Esther 10:2

And the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai] Heb. The exposition. Many make large commentaries upon their own greatness, which a right exposition would show to be rather belluine than genuine. Great men are not always wise, saith Elihu, Job 32:9. But Mordecai was a great wise man, every way accomplished, one of God’s Rabbis, as Daniel calls them, fit to serve any prince in the world. "There is a spirit in man," a rational soul in an ordinary man; but "the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding," Job 32:8.

Whereunto the king advanced him] Heb. Wherewith the king greatened him; wherein he showed himself a wise and politic prince; as did likewise Pharaoh in advancing Joseph; Darius, Daniel; Constantius Chlorus, Christian officers; our Henry VIII, the Lord Cromwell, whom he made his vicar-general. Jovianus, the emperor, was wont to wish that he might govern wise men, and that wise men might govern him. Justin Martyr praiseth this sentence of divine Plato, Commonwealths will then be happy, when either philosophers reign or kings study philosophy (Justin. Apol. 1). Jethro’s justitiary must be a wise man, fearing God, &c., Exo 18:14-26, and that famous maxim of Constantius Chlorus, recorded by Eusebius, is very memorable: He cannot be faithful to me that is unfaithful to God, religion being the foundation of all true fidelity and loyalty to king and country.

Are they not written in the book of the chronicles] These chronicles of Media and Persia, if they were now to be had (as they are not), would far better acquaint us with the history of those times than the fragments of them, collected by Herodotus, Diodorus, Arrian, Justin, and Curtius. But better books than these chronicles are now wanting to the world; as the chronicles of the kings of Israel and Judah, the book of the wars of the Lord, the book of Jasher, Origen’s Octapla (the loss of which work, saith a learned man, deplorare possumus, compensare non possumus, bewail we may, but make up we cannot), Chrysostom upon Matthew (when promotions were offered Thomas Aquinas, his usual answer was, Chrysostomi Commentarium in Matthaeum mallem, I had rather have Chrysostom’s commentary upon Matthew), and many other precious pieces, which learned men would gladly buy at as dear a rate as Plato did those three books that cost him thirty thousand florins. That we have the Holy Scriptures so perfect and entire, preserved safe from the injuries of time and rage of tyrants, who sought to burn them up and abolish them, is a sweet and singular providence; and must be so acknowledged.