shadowes clearely be chaced away 3. Particular Anger in generall may bee defined a commotion of the minde for some supposed evill ioyned with an appetite of revenge Let the parts be examined I say first a commotion for that it is not a simple affection but compounded of hate or mislike and hope hate for some conceived iniury hope to be revenged vpon the iniurer yea it drawes the whole man into commotion the head deviseth the hand acteth the feete cannot abide in one place but runne the paths of destruction all the inward powers are like wise troubled our love perplext feare confused desires inflamed our reason peruerted and the whole man doth suffer paine together with the passion and is disordered Therefore not vnfitly doe I call it a commotion So also is it a commotion of the minde not of the humor or complexions principall it being the iudgement of Divines so likewise of true Phylosopy that the passions may bee occasioned from the divers temperatures of the body but doe proceede principally from the disposition of the divine soule according to the truth of this principle that the soule is the prime moover in the body and it were a thing monstrous and absurd to affirme that the humours of the body have any power over the soule to worke vpon it contrary to its immortall and impassible nature impassible of any power save onely from that hand which made and infused it Besides many arguments tending to which purpose receiue this one for all namely that two the most principall affections gouerning in this life loue and ioy are not determined together with the ending of the story of our dayes but doe accompany the soule and are inherent in the same after as without the expression of which two there can bee no happinesse a cleare euidence that both the soule was the prime moover while it dwelt in the body so that it doth retaine the same power and that in a more noble kinde when it is without the body I adde this moreover that it ariseth from some supposed evill For there is not alwayes a reall and subsisting cause of our anger The Pope was angry for his Peacocke the Pope was angry for his Porke and wee are often angry with our very shadowes And lastly I say ioyned with an appetite of reuenge and therefore wee see commonly at the first apprehension of any wrong that the blood doeth recoyle vnto the heart and by and by into the face as a Blood-hound or Mastiffe to flie into the face of the iniurer Among all the passions by God planted in the nature of man there is none more violent then that of anger and for this cause truely because wee are by nature more impatient of euill then we are coueting of good made senselesse sometimes through the cloying excesse of present delights but too quicke and sensible enough euen of the least supposed euill where against anger doeth chiefely bend its force It is nourished with the most bitter humour a bagge of gall hath angers food it feedeth on the same with greedines yet without all delight and thirsteth after humane blood It is a Serpent that eateth out her owne bowels a wilde beast that scorneth to bee tamed a sacke full of poison a fire pent vp within the bones a flame when it breaketh out to consume others It is a sickenesse of the Soule a Frenzy a Fury a Madnesse Ora tument ira nigrescunt sanguine venae Lumina Gorgonia saevius angue micant The lips swell the blood turnes blacke within the veines The eyes more firie red then are Gorgonian Snakes What have not Poets and heathen Moralists written in the reproach and dispraise of anger Let him that is angry before hee strike his fellow behold his owne countenance in the glasse and then let him beare his anger first which hath thus transformed and disfigured him Notwithstanding hee who hath placed the sand a bound for the sea that intractible and foming Element who hath taught the Vnicorne to abide by his crib hee doeth nurture Beares and teach young Lyons to seeke vnto him for their prey Woolues and Badgers are his obedient slaues Yea the poison of Aspes Scorpions and Toades are tempered by his great hand to the common good of the generall body his hand hath also tempered the passion of anger to the good of the lesser body man-kinde I hold not with the Stoickes who hold a vacuitie of passions Christ our righteousnes was angry sometimes when he lived vpon earth as also he wanted not any other the affections griefe ioy c. In heaven there shall bee perfect peace and ioy without interruption and I see there no cause of anger As the intrailes therefore of the beasts vnder the Law were exempted from the sacrifice so the spleene and gall of our natures which serue here onely to feed our male contented passions shall be exempted it may bee or left at the bottome of the hill when wee ascend that holy Mount which reacheth above the cloudes and the Citie which is the mother of vs all But in the terrene condition of ours so throughly seasoned with euils the onely true obiects of anger God hath seated it among the other affections