and down the City when he came there and might spend much of his strength by travelling and crying all along Learn we Ministers and people to settle to difficult costly and dangerous duties Are they not Gods Commandments did not he say Arise and cry To the third point The wickedness of a people doth go Doctr. 3 up and call for vengeance upon them Wickedness calls for vengeance so did the blood of Abel against Cain Gen. 4 10. So did the filthiness of the Sodomites against that City Chap. 18.21 So the cry of Servants wages detained â—ames 5.4 And here the Robbery and Oppression of the Assyrians who had made slaughter of many Nations and spoiled others to enrich themselves together with the cries of Widows and Fatherless Children and their Pride Idleness Filthiness Inchantments other sins which were now grown so great that the Earth was no longer able to hold the cry but the Air and Heaven too did ring of their sinfulness and now it was high time for God to take vengeance The Lord sees when the iniquity of a man or people is ripe and then proceeds to judgment as of the Amorites It is not yet full but when it is I will 〈◊〉 root them out Gen. 15.16 Every single sin comes up before God and provokes wrath Psal 7.11 but wickedness much more He is angry with the wicked every day but defers to do execution till the measure of sin be filled up and then he can forbear no longer Use 1 Admire the patience and long-suffering of the Almighty though he be wearied daily with the cries of mens sins yet he bears all yea though they be sins of whole Towns whole Nations or the whole world He is not slack of his coming but patient to us-ward and waits for our Repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 No mans patience can be so exercised as Gods is yea we see too often how even a godly man hath some adoo to keep patience on such and such provocations Oh the goodness and long-suffering of our God to whom our wickedness goeth up continually The Lord the Lord merciful and gracious slow to wrath abundant in goodness and truth Use 2 Admire also the worth and power of Christs mediation which cries down the cry of our sins and keeps off the vengeance which thereby we had deserved The blood of Christ speaks better things then the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 mercy and not judgment and this secures both the persons and duties of Believers though they deserve a fulness of wrath yet by the mediation all will be well with them Use 3 This shews people the sinfulness and danger of their estate even when they are most secure All the while their wickedness gets up before God and would draw down vengeance upon then when they are most jolly and brave in their worldly enjoyments yet their extreme danger continues sin hath not lost his voice of crying as here against the Ninevites yea it cries more because of more light and more means of grace so the men of Nineve shall rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it Take heed of sin if not for the foulness which should Use 4 be yet for the fearful after-claps and for the measure of your sins lest that be filled up and then the Vials of wrath be emptied upon you Know the Lord can overthrow England as well as Nineve and we have had warning not only for forty years but forty and forty and more then that it is now above a hundred years that the Gospel hath been preached among us with liberty and encouragement and ye know we have sins enough to hasten the overthrow Oaths and other abominations Consider and beware if there were no more mischief in sin but the losing of the Gospel it were bad enough an intolerable loss to have the Candlestick removed out of his place or to have your Jonahs sent from Israel to Nineve or the righteous taken from the evil to come Ver. 3. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa and he found a ship going to Tarshish so he payed the Fare thereof and went down into it to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Here the Prophet declines the Lords message of going to Nineve by going a quite contrary way Why Jonah fled to Tarshish His ground he tells us in Chap. 4.2 Namely a carnal fear lest he should be ashamed and accounted a false Prophet if within forty dayes Nineve were not overthrown A great matter with the proud nature of man which cannot endure the least disparagement Other reasons Jonah might have for not going to Nineve So peter Act. 1â— 1. The strangeness of the thing No Prophet had ever been sent to the Gentiles before Jonah All of them were sent to the house of Judah or of Israel and should Jonah be the first man that should be sent to the sinners the Gentiles God goes beside his ordinary method and Jonah thinks strange of it 2. What hope could there be of doing good among the Heathen seeing he had so little good among Gods own people should Ninevites be converted and Israel not converted how can things go quite in a new Road which was never heard of 3. Might not Jonah fear what would become of him among a Company of Infidels who were also rich and proud and knew not God he one and they many he a poor man and they the Potentates of the world What should one Lamb do among a thousand Wolves 4. For the Errand which Jonah was to deliver what likelihood that Nineve should be overthrown within forty days seeing no enemy appeared before it and it had now flourished twelve hundred years in great prosperity what wise man would go and publish impossibilities No sound reason at all Yet all this is but carnal fear and Jonah sinned greatly in flying to Tarsus 1. He left the Command and calling of the great God of Heaven which is the only rule of all our obedience 2. He left the Land of Israel wherein his main business lay for all his life-time 3 He thought poorly of God as if he could not meet with him at Tarsus as well as Samaria 4. He shewed little pity to thousands of souls that might receive benefit by his preaching All shewing the great corruption of mans nature even after grace received and how watchful we need to be and keep close to our rule and to the calling wherewith we are called not regarding the crooked rules of humane reason and wisdom which Jonah too much followed He rose up to flee to Tarsus The chief City of Cilicia Expos 1. St. Pauls Country a Citizen of no mean City Act. 21.39 Some say Jonah went to be a Merchant there another while But it is not good to fasten more sins to the good man then we are sure of It is most likely that as a man
Master And this is the fruit of Gods fatherly chastisement to the faithful that they learn his statutes and when they are corrected they are instructed out of his Law Psal 94.12 This is all the fruit Esa 27.9 Jonah now will go and do his Errand But this is wanting in the wicked still stubborn 4. Among a Company of wicked men it may be enemies of God and Religion Jonah here is amidst a number of Infidels and see what a profession he makes of his faith the true God is avowed and they led to the acknowledgement of him and afterward they offer sacrifice to him 1 Pet. 3.15 1 Tim. 6.12 13. This also is our duty Give a reason of the hope that is in thee witness a good Confession And this among other Articles I believe in the God of Heaven that made the Sea and dry Land Remember Christians Use and own God openly and against all discouragements or amidst all tokens of wrath fear him as Jonah here professeth and remember what are the effects of fearing God and that fear is put for the whole worship of God Mal. 3.16 they that feared the Lord spake often one to another which may well be because no part of his worship may be void of an holy fear and reverence toward the God of Heaven serve the Lord with fear Psal 2.11 Heb. 12 28. and rejoyce with trembling serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear pray with an awful regard of his great Majesty tremble at his word Phil. 2.12 And all must work out their salvation with fear and trembling Now from Jonahs Confession of his fault before the Mariners we learn It must be the humility and modesty of Christians Note Confess faults one to another to confess their faults one to another so is the Commandment Jam. 5.16 confess you faults one to another and pray one for another Not only confess to God as in the serious exercises of Repentance but to men whom it concerns to know what evil we have done as here it behoved Jonah to declare what fault he had committed which caused this Tempest God hath pointed him out for a Malefactor and he must acknowledge wherein So this Confession must be twofold 1. Publick if the offence hath been publick and scandalous when the whole Congregation hath been offended the whole Congregation must receive satifaction namely by an open testifying of shame and sorrow So the incestuous Corinthian had punishment inflicted on him by many 2 Cor. 2.6 so should our scandalous members be served that by the shame they may be brought to repentance and their souls saved that the Venom of the bad example may be stopt and go no farther that the mouths of Idolaters may be stopt and they not occasioned to blaspheme that others may fear and not do the like that the Plaister may be as wide as the wound that the love of the Congregation may be gained to the offendor and their prayers and a Brotherly converse together 2. Private if the offence hath been private It shall suffice in such a case that the party offending acknowledge the fault he hath made and the party offended ought to accept of his confession Luke 17.3 4. Take heed to your selves if thy Brother trespass against thee rebuke him if he repent forgive him And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day come again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him So in the fift Petition of the Lords Prayer Forgive us as we forgive and our Saviours Exposition Mat. 6.14 15. If ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Object It were a shame to come to Confession Answ 1. It is a Duty 2. There is a Prophesie that Converts in the New Testament should be ashamed and confounded for their sins Ezek. 16.61 and 20.43 3. This prophesie is fulfilled in Rom. 6.21 What fruit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed 4. There ought to be that humility and modesty in true Christians as to take their shame and blame home to them saying Dan. 9.7 8. To us belongs nothing but shame and confusion of face 5. We have an example of