vnthankefulnesse are turned into mourning and misfortune Let vs therefore learne in our ioy and gladnesse to acknowledge the true author thereof and to reioyce in good and honest things and to keepe a measure in mirth and especially let vs take heede that it be not hurtfull vnto any or turne to contempt and disgrace of our brethren But this ioy of Haman was turned on a suddaine into sorrowe and melancholie For when Haman sawe Mardochaeus in the Kings gate who did neither arise nor moue himselfe for him he was enflamed with great rage against him Heere let vs first consider the constancie of Mardochaeus and then speake afterward of Hamans wrath We heard before that Mardochaeus was bolde vppon the most plaine and expresse commaundement of God whereby the Iewes were commaunded to haue continuall enimitie with the Amalekites out of whose nation Haman sprang the reason is expressed Exodus 17. verse 16. and Deuteron 25. verse 18. 19. because â—he Amalakites came out to fight with the â—eople in the desart to destroy them Now â—y how much the greater that Haâ—ans pride was and his crueltie against the Church so much the more is Mardochaeus to be commended that he vouchsafeth not to honor him whom God by an irreuocable decree had commanded to be holden for an enemie and had appointed to vtter ruine and destruction For among the notes of a good man this is not the last to despise the wicked Psal 15. 4. Therefore Mardochaeus did not sinne either in pride or rashnes or desperatnes when as he would not bow himselfe before such an enimie who had sworne the slaughter ruine of the people of God but on the contrarie his constancie is worthie so much the greater praise by how much the greater and certainer his danger was and so much the more commendable was his courage by how much the more the malice and crueltie of his enimie increased Wherefore this constancie witnesseth that he hath done nothing rashly from the beginning and that it repented him not that he had rather obeyed God then man and that he had not cast off his hope for that bloudie edict proclaimed against him and his nation and that he was not ashamed of his religion nor of that testimonie which he had yelded vnto the truth This constancie our Lord Iesus Christ requireth in all the faithfull when he biddeth them not to be ashamed of him and his word before Luc. 9. 26. Mat. 10. 26. 28. men neither to be feared with their threats neither to feare men but to feare him who can cast bodie and soule into hell fire This constancie brought forth so many Martyrs and constant Confessors of Christ Iesus who confessed and defended his truth in the midst of torments But if any man thinke that Mardochaeus should haue done better if he had kept himselfe farther from the kings gate either at first or at this time that Haman might not haue been so incensed I answere that he was one of the porters of the kings gate otherwise he had in deede been an impudent fellow if of purpose he had stoode there to prouoke Haman vnlesse perhaps we shall say that he was moued by some â—eculiar and extraordinarie motion of Gods Spirit which the prosperous end â—id shew If any except that although he â—ere one of the porters yet he might â—ake some excuse for his absence and â—ot prouoke so mightie an aduersarie aâ—ainst him and his nation I say that a strong faithfull couragious man doth not willingly seeke for starting-holes which may easily turne to his disgrace Besides that peraduenture they who were the keepers of the kings gate were so straightly holden to their office that it was no easie matter for them to be absent though they vsed some faire shew and pretence though at this day it be vsuall and although he had once or twise absented himselfe yet could he not always be away now Haman alwaies frequeÌ„ted the kings house and passed in and out euery day by that gate Therefore let vs rather admire imitate this coÌ„stancie of Mardochaeus then seeke out matter against it or carp and mocke at it and so that we find sufficieÌ„tly in our heart conscience by the expresse testimonie of the word of God that we obey his commandemeÌ„tâ— in not obeying men let vs little care foâ— the reproches of men who condemne â—â— as mad men and obstinate least we be caâ—ried hedlong into destruction I confessâ— that earnestly and diligently we ought tâ— desire of God the spirit of wisdome anâ— discretion least perhaps vnder pretenâ—â— of zeale and constancie we be drawen 〈◊〉 way by some vehement passion of the flesh or heate of minde And heere by the way we must vnloose this question whether at this day a faithfull man knowing the Pope to be Antichrist such as hee is described 2. Thess 2. may with a good conscience honor and worship him with those honors which others do The answere is easie when as this so great honor is giuen vnto him not ciuilly but religiously and that he thereby may be acknowledged such an one as he would be accounted to weete the head of the Church the vicar of Christ the Ambassador of God on earth nay a God on earth a faithfull man cannot with a good conscience giue him this honor nay hee ought not giue him any honor least by his assent he seeme to confesse that he is such a one as he sayeth he is And vnto this may that be referred which Saint Iohn sayeth that he is not so much as to be 2. Ioh. v. 10. saluted which professeth not the doctrine of Christ And we reade also in the Ecclesiasticall historie that Saint Iohn would Euseb l. 3. ca. 25. not go into that place where Cerinthus the heretique was And thus much of Mardochaeus constancie By reason of this fact Haman was very vehemently enflamed with rage For men are not more angred then to see that they are despised by good men nor more prouoked by any thing then by seeing the constancie and courage of the godly Hence also we perceiue that the ioy of the wicked is not durable because themselues trouble it with their owne passions vpon very small occasion For what great matter was there here why Haman should so rage Did it not suffice him that he had attained so great riches honor possessions was it not enough that he was preferred before all the rest of the courtiers that he was reuerenced of all beloued of the King inuited by the Queene although he were not so honored by Mardochaeus who was a base fellow a captiue a stranger without fauour without authoritie But ambition and the desire of honor can neuer be filled neither granteth it any rest vnto them whose minds it hath once possessed With ambition there is mingled a desire of reuenge and a greedinesse to ouercome all men and make them subiect vnto them at their pleasure which are vehement passions whereby
a reuenge he purposeth in his minde against his aduersarie for he accounteth it a small matter to kill him vâ—lesse also togither with him hee destroye his whole Nation at one massacre For hee might well consider with himselfe that the whole NatioÌ„ were also his enemies that there could be no better occasion giuen then to set vppon the matter whiles the King so highly fauoured him He might also call to memorie so many dammages calamities which his ancestors had suffered by the Israelites as by Saul and Dauid 1. Sam. 15 and before by the Tribe of Simeon al 2. Sam. 8. which things mouing him it is very likely that hee easily assented to so bloudie a slaughter Whereby we haue it sufficiently made manifest that cruell and ambitious men haue no moderation but ouerflowe as a floud or riuer and with violeÌ„ce drowne and destroy whatsoeuer displeaseth them that they cannot satisfie their bloudy hunger vnlesse together with the bodies of meÌ„they destroy their soules too not conteÌ„t to haue rooted out the people vnlesse they also abolish religion and the seruice of god That* Haman of our time * The D. of Guise when he was climbed vp vnto his height by the fauour of diuers Kings and promised himself the Crown one onely familie beeing the stop of his plots and designements he desired notwithstanding with that to ouerthrowe religion and to beate to the ground all the reformed Churches Heere also is to be obserued the goodnesse and patience of God who though he had many yeares before giuen sentence of the rooting out of the Amalekites yet deferred the first execution of it about 4. hundred yeares after hee had determined it and from that time there passed fiue hundred yeares and moe to this wherein he suffered Haman to be exalted to so high a degree of honour But wicked men are appeased with no benefites from the Lord nay rather they are confirmed more and more in their malice For GOD had hitherto suffered Haman with long patience but hee deuiseth how vtterly to ouerthrowe the church But by this meanes the iustice of Gods reuenge appeareth the clearer by how much more the vngodly are hardned in their malice vntill they haue filled the measure of their iniquities in the mean while the patience of the faithful is tried vntill God giue vnto them their right Go too then brethren let vs not be offended with the prosperous successe of the wicked but let vs feare God not declining froÌ„ his obedieÌ„ce and whatsoeuer the enemies practise let vs honor him coÌ„mending into his hand our life whereof he taketh a peculiar charge will in his good time pluck it out of the iawes of the enemies wil get vnto himself exceeding glory as welby the vengeance he wil execute vpon the enemies as also by the miraculous deliuerance of his To him therfore onely be glory dominion for euermore AmeÌ„ THE NINTH Sermon VVhat course Haman did followe for the execution of his determination in the 7 8 9 10 11. verses 7. In the first moneth which is the moneth Nifan in the twelfth yeare of King Assuerus they cast Pur that is a lot before Haman from day to day and from month to moneth vnto the twelfth month that is the month Adar 8. Then Haman said vnto King Assuerus there is a people scattered and dispersed in all the Prouinces of thy Kingdome whose lawes are diuers from the lawes of all people they do not obserue the Kings laws therfore it is not