A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse…

Haman was such another, if not worse; and now Queen Esther is plain and round with him, and calls a spade, a spade, though others styled him, Noble, ⟨p. 50⟩Great, Serene, Magnificent, &c. Esther gives him his own with a witness. (The Adversary and Enemy is this wicked Haman) but what a mighty courage had Esther to speak at this rate before the King, and of his grand Favourite and before his face? Surely all this was from the signal presence of God with her Soul; this was a great work of Faith, and a singular fruit of prayer. And now Haman stood up to make request for his life,) O what a strange turn of things is here all upon a sudden! He that a little before was bowed unto by all men, is now upon his knees before a woman; he that was the very day before a professed Enemy of the Jews, is now suppliant to a Jewess; he that a few weeks before had contrived the death and ruin of the Jews is now begging hard for his own life; he that had provided a Gallows for Mordecai, fears nothing more now than that himself should be hanged on it: Yesterday O the caps, knees, and bows that Haman had, and now the same ¹Man covers his face in token of his irrecoverable ruin. The Turks cast a black gown upon such, as they sit at supper with the Great Turk, and presently strangle them: Many of their Viziers or greatest Favourites die in this sort; which makes them use this Proverb, He that is greatest in Office, is but a Statue of glass. Plutarch wittily compareth great Men to Counters, which now stand for a thousand pound, and anon for a farthing; this was Haman's case: And so Sejanus, the same Senators ²who accompanied him to the Senate, conducted him to Prison; they which sacrificed to him as to their God, which kneeled down to adore him, scoffed at him, seeing him dragged from the Temple to the Gaol, from supreme honour to extreme ignominy. When once the Emperor frowned upon him, they showed themselves most passionate against him; saying, that if Caesar had clemency, he ought to reserve it for men▪ and not to use it toward Monsters; this is Courtiers custom to adore the rising Sun, and when great Favourites fall into disgrace, all about Princes will be ready to pluck ⟨p. 51⟩