the fire without melting And for this cause neyther was it the voyce of the Lord proceeding immediately from his spirit which spake to Ionah here or to any of his Prophets elsewhere For as no man hath seene his shape so neyther hath any man heard his voyce at any time as sayth our Saviour Ioh. 5.37 The voyce of the Lord sayth David is powerfull the voyce of the Lord is full of maiestie c. but in his Temple doth everie man speake of his glory And truly vnlesse wee first take comfort in hearing the Lords voyce in his Temple and that by the Ministery of man daily delivered wee shall take little pleasure in hearing the Lords owne voyce which shall shake both heaven and earth much more the consciences of all sinners when he shall show himselfe in farre more dreadfull manner then once he did vpon Mount Sinai But how came the voyce to Ionah I have showen you negatively how not was it then in audible manner from without audible or rather intelligible it was to Ionah but in secret and from within like that still small voyce that came to Eliah The Lord spake vnto Iob but out of the whirl-winde and Job therewith grew humbled before a man most daring And I thinke had there to this voyce in what kinde soever it came to Jonah beene ioyned but some powerfull signe of the Lords presence Ionah durst not then have carryed himselfe so petulantly if the Lord had spoken to him whither out of the whirlewinde as to Iob or out of the flaming bush as to Moses or out of the storme as to Eliah or in a more excelling vision as vnto Daniel as vnto Iohn Rev. 1. He durst not then have replyed as he doeth much lesse if as he is in his owne ineffable existency had God spoken durst he once to have muttered It is true the Lord doeth sometimes speake audibly striking the outward sense of man as by the Trumpet which called vnto Iohn Revel 4. Againe sometimes hee hath revealed himselfe visibly to the eye of mans body and so he did to the young man with Elisha the Prophet 2. Kings 6.17 and to Paul Actes the 9.3 Sometimes againe and that very vsually vnder the time of the old Law he hath revealed his will to the fantasie or imagination and that by a dreame in the night Lastly and that most specially and most inwardly of all hath the Lord made knowen his purpose to the minde of man his intellective or vnderstanding part as the most essentiall part of man and most capable of Divine revelation But this last hath not happened alwayes after one kinde and manner but sometimes after a more abstracting and ravishing sort the man for the present being so disposed that hee knowes not whether his spirit bee in or out of his body at the lestwise the spirit being for the time deprived the vse of any the senses that it may attend the better to heavenly visions Thus was Ezekiel carryed out of himselfe into the valley of dry bones Paul into the third heavens thus fell Peter into his trance Sometimes againe to come to the question in hand and this most commonly to his Seruants the Prophets the Lord hath given his word or his signe by a secret instinct or inspiration Thus was the manner of olde and that thus it was with Ionah in this place may appeare by the context in comparing this speech with the precedent verse where is set downe that Ionah fainting wished in himselfe to die and said it was better for him to die then live This wish or speech of Jonah was secret within himselfe no eare heard it but the Lord and so the Lord in secret againe doth answer him and hee againe answers to the Lord. The Lord saide to Ionah and Ionah saide to the Lord the manner and carriage of which saying and interchange of speech as it was secret and silent so no thoughts could vnderstand but the heart of Ionah and the Lord only Shall we now apply this the Author to the Hebrewes hath done it in these words God who did in times past at divers times and sundry waies speake vnto the Fathers the Prophets have in these last daies spoken to vs by his owne Sonne whom hee hath appointed heire of all things by whom he made the worlds Now which kinde of speakings had you rather choose whither by seruants in the house or him that hath made the house and is heire of all Some there be who say O that we had lived in the daies of the Prophets or the Prophets now in our daies for then should we be vifited with new revelations and visions from the Lord. Hence spring vp almost in all ages those Anabaptisticall spirits pretending daily new revelations but inspired from hell to leade away vnstable soules which will not content themselues with the sound doctrine of the Gospel delivered by Christ Iesus the only Sonne of God To this end also have the Ministers of Antichrist devised new traditions and vnwritten verities to feed the humour of such men that they all might bee damned saith Saint Paul who beleeve not the truth but have pleasure in vnrighteousnesse in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians O remember the saying before that God spake divers times and diversly to the Fathers the Prophets none of them for the time being able to deliver an absolute forme of doctrine but as expecting daily somethings yet to bee added they waited for further revelations or inspirations from above And shall we expect that doctrine which they left imperfect to be made vp or perfected by the giddy spirits or furious phantasies of such who come like the old Prophets I have dreamed I have dreamed O no God hath spoken to vs in these last dayes by his Sonne the heyre of all who came out of his Fathers bosome and therefore hath revealed his whole will concerning our salvation and the means thereof and the same to remaine without any addition alteration or change to the end of the world he hath also sealed the same by the witnesse of his spirit in the hearts of all beleevers so that we may say with Peter whether shall we goe from thee for thou hast the word of Life c. To conclude since Saint Iohn wrote his revelation which he received from Christ there is to be looked for no other Revelation whether from Angels or men but cursed is he that addeth or taketh away from the words of the Booke of this Prophesie or from the writing of any other the Prophets Euangelists Apostles This word of God saith S. Paul to Timothy is able to make the man of God perfect what neede then any other helpe and furtherance perfection being by this word to bee attained vnto a perfection greater then that the fathers before Christ saw a perfection so farre as is conuenient during the state of our mortall life and Pilgrimage here vntill that glorious day in full strength breake out and the
dust and ashes But what marueile if while the fit lasteth the yet vnmortified flesh take on this being the beast which is to bee sacrificed vntill we be quite dead vnto our owne naturall desires reason and perverse iudgement This is that which the Lord in mercy passeth over putting a difference here betweene Ionah and his anger and betweene the sinnes of his children and his graces in them So the words here according to the originall are not to be read Doest thou well to be angry but thus is it well that anger is with thee according to the saying of the Apostle It is not I that sinne but sinne that dwelleth in me This as one day to be cast out and quite abolished from our natures the Lord doth passe by for the present accepting our persons not regarding the workes of our owne hands but as we are his workemanship in Christ Iesus Secondly And this is the second thing that preserveth and vpholdeth Ionah and with Ionah all Gods Elect in the most bitter conflicts from sinking into the pit and finall perishing namely the hand and power of grace which hath stated them in the covenant of Gods free Election and doth sustaine them in the same condition to their lives ends For first there is semen immanens an abiding seede as John calles it whereof whosoever be quickened never totally lose the life thereof but the vertue thereof at all times remaineth though not so evidently at all times discerