made a prouisyon that it shoulde be readie at time conuenient to swalow Ionas vp through the ranks of his teeth without doing him any harme and also kéepe him safe whole thrée days space Moreouer Christe Iesu by his testimonie addeth credite to this historie who affirmeth that by Ionas was exhibited a figure both of his death and also of his resurrection We can not therefore denye the truthe of this thyng accomplished in déede excepte we be mynded therwithall to call in doubte the mysteries of our redemption And that it is not vnpossible for God to bring such thinges to passe is sette out by infinite other examples For it hath great resemblance hereto that when as the floud was redie to come he made all the beastes so tame that they came vnto Noe entred into the Arke and layd asyde their wonted wildnesse And agayne that he so long while preserued Noe in safetie euen in the middest of so horrible flowes of waters as then were The verie lyke thinges were also in tymes paste wrought in Egipt when as God brought Frogges Locustes Flyes and Wormes of all sortes for the subduing of Pharaos cruell mynde What did he not also leade the people of Israell thorow the bottomlesse depthes of the red sea the waters rising on height like a wal on eyther side What shall wée saye of Daniel who is preserued in the middest Lions and his felowes saued among the flames of an hote burning ouen by the miraculous protection of God Or is it not more to be wondred at that sodeinly there swoomme a fishe to Peters hooke which brought the tribute money in his mouth But if there be any that liste to skorn at al these things acompting them for fables what I besech you are they able to answere to the miracle of the vnperfect birthe lying hidde in the mothers wombe Doth it not farre passe the capacitie of mannes vnderstanding that a chylde about the space of fiue monethes shoulde in those straightes not only liue but also encrease in greater strength tyll suche time as it be borne into the world And séeing that is daily brought to passe shall we stand in doubte but that God is hable to worke some singular thing if the necessitie of the case shall so require Why doe we not then acknowledge the puissaunce of GOD and wyth déepe weyghing thereof arme oure selues in all daungers and perplexities with pacience and constancie of faithe For hée that in times past was of mighte to do these thinges the same at this daye in sickenesse in neede in prisonmentes in temptations of the conscience yea euen in death it selfe is of habilitie to defende and preserue vs With Dauid therefore we maye reason by those thinges that are gone before Thou arte hee O God that drevvest me out of my mothers vvombe I haue ben left vnto thee euer since I vvas borne thou arte my God euen from my mothers vvombe And againe Thou leadest vs thorough fire and vvater but thou bringest vs out into a place of comforte Neuerthelesse we shall not muche néede examples fette from other men if euery one wil narowly loke vpon thēselues For they shal find in thēselues many things wherby they may be admonished of Gods power goodnesse therewithall Lastly the figure of Christe muste bée consydered in thys place whiche hée shewed vs hym selfe where as to the Iewes requiring a token he sayd This frovvard and adulterous nation seketh a signe and there shall no signe bee giuen it but the signe of Ionas the prophete For as Ionas vvas in the vvhales belly three dayes and three nights so shal the sonne of man be three days and three nightes in the heart of the earth Howebeit Ionas did not only shadowe the hystorie of the Lordes death and resurrection but therewithall also the frute that sprong vnto vs thereout For as Ionas being cast into the Sea and deuoured of the fishe broughte the Sea to be calme and stilled the tempests of winde Euen so Christ by his death hath pacified God the Fathers wrath tamed the madnesse of the world and the Prince thereof and cleane taken away the horroure of eternall deathe Moreouer as Ionas béeing drowned was causer of the mariners cōuersion vnto God so do we reade that Christe after his resurrection conuerted manie whiche were authoures of hys owne death Besides this as Ionas lyke a conqueroure of the Sea from the wide gaping of the fish escaped safe to the shore so Christ hauing ouercome death the deuil was restored again to life As hervnto that as Ionas being restored brought the Niniuite saluation by preaching of the word So Christe raised from death to life sent out his Apostles amōg the Gentiles who by their preaching were drawne to be felowe partners of saluation You sée then how in this historie are conteined al thinges that may tende to the institution of lyfe faith So that Satan did not without great skil labour to haue obscured the same seeking to haue made folks beleue that it was but the fable of Arion Let vs for our partes be mindefull of these thinges and feare God so that turning from our sinnes we maye haue all our hope of saluation reposed in Chryste Iesu alone who by the merites of his death and by his glorious Resurrection hath vanquished death and hel and set vs at libertie from the iawes of Leuiathan that he mighte make vs partakers of his kingdome To him belongeth thanks giuing honor glory dominion for euer Amen The second Chapter The fyfth Homelie ANd Ionas praied vnto the Lord his God out of the bowels of the fishe and saide In my trouble I called vnto the Lorde and he answered me out of the bellie of the graue I cried and thou heardest my voice Thou hadst cast me doune into the herte of the seas and the floud compassed me about yea all thy vvaues and rolles of vvater vvent ouer me And I saide I am cast avvay out of thy sight but I will yet againe looke toward thy holy temple FOr as much as God had appointed Ionas by especiall priuiledge to be a Prophet to the Gentiles by whose preaching they mighte be stirred vp to repentance not without good consideration is it that in him he setteth foorth such an absolute example of repentance worthy to be imitated in al ages of as many as couet to come in fauoure againe with himselfe This is the scope wherevnto all things tend that as yet we haue herd namely of his franke confession of hys sinne and also of his faithe in God of hys submitting himselfe to Gods will altogether and finally of his counsaile that hée gaue vnto the mariners for their safegard though it were with the peril of his own life But bicause in al these thīgs hitherto there is no mention made of prayer which in repentance is chiefly requisite now is somewhat also entreated thereof For in thys chapter he setteth out an himne or Psalme
haue bene in more myserable case than euen at suche tyme when as of all men liuing they thought themselues the happiest The same that is héere mencioned of the Niniuites let euery one applie to him selfe both priuately and generally and men shall streightway vnderstande that they haue no iust cause to be voluptuous in them selues or cruell to others although they séeme neuer so fortunate by reason of their huge wealth victories or peace that hath continued many yeares Yea lette them rather déepely ransacke their owne consciences and weigh whether any cryes eyther of them or against them goe vp vnto the Lorde and if they espye any such thing let them turne vnto God calling for his mercie submitting themselues to his gouernance and wyth true faith embracing saluation which he offreth in his sonne Christ Iesu to whom belongeth thankesgiuing honour glorie and dominion for euer Amen The second Homelie AND Ionas arose to flee vnto Tharsis from the presence of the Lorde and gat him dovvne to Ioppa vvhere he found a shippe readie to go vnto Tharsis So he payed his fare and vvente aboorde that hee might goe vvith them vnto Tharsis from the presence of the Lorde But the Lorde hurled a great vvinde into the sea and ther vvas a mighty tempest in the sea so that the shippe seemed as thoughe it had gone in pieces Then the mariners vver afrayd and cryed euery man to his god and the goodes that vvere in the shippe they cast into the sea to lighten it of them But Ionas gat him vnder the hatches vvhere he layd him dovvne and slept So the maister of the ship came to him and sayde vnto hym VVhat doest thou thou sluggarde Vp call vpon thy God if God happily vvil think vpon vs that vve perish not THe Prophete Amos sayth that the Lorde God doth no manner of thing but he telleth his secrete before vnto his seruants the Prophets And to this end reuealeth he it not that they shoulde reserue vnto themselues the same whiche they haue learned by reuelation from him or that they should be idle and nourish their curiositie with a vain knowledge of thinges to come but that by threatning of plagues they might wake them vp to repētance whiche haue alreadie before prouoked the indignation of God by meane of theyr sinnes And many places of the Scripture are to be séene whyche doe menace Gods gréeuous Iudgement vnto the Ministers of his woorde yf eyther for the loue of the worlde or feare of perill or any other affections they be drawen awaye to neglecte their duetie For it is sayde to Ezechiel If thou giuest not the vngodly vvarning he shall perishe but his bloud vvill I require at thy hand Ezech. 