of the minde as not onely vsefull but necessary in this life and it is that to the soule which the Nerue is to the body a whetstone of fortitude a spurre to vertue and honourable actions Among all the other parts therefore before mentioned in angers description let vs take into a little further view the obiect whereupon it is bent and concerning which it is to be directed The onely obiect of anger is evill whether reall or apparant but most truely reall and therefore Ionah here was much mistaken in that he made God the obiect of his anger who is goodnesse it selfe Others have divided anger according to the obiects into anger inhumane as to be savage against kinde and kindred madde as that of Balaams to be angry with his Asse senselesse as that of Xerxes to bee angry with the Mountaine Aethos to be angry with the River Hellespont I affirme that evill is the onely obiect of anger and is in our selues or others First for our selues for there is a time when wee ought to be angry with our selues An old man there was once heard chiding hee was asked with whom with a certaine old man quoth he who weareth gray-haires but wanteth vnderstanding And so Plato vpon a time went in hast to beate his seruant and taking the scourge of correction in his hand hee stood still for a good space with his hand lifted vp and in the end spake thus exigo paenas ab irato I chastise quoth he my owne anger Thus anger rightly bestowed against our selues the Apostle doeth commend in the 7. Chap. the 2 Epistle to the Corinthians as a noble branch of repentance or godly sorrow For the same that yee sorrowed after a godly sorrow saith hee among other fruites what
changeth not though chang'd be we Then doe thy office but consider The Gourd that spring's from'th ground will wither IONAH'S CONTESTATION ABOVT HIS GOVRD IN A SERMON DELIVERED AT Pauls Crosse Septemb. 19. 1624. IONAH 4. vers 9. And God said to IONAH Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd and he said I doe well to be angry even vnto death THIS whole Prophesie or Booke of Ionah may well for the state thereof be so conceived as to be borne forth by way of Dialogue or Interlocution betweene the Lord and Him the Argument maintained sometimes directly sometimes indirectly by Word by Signe by Practise by Example The Lord begins The word of the Lord came vnto Ionah the sonne of Amittai c. Ionah answeres disobediently The Lords sends him to one place hee goeth to another Then the Lord speaketh againe but by his creatures opposing his practise against Ionah's and maintaines his Argument by the Windes the Marriners the Whale-fish and so the controvesie descendeth into the bottome of the Sea At the third Chapter Behold A new Scaene of trouble beginneth The word of the Lord came vnto Ionah the second time saying Arise Goe vnto Nineveh that great Citie and Preach vnto it the preaching that I bid thee Here Ionah answeres like an obedient seruant conforming his practise to the Lords command But soone after his Message according to the tenour thereof not taking effect he showes his discontented minde and the same expressed in angry tearmes inwardly conceived by way of expostulation in the beginning of the fourth Chapter Then the Lord enters parley with Ionah after a friendly manner Doest thou well to be angry the Lord replies vpon Ionah by a loving signe and the Lord prepared a gourd c. and thereof Ionah was exceeding glad But now Iterum saeuiunt irae Anger breakes out againe The gourd withers Ionah frets the Lord speakes Ionah answeres the one friendly as before the other frowardly Ionah Doest thou well to be angry yea saith Ionah I doe well to bee angry even vnto death The next words conclude the prophefie and whole disputation directly against Ionah And thus may be conceived the frame and structure of the whole Booke This Text is a plaine part of the Dialogue disputation contestation or contention which you will and herein more particularly are obserueable the parties contending the Lord and Ionah the manner how the contention or controversie is carryed and it is by word or saying God said to Ionah and againe Ionah said to God The matter in question is expressed in the word angry and therein I shall speake of anger somewhat largely the question in speciall is concerning Ionah his anger and therein I shall deale more strictly And thus far on the Lords part The answere of Ionah hath likewise in it these three specialties answerable to the three parts of the former Quere which may easily bee apprehended in the question by the Lord specially directed to Ionah First here is a simple affirmation on Ionah's part the Lords question first implying thus much Ionah art thou angry yea saith Ionah I am angry Secondly a peremptory affirmation or iustification Doest thou well to be angry Ionah yea I doe well to be angry Thirdly a deepe aggravation Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd yea I doe well to be angry vnto death The first Circumstance The parties contending are the