Gods own directing of Delinquents to Confession before the party offended Job 42.7 8 â— Jobs friends had gone awry in rebuking him and therefore they must go and humble themselves before him gain his prayers for them and so be fully reconciled to God and him Hear Christians Use and learn of Jonah to confess your faults one to another Though it be against the Haire and against thy Credit yet be contented Go in Gods way and that is the course to set all at rights as here Jonah though for a while cast into the Sea yet after a while he recovered well enough Numbers learn by the failings of godly men to offend and go astray as they did but learn thou to confess and mourn and amend as they did there they are set for an example and not in the other Non cadendi exemplum c. That we should not lust after evil things as they lusted 1 Cor. 10.6 And that we should take off the offence that hath been given to Children Servants Neighbours Ministers It was a rare example of the worthy Knight Sir A. Cope in prayers with the Family to confess his own personal sins and failings A matter of shame but withall may work much upon the hearers to be like-minded and follow the good example every one in his own private Devotions For the third Then were they exceedingly afraid They were afraid before because of the Tempest and of their danger thereby but now they fear none because they know more fully how the case standeth they know the true God distinctly they know him the cause of this tempest and danger they see an offender discovered in an extraordinary manner they see he is a just God and bears not with sin in his own servant and will see more of him shortly when he sends a calm at Jonahs casting forth and they escape through his mercy Note Stand in awe of Gods judgments The more discoveries we have of God in his Mercy and Justice the more we should be stricken with fear toward him fear to offend him care to please him be the better for his tempests and terrible works among us and by his cords of Love and Bounty be held the closer to him in Duty Job 37 23 24 Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out he is excellent in power and in judgment and in plenty of justice he will not afflict Men do therefore fear him be respecteth not any that are wise of heart see also Jer. 5.21 22 23 24. Use Then worse then Barbarians are those Christians who in all the terrible storms and shakings of the times live securely and fear nothing
of Nineve and he arose from his Throne and laid his Robe from him and covered him with Sackcloth and sate in ashes And he caused it to be proclaimed c. Here we have the Ninevites repenting at the preaching of Jonah which is first set down in geneal ver 5. and then declared in particulars in the rest of the Verses In general their repentance is set down two wayes 1. By the cause that moved them They believed God 2. By the adjunct signs of it which are three Fasting Sackcloth and Ashes Note Divers examples of repentance Note out of the whole how many examples of repentance we have in this Book we saw the Mariners repenting and turning to God and we saw Jonah repenting with abundant testifications of the truth of it But these were private acts of piety which went little farther then the men themselves At the Text we have a publick example of King Lords and Commons all humbled and reformed And this example might go far and near to do much good among the Nations that were subject to the large Empire of the Assyrians People generally think it concerns them to do as their Rulers and Commanders do Use Oh that all these examples might perswade our people to an effectual imitation Wherefore are they recorded but for our instruction to do the like and fare well as they did especially the example of the Ninevites both because Chrâ—st proposeth it for our imitation and because he saith they shall be our Judges at the last day unless we repent The men of Nineve repented at the preaching of Jonah and shall rise in judgment with this generation Mat. 12â— and condemn it namely for not repenting But most of all this example concerns those that are Rulers in Church and State that they publickly repent and testifie their repentance as they wish well to the people committed to their charge Not only publish Decrees for humiliation but themselves joyn in the duties of humiliation and more turn from their own evil ways and cause others to turn from theirs Ezek. 18.30 Repent and turn your selves and others from all your transgression Note more Note Most good doâ—â— where least lâ—kely how Jonah reapes most fruit of his labours where he least expected He had preached long to the ten Tribes and we read of no such repenting which without doubt could not chuse but grieve and trouble the good man But now where he was averse to preaching to a people he finds a great crop of Penitents so the first shall be last and the last shall be first the least likely are soonest converted Publicans and Harlots go before the Pharisees into the Kingdom of Heaven Now such examples do hearten us along to preach the Gospel notwithstanding all discouragements Use We sow our seed in the morning and withhold not our hand in the evening because we know not which shall prosper this or that and the worst that are may be gained to God as soon as any it may be sooner Esa 49.4 5. and Though people be not gathered yet shall we be glorious in the eye of God and our reward is with him They believed God Note Penitents look to God in preaching They saw and heard Jonah but they looked higher to his and their great Master A true Penitent looks up to God in the ministery of man When the Theâ—alonians were converted they received Pauls preaching Not as the word of man but as it was in truth the word of God 1 Epist 2.1.3 So the Convert in 1 Cor. 14.25 when the secrets of his heart were made manifest in preaching he fell down before the Preachers and said God is in you of a truth Use No wonder then that so few are converted now-a-days for we cannot get our people to see farther then us the Ministers and why should they much regard weak men like to themselves or what have they to do so to controul them for their sins Certainly we shall never do good to any purpose till we can perswade you to hear as from God and that is but fitting as our Saviour hath said He that heareth you heareth me Luke 10 16. and before the Text Jonah preached the preaching which the Lord bad him to deliver They beliâ—ved God That is They believed the threatning which God had denounced against them by Jonah By Jonah they understood what manner of God the God of Jonah was not as the idol-gods of the Gentiles which did neither good nor hurt but strong and just and true in his threatnings and the believing of this was tâ—e beginning of their repentance They did not only believe Jonaâ— but the God of Jonah so Israel at the red sea seeing their own escape and drowning the Egyptians They believed the Lord and his servant Moses Doctr. Believing of threats works repentance Exod. 14.31 To believe the threats and thunderings of Gods judgements against sin is a good means to work sinners to repentance Such faith is the first bending or â—nclining of the soul toward salvation The people were awakened by John Baptists ministery telling of the Axe laid to the root of the trees J. Martyr to come forth and ask what they should do to be saved Mat. 3.7 18. and Luke 3.10 12 14. So the Goaler by the terrors set on him Act. 16.30 And those that were pricked at the heart chap. 2.37 Why this is the power and efficacy of the word Reas where it is admitted into the heart It is quick and powerful Heb. 4.12 and sharper then any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart The same voice of God that commanded the wind and sea and fish in Jonahs case commands also the guilty consciences of sinners to stoop to the word and yield to his directions Threats come and shake the soul to pieces then come promises and heal the wounds which the threats had made and rules of life to order the Convert according to the mind and pleasure of God This is the Divine Nature of the word our profession is rightly called Divinity because there goes with it the Majesty and Authority of God And it serves to condemn those nice and delicate hearers Use 1 of the word who must not be troubled or disquieted in the least with the denunciation of Gods judgements against them for their sins but say in effect Esa 30.10 Prophesie unto us smooth things Prophesie deceits Yet the Lord sent Jonah with an harsh message to Nineve and the Prophets came with many thundering peaâ—es against the drunkards of Ephraim and other sinners yea our Saviour doubled and trebled his woes against the secure in his time Mat. 11. and 23. And for them that believe not these threats both Christ the Prophets and Apostles have opened the sad case of all such First Esaiah complains Lord Chap. 53