3. And Paule spake thus of himselfe VVoe vnto me if I preache not 1. Cor. 9. An euident exāple of this matter is presently sette before vs to behold For god sendeth forth Ionas to threaten the Niniuites with the destruction now readie to lighte vpon them and he refusing his charge taketh in hande to flée but so little doth it auayle him that thereby he bringeth bothe himselfe and many other to present daunger of death Nowe althoughe this example chéefly appertayneth to the minysters of Gods worde yet doth it therwithall instruct all men of whatsoeuer place or degrée to learne howe gréeuous an offence it is to forsake the vocation whervnto they are called of god Which that we may the better vnderstande we will view euery portion of thys place in order as it standeth The fyrst parte conteyneth in it a description of the déede of Ionas who hauing heard the commaundement of God ariseth immediatly to flee vnto Tharsis from the presence of the Lorde Howebeit Ionas was not so dull headed as to thinke that he could be hidden from the syghte of GOD whome euen oute of the Psalme 139. hée myghte haue learned to be presente euery where where as it is written VVhyther shall I goe from thy Spirite or vvhyther shall I goe from thy presence Yf I clymbe vp into Heauen thou arte there And yf I shall make my bedde in the Hell thou arte there also c. But as the Leuites and other that serue the Lord are sayd to stande before him so are they also named to flée from the presence of God which haue a mynde to withdraw themselues from his obediēce This was also as it may euidentely appere the same which Ionas went about lith that to the ende he might be altogether ridde of his Propheticall office hée prepareth to departe out of the boundes of the lande of Israell which God had appointed to be the place whereas he would be worshipped By this meanes liued he in hope that now since he abode in an other place God wold make no great inquirie after him he is minded to flée into Tharsis of the whiche worde there are diuers opinions among interpreters For some therby do simplie meane the sea whiche séemeth to haue ben so named of Tharsis the son of Iauan whome with his brethren Moyses writeth to haue inhabited the Isles of the sea in whiche sense the kings of Tharsis are taken for those that belong vnto the Isles and the shippes of Tharsis for those that pertain to the seas But bicause the letter He is added in the ende which is a token vsed in signifying mouing or going forthe to some speciall place and bicause it hath no lykelyhoode that Ionas béeing a graue man and otherwise circumspecte in his dealings would so commit himselfe to the sea as not knowing where to become I leane rather to their iudgement whiche thinke that here is ment some certaine place Some take it to be Carthage or Tunise some other Cilicia with whom I also agrée both by reason of the often méetings betwéen the Jewes and the Cilicians by meanes of their néere neighborhood and also for that Tharsis is numbred among the chief cities of Cilicia and is commended of prophane writers for the famousnesse of the schoole and is accōpted in the holy Scripture notable for Paules sake who tooke his beginning thereoute And it is certain that Ionas directed his iourney clean contrarie Westward being bidden to go vnto Niniue whiche hath hir situation in the East But leauing these things lette vs rather discusse Ionas his fact and what causes draue him to take it in hande As touching his facte some there bée that woulde excuse it and to that effecte cloake it straungely with certaine allegories But what néed therfore any such excuse to be made séeing that bothe God hymselfe pursueth after him béeing a fugitiue and Ionas also for his owne parte confesseth that he hath offended And truly if we will somwhat narowly weighe the matter it shall easyly appeare that this trespasse of his hath many branches For fyrste of all he denyeth obedience vnto God and so offendeth agaynst the chiefe principle of true godlinesse which straightlye commaundeth all the senses of the fleshe yea and