Lord and Ionah Impar congressus a most vnequall match and yet Ionah farre the weaker hath also the weaker cause in hand Tu domine fundasticaelos Thou Lord in the beginning hast established the heavens and laide the foundation of the earth and formed the spirit of man within him Great is our God and great is his power his wisedome is infinite Now looke vpon Ionah and who or what is he at the best but a weake and mortall creature a man borne of a woman of few dayes and full of misery hee commeth vp and is cut down like a flower he fleeth as a shadow and abideth not And doest thou open thine eyes vpon such an one bring such one into iudgement with thee saith Iob in the same place Here is instruction for all in places of Superiority let them learne from this one example of the Lord here how to carry themselues towards their inferiours Doth the Lord vouchsafe to reason with Ionah and give him account of his doings who then art thou that doest swell against thy brother and disdainest to answere thy fellow-seruant Drop downe yee heavens from above and let the skies powre downe righteousnesse Woe be to him that striveth with his maker For wee may not search into the Lords counsell further then he hath revealed it is farre more dangerous then to meddle in mans matters but there admire where he hath concealed Howbeit we see to the shame of our pride and scorne of our haughtie stomackes the Lord full often doth not refuse to commit himselfe to the tryall the Iudge to be iudged by vs his vassals Therefore hath he appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world in righteousnesse and the consciences of wicked men who refuse his iudgements now shall be made to acknowledge his iustice then Thus speakes the Apostle and he alleadgeth it out of the Psalmes that thou mightest be instified in thy sayings and overcome when thou art iudged Let then all petty gods take example from this great God whether they be Kings or Rulers or Magistrates or Officers or Masters or Fathers of Families since God is equall towards vs and that the heavens will one day declare let vs learne equitie and faire dealing one towards another This lesson had Iob learnt Chap. 3.13 If I did despise the cause of Man-seruant or Maide-seruant when they contended with mee what shall I doe when God riseth vp and when hee visiteth what shall I answere him Thus shall we walke worthy the title of Gods otherwise breake the teeth of the vngodly and malicious smite out the Iaw-bones of the Lyons O Lord. For such who walke not according to this rule retaine no longer the image of their Maker but are degenerated into Lyons Beares Tygers evening Woolues and so are they called in Scripture The second Circumstance Here the question is how the saying came to Ionah againe how Ionah spake to the Lord. Was it facie ad faciem face to face not so It was a Priviledge of Moses alone Exod. 12. That the Lord would speake to him face to face and this but in a figure too there being intended thereby but only a more familiar kinde of presence or dealing with Moses then with any other the Prophets vntill Christ came for when Moses desired to see the glory of God and his very countenance it was permitted to him only to haue a sight of his Backe-parts while his glory passed by This being a received truth That no man can see God and live I meane the life of Nature more then the waxe can indure the heate of
am and without the grace of God assisting the perfectest that ever were among the sonnes of men Christ only excepted had not power of themselves one houre to subsist In this then let mee cheere vp my heart that if I fall into drunkennesse I have a Noah to raise me when I am truly grieved if into adultery I haue a David to support mee when my heart is truly affected with his penitentiall Psalme if into pride of heart I have an Hezekiah to restore mee when the same heart is with godly sorrow truly humbled If I fall into plaine impaciencie murmure and repining I have a Moses a Iob a Ieremy a Ionah to direct mee when vnto a more sober and setled spirit with them I am returned Let this vse be made of the Saints faylings to comfort vs in our infirmities not to animate vs in any wilfull impieties Children they are not of God but of Belial who doe this latter Thirdly In the third place since it is a Prophet that here complaineth and we have observed the like complaints of sundry the Prophets in the examination of this doctrine more then of any other kinds and professions of men whatsoever Let the Prophets and Ministers of God from hence learne somewhat to their instruction at least-wise a right iudgement of the calling and businesse they take in hand Qui desiderat Episcopatum c. saith the Apostle he that desires the office of Bishop or of some inferiour Pastor and Teacher in the Church he desires a good worke But now worke hath painfulnesse and this by few I am sure is desired and if the calling may bee honourable yet sure it is not easefull Cursed is that man especially in this