and obedience Certainly Rom. 15.4 as all Scripture is written for our instruction so this concerning Jonah His example gives us fair warning not to leave known duties whatever carnal reasonings may suggest for the neglect of them Not to sleep or rest secure after any sin committed lest a storm from God fall upon us and endanger our comfort in God if not our salvation Not to be eager for the destruction of any though bad enough and they deserve to be destroyed Not to favour that cholerick disposition which we know to rest in some of our breasts but be very watchful and mortifie this corruption more and more Nor to mutter against any of Gods dealings either with our selves or others how crosse soever they seem to be On the other side Jonah's example warns us to shame our selves for errors we have made as he here doth in writing these things of himself To submit patiently as he doth to those fatherly chastisements which it pleaseth God to afflict us withall To retain faith in God even in the depth of our afflictions as doth he To vent our faith and faithful desires by hearty and earnest prayers and that without ceasing as did he till he was delivered To gather holy vows and purposes that upon recovery out of any evils we will by the assistance of grace shew our selves really thankful for mercies received And after all our foolish strivings with his sad dispensations 1 Sam. 3.18 we will resolve all into the good pleasure of our God It is the Lord let him do what seemeth good in his eyes Then out of the example of the Ninevites all should learn to believe the threats of God and be humbled and crave the peace with God and walk with him ever afterward more obediently and carefully Rab. in Seder Olam Theodorer alii Where mark those words ever afterward and beware of relapses or returning to folly Histories tell us how forty yeares after this sparing of Nineve yet the people falling back to their old sins again were fearfully destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon and their City utterly overthrown according to the Prophesie of Nahum who arose after our Jonah Beware Christians by their example Be not as the Dog that returns to his vomit or as the Sow that was washed to the wallowing in the mire The first estate of Apostates was bad enough but their last estate is worse by far The Lord uphold us in these sifting and shaking times wherein many have turned aside after Satan that we may hold on constantly in the way of faith and obedience not warping aside to the right hand or the left no nor abating a whit of our first love through heavinesse of flesh or deadnesse of spirit or any incumbrances of the world With which prayer I rest in present Thine in our Lord Jesus Christ WILLIAM JEMMAT THE PROPHESIE OF JONAH JOnah in Hebrew signifies a Dove Hieron 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mar. 1.10 and the Lord send upon us the good Spirit which descended on Christ as a Dove that we may rightly and fruitfully treat of this Prophesie which was written as all other Scripture for our Instruction and consolation Of Jonah we read in two other Scriptures 2 King 14.25 Mat. 12.39 40. Gath-Hepher was the place of his Birth and one of the Cities that fell to the lot of Zebulon and was so called to distingush it from Gath Rimmon and Gath of the Philistines Note Malice blinds Where note the falseness of the blind and malicious Pharisee who said Out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet Joh. 7.52 Yes Jonah the Prophet who was of Gath-Hepher which was in the Province of Galilee Malice doth many times blâ—nd the eyes even of understanding men as the Pharisees generally were Beware of malice as thou wouldest not be mis-led into damning Errors fatally and finally Jonah prophesied in the Reign of Jeroboam the second or of Joash his Father it may be of both Princes that came of Jehu who rooted out the Family of Ahab the Idolaters but not the Idolatry for which cause Israel came into great affliction which was very bitter 2 King 14.26 27. There was not any shut up nor any left nor any Helper for Israel Note Idolatry ruines Idolatry ever brings mischief to a State or Family sooner or later see Chap. 10.31 32 33. Beware of Idolatry and Idolaters they are people of Gods Wrath and Curse what trials ye may have ye do not know Remember and keep your selves from idols 1 Joh. 5.21 and from idolaters Now mark two things of Jonah our Dove 1. To afflicted Israel he comes with an Olive-branch of of Peace and Comfort that the waste shall be restored which had been taken away ibid. according to the word of the Lord God of Israel Note Some favour to the worst Use which he spakes by the hand of his servant Jonah God for a while is very gracious and in temporals doth much for a wicked people it may be by wicked instruments as Jeroboam was Admire the passages of his providence and look from men to God who works for the good of his Chosen as in the ten Tribes there were some true worshippers and for their sake some deliverance was granted 2. To Nineve he is sent with the mournful Voice of a Dove proclaiming their destruction Yet forty dayes and Nineve shall be destroyed but with an intent in the Master that sent him to spare the City upon their Repentance and Amendment The Lord in wrath remembers mercy Note In wrath mercy and sometimes blusters our judgments that sinners may bethink themselves and repent and be saved Mark his divers dispensations and attend the main which is that his patience and goodness should lead you to repentance Rom. 2.4 Two Notes more 1. Out of this Book of Jonah two things may be noted by the exposition of our Saviour himself 1. That Jonah was a Type of Christ in respect of his Death and Resurrection as Jonah was three days and three nights in the Whales belly and then came to land again so Christ was held in Death for a while and the third day rose again 2. That the people of Nineve are set for an example of Repentance to you of after-ages which if it follow not ye shall be the more deeply and severely damned and why for a greater then Jonah is here Allegorical sense of Scripture we shall ever admit where warranted by some glimpse of Scripture as there are many such to be found through the whole body of it Ribera 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 4.24 The Jesuite needed not to have quarrelled about such sense of Scriptures but under pretence of Allegories we must not run out into Fooleries as are many of their Allegories much less into Errors as some of them are Nor doth the similitude of things among themselves warrant us to take every Doctrine which the Fathers collected but only where the Antecedents
in them but search to understand them more fully and clearly Search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 Read Hear Pray Confer Obey any thing to get out the hidden treasure Be both frequent and earnest in searching out the meaning of places Dig Cry lift up your Voice for understanding plain Apostles feed the simple hard Prophets exercise the more witty and understanding 2. Be reverent in all your conversing with the word whether by Reading or Hearing King Eglon stood up to receive Ehuds Message from the Lord. Cornelius and his Company set themselves in the presence of God to hear what should be spoken by Peter The Congregation of Israel in hearing some Message from God bowed their head and worshpped even so do ye take heed to the word of prophesie give earnest heed to the things that are spoken 3. Believe all that the Prophets have written not as the slow of heart whom our Saviour reproved or as those now-a-days who deserve to be reproved King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I wish I could say of every one I know thou believest Certainly the word doth no good unless it be mingled with faith in them that hear it Heb. 4.2 as Meat except it be digested or Physick except it be kept for a while Faith implies knowledge Consent and Application 4. Obey the Voice of the Prophets and Apostles as being the Voice of the Lord. When God delivered the Commandements Israel made account they must obey all that he said and promised so to do and said he Oh that there were such an heart in them It had been well for them and it would be well for us if so pliant and obedient Consider our Reading Hearing Praying Conferring is all to be referred to obeying Obeying hath the promise as is said Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it and Hearers of the Law shall be blessed in the deed 5. Be built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Eph. 2.20 Building is to add Stone to Stone and Timber to Timber so you to your Gifts and Graces Christians should not only be setled and established in the truth but increase daily more and more This is often required 1 Thes 4.1 and 2 Pet. 3.18 And it is required that to the best of your skill and power ye suffer not the Doctrine of the Prophets to be gain-sayed or corrupted 6. Honor Jesus Christ whom all the Prophets pointed at Act 3.19 Jonah here is a Figure of his Death and Resurrection other Prophets tell of the place of his Birth of the time of his Coming of the holiness and glory of his Kingdom and the like Both the Prophets that went before and the Apostles that followed after all cryed Hosanna to the Son of David Let us also who come up in the Rear give our Acclamations to honor Jesus Christ especially in the way of obedience Take heed let not Christ find honour and obedience among Indians and lose it among Christians Israels ingratitude was here upbraided by the Ninevites Repentance Rev. 2.5 And a remove of the Gospel hath been long threatned beware lest at last it be removed indeed Jonah must go when God sends him and so must other good Ministers Ver. 2. Arise go to Nineve that great City and cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me Here is the Prophets special Message and in it three things 1. His excitation to do work for God at Nineve Arise go to Nineve that great City 2. His denunciation of Gods judgment against it Cry against it 3. Assignation of the reason For their wickedness is come up before me Nineve Nineve was the chief City of the Assyrians as London to us English Nineve in the name of it sounds forth a fair and beautiful City In Moses time and long before it was a great City Gen. 10.12 Two places in this Book do intimate the greatness of it Chap. 3.3 4. and 4.11 Histories supply some particulars It s greatness Diod. Sic. v. c. that it was threescore Miles in compass that it had Walls exceeding high and broad so that three Carts might meet and pass by one another that upon the Walls were fifteen hundred goodly Turrets for Defence and Ornament that by continuation of Buildings four Cities were grown into one as those two of London and Westminster that Babylon was a less City by the fourth part and yet when part of it was taken by the Persians Jer. 51.31 Arist pol. some part knew not of the taking till three dayes after That Nineve was eight years in Building though ten thousand Work-men were employed at once about it that it was head of the first Monarchy for twelve hundred years together and so had brought a world of Wealth and people into the City out of the several Provinces which were spoiled and Tributaries to Nineve as afterward did the Romans who if they had been stript of their stollen Goods Lactant. should return to their ancient Cottages and penury Now this could not be done without a great deal of Pride Oppression Blood-shed and other wickedness Sinfulness And it is very likely that the Citizens grew very Lofty Luxurious Filthy scarce tolerable one to another But it is plain that they were great enemies to the people of God Esa 10.5 O Assyrian the rod of mine anger Ye have the History of Senacherib and his rage against God and his people though Ashur came of Shem the holy seed yet he became a spitâ—ful and a blaspheming enemy Gen. 10.22 Now to this Nineve is Jonah sent as an Herald of Arms Danger to denounce Destruction for their sins One against many and a mean one against the Potentates of the world An unequal encounter but the Lord tels him of it before-hand that he may know the worst of it and arm himself accordingly with faith and courage to do his Message as he ought stoutly and faithfully Learn and before-hand cast the cost of Religion Fore-seen darts are either avoided or do the less harm Summons Arise and cry against it What the cry was we see in Chap. 3.4 Yet forty dayes and Nineve shall be overthrown concealing the rest as the secrets of God who makes his Servants of his Court but not of his Counsel The Lord meant by this thunder to awake the Ninevites and bring them to Repentance and by them to shame Israel who after much Preaching remained hard-hearted and un-reformed And his usual manner is to fore-tell a Plague before he inflicts it such is his goodness to his Creatures and it should work upon people when they are fore-warned to be also fore-armed Woe if they be not Doctr. 1 Beware of weariness and cowardize Three points come here to be observed for Edification That at the call of God we ought to stir up our selves and settle to our duty Arise and go to the great City Nineve Jonas might even be weary of Preaching to Samaria
