessed with the freedom of rest, than wealth and power. Cares and surfeit withhold that from the great, which presseth on the spare diet and labor of the meanest. Nothing is more tedious, than an eager pursuit of denied sleep; which, like to a shadow, flies away so much faster, as it is more followed. Experience tells us, that this benefit is best solicited by neglect; and soonest found, when we have forgotten to seek it.

Whether to deceive the time, or to bestow it well, Ahasuerus shall spend his restless hours in the Chronicles of his time. Nothing is more requisite for princes, than to look back on their own actions and events, and those of their predecessors. The examination of fore-passed actions makes them wise; of events, thankful and cautelous.

Amongst those voluminous registers of acts and monuments, which so many scores of provinces must needs yield, the book shall open on Mordecai's discovery of the late treason of the two eunuchs: the reader is turned thither, by an insensible sway of Providence. Our most arbitrary or casual actions are overruled by a hand in heaven.

The king now feels afresh the danger of that conspiracy; and, as great spirits abide not to smother or bury good offices, inquires into the recompense of so royal a service; What honor, and dignity, hath been done to Mordecai, for this? Surely Mordecai did but his duty. He had heinously sinned, if he had not revealed this wicked treachery; yet Ahasuerus takes thought for his remuneration. How much more careful art thou, O God

of all mercies, to reward the weak obedience of thine, at the best, unprofitable servants!

That, which was intended to procure rest, sets it off. King Ahasuerus is unquiet in himself, to think that so great a merit should lie but so long neglected: neither can he find any peace in himself, till he have given order for a speedy retribution. Hearing therefore by his servants, that Haman was below in the court, he sends for him up, to consult with him,' What should be done to the man, whom the king delighteth to honor.'

O marvellous concurrence of circumstances, drawn together by the infinite wisdom and power of the Almighty! Who, but Haman, should be the man? And when, should Haman be called to advise of Mordecai's honor, but in the very instant, when he came to sue for Mordecai's hanging? Had Ahasuerus but slept that night, Mordecai had been that morning advanced fifty cubits higher than the earth, ere the king could have remembered to whom he was beholden.

What shall we say then, to reconcile these cross passions in Ahasuerus? Before he signed that decree of killing all the Jews, he could not but know, that a Jew had saved his life; and now, after that he had enacted the slaughter of all Jews, as rebels, he is giving order to honor a Jew, as his preserver. It were strange, if great persons, in the multitude of their distractions, should not let fall some incongruities.

Yet, who can but think, that king Ahasuerus meant, on some second thoughts, to make amends to Mordecai? Neither can he choose but put these two together; The Jews are appointed to death, at the suit of Haman : this Mordecai is a Jew; how then can I do more grace to him, that hath saved my life, than to command him to be honored by that man, who would spill his?'

When Haman heard himself called up to the bedchamber of his master, he thinks himself too happy, in so early an opportunity of presenting his suit; but yet more in the pleasing question of Ahasuerus; wherein he could not but imagine, that favor forced itself on him with strange importunity; for how could he conceive, that any intention of more than ordinary honor could fall besides himself? Self-love, like to a good stomach, draws to it