high and holy function that divideth what God hath ioyned together honour and labour or that ioyneth what God hath separated ease and honour The Angels of God the higher in nature the more quicke and diligent are they in their service to God and to his Church and the Prophets of God are called Angels and the Angels Ministers and fellow-servants with them Hee that shall with Atlas vnder-proppe the heavens or with David who was a Prophet beare vp the pillars of the earth no marveile if he groane sometimes And thinke not that it was not for nothing that Ionah here was thus besides himselfe and so iudge of the former complaints of those good Prophets mentioned that they did proceede from the grievous pressures and waight of those burdens which in the waightie charge of their callings they have sustained The names wherewith I finde the calling named may partly instruct vs herein Seers are they called and o how long wilt thou cause mee to behold or see grievance saith one of them Hab. 1. Shepheards they are called and well may say with Iacob Thus was it with mee in the day time the heate consumed mee and the frost by night and my sleepe departed from mine eyes Gen. 31. Are they not also called Watch-men and to them the voyce calleth Watch-man what of the night Watch-man what of the night A Lyon my Lord a Lyon the roaring Lyon that goes about seeking whom hee may devoure Watch yee stand yee fast quit your selves like men I stand I stand continually vpon the Watch-tower saith the Prophet Isaiah in the day time and I am set in my Ward whole nights you know to what end to fore-see dangers Lastly they are called Fishers Matth. 4. and here they must resolve to grapple with many an hideous storme If Peter and Andrew will follow Christ they shall catch soules but withall must looke to finde a sea of trouble of it when once they have launched out into the deepe O that this were considered of at Naioth in Ramah and in the Schooles of the Prophets The Lacedaemonians had their Palastram or place of exercise for the youth that afterwards they might make choice of tryed souldiers against the times of needfull warre What are those houses before named in the right intendment but improovements vnto noble fortitude that with the Priests of God who sounded the trumpets of old the Priests of these dayes may proove incouragers to the Lords people in the Lords battels against sinne and wickednesse Diogenes vpon a time comming into the tent of Philip King of Macedon was askt by him if he came as a spye yea quoth he for I come to spye out thy folly and madnesse who being not constrained by any necessitie doest set as it were vpon the dicing board both thy life and kingdome Are not we according to the best acception in as high honour as ever was the Macedonian Philip doth not the neglect of our office draw with it as great danger as his folly How is it then that we who should bee leaders to the Lords people have cloathed our selves with the fashions and humours of the times in stead of the compleate Armour commended by Saint Paul to the Ephesians have put on the sword of infidelitie the girdle of licentiousnesse the breast-plate of vnrighteousnesse the shield of infidelitie Whooredome and wine and new wine take away the heart was the complaint of old We have not lessoned but added to the account chambering and wantonnesse Tobacco too and drunkennesse are the sins of these dayes and which is worst of all I would not speake it the Prophets doe eate vp the sins of the people O that my head were a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the sinnes of the Prophets For the leaders of my people cause them to erre saith the Lord leading them into blinde pathes and crooked waies and they shall stumble and fall together and none shall raise them vp saith the Lord. The case indeede must needs proove desperate when they who should support doe stand in neede of supportation and they who should be raisers vnto others are themselves down Awake for shame oh yee of the stocke and stemme of Levi and let Aarons rod flourish in your hands or else resolve to burne eternally Breake forth into thunder o yee sonnes of thunder and let the trumpet yet sound louder Are not we the men who are now even now to prepare a people against our Masters second comming and is the spirit of Eliah thinke you sufficient for vs now is the time to be zealous or never or never O let the people of God pray for the Priests of God O let the Priests of God whose office calles for more zeale now then did the former dayes looke well into their office if not so farre as to distast the same with Ionah yet to have a more considerate regard and to be more sensible of so sacred and Angelicall a function and not to prepare thereto as the most doe with myrth and Ioviality Neither is my speech wholly to these a word of exhortation would not doe amisse to the Prophets of God in earnest who having in sinceritie vndertaken the calling doe finde truly the burden of it Let them not