awakened A sleeping Lion troubles not But when this begins to wamble then the Sea waxeth turbulent and dangerous Esa 57.20 21. The wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Sometime the trouble enters in a Plague year sometime in the loss of a Dear Friend sometime in the approach of Death and sometime in other amazing occasions When ever God begins to reckon with a sinner or any way hides comfort from him on which he presumed now begins the Tempest to be black indeed A wounded spirit who can bear Let none therefore trust to the hardness or bigness of his spirit but learn to fear in a right and holy manner Use In vain to be hardned against God There is a false valour wherewith some set up their sails and swell above all reason against God his word and works It may be it lasteth for a long time till Death or in Death through self-delusion But this is not the way to prosper as to God and for safety to the Soul At farthest Job 9.4 Jer. 20.3 in the day of judgment he shall be Magor-Missabib fear round about astonied and swallowed up of despair The only safe way is to turn all Natural and worldly fear into Spiritual that is to fear God whom by sin we offended To take sin off the score by getting into Jesus Christ To follow the doggings of a guilty Conscience far enough namely to get washed in the Fountains of Israel By temporal judgments to take warning concerning eternal and prevent that great mischief Otherwise it is not a little tempest that will serve the turn or Pestilence or Pleurisie or the like but in Hell there will be seven times more vengeance yea seventy times seven All present Evils are nothing to this when God shall cast both Body and Soul into Hell therefore say I Fear him Luke 12.4 5. And if it be the right fear of God it will teach to depart from evil as Job Joseph and the Midwives of Egypt Job 28.28 It will introduce a real holiness Psal 111.10 It is the beginning of wisdâ—m And it will lead the man along in an holy way toward Perfection 2 Cor. 7.1 To perfect holiness in the fear of God Doctr. 2 2. Note how in great distress great sinners will pray after their fashion The worst will pray in great danger as these Heathenish Idolaters they knew there is a God and that he is to be called upon but let him alone till they be brought into this extremity of danger Notions of God and Prayer and Duty lie asleep in a natural man till roused by some extraordinary trouble and amazement Hos 5.15 In their affliction they will seek me early And here we see that when they miss of the true God they will betake themselves to gods of their own making Every one to his god they will have many gods rather then no god when reduced into straights Reason Self-love can do all this Nature is willing to escape out of great dangers or get out of great troubles or obtain his own ends Fruits of the Earth Peace Liberty other good things of the world Hos 7.14 They have not cryed unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds they assemble themselves for Corn and Wine and they rebell against me so that not God is sought for Gods sake but meerly to serve ones own turn which when it is done God shall be let alone till they have more need of him Use Not the right kind of prayer Yet this is usually esteemed Prayer in death or deadly troubles call upon God and it is abundant Devotion though neither before not afterward live a sinner and die a sinner yet with a few good words he is sure to go to heaven Though he learn not righteousness nor the Laws and conditions of prayer Esa 26.10 11. There be numbers that make not one good prayer all their long life Know not what it is to ask according to the will of God which they mind not Ordinarily quench and grieve the Spirit and so cannot pray in the Spirit Jude â—0 Never take care to get into Christ and so cannot pray in the Name of Christ Never mind the main matters of Prayer as about Holiness Temptation doing Duty holily and spiritually living profitably in their places advancing Gods glory and the good of souls All for a present shift and to get out of a storm as well as they can Object What would you not have us to call upon God in our trouble is it not commanded Answ 1. It is commanded and so are many other conditions too Psal 50.14 Call upon me in the day of trouble but it follows ver 16. Unto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my statutes 2. There be many places of Scripture that discard the prayers of the wicked Prov. 15 8. John 9 31. they are abomination to the Lord God heareth not sinners Incense is abomination 3. There be many adjuncts of acceptable prayer v. c. to use the means of obtaining to use no indirect means to stand in a way of capacity for receiving such and such favours to use them well afterward and the like which numbers little think of and so their prayers are not accepted 4. There be many dayes of trouble beside these outward and worldly afflictions and if ye will pray ever when ye are in trouble ye must pray every day and several times in the day why a godly man every day finds himself troubled with Temptations and is never out of danger of the great Tempest nor of his own corrupt heart Paul besought the Lord thrice against the thorn of the flesh and approved himself on both sides by the armour of Rigteousness No part of our life is void of these dangers therefore every part of our life must be fenced with prayers And one condition of prayer is it must be constant Eph. 6.18 Col. 4.2 we must pray with all perseverance we must continue instant in prayer c. To the third point There be cases wherein a mans Doctr. 3 worldly wealth will be nothing set by as here in case of Shipwrack and Act. 27.19 They lightened the ship and with their own hands they cast out the tackling of it When the life comes into question let it all go or in times of war a man fares the worse because he hath something to lose Ezek. 7.19 They shall cast their Silver into the streets and their Gold shall be removed Or in a great fit of sickness all the wealth is lookt on with an heavy eye And in death what is all the wealth of the world to a man It is but the more vexation in parting Use 1 Yet this is the folly of many immoderately and inordinately to affect the wealth of the world They seek it and take pains for it though
his good pleasure toward them In no point may the Name of God be taken in vain so not in this And as every creature must be sanctified by the word and prayer so must this Remember and fear the judgment of God upon them that take his Name in vain If any object that the occasion and Company will not bear prayer I answer at least let there be an Ejaculation 3. If it be so be thankful for any good that is received by lot looking up to the hand of God who hath cast it upon thee and not upon another The whole disposing of it was of the Lord therefore let him have all the glory It was not Luck and Fortune but God must be acknowledged Especially when the Lord himself is the lot and portion of thy soul as David said Thou art the lot of mine inheritance remember much and often to bless the Lord as he did Psal 16.5 6 7 8. Use 4 4 When lots cross a man let him learn to be as Jonah patient and contented Say it is the Lord that hath thus disposed of the business 1 Sam. 3.18 it is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good should I desire any thing which the Lord sees not good for me or when he hath declared his mind should I wriggle or murmure or carry my self otherwise then becomes the Child of God I will not do it Come and let us cast Lots that we may know for whose cause this evil is come upon us Note In great afflâ—ctions we look at great sins It is the Nature of man to think there is some great sin where they see a great judgment of God Who did sin this man or his Parents that he was born blind And those that suffered those great Evils were accounted greater sinners then all the Galileans or all that were in Jerusalem Luke 13.1 2 4. Where Christ assures us of the contrary I tell you nay â—ohn 9.2 but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish v. 5. And if these Mariners had been asked whether each of them had not deserved this horrible Tempest to die by it they would have shrunk at it and not have confessed And every one would save one therefore they put off the danger to others Otherwise there needed no lots to be cast but every one confess his guiltiness be humbled reformed and give satisfaction to his god who was offended Use 1 Take heed of this spice of Nature and of the Pharisees Talk not of great sinners and little sinners nor censure them that suffer great Evils as if they were the greatest Offenders Possibly they may be great Offenders but what is that to thee Thy rule is not to judge that thou be not judged and judge nothing before the time and Mat. 7.1 1 Cor. 4 5. Rom. 14.4 who art thou that judgest another mans servant and The greater sinner the man is the more he needs thy pity and prayers not thy censure and disdain 2. In a common danger let every one recount his own Use 2 guiltiness and do what lies upon him to do