the Kings profit to suffer them 9. If it please the King let it be written that they may be destroyed and I will pay tenne thousand talents of siluer into the hands of them that haue the charge of this busines to bring it into the Kings treasurie 10. Then the king tooke his ring from his band and gaue it to Haman the sonne of Hammedatha the Agagite the Iewes aduersarie 11. And the king said vnto Haman Let the siluer be thine and do with this people as it seemeth good in thine eyes AFter that wicked men haue once conceiued mischief they alwaies are in trauell of it vntill they haue brought it foorth so that they cease not vntill they haue cruelly put in execution that which wickedly they did deuise especially when the desire of reuenge doth pricke them on Which passion is one of the most vehement wherewith men are driuen This is clearely to be seene in this wicked Haman who when vpon that furious indignation which he had conceiued because Mardochaeus would not honor him he had determined with himselfe not onely to kill him but togither with him to destroy the whole nation of the Iewes hee burneth with desire speedily to execute that his bloodie purpose and seeketh carefully alwaies to perfect it and first hee runneth vnto lots then to the Kings authoritie wherby he easily obtaineth what he wil that his determination might stand to kill and destroy the whole Nation of the Iewes which was dispersed into diuers places of Assuerus dominion So there is nothing so cruel nothing so barbarous nothing so bloudie which the capitall enemies of the Church cannot obtaine at the hands of Princes vtterly to ouerthrowe and roote it out But the eye of the Lord which watcheth for the safetie of his causeth that those wicked ones do often bring forth a birth quite contrary to their deliberation and that they fal into the pit which they digged for others and into the nets which theÌ„selues did bend and that the euill which they went about falleth vpon their own head This Historie ought to teach vs the estate of the Church in this world and the disposition of her enemies as also what meanes they are accustomed to vse practising for this purpose witchcraft and sorceries and feyning accusations wherby they blind the eyes of kings that they may the more easily abuse their name and authoritie their power and forces all which things by the exposition of euery part we shal the better vnderstand First then Haman commandeth to cast alot before him which in the PersiaÌ„ toong is called Pur. The time is noted for the greater light and credit of the Historie to wit the first month of the 12. yeare of the raigne of Assuerus about foure yeares after that Ester was proclaimed Queene The endwhich he proposeth to himselfin casting the lot was that it might be known what moneth and what day would be fittest for the execution of his cursed purpose it is said that the lot being cast froÌ„ day to day and from moneth to moneth did fall vpon the 12. moneth which here is called Adar answering in parr to our February For the months are here reconed after the maner of the Iewes which begaÌ„ their yeare in March the day also is afterward noted Vers 13. to wit the 13. day of the month So that the lots do certifie HamaÌ„ both of the month day which should be fittest for the
in the Church yet hath shee retayned fasting teares and sighes as the most conuenient furtherances for our weakenesse and most beseeming the grauitie of publike assemblies Priuately it is lawfull for euery one to vse those meanes whereby hee may be stirred vp to true humilitie and repentance whether he put on sackcloth or lye on the ground putting his mouth in the dust as Ieremie Laâ— 3. 29. 1. Tim. 4. 8. speaketh so that he knowe that all this bodily exercise hath little profit as Paule sayeth and that hee place not the seruice of God in these exercises or faigne vnto it an opinion of merit as vnskilfull men are wont in the Church of Rome So that when these outwarde things are referred to their right ende and vse which is that wee may be the more cast downe and humbled before God by them and raysed vp to true repentance that our zeale may be increased and our prayers more feruent then they helpe and are pleasing and acceptable to God who as hee hath created the bodie no lesse then the soule doth also require to bee serued with both and in both will haue vs to giue testimonie of earnest repentance and amendment But wee must especially take care that the contrition and humilitie of the heart placing his hope and trust in the mercye of God doo goe before these outwarde things after which the confession of our sinnes must followe and an acknowledging of Gods iustice with earnest prayer desire of pardon and deprecation of the deserued punishments and last of all an ardent petition of help and defence to the glorie of his name The sprinklings of such a sacrifice are fastings sighes and teares and from that as from a fountaine do these outward things drawe all the dignitie that they haue but faith