Ionas sake beeing but one God wrappeth in so greate a danger the rest also of the passingers mariners besides that other shippes also whereof it is lyke there were greater store in the same sea For whereas the Ievves saye that the other safely passed ouer I do vtterly reiect it as a thing being impudently forged Some man will say peraduenture that they were vniustly punished who were altogether ignoraÌ„t of the wicked fact that Ionas had coÌ„mitted and had receiued him into their companie for nothing else but eyther for humanities sake or else to make their gain greater which gaine also swarued not from the listes of honestie Howbeit God doth no man iniurie as whose Iudgementes are righteousnesse and truth Nowe although at this present in causing of this tempeste God had regarde especially to this ende therby to punishe the disobedience of Ionas by a meane of calling backe to hinder this fugitiue of his iorney yet might the mariners and other passengers apply no small frute therout to themselues amongst whom some â—owed with vices whiche ought thus to be corrected some others fayth was this waye to be exercised and tried and finally this example was a notable encouragement vnto godlinesse to them all Moreouer the knowledge of God which by this occasion shined vnto them more cléerely than it dyd before made bountifull recompence for all the losse that they suffered of their goodes and merchandise And if is a plaine case that in like examples the same reason is thoroughly to be marked least we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ouer boldly againste god Besides that wée are taught by this experiment howe daungerous a thing it is to keepe companie with them that striue against the will of God and how heinously they sinne whiche are ayders to suche as enterprise any thing againste Goddes minde For the sacrilegious and rash attempt of Achan beeing but one all the Israelites were in daunger So here for Ionas cause alone are they also in ieopardy whiche knewe nothing at all of the trespasse that he had committed What shall then become of such as giue their assent to the deuises of the wicked or which is more shoulder the same foorth with their authoritie What shall they also looke to bee rewarded with who when as they might departe from vngodly and superstitious menne doe notwythstandyng disobey Goddes commaundement herein and all for thys cause leaste they should eyther incurre the enuie of others or else susteyne some losse of their owne substance But let vs passe ouer to the third part of this place wherin is set out what both Ionas and also the Mariners together wyth the reste of the passengers dyd in this so great peril Wheras first we haue to speake of Ionas Hée had gotten hym down vnder the hatches and there being heauie as it were with a dead sléep gaue himself to rest It may be thought a thing woorthie the wondring at that neyther the giltinesse of his sinne as yet freshe in memorie nor the wearinesse of sayling whervnto he was not accustomed nor yet the roughnesse of the tempest now alredy risen could shake of his sléepe Howbeit suche is the nature of sinne that it maketh vs carelesse and vnmyndfull of all daunger if we haue once passed ouer the first feare wherewithall we were troubled for a while Ionas feared nothing but Niniue and hauyng forsaken his natiue countrey he iudgeth himselfe nowe in safetie as for Gods séeking after him it is the furthest ende of his thoughte and therfore as though the matter were very wel brought to passe he frameth himselfe to sléepe The very lyke thing may wée espie in Dauid who hearing that Bethsabe was great with chyld by meanes of his accompanying with hir by and by is striken with a feare to runne in infamie and deuiseth howe to cloke it And when as Vrias béeing first slain he had fetched hir home big with child forthwith al fear being layde apart carelesly he sluggeth snorteth in vnlaufull lustes vtterly vnmindful both of God Gods vengeance till that he is waked vp by Nathan and together with the filthinesse of his horrible fact espyeth also the danger which by reason therof was readie to fal vpon him And suche lyke shal they fynde themselues as many as will thoroughly viewe their consciences within Here therfore may we beholde howe deadly a thing it is to be in bondage vnto sinne which bréedeth such a securitie as wherin we haue no choyse but to perish vnlesse wée be raysed vp by the myghtie hand of god Therwithall also brightly shineth forth his care ouer vs who when as we are a sléep is waking stretcheth out his haÌ„d by his