he euermore requireth at their handes namely Prayers themselues also whiche Paule called a quicke sacrifice and a reasonable seruing of God together with bountifulnesse towardes all but chiefly the poore whome God hathe made his substitutes that we shoulde bestow vpon them such things as we wold vpon himself if he were now conuersant vpō the earth corporally as in times past he was And bicause new vowes are not needful of them who alreadie owe al that they haue vnto God to whome also in Baptism they haue wholly bound them selues herein let them shewe all careful endeuour that the same which ther they vowed they may faythfully perfourme and without any intermission shew them selues thankful vnto God their redéemer And this is the very same that we heare Dauid in his psalmes many times make promise of So that neither this nor any like places can in any wise maintein the vowes of the Papists and monks which superstitious men without the warrant of Gods word and hauing not first tried their own habilitie dare take vpon them and that not withoute confidence to merite therby which presūption alone with the leauen therof being very pharisaical maketh all the other worship vnacceptable to god But of the mariners lette this suffise that we haue alredie spoken Let vs now looke vpon Ionas whiche himselfe also is allotted an happie end of so greate a daunger For he who a little before coulde not be safe in the ship but that both wind and water thirsted for his punishment is now in the midst of the sea betwene billowes stormes kepte safe sounde and being restored to his office he who earwhile deserued not so muche as the name of a Prophet becōmeth also a figure of Christ our Sauior For mētion is here made the god prepared a great fish which might restore to lād in good safetie this Prophet after he had ben first with gaping mouth receiued into the fish and then put ouer into the bellye and lastly inclosed there thrée whole dayes long Wonderfull great was this miracle the lyke whereof is scarsly to be founde whether ye consider the Fishe that was so obediente to God or Ionas who notwithstanding the fierce rankes of téethe standing in maner of a sawe the feareful passage through the iawes and the throte that stonke by reason of clammie filthynesse sniuell was yet able to go downe vnhurte into the bealy and liue there for the space of thrée dayes hauing neyther any meate to be susteyned with nor yet enioying the common vse of the light and the ayre without the whiche it is vnpossible for man to kéepe life Whervnto is this also to be added that God for so long tyme restrayned the power digestiue of the stomack least it shuld consume Ionas who was sent downe thither Howbeit let vs leaue off these things for this present and search after the misteries of the holie ghoste and the vse of this hystorie that there may redounde the greater cōmoditie vnto vs therof And here fyrste of all we are admonished by this example how many mischeues are to fall on them that refuse obedience vnto god As for Ionas that he might be placed among the number of such we haue heard before And what thing more terrible coulde haue happened vnto him if all the tirantes of the worlde shoulde haue conspired together to robbe him of his lyfe He was tossed with a tempest whiche beyng occasion of such terrour to the mariners no doubt it made Ionas in maner beside himselfe for feare Afterwarde he heareth the mariners taking counsaile about lots wherby they might searche out him who was the causer of this so great tempest that was raysed Howe fared he in mynde think you certainly knowing that he alone was sought for And shal we not say that he was much terrified by means of those lots as giltie persons are wont to be whē they see the executioners hatchet readie to parte their head from their shoulders Beeing found out he confesseth his horrible fact and accuseth himselfe as one that auoyded his comming to Niniue chiefly in this respect bicause he wold haue his authoritie nothing diminished At length he is cast into the sea among the midde billows whose force he was not able before to abyde no not in the ship What other thing was this than as if he had ben cast into a graue quick and immediatly smoothered with earth After al this yet doth not the iudgement of God who pursueth him stay there but straightwaye he méeteth with an huge Fish which with the wide gaping that it maketh and hauing ranks of teeth so terrible receyueth him and swaloweth him vp whiche one thing alone to a man of the greatest courage in the worlde woulde not onely haue striken him in feare but also haue made his mynde wholly amazed yea rather full of despaire Moreouer in this so huge a gulfe continueth he thrée days space and all this while is he washed with the waters of the billowes that are swalowed vp sometime he is plunged downe into the lowe bottomlesse places sometyme fléeteth he alofte one whyle he is tossed to this syde an other whyle to that and in that vaste goulfe euery moment séeth he a thousand deathes before his eyes What tentations I beséeche you shall wée thinke hee was tormented withall perfectly knowing that all this adoe happened vnto him thorough Gods displeasure Surely these thinges are so outragious to be borne that ten deathes were easier than the abyding of all these togither And like plighte are all they in who to eschue lighter