repentance hope are the gifts of God of his meere grace which receiue all their dignitie from the onely merite of Christ Iesus and his obedience Wherefore our whole repentance with all the parts fruits and testimonies thereof are the gifts of God whose whole merite commeth from that onely sacrifice which our Lord Iesus Christ offered once vppon the Crosse for vs by which alone God is appeased turneth away his wrath from vs and forgiueth vs our sinnes Therefore beeing reconciled vnto God by so excellent a price our repentance which is the gift of his grace is pleasing and acceptable vnto him because that by our humilitie wee magnifie his glorie and by acknowledging of our sinnes wee commend his iustice and in that wee flee vnto him in the middest of our miseries yea and death he is acknowledged to be the author of life and saluation a gratious gentle and mercifull God How then can it be but such a repentance shall be acceptable vnto God when he deferred the sentence of vengeance alreadie giuen against Achab for 1. Reg. 21 29. for that he humbled himselfe before God although his heart were not syncere and vpright and oftentimes did hee patiently beare with his people in the wildernesse although their heart were not Psa 78. 37. pure and right with God Thus haue wee how Mardochaeus and the rest of the Iewes did publiquely testifie their repentance looking for helpe and deliuerance from God If any man demaund what their sinnes were the answere is easie that besides the vsuall sinnes whereuâ—to men are giuen this also was added that through feare and negligence they remayned in those strange countryes when the rest of their brethren by the commandement and leaue of Cyrus were returned to Ierusalem and the holy land And it behoued them when they were thus appointed to the slaughter to feele how great a sinne they had committed in not returning with the rest into their country By this example and such like in which we see that the faithfull neuer found more safer protection then Gods mercie nor more strong weapons then prayers and teares our sluggishnes must be rowsed vp especially at this time in which we see the furie of the enimies more then euer to be kindled and that they take greater courage to oppresse Gods truth and destroy Gods pure seruice to flee vnto him and to be conuerted with our whole heart that hauing mercie on vs he will appoint an ende of our miseries or at the least moderate them and giue vs strength whereby through his name wee may ouercome all incommodities and daungers whatsoeuer And of the remedie which Mardochaeus and the rest of the Iewes did seeke thus farre The other remedie vnto which Mardochaeus did flee is the fauour of Ester for which cause it is sayd that he went euen vnto the Kings gate to wit that hee might be seene by some of Esters retinueâ— and so declare vnto her in how greaâ— danger both he and the whole nation oâ— the Iewes were for hee might not enter within the Kings gate beeing clothed with sackcloth Where by the way we are to note that the Kings of Persia that nothing might either come to their eares or be in their sight whereby they might be made sadde as are cryes and weeping and sighing and the very attyre of the afflicted testifying their sorrowe would not that any should come into their sight in such apparell and besides that this was vsed to be done by them that they might driue farre away all memorie and thought of death But this is not onely a great nicenesse and effeminacie but it is also exceeding great and more then barbarous crueltie For to what ende are Kings appointed but that they should be the refuge of the miserable and afflicted So it commeth for the most part to passe that there is no entrance for the distressed into the house nor any waye or meanes to complayne vnto them but they must comfort themselues with this that the gate of heauen is alwayes wide open vnto them in as much as the Father of heauen calleth all that are afflicted vnto him and promiseth them helpe and ayde Therefore Mardochaeus seeing he could not enter into the kings house cryeth out in the streetes that Ester may be certified of this his sorrow which also came to passe by her maidens Eunuchs whereat she was grieued exceedingly and sent him other garments that so he might enter into the kings palace but Mardochaeus refused them By this wee may know that Esters gentle disposition and nature was not altered by her royall dignitie and greatnesse but that she had a most louing carefulnes towards Mardochaeus whome she worthily acknowledgeth as her neere kinseman and holdeth him in steede of her father and besides would gladly relieue him and if it were possible rid him of all care and doubtfulnesse A most worthie example for all to behold and namely for mightie men who haue all delights in abundance that they may learne to relieue the distressed for for this end haue they receiued at Gods hande riches and aboundance of all prosperitie that they should communicate them vnto others and succour the