for delivering his own soul Remember who said Except ye repent Luke 13.3 ye shall all perish whether ye escape the danger or no ye may escape temporally and perish eternally These Mariners did all escape the temporal evil better then Jonah but without hearty and fruitful repentance they escaped not the eternal vengeance of their sins Jonah upon his humiliation and amendment might escape better then they all 3. This Example tells us that the sin of a godly man Use 3 may become grievous and provoking more then the sins of many others as Jonah to hazard the casting away of many that were in the ship What the Child of God do so and so what one that hath received so much light so many Teachings of the Spirit so many checks of Conscience so many opportunities of glorifying God and of giving good example to others he to flee from God and cast off duty Take heed ye that fear God and keep even reckonings with him Be humbled for what is past and watch better hereafter And the Lot fell upon Jonah Wicked men sometimes in this life are discovered Note and brought to their deserved punishment God hath means and ways enough to it sometimes by lot as here to Jonah sometimes by the Birds of heaven Eccles 10.20 as the Cranes revealed the murderers of the Poet â—â—icus sometimes by the Confession and horror of the guilty persons sometimes by blood â—ssuing afresh out of a slain body sometimes a Friend hath blabbed forth a bloody business before he was aware sometime a Confederate hath turned Enemy and told all the truth Divers ways the Lord hath to bring to light the hidden things of darkness at farthest in the day of judgment Eccles 12.14 1 Cor. 4.5 Reason 1 The Reason is 1. God is Omnipresent and Omniscient and is able to discover the greatest secrets as here in ordering these lots he observed every motion of Jonah to Joppa and to the ship yea the very first motion of his heart in departing from the living God All is naked to Reason 2 the eyes of him with whom we have to do 2. God makes these discoveries for his own glory and for bringing about his own most holy ends as here he meant to have his work done by Jonah in the message that was to be delivered at Nineve And he was glorified in the eyes of these Mariners by this discovery of Jonah ver 10. Jonah made the Lord known to them and ver 14 they said Thou Lord hast done as it pleased thee and ver 16. The men feared the Lord exceedingly and possibly some of them were truly Converted Quest But are lots a lawful way to discover Malefactors when they are to be punished with Death for Felony or Treason Answ Ans It were very dangerous without Gods command in this case to put any to the casting of lots for his life except it be certain that divers well deserve to die but the Prince of his grace intends to spare some by decimating the Army or others that have made a Mutiny Use 1 But if the point in hand stand true it appears vain to sin in hope of secrecy This induceth some to horrible wickednesses The Thief and the Adulterer and other wicked ones hate the light as Death it self and chuse Darkness for acting their Villanies but all in vain as to God whose eyes are in every place Prov. 15 3. beholding the evil and the good Yea the Hypocrisie of idle Professors is fully discerned by him and in this life sometimes they are uncased for Hypocrites as they ever were falling into some scandalous course or from the main truths of the Gospel But at the last day all secrets will be fully discovered and punished Though they dig deep into Hell to hide their counsels and escape the hand of man yet the hand of God they shall not
in all their Use 1 course go by their own reason and carnal considerations no matter what God saith or would have to be done but they will proceed as themselves think good not punish naughty children and servants nor execute judgment upon Sabbath-breakers swearers drunkards other malefactors let them alone for pitie we shall let our business we shall be counted busie-bodies c. So did not Jonahs Mariners but proceed saying Thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee And he is noted for a fool who is wise in his own eyes And there be expresse commandements to the contrary Prov. 3.5 6 7. Be not wise in thine own eyes lean not to thine own understanding and examples of resigning up our wills to the will of God and our prayer sounds to that purpose thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven Take then the word of exhortation in those matters Use 2 not to consult with flesh and blood and say as Cyprian In holy matters there is no room for deliberation Let God be true and every man a lyar Let God be obeyed and every meer man neglected God ought to be obeyed rather then you and do you judge your selves whether this be not fitting Such a one is a friend and such a one is a friend but God is a greater and a better friend Jonah was a very good man but when he fell into the lurch with God and God appointed him to punishment out he must go into the Sea even with his own approbation So of a kind neighbour a good Child a profitable Servant inflict a fitting punishment Only thus 1. Be sure it be the will of God Caution that he suffer as these Thou O Lord hast done as it pleased thee A man must execute no judgment but the judgment of the Lord. The judgment is not yours but Gods Solomon sate on the throne of the Lord. The powers that be are ordained of God and such bear not the sword in vain 2. Inflict the punishment because it is the will of God that he suffer not to wreak thy own displeasure or passion of any kinde but the Lord hath designed him to punishment and tell him so that he may see where his offence lies and with whom chiefly he hath to do not man but God the most likely way to bring him to remorse for his offenâ—e and making of peace with God and amendment of life for the future the chiefe matters which Christians should aime at in all their discipline Use 3 Search out the will of God Lastly let this stir up all of us to study what is the good and acceptable will of God concerning us and that both for the matter to be done and for the manner of proceeding Read meditate search the Scriptures compare one place with another any thing to be directed aright what God would have us to do And there is a rule to enquire of the law at the Priests mouth Mal. 2.7 for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts and to have the book of the law still by us for counsell Deut. 17.18 and Josh 8. David though he had good counsellors yet consulted the word Psal 119.24 Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors He had also the Prophets of the Lord about him to take advice withall Gad and Nathaâ— And the Jews must ever have their Levites to tell them Gods minde in matters thou shalt not forsake the Levite all the days of thy lâ—fe It is utterly a fault in Christians that generally they go on their own head aâ—d advise not with the word or Ministers for managing an Office for following a calling for ordering a familie for arbitrating of differences between man and man or for other particulars Whence so many unchristian proceedings animosities contentions unjustice and cruelty or if they hit upon the right it is not in obedience to God and so it is not thank worthy it may be they endure the lash of vile tongues and can have little comfort because they minded not God in the good they did It was but hab-nab and verily I say unto you they have their reward but David in such contempt can comfort himself with this It was before the Lord that I did this and this 2 Sam. 6.21 and became vile in thine eyes For the latter upon the casting of Jonah into the Sea The Sea ceased her raging upon the due execution of judgment the wrath of God is pacified Note When Achan was stoned Israel prevailed against the Canaanites as before We noted this before and may note farther concerning afflictions that they are the Lords messengers which when they have done their Errand shall be called home again When the raging Sea had devoured Jonah presently it ceased from raging Note And therefore afflictions sometimes continue so long upon our backs because they cannot be suffered to speed in the businesse which the Lord sent them upon to wit our humiliation and reformation Note farther how great and present the power of God is in ruling the waters of the Sea Note Gods power to he adored Immediately when God hath satisfaction the Sea ceaseth from her raging As he set it on raging so he restraines it from raging any more So he drowned the whole world with a Sea of waters and divided the red Sea and the River Jordan See Psal 107.25 26 27 28 29 30 It might be applyed to Eighty Eight and was applyed to Theodosius in his battell with Infidels where the winde and Sea fought for him Consider Use and adore the great God whom both the winde and Sea do obey as those in Mat. 8.27 The Sea is a rude and unwildy body and yet findes ears to hear when the Lord hath a voice to utter So had the â—eavers which Christ rebuked and other diseases with other passages of providence We read of great matters attributed to the voice of God Psal 29. And those phrases Command deliverance for Jacob Speak the word only and my Servant shall be whole Man that lives not by bread only but by every word of God But farther if this be so where are they that deny a Providence and ascribe all to fortune good luck constellations and co-operation of second causes such a Generation of Atheists there is in the world but let them take heed he that had stood upon the Sea-shore and seen this sudden alteration of weather with the concurrence of things that went along with it would certainly confesse there was a most High God and Providence which made the change and so did these Mariners vers 16. they feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows Take heed and confesse a Providence live by it submitt to it do as one that acknowledgeth a Providence and as one that would have it to thee a sweet and gracious Providence But how rude are those among us who acknowledge not the power and authority of God whom even the