word or else by some secrete inspyrings of his Spirit wherby he maye shake of this deadly sléepe from vs It shall bée oure partes to acknowledge the same care of his and not to take it gréeuously if at any tyme he séemeth to call or speake vnto vs more roughly thaÌ„ we thinke méete as here it happened to Ionas whome the mariner waketh not without giuing him a taunte for his sleeping Let vs rather remember our owne slouthfulnesse iudge our selues to haue deserued suche reproofe and shaking of the olde man let vs turne oure selues to the true workes of godlynesse But what do the mariners It is sayd firste that they were in greate feare So then it was no coÌ„mon and vsual tempest but such a one as wherein they acknowledged a certaine singular worke of god Afterward they vnlade the ship At leÌ„gth when as by assaying all these meanes they coulde nothing preuaile the gouernor of the shippe whose chiefe care was then occupied about the ankor or topsaile rayseth vp Ionas with a checke and wysheth him to crie aloud vnto his God also A man maye see here all things full of tumulte and hurlie burlie wherein thys one thyng yet deserueth some commendation that all the sparkes of Goddes knowledge are not vtterly quenched but they call for his ayde and so confesse that there is some God in whose handes is the dominion not only of lande and sea but also of lyfe and death â–ª And by thys their example we are verie well taught what maner of religion they haue which béeing destitute of the worde of God are ledde by carnall reason For euen by the lawes of nature and by common sense there is some knowledge of the maiestie of God graffed in the vnderstandings of men whereby it commeth to passe that when any extreme daunger of life happeneth euen they also who before had all religion in contempt do now make haste to call vpon god But bicause that naturall man which is directed by the onely lighte of reason ingendred in him perceyueth not those things whiche belong to the spirite of God and for that the flesh being bent onely to outward things séeketh vnto it selfe suche a God as is also visyble and corporally at hande Héereof aryseth it that euery
whiche they had alreadie susteyned and also moued them theyr owne daunger whiche presentlye they were in béeing little estéemed to employ their care about the preseruation of an other Many at this day are of the opinion that they may lawfully eyther reuenge euen with moste extremitie suche iniuries as they haue susteined or béeing placed in any ieopardie carelesly neglect all others yea or to prouide for themselues though it were with the smarte of other men Howebeit it was God that so turned the myndes of these men and planted in them a reuerende feare of his seruaunt as of the same thing there are set forth in the Scriptures examples not a fewe For the same God made Ioseph in fauour with the keeper of the prison and so aduaunced him also afterwarde in the sight of Pharao that he was content to commit vnto him the charge of his whole realme And it was God that made Dauid in fauour with the Philistians and Daniel with Nabuchodonosor and Darius and Paule the Apostle with the captaines and souldiours that they founde them fauourable and gentle Yea it is Gods doing that at this day of a sodaine they become our frendes whom before we knewe not somuch as by name To this ende ought these examples to be considered that wée maye not take it gréeuously to followe suche vocation as God calleth vs vnto who as wée heare hath the heartes of men in his hand and bendeth them according to his owne plesure Neyther shall they bée able to alledge any excuse who for feare of men striue against God whose force is sufficient for the defence of his euerywhere and agaynste whomesoeuer Moreouer they muste imitate these Maryners as many as haue taken any into theyr tuition least they eyther vnaduisedly be wraye them or béeyng prouoked by some lyght iniurie shewe them selues in deadlye displeasure agaynste them For it is a double wrong to forsake or whyche is more lyke enimies to sette oure selues agaynst hym who warranteth hymselfe to fynde a salfe hauen and Sanctuarie among vs whome also eyther by reason of some Couenaunte made or else by common ryght of hospitalitie we were bounde to defende c. Now when these Mariners perceiue all theyr endeuours bestowed in vaine and that euen by the myghtie hande of GOD they are enforced to hurle Ionas into the Sea they tourne themselues to moste feruente