The Excellency of a Public Spirit

p. 1THE Publick Spirited Man.

— Seeking the Wealth 〈…〉 his People, —

COncerning the Penm◊◊ of this portion of Scripture, there are Various Conjectures. It is gene◊ally thought that it was written ◊y Modecai. Only Philo Iudaeus tells us that Ioa◊him a Son of the high Priest wrote this book at the desire of Mordecai. It is not necessary for us to know who was the Author, as long as we know that whoever it were, he was divinely & so infallibly inspired in what he delivered unto us. The Church of the old Testament to whom were committed the Oracles of God, did with great care preserve them. And with them this book was not only esteemed as Sacred, but they had a more then ordinary veneration for it. It is (as indeed the greatest part of the Scripture is) Historical. We have therein an account of p. 2as great a distress, and as wonderful a deliverance of the Church of God, as ever hapned in any age of the World; which came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus one of the Kings of Persia: but which of those Kings is controverted: Ahasureus is a Persian word, signifying one that has Majesty. The dignity of the person is signified thereby, but it is not a proper name to distinguish one man from another. As Pharaoh was a common name to all the Kings of Egypt, and Caesar to the Roman Emperors, so was Ahasuerus to the Kings of the Medes; and of such Persian Kings as were of the Median blood. But there are chiefly two persons concerned in the History of this Book, who were near Relations, both of them good, and at last great ones. One was Esther made a Queen of Persia, who was born for the welfare of her People. The Jews therefore call this Book Megillath Esther, the Volumn of Esther, because she is the principal person spoken of in it. The other great and good person treated of therein is Mordecai the Jew. Of whom three particulars are noted in this verse. (1) His advancement, He was next unto the King. i. e. next in Power and Authority. He was under the King the chief Ruler. (2) Here is noted the Esteem which he had with them that were both his own and also the Lords people: He was great among them, i. e greatly esteemed and honoured by them. And accepted of the Multitude of his brethren. Commonly if p. 3a man is advanced he is envied of his brethren It was not so with him; his brethren rejoyced at his prosperity. (3) We have his behaviour under his Advancement, in the words before us to insist on. He did as became one in so publick a station. He shewed that he was a man of a Publick Spirit. The providence of God put into his hand a great opportunity to advantage himself, as to his own secular Interests, but his heart was rather set upon promoting the welfare of his people. He sought good for them, as the Original carries it. i. e. He endeavoured both by word and deeds to promove those things which would be for their good. And this is written in the Book of God to the everlasting renown of Mordecai, and for the instruction of others that shall read or hear of it.

p. 3The Doctrine which the words afford unto us, is,

That as Rulers ought to be of a Publick Spirit, Seeking the Welfare of their People, so when they are such, it will be to their lasting Renown

The D◊ctrine before us may be confirmed in three Propositions.

PROP. I. Men ought to be of Publick Spirits▪ I◊ it true (as in the next Proposition we shall shew) such a Spirit is a Grace requisite in some men above others. Nevertheless, it is that which every man should have. This is an All p. 4concerning Truth. The Commandment which says, Love thy Neighbour as thy self, enjoyns this on every man. Therefore dos the Scripture say, 1 Cor. 10 24 Let no man seek his own, that is to say, not that only, but every mans anothers wealth So then every man ought to be of a Publick Spirit. No man may be, and no good man is under the d◊minion of Cains Spirit, who said, Am I my brothers keeper? Yes. Every man should be concerned for his brothers preservation and prosperity.

This will appear if we consider what things are implied in a Publick Spirit.

1. Men ought to be affected with other mens Condition, and especially with Publick concerns as if ◊hey were their own. Thats one thing implyed in a Publick Spirit. Where there is such a spirit, there is a sympath◊zing with others: and that ought to be. Rom. 12 15 R◊joyce with them that rejoyce, and weep with them that weep. The contrary to this argues a private, s◊◊fish spirit. When if a man is in prosperity hims◊lf, he cares not who is in misery: If he has plenty he cares not who has poverty. The holy Apostle was of another spirit, 2 Cor. 11 29 Who is weak, and I am not week? who is offended, and I burn not. Especially we should be concerned for the Publick Interest. Ier. 22 10 Weep ye not for the dead, but weep for him that goeth away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native Country. That is, dont weep so much for the loss p. 5of your particular friends, as for the Publick Calamity which is coming on the Nation: In this did our Saviour Christ give the greatest Instance of a publick Spirit: He shewed more concernedness for the misery of others, than for his own particular sorrows, though they were greater than ever any mans, when he said to the daughters of Jerusalem, Weep not for me, but weep for your selves and for your Children, Luk 23.28. And when he considered what was coming on that City, He wept over it, because they knew not the things that concerned their peace, Luk. 19 41. Most of all the concernments of the Church of God should ly near to our hearts. Vriah shewed that a pious and publick Spirit ruled in him, when he had more regard to the condition of the Lords People, and of the Ark of God, than to his own domestick concerns. So Nehemiah was much affected and affl◊cted when he heard that in Jerusalem they were in great distress. And the holy Penman of the 137. Psalm, preferred Ierusalem above his chiefest joy.