windes and Seas do obey The Sea ceaseth from raging when God would have it to be quiet but profane persons as the fool rage still and are confident neither word nor works of God can reduce them to obedience nor Magistracy nor any good means whatsoever Others that are enemies of godly men never cease from raging jeering abusing or breathing out threats against them Pharaoh will adventure into the midst of the Sea to overtake and destroy Israel An implacable Generation of men there are who will never cease from sinning till they be in Hell But let us a little re-mind our Type Note Christ dying Gods wrath ceased As when Jonah was cast into the Sea the Sea ceased from raging so when Christ endured the cursed death of the Crosse the wrath of God toward the Elect came to an end as was said from Heaven This is my well beloved Son in whom my Soul resteth He was made a curse for us that we might receive the blessing of Abraham through faith Gal. 3.13 14. This comes from the concurrence of these three Reason 1 things 1. The Person of Christ was of infinite worth being God as well as man and as God he had power to still the raging of these Seas which our Sins had raised against us 2. Christ as a surety had undertaken all Reason 2 the Sins of his people and all the dangers that accrewed thereby stood for a time in the state of the greatest sinner that ever was Esa 53.6 the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us Reason 3 all as on the Scape-Goat 3. It was the agreement of the Father and Son from all eternity that if the second Person in Trinity would take flesh and dye for sinners all the wrath should cease and there should be a full and finall friendship contracted So by this Covenant the wrath of God ceased toward sinners for whom Christ dyed Comfort to beleevers against whom Sin had stirred up an Ocean of wrath and misery Use Comfort to their Eternal condemnation infinitely more and worse danger then ever Jonah and the Mariners were brought into Christ hath dyed therefore all the storm is over and they may be sure it is over and take comfort in the assurance The Mariners were glad when the Sea ceased from her raging and so may they be in the appeasing of Gods wrath The same debt must not be discharged both by the surety end by the principal debtor Whence it is said God is just to forgive us our sins not mercifull only but just 1 Joh. 1.9 Hear and get a weak faith strengthened Peruse those grounds of reason in the reason of the point Peruse the Covenant of grace and the tenor of it Believe and thou shalt be saved Peruse the promises how free they are as well as universall sure and precious Esa 55.1 and Rev. 21.6 And how these great mercies are sealed up in the Sacrament of the Supper a crucified Saviour is here exhibited and all for us therefore conclude we shall escape He needed not to have suffered as for himself for what had the righteous man done no To us he was given and for us he was born A good feast is appointed for cherishing the Guests that come to it and so is this Thou comest with a weak faith and in much doubting yet come and it shall be strengthened Other feasts are not sure to yeild a man nourishment but this is If thou beleevest thou eatest and if thou eatest thou shalt live even for ever Joh. 6.54 Only come preparedly Examine mourn renew repentance and covenant hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Blessed are all such Mat. 5.6 When the Jews was to eat his Pascall Lambe he must prepare him sower Herbs to eat it withall intimating to us that Godly sorrow which Communicants must bring along with them And he that comes mournfully is allowed to go away joyfully He that sowes in tears shall reap in joy Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted And mark such are not only permitted but commanded to rejoyce Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 Psal 32.11 rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous be glad and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Where still remember the main ground of your joy the storm of Gods wrath is over ever since Christ dyed for his Chosen by his stripes they are healed therefore bid defiance to all hellish Enemies as Rom. 8.34 Ver. 16. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vowes This is the Mariners thankfulnesse for the great mercy of deliverance and it hath three Clauses Parts 1. For inward worship they feared the Lord exceedingly 2. For outward worship They offered a sacrifice unto the Lord. These for the present 3. For the future they made vowes bound themselves to the service of the true God For the first of these twice before it was said that the Mariners were a fraid vers 5. and 10. once for the storm that was so dangerous to them another time for that they heard Jonah tell of the God of the Hebrews to be his master and that he had declined his service And now again they fear exceedingly when the storm is over Jonah being cast into the Sea A signe their fear of God was a work of grace in them why they fear the Lord and his goodnesse as Hos 3.5 One would have thought it should have been said That they rejoyced exceedingly namely to see the Sea quiet the danger past and themselves set in safety naturall men use to be frolick in such escapes and poure out their hearts unto pleasures it is a matter of ordinary observation But Grace teacheth a man not to rest in the works of God which are joyous and comfortable Note but to look up unto God himself to fear him that is by a part for the whole to perform all worship to him of Faith Love Joy Desire Zeal other gracious affections and actions that are sutable Psal 111.10 So the fear of God is said to be the beginning of wisdome that is an Introduction to all religious affection and behavior Timor initialis as the schooles say neither altogether ingenuous and Child-like as in setled Christians nor altogether slavish as in natural men who are only terrified with their sins and Gods judgments Felix for example but of a mixture of these as useth to be in time of conversion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Alex. a fear joyned with an holy reverence toward the great God and it continues ever with a Christian once converted to bring the work of grace to perfection 2 Cor. 7.1 perfecting holâ—ness in the fear of God Such fear in all likelihood possessed the hearts of these Mariners namely that now presently upon the casting of Jonah into the Sea such a calm followed Oh the great Power and Holiness and Justice and Mercy of the God of
1 Cor. 15 55. or separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ Again O death where is thy sting O grave wheâ—e is thy victory Which is seen sometimes of them that said heretofore There is but a step between me and death between me and hell All which makes against the vain confidence of idle Use 1 Christians who presume to know Gods mercy toward them without any doubting A thing which divers godly and serious men have not yet obtained and sometimes fear they shall never obtain Here we will examine a little the fears of the one Godly mens fears are hopeful and the hopes of the other For the fears of the godly 1. The Lord orders all their fears and tenderness of spirit to their greatest good as here the fear of these Ninevites first they are affrighted with the horror of a suddain overthrow and this fear works them to repentance that they shall escape the denounced overthrow So still generally it is the Lords method in bringing souls home to himself first out of security to convince them of a bad estate and so let them repent and seek after God let them be sick and see their need of a Physician let them be pricked at heart and ask what they must do to be saved and Did ye see him whom my soul loveth can ye give me any sure mark of my being in Christ can this or that stand with the truth of grace I am afraid I am not right in the main I doubt that all this while I do but deceive my own soul Of which tenderness the Lord makes this use to bring forth judgement to victory He will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax his power is manifested in his peoples weakness and his grace shall be sufficient for them 2. The fears of godly men put them into cares about the means of grace and about such a course of religiousness as they may make their calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 So pray and so read and so hear and so receive Sacraments and walk so strictly and orderly as God may please to shew them his salvation Psal 50.23 Timor facit consiliatives Fear makes men Clients so to secure their Estates by repairing to their learned Counsel so here for the estate of the soul And a discreet man newly recovered out of great sickness narrowly observes his diet and so gets more health perhaps then a stronger man so here and this is the phrase of working out salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 3. This kind of fear hath the promise of blessedness Prov 28 14. Blessed is the man that feareth alway namely with a Childlike and holy fear fear to offend care to please and perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. The tenderness of such is the heart of flesh Ezek. 11.19 which the Lord by Covenant said he would give his people and he will be their God and they shall be his people he will forgive their sins and remember their iniquity no more and will so put his fear into them that they shall never depart from him But if carnal persons have any fears concerning their spiritual estate it never works in such a manner all passeth away in flashes Be rid of them as soon as ye can and be merry while ye may away with this melancholy and be jovial For the hopes of idle and vain Christans Wicked mens hopes are fearful who doubt not a whit of Gods love to them I say thus 1. They are disgraced by the subject that is the persons in whom they are loose and vain persons None but the godly have the right hope which will last in a sad houre Pro. 14.32 the righteous hath hope in his death Such at worst are prisoners of hope Zech 9.12 Ever since they were converted they have been in an hopeful condition For others their hope shall perish it shall be as the spiders web or as the giving up of the ghost Profane persons and hypocrites never went upon a good foundation and so all their building lies in the dust 2. True hope is grounded in faith and in reconcilation with God thereby We hope well because we know whom we beleeve and he is the hope of Israel Jer. 17 13. the Saviour thereof in the time of need So we are saved by hope Rom. 8.24 But this is skipped over by these persons A general hope of mercy shall serve the turne 3. True hope ariseth out of regeneration and dwells in the new creature 1 Pet. 1.3 God begets us again to a lively hope But numbers have all their hope from the first birth beleeve in God ever since they can remember never do bred since they were born Pitie he should live who doubts of his salvation which is too fine and easie to be good Jonahs gourd sprung up in a night and withered in a night The like we may say of these Mushromes 4. True hope yeelds the benefit of strong consolation in foul weather that lies upon the soul Heb. 6.18 19. it is an anchor sure and stedfast By hope we have seen him to live who was about to dye David had fainted but that hope held him up by the chinne Ps 27.13 I had fainted but that I hoped to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living But the heart of an hypocrite 1 Sam. 25. when brought into great danger dyes in him as Nabals The house built on the sand when the windes and stormes came fell quickly and great was the fall thereof 5. True hope fs cleanly wherever it comes both as to the heart and life 1 Joh. 3.3 Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself even as God is pure It is of the same nature with the mother Acts 15.9 26 18. which is Faith and purifies the heart Hope is neither sloven nor slut but so is the hope of many expect much at the hands of God but live in their sins which is against all reason as if a man should stand for prefermeâ—t yet lives so as to be uncapable Use 2 Christians be perswaded so to order your course as ye may grow up to some comfortable assurance of Gods love to your soules that though ye get not the full assurance of faith yet ye may have much assurance or if not much yet some assurance Do all that may help your faith against your feares and that your hope in God may be cherished which ye will find to be very good when you come to lie on your death-bed or be cast into great affliction to say 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed c. There be some that should think of the great change by conversion Some have not yet repented nor made their peace with God and may well think that it is they who must repent and not God Repentance notes a change in the creature Jan. 1 17. not the Creator With
him is no variableness nor shadow of turning Therefore never think he will come to thy bent but come thou to his If not know he hath a fierce anger to put forth upon thee nor can all men or Angels turn it away Eph. 2 14. but only Jesus Christ He is our peace he hath taken away the enmity and hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us 2.12 Col. 2.14 nailing it to his Cross And we may have access with holdness by the faith of him We need not say Who can tell if God will turn that we perish not I can tell saith Bernard and I will be surety for God that he will not burn forth in anger upon the truly Penitent By promise he hath made himself our Debtor Atqui ego novi fide-jussâ—r sum Dei and he will perform to the uttermost so he did here to the Ninevites as follows Ver. 10. And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not The King of Nineve spake doubtingly Who can tell if the Note 1 Lord will spare us and now the Lord gives a resolution of the doubt They shall be spared So to doubting Christians the Lord will step in with a timely satisfaction for staying their hearts and doing them good Esa 40.1 2. He will speak peace to his people saying Your iniquity is pardoned your warfare is accomplished Doth any repent and seek the peace with his Majesty he will quickly say I have found a ransome he shall not dye Note 2 Note again the King doubted whether they should be spared though they fasted prayed and amended their lives But the world is grown far worse now-a-days that though men fast not nor pray nor amend yet they can tell the Lord will spare and be merciful to them Though they keep violence in their hands deceit filthiness other provocations yet all shall do well they fear nothing A note of desperate wickedness in the men and of abundant long-suffering in God who spares such a venturous and vile generation Oh that the patience and goodness of God might once at last lead them to repentance Rom. 2.4 Parts In the words we have two parts 1. The Lord takes notice of the Ninevites humiliation and reformation He saw their works that they turned from their evil way 2. He grants them pardon and peace He did not the evil that he said he would do unto them Quest Answ God true though threats not excented Out of the whole it might be asked how the Lord is a true God and yet performs not the threat which was denounced against Nineve Answ Categorical denunciations of judgment are ever secretly suspended with conditions which the Lord keeps close to himself thus Except Nineve repent within forty days within forty days Nineve shall be overthrown God being the Soveraign Lord of the world is not bound to disclose his whole counsel An earthly King hath his secrets and whatever of his pleasure he revealeth yet he revealeth not all Say the like of the King of Nations This our answer is cleared out of plainer places of Scripture where God himself gives such an exposition as for example 1. Concerning a particular sinner against whom wrath and damnation is thundered Yet if the wicked shall turn from all his sins and keep all my statutes he shall surely live he shall not dye Ezek. 18 21 22 23. 2 Concerning a whole Nation against which the faithful preachers have preached much and often yet upon humiliation all shall do well Jer. 18 7 8. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it If that Nation against which I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them 3. Concerning the Jewish Nation against which wrath had gone forth many a time yet at the prayers of godly men they were a long time spared Psal 106.23 He said that he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them In the like manner here against Nineve this change in them admits a change in Gods execution of his menaces called repentance Quest But it may be asked Why doth God propound such threats absolutely that is without the implyed conditions Answ 1. Because of his absolute Soveraignty Answ 2. The conditions are sometimes exprest as in those places and in our Ministery 3. When they are supprest it is to rowse secure sinners the more effectually who may be startled to hear such terrible thundering peals shot off against them and say It is time to look about us and consider what we have to do Do we not hear the warning-pieces which God hath discharged to our great amazement So did Nineve at this time God saw their works that they turned from their evil way Doctr. 1 The Lord takes notice of the actions and behaviours of penitent and converted sinners as of the Ninevites here Acts of Penitents observed of God Luke 15.20 of the Prodigal returning to his Father of Hezekiah weeping and praying and so of others 1. He looks to the counterfeit repentance of hypocrites as in Ahabs case 1 King 21 29. Seest thou how he humbleâ— himself before me and the repentance of Judah in Josiahs time where was great humiliation and much reformation but all was in a fained manner and so it is censured Jer. 3 10. Judah hath not turned to me with her whole heart but fainedly saith the Lord. And Rehoboam was spared a while because after a sort he humbled himself 2 Chron. 12.12 2. He looks to the sincere repentance of true Converts as of Manaâ—eh and of Ephraim Jer. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself And Peter who went forth and wept bitterly And the Churches of Asia whose works he knew So in the Gospel the Father that sees in secret takes notice who fasts and prayes in secret and means to reward him openly which is appliable to each true Penitent at this day One day all shall be rewarded openly Observe it is not said that God saw the abstinence of these Ninevites or heard their mighty crying though yet he heard and saw all this being all eye so as in every place he beholds the evil and good but he saw their works Prov. 15.3 and what a real reformation was come among them without which all the rest would have past away as idle and fruitless Ceremonies So are all forms without obedience Bodily exercise profiteth little 1 Tim 4.8 Bring no more vain oblations c. Yet amidst all doing remember one thingâ— God first and principally hath an eye to the heart whethet that be right with him or no It is the broken heart which the Lord mainly respects in a penitent A
Sun-shine which faints him up and makes him even weary of his life So with us Note Loss of good smart of evil God sometimes not only takes away our natural comfort and worldly accommodations but sends upon us smart and grievous afflictions droughts scorching weather distempers in the Air thereby distempers in the body fiery and acute Diseases as Agues Fevers Inflammations Leprosie Calenture c. which are one of the threats for disobedience Deut. 28.21 Or if it be not so bad yet the hot season shall make us faint and weary of our lives as here Jonah But why did not Jonah return into Nineve and get Quest 1 shelter there or remove into some Village near hand where he might be protected from this hot weather Answ 1. Because he was of a stout and sturdy spirit Answ and would not seem in the least to be beholden to the Ninevites or any of their Neighbours 2. Because he expected every day the ruine of Nineve which he would be glad to see with all his heart for his Credit fake which he took to be much engaged in the business And what should he do in a ruinous house which was likely in short time to come tumbling upon his head Quest 2 Another question may be why the Lord doth thus follow him with more and greater afflictions Answ Answ Because he had a mind to break and subdue this sturdy humor in Jonah which the meer loss of the gourd could not do as ver 9. he was angry for the gourd and fears not to tell God that he doth well to be angry even unto death So there needs a farther and stronger Purge to carry away this extreamly peccant humor as with us also whom lighter afflictions do little prevail withall Uses 1 Take we hence these instructions 1. To justifie God in all his sharp dealings with us when not only he takes away our Children Wealth Corn Cattel comforts of this life but sends Famine Sword Pestilence new Diseases Pox Agues other evils Say Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works We are apt to sit in judgment upon his doings and charge him foolishly as too severe but should rather clear him and lay the blame where it ought to be laid Psal 51.4 That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest Uses 2 2. To lay all the blame of our sufferings upon our selves as Pharaoh at last was taught to do The Lord is righteous but I and my people have sinned And when we finde our selves apt to mutter against God for feverity we should take our selves in the manner and say Why do we complain when the cause is in our selves Wherefore doth a living man complain Lam. 3.39 40. a man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord. And if we had our due we should be utterly consumed yea cast into hell long before this time as in the same place It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not 3. To mortifie those wretched corruptions which God Uses 3 would have to be weakned as here this stoutness of Jonah and to break off those sins which most agree with our crooked nature and odd occasions of offending A sharp winter useth to kill the weeds and vermine and cherish the Corn that is bidden So let it be with our failings in one kind or other Jonah fainted and wished in himself to dye He that will wish himself dead so often as he hath sore occasion shall have more occasions then one so to wish Note Idle wishes Jonah had prayed this before ver 3. I beseech thee take away my life from me And now seeing God pleased not thus to gratifie him he falls to wishing which is a lighter kind of desire And whereas at first he only thus wished in himself afterward he uttered his mind saying It is better for me to dye then to live as ver 3. So David in Psal 39.3 My heart was not within me while I was musing the fire burned then spake I with my tongue Take heed Christians Use and smother these hot and unquiet affections at the first arising mark them consure them suppress them use means to subdue and vanquish them as for instance Get abundance of faith and patience which may keep you from this fainting and wishing so did the Apostles and Martyrs and other holy men in great and lingring afflictions 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a woman worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal And consider it is not a manly thing to desire death so often as strong afflictions shall urge and we saw on ver 3. how we may desire death and how not Whether it be better to dye then to live But let us a little examine the truth of this saying of Jonah It is better for me to dye then to live Is it indeed better to dye then to live Answ 1. Within the limits formerly mentioned it is better namely when God calls us away or the like Eccl. 7.1 The day of death is better the day of ones birth 2. Without such cautions it is not better and mark it is neither better for godly men nor for others 1. Godly men may do much good in the Church while they live which if they were dead they could not do as for example while Paul continued among his Converts he abode with them for their furtherance and joy of faith Phil. 1.25 and this consideration put him into a straight Phil 1.23 whither he should be dissolved which was far better for him in his own particular or live yet longer A godly Minister while alive may be a means of converting confirming or recovering many So a godly parent or master Yea in respect of a mans own self he may get the more hold of Gods love and do more good to put upon his accounts in that day and see his charge of Children well bred up and entred into the world with counsel to them where they erre or to neighbours between whom peace is to be made and divers good offices 2. Wicked men of all other should not desire to dye whatever their suffering be in the world because their peace is not yet made with God they are not yet in Christ they have not yet repented nor ordered their way so as to be fit to dye And if they dye before they he fit they have infinitely worse sufferings remaining for them It is for such to fear death and get it put off as long
is some respite granted and matters may be so handled as to escape the great ship-wrack of souls Oh for care and wisdom that our precious souls may not be cast away This is the only safety that is worth having commonly called Salvation And those that mind this as they ought shall never be accounted carnal but spiritual holy wise unto Salvation They are of an heavenly extract and gone beyond all Naturalists Mariners and all Nominal Christians whatsoever Jonah saved his soul and all his Fellow-passengers saved their Lives and them only so far as is revealed Ver. 7. And they said every one to his Fellow Come and let us cast lots that we may know for whose cause this evil is come upon us So they cast lots and the lot fell upon Jonah Parts Hereof are two parts 1. The Mariners enquire of the cause of this great Tempest let us cast lots and they did cast lots 2. The success of their Consultation the lot fell upon Jonah Search out the cause of afflictions For the former we learn of the Mariners in every great affliction to search and find out the cause that so we may be humbled and reformed and the evil may cease we may be sure that sin is the cause and so should fall foul upon that And if there be a special token of Gods displeasure we should pray with Job Shew me for what thou contendest with me The Tribes in their quarrel with filthy Benjamin never thrived till they fasted and mourned before the Lord nor shall we in like cases For the lots which these Mariners used to find the cause of their distresse and danger thus Augustine saith What a lot is A lot is such a thing as in the doubts of men doth shew the will of God Or A lot is an Ordinance of God whereby we put that unto God which men could not decide It is commonly by Divines referred to the third Commandement as part of Gods Name which must not be taken in vain We know a man by his Name and by a lot we come to know the mind and will of God in a matter which we cannot know by our selves nor by others Of a lot I deliver these particulars Particulars that the nature of the Ordinance may be the more manifest 1. The matter of casting lots must be a weighty and grave matter which is well worth the finding and well becomes the Majesty of the great God to be employed about not in every triflle as in drawing of Cuts So here a great tempest was upon the Mariners and thereby great danger a great offence had caused it they knew not what the offence was they desired deliverance life and all was in question and now they go to casting of lots not as knowing it to be an Ordinance of God but only led by the dim Light of Nature which suggsted this might be a way to find out the truth as in the event it proved So in an Oath which is the end of Controversies 2. This weighty matter must be such as none but God doth know and can determine and herein differs from an Oath that he who swears knows the thing he affirms or denies to be a very truth and calls God to witness of it but in a lot none knows but God alone as here who among them should be the cause of this tempest the Mariners knew nothing of it till the lot fell upon Jonah and Jonah must tell what he had done So in other instances of Scripture v. c. about Achan and Jonathan 3. We read how all the determination of lots is from God Prov. 26.33 The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. God is not wanting to his own Ordinance but when he is sought by his people he will be found of them this also appears by the same instances and other of the like nature 4. We read what is the end of casting lots to wit quietly to determine businesses which could not be otherwise decided without strife of several parties Prov. 18.18 The lot causeth contentions to cease and parteth between the mighty as if it be in deliberation which of these Nobles shall be sent Ambassadour to such a Prince which of these Warriors shall be put upon such a skâ—rmish to lead on the men sundry would have the honour to do the service therefore now comes the lot and quiets all parties 5. There are three sorts of lots according to the threefold use of them two of them lawful the third unlawful wicked divelish Take heed and east lots as Christians 1. Sortes Divisionis when Houses or Lands or other Goods are to be divided between man and man about which otherwise contention would arise so Joshua by lot divided the Land of Canaan among the Tribes of Israel so Merchants sometimes divide their parcels of Wares and Neighbours divide their Acres of Ground Lot-Acres as Salomon said The lot causeth contentions to cease 2. Sortes Consultationis when we advise together what is fit to be done but in Conclusion cannot agree because things stand in the Equality of Reason Here it is referred to God by lot and so all parties are contented So the Church of Jerusalem by lot chose Matthias to be an Apostle Act. 1.26 So these Mariners by lot would know who brought this great Tempest upon them in their Voyage Though there might be superstition in their doing it yet the thing for substance was good and lawful 3. Sortes Divinationis when wicked men inquire into fortunate and infortunate dayes for a journey that is to be taken or a business that is to be done if they draw a white lot it will be lucky if black unlucky Est 3.7 so Haman cast lots for the destruction of the Jews and how cross the lucky dayes fell out to him appears by the Feast of Purim even the blackest dayes that ever Haman and his Complices met withall A sinful abuse of Gods Ordinance Abuse as it is also to turn lots into sports or to fore-tell things for gain as do the Gipsies and those that ascribe the issue of lots to Fortune The Goddess of Fools Te facimas fortuna deam coeloque locamus whereas indeed the whole disposition of it is of the Lord and these three cases evidently shew the truth of the things so ordered Jonathan Achan and Jonah Application of this Doctrine take thus 1. Note and admire the Providence of God who ordereth Use 1 these most fortuitous and contingent things to the right both for truth and equity Oh what a wonderful and glorious Lord God do we serve how ought we to adore his Omnipresence Wisdom and over-ruling Providence how should we come before him in fear and walk humbly with him in all our course both for dependance and obedience 2. If it be so then in casting lots the parties interessed Use 2 should lift up a prayer and intreat the Lord in mercy to manifest