perils and suche as their owne braynes doe fansie set themselues against god Examples are euery where to be founde but moste amongest suche as when persecutions assault denie Christ leaste they shoulde put bothe goodes and lyfe in hazarde For oftentymes it commeth to passe that they wander vp and downe infamous and without renoume they can take no pleasure of their riches and besides that they féele horrible stinges of conscience whereby they are brought euen to vtter despaire It was not for naughte therefore that the Apostle sayd It is an horrible thyng to fall into the handes of the liuing god Hebr. 10. In the consyderyng hereof this is the frute that we must gather euen to learne obedience vnto God who beste knoweth bothe to tourne all daungers awaye and those that walke after his calling to preserue them yea though it were in the myddest of a thousande perilles Consequently here cōmeth the power of God to be marked wherby he is able to keepe in safegarde those that are his euen in the thickest of suche ieopardies where as there seemeth no hope of deliuerance to remayne For that whyche at this present hapned is such a matter as can in no wyse bee credited among prophane men which measure all things by carnall reason Howbeit this remedieth all doubt that might be made seing that it is sayde howe GOD prepared this Fish and so
made a prouisyon that it shoulde be readie at time conuenient to swalow Ionas vp through the ranks of his teeth without doing him any harme and also kéepe him safe whole thrée days space Moreouer Christe Iesu by his testimonie addeth credite to this historie who affirmeth that by Ionas was exhibited a figure both of his death and also of his resurrection We can not therefore denye the truthe of this thyng accomplished in déede excepte we be mynded therwithall to call in doubte the mysteries of our redemption And that it is not vnpossible for God to bring such thinges to passe is sette out by infinite other examples For it hath great resemblance hereto that when as the floud was redie to come he made all the beastes so tame that they came vnto Noe entred into the Arke and layd asyde their wonted wildnesse And agayne that he so long while preserued Noe in safetie euen in the middest of so horrible flowes of waters as then were The verie lyke thinges were also in tymes paste wrought in Egipt when as God brought Frogges Locustes Flyes and Wormes of all sortes for the subduing of Pharaos cruell mynde What did he not also leade the people of Israell thorow the bottomlesse depthes of the red sea the waters rising on height like a wal on eyther side What shall wée saye of Daniel who is preserued in the middest Lions and his felowes saued among the flames of an hote burning ouen by the miraculous protection of God Or is it not more to be wondred at that sodeinly there swoomme a fishe to Peters hooke which brought the tribute money in his mouth But if there be any that liste to skorn at al these things acompting them for fables what I besech you are they able to answere to the miracle of the vnperfect birthe lying hidde in the mothers wombe Doth it not farre passe the capacitie of mannes vnderstanding that a chylde about the space of fiue monethes shoulde in those straightes not only liue but also encrease in greater strength tyll suche time as it be borne into the world And séeing that is daily brought to passe shall we stand in doubte but that God is hable to worke some singular thing if the necessitie of the case shall so require Why doe we not then acknowledge the puissaunce of GOD and wyth déepe weyghing thereof arme oure selues in all daungers and perplexities with pacience and constancie of faithe For hée that in times past was of mighte to do these thinges the same at this daye in sickenesse in neede in prisonmentes in temptations of the conscience yea euen in death it selfe is of habilitie to defende and preserue vs With Dauid therefore we maye reason by those thinges that are gone before Thou arte hee O God that drevvest me out of my mothers vvombe I haue ben left vnto thee euer since I vvas borne thou arte my God euen from my mothers vvombe And againe Thou leadest vs thorough fire and vvater but thou bringest vs out into a place of comforte Neuerthelesse we shall not muche néede examples fette from other men if euery one wil narowly loke vpon thēselues For they shal find in thēselues many things wherby they may be admonished of Gods power goodnesse therewithall Lastly the figure of Christe muste bée consydered in thys place whiche hée shewed vs hym selfe where as to the Iewes requiring a token he sayd This frovvard and adulterous nation seketh a signe and there shall no signe bee giuen it but the signe of Ionas the prophete For as Ionas vvas in the vvhales belly three dayes and three nights so shal the sonne of man be three days and three nightes in the heart of the earth Howebeit Ionas did not only shadowe the hystorie of the Lordes death and resurrection but therewithall also the frute that sprong vnto vs thereout For as Ionas being cast into the Sea and deuoured of the fishe broughte the Sea to be calme and stilled the tempests of winde Euen so Christ by his death hath pacified God the Fathers wrath tamed the madnesse of the world and the Prince thereof and cleane taken away the horroure of eternall deathe Moreouer as Ionas béeing drowned was