prayer crauing that no offence maye bee taken wyth theyr dooings O Lorde vvee beseeche thee lette vs not perishe for this mans deathe neyther laye thou innocente bloud to our charge That is Impute not vnto vs the crime of sheading innocent bloud The reason is For thou O Lorde haste done euen as thy pleasure vvas This is thy dooing thou haste decréed that thus it shoulde bée whose determination wée must of necessitie obey And hauing thus spoken They cast him into the sea This truely deserueth greately to be considered that it séemeth so heynous a matter euen to barbarous menne and suche as had bene brought vp in heathenisme to slea him whose death they vnderstoode euen by the iuste iudgement of GOD to be soughte for It was no doubte graffed in them by the lawes of Nature whereby menne are taughte to abhorre from bloudshead and manquelling And if wée tourne ouer the histories it will manyfestly appeare that the abhomination of manquelling hath ben iudged a moste horrible thing among all nations as whyche coulde no otherwyse bée purged but wyth newe and straunge satisfactions This is euidēt by Pausanias in the historie of Theseus who bicause he had killed Pallas sonnes made a viage to Peloponesus for his purgation and as wée reade in Herodotus Adrastus departed to king Cresus vpon the lyke occasion Héervnto also deserueth the same to be referred which Luke in the 28. of the Acts mencioneth of the men of Miletum who when they saw the hand of Paule whiche had but lately escaped shipwracke sodeinly assayled with a viper incontinently they iudged him to be a murtherer whome thoughe he had escaped the sea yet the vengeance of God pursued and woulde no longer suffer to lyue And surely if wée will déepely weigh the matter it selfe it shall soone be séene that God did not without greate skill imprinte this sense of Nature in men so greatly to detest murthers For firste of all by Murther men offend against the verie lawes of Nature whiche as by a common bond of necessitie it hath bound vs to the mutuall ayding one of an other so hath it also created vs naked withoute weapon lest we should once thinke that we haue reuengement in our owne handes Secondly he sinneth against the misteries of christian Religion that slayeth his neyghbour with whom he is a member of the same bodie vnder Christe the head whose mynde is to haue vs ioyned together in the vnitie of spirite and by this means do manquellers exclude them selues from the felowshippe of the congregation Besydes that this mischiefe redoundeth euen to God who framed mā after his owne likenesse and therefore will not suffer it to be violated withoute punishment In the meane season I say nothing howe that when murthers are in force neyther common peace neither priuate safetie of men can haue any sure grounde Not without good cause was it therfore that euen from the verie beginning of Gods creatures God appointed lawes wherein he forbad bloudsheading and murthers with wonderful seueritie For streightwaye after the floud when the worlde was newly growing againe he prescribed a lawe with these wordes Hee that sheadeth mannes bloud shall haue his bloud shead by man agayne For God made man after his ovvne likenesse And in the lawe it is written Ye shal take none amends for the lyfe of the murtherer but he shall in any vvise be put to death Also ye shall take none attonement for hym that is fledde to a free citie that he shoulde come agayne and dvvell in the lande before the death of the highe Prieste And see ye defyle not the lande vvhich ye are in for bloud defyleth the lande And the lande can none othervvise be clensed of the bloud that is shead therin but by the bloud of him that shead it Adde heere vnto the woordes whyche Chryste vseth in the Gospell All that take the svvorde shall perishe vvith the svvoorde Math. 26. And those also He that killeth vvith the svvorde muste himselfe be killed vvith the svvorde c. Apoc. 13. And least God shoulde omitte any thing in this matter he appoynted cities of refuge whether they might flée whiche had done a murther but not of set purpose least otherwyse vnder a coloure of reuengemente they myght be slayne themselues by his kinsefolkes that was alreadie killed And as for that murther that was happened the authour whereof was not knowne he also ordeyned a kinde of pacifying of God whiche must haue bene doone openly and solemnely leaste the guiltynesse thereof shoulde be imputed to that citie within the boundes whereof