causer of the mariners cōuersion vnto God so do we reade that Christe after his resurrection conuerted manie whiche were authoures of hys owne death Besides this as Ionas lyke a conqueroure of the Sea from the wide gaping of the fish escaped safe to the shore so Christ hauing ouercome death the deuil was restored again to life As hervnto that as Ionas being restored brought the Niniuite saluation by preaching of the word So Christe raised from death to life sent out his Apostles amōg the Gentiles who by their preaching were drawne to be felowe partners of saluation You sée then how in this historie are conteined al thinges that may tende to the institution of lyfe faith So that Satan did not without great skil labour to haue obscured the same seeking to haue made folks beleue that it was but the fable of Arion Let vs for our partes be mindefull of these thinges and feare God so that turning from our sinnes we maye haue all our hope of saluation reposed in Chryste Iesu alone who by the merites of his death and by his glorious Resurrection hath vanquished death and hel and set vs at libertie from the iawes of Leuiathan that he mighte make vs partakers of his kingdome To him belongeth thanks giuing honor glory dominion for euer Amen The second Chapter The fyfth Homelie ANd Ionas praied vnto the Lord his God out of the bowels of the fishe and saide In my trouble I called vnto the Lorde and he answered me out of the bellie of the graue I cried and thou heardest my voice Thou hadst cast me doune into the herte of the seas and the floud compassed me about yea all thy vvaues and rolles of vvater vvent ouer me And I saide I am cast avvay out of thy sight but I will yet againe looke toward thy holy temple FOr as much as God had appointed Ionas by especiall priuiledge to be a Prophet to the Gentiles by whose preaching they mighte be stirred vp to repentance not without good consideration is it that in him he setteth foorth such an absolute example of repentance worthy to be imitated in al ages of as many as couet to come in fauoure againe with himselfe This is the scope wherevnto all things tend that as yet we haue herd namely of his franke confession of hys sinne and also of his faithe in God of hys submitting himselfe to Gods will altogether and finally of his counsaile that hée gaue vnto the mariners for their safegard though it were with the peril of his own life But bicause in al these thīgs hitherto there is no mention made of prayer which in repentance is chiefly requisite now is somewhat also entreated thereof For in thys chapter he setteth out an himne or Psalme
that he made béeing restored to lande in the which also he expresseth diligently what he did lying hid in the whales bellie The argument of the orison is that he giueth thanks vnto God for the benefite of his deliuerance And it obserueth this order First he telleth what he did him selfe and in what sorte God dealt with him Secondly by a description of his owne daunger he enlargeth the benefite of God doone vnto hym selfe Thirdely hée dothe teache the vse of this miracle whyche is that leauyng all Superstitions wée place all hope of saluation in God alone Laste of all hée voweth thankes giuing Many frutes therefore maye hée gathered out of this Prison For it teacheth vs what mynde wée shoulde bée of béeing assaulted with any kynde of perill and euen howe wée oughte also to prepare our selues to the death Consequently it deliuereth vnto vs a perfecte Methode howe to talke wyth GOD or to praye whyche is not the leaste poynte of Celestiall wysedome Besides thys it confirmeth our Faythe least wée shoulde faynte and giue euer in aduersitie Moreouer it instructeth vs whiche is the true and health some vse of the benefites of god But of all these shall be spoken in theyr place Nowe therefore firste of all to thys declaration that is alreadie begonne hée knitteth thys verse saying And Ionas prayed vnto the Lorde his GOD and sayde c. Which may not so be vnderstāded as thoughe hée had composed this Hymne lying hidde hymselfe within the bowells of the Whale For it conteyneth manye thynges that coulde not be spoken before hee was sette on lande agayne But it openeth vnto vs howe euen at that time he was verie mindeful of God and called for his healpe with vncessant Prayers And least that being deliuered from this distresse he should seem to haue forgotten God he addeth this Hymne therby to aduaunce Gods benefites that he had receiued And herein as hath bene sayde a little before euen in his formost entrie therof he doth in a summe set foorth what was doone betwéene him and God In my trouble I called and he gaue me ansvver oute of the bellie of the graue I cryed and thou heardest my voyce These words are playn easy inough but bicause in them the whole fourme of praying aright is comprehended it maye not séeme tedious vnto vs although wée make some tarying about the same First lette vs sée whome Ionas prayed vnto And hereof he giueth vs aduertisement once and agayne in that he sayeth He prayeth vnto the Lorde his God and euen in the beginning of his orison hathe these wordes In my trouble I called vnto the Lorde Who that Lorde is appered euidentely before by his confession whereas he sayd that he feared the Lord God of heauen which made the sea and the drye lande So then he made his supplication neither to Neptune nor any other among the number of the feigned Goddes neyther of the Angelicall creatures or Sainctes liuing in heauen to take vpon them the regarde of him béeing nowe in ieopardie as peraduenture it myghte haue bene thoughte to Noe who béeing in tymes past wonderfully delyuered from the floudde restored mankynde againe or to Moyses who as he escaped himselfe miraculously out of the waters so afterward he ledde the Israelites thorough the bottome of the redde Sea drie shod or Elias which diuided the waters in sunder with his mantell but as in one God he had al the hope of his recouerie reposed so him ▪ alone he thought worthie to be called vppon at suche tyme as he perceyued his deliuerance to lye in great doubt Nowe from hence let a generall doctrine be set that we muste call vpon none other but God only For the same that Ionas did hath also ben practised of al others whose faith is cōmended in the scriptures Neither doe there want precepts whereby God requireth it at oure handes For in the couenaunt that he made with Abraham he professeth himselfe to be El Schadai that is to saye a GOD of all sufficiencie who will be vnto vs in maner of a treasure heape and moste ample rewarde and requireth againe on our partes that we walke perfectly in his sight But howe shall this be accomplished if in daungers or any other necessitie wée seeke for helpe any other where Heereof we are admonished also by the fyrst precept of the two Tables wherin we are forbidden to haue any straunge Goddes Howbeit straunge Goddes haue so many as besyde one onely God set vp to themselues whatsoeuer eyther sauiours or reuengers Againe God speking of the incense or perfume whiche was to be vsed aboute the holie thinges wherby it is most certaine that prayers are ment ordeined punishment of death to as many as shoulde conuert it to any other vse Herevnto also applie the same that the godly were commaunnded to offer vp their sacrifices to one God alone wherby a mā may most firmely conclude that to him both one and onely all prayers doe of duetie appertayne whiche of all sacrifices are accompted the chief And here vpon commeth it that when as in the fiftieth Psalme he hadde reiected the vaine ceremonies of the hypocrites together with their complayntes immediately he addeth Offer vnto God thanks giuing and pay thy vovves vnto the most highest And call vpon mee in tyme of trouble so vvill I heare thee c. But put the case that there coulde no place of Scripture be founde whiche expressely shoulde commaunde the same yet surely common sense giueth vs sufficient warning to inuocate vpon God alone For to haue our prayers heard and ratified this is requisite that he whome wée call vpon be alwayes presente with vs wheresoeuer we be and that he haue perfect knowledge not only of the manyfeste daungers that we are wrapped in but also of the very inward smarts of our hearte and carefull thoughtes of oure mynde and besides this that in euerye necessitie he bothe can and will helpe vs Nowe God onely is euery where present he alone beholdeth all things he only knoweth oure mindes and thoughtes he only is Almightie and Lorde ouer al creatures and he it is who of long since hathe giuen out testimonies of his more then fatherly good will and at this tyme hathe exhibited them moste manifestly in his sonne Iesu Christe and openly declareth the same good mynde that he beareth towarde vs by dayely benefites So that hée muste néedes bée blynde or rather a monster of ingratitude that wil not sée them What remaineth then but that we be suppliant vnto him alone These thinges may suffise to confute them whiche now a dayes offer vp their prayers to Saintes and make vowes to them whereas themselues while they liued taughte men to call vpon one God alone and maynteyned the reuerencing of him euen with the sheding out of their owne bloud Next foloweth to be considered where Ionas prayed In the bovvels of the fishe Why God had in tymes past assigned a Temple where he
God and vtterly surceasse from praying for that time Let vs imitate Ionas the exāples of others whose faith in times past hath pleased God who also will heare vs and séeing he is Truth it selfe can neuer fayle to performe his promises And at this present let those things whiche wée haue spoken suffise as concerning Inuocation and prayers Nowe passe wee ouer to the seconde parte of this Canticle wherin he paynteth oute the greatenesse of his peryll that the benefites of God maye appeare the more excellente Fyrste Thou hadst caste me sayeth he dovvne into the deepe c. Hée complayneth that hee was caste downe of the Lorde yet was he not ignorant that the Mariners did it at his owne cōmaundement Howbeit he hath respect vnto God who by his iudgemente had broughte the matter to that passe that both he was enforced to confesse his owne offence and the mariners yea though it were agaynste theyr willes to cast him out By this example of the Prophet we may learne in daungers and aduersities not to bend our eyes toward men alonely who in some parte maye be causers vnto vs thereof but to fire our mynds vpon the determinatiōs of God without whose good pleasure ther can no aduersitie happen vnto vs This béeing well weighed moueth vs greatly to repentance for that it compelleth vs to thinke vpon our sinnes wherby we haue prouoked the wrathe of God it armeth vs also with pacience lest without cause we shoulde rashly striue against god Ionas is diligent also in setting foorth whether God did caste him awaye Into the depth into the hearte of the Seas That is to saye into the innermoste parloure of the Sea or the verye bottomlesse place it selfe And the floudde that is as many flouddes as runne into the sea compassed me about yea all thy dashing vvaues that is to say the brustlyng none of the waters beating one an other And all thy rolles of vvater vvent ouer mee For this cause calleth he them the waues and billowes of God for that he is the creator of the sea and author of all windes and tempestes And this lot must they looke for which thinke scorne to obeye God that whyle they couete to eschue some one perill whyche they haue conceyued in theyr mynds they do nothyng else but plunge themselues into manie that bothe are more and also gréeuouser Yet in this maner of speaking wherin he sayeth All thy rolles of vvater vvente ouer mee is conteyned a Consolation not to bée contemned For althoughe many be the tribulations of the righteous as Dauid witnesseth yet doe they in a maner passe ouer their heades neither doth God suffer those that are his to be tempted aboue their power The Prophete furthermore maketh reporte what he thought béeing inclosed in these straightes I sayde I am caste out of the sight of thine eyes In these wordes hee expresseth of all temptations the gréeuousest as wherein he supposed that there was no hope of further health lefte vnto him to leane vnto And surely this alteration of the Prophet ought diligently to be obserued For not long since this was his whole drifte to get him awaye from the presence of God and ridde himselfe of his seruice But now being terrifyed with the feeling of Gods indignation this only thing is a corsey to his hearte that Gods countenaunce is hidden from him and that he feeleth himselfe excluded therfrom by his owne deserte Suche a lyke thing doth Chryste shadowe in the parable of the prodigal sonne For he also first of all woulde néedes departe from hys father but when hée was broughte to suche néede as that he beganne to gette his liuing amongest swyne then wished he to haue a roomthe yea though it were amongst his fathers hired seruants so he myghte but enioye the syghte of him The verie same thing also doe they féele how many soeuer hauing shaken of Gods yoke doe alienate themselues from him Yet oughte not the godly to despaire if there shall any lyke thing chaunce vnto them seeing wee reade that Christe was tempted in suche sorte that hanging vpon the crosse he cried My God my God vvhy haste thou forsaken mee Nowe as he dothe yet acknowledge him to bée his owne God of whome hee complayneth himselfe to be forsaken So also is it conuenient for vs constantly to retaine this principle of Saluation that we iudge not God estraunged from vs but always recognyse it to be his Fatherly hande whiche dothe correcte vs So doth Ionas when as by way of redressing his former thoughte he addeth But I vvill yet agayne looke tovvarde thy holy temple In this worde Temple he comprehendeth all the outwarde worship together with the promyses whervpon he stayed himselfe For to the Temple assembled together as many as appertayned to the couenaunt of God as were circumcised as professed the reuerencing of the true God And that God woulde accept their prayers whiche they offered vp there they had learned before by his promises giuen vnto Salomon Thus therfore semeth the Prophete to say in effecte Although all things séemed to threaten me a mischiefe and as it shuld appeare thou hadst vtterly caste me away yet coulde it neuer slippe out of my mynde but that I belonged to the societie of thy couenant and people And thence grounded I my hope that a tyme wold once come wherin I shoulde againe appeare before thée and be presente at thy holie solemnities And surely great is this force of Faithe which after this sort wrastleth with the fleshe betwéene hope and feare Yea rather this is a true proofe of faithe when as by considering the promises of God and the Sacraments wherwith they are sealed it susteyneth it selfe vp against al temptations Neyther is this the leaste commoditie that wée may reape by the Sacramentes and outwarde profession For after the same maner had both Dauid and Ionathas regarde vnto circumcision which was a seale of the couenāt of God when as they called their enimies Vncircumcised But nowe in the meane season there appeareth perfectely in this place what is the disposition of the godly who couet to be deliuered from distresses and restored to their former estate chiefly to this end that they maye serue god Hereof entreateth Dauid in his Psalmes verie often and Ezechias lying sicke vpon his bedde made his complaint especially for this cause for that by his death hée sawe howe the worshippe of God stoode in some hazard Farre otherwise is the cōdition of the vngodly whose thoughtes waite only vpon carnall thinges and therfore when they pray are the lesse accepted Howbeit let vs continue in the steppes of Ionas and other holy men So shall God when we crie fauourably heare vs thorough Iesus Chryste as hée hath promised To him belongeth thankesgiuing honoure glorie and dominion for euer Amen The syxth Homelie THe vvaters compassed me euen to the very soule the depe closed me in on euery side and the vveeds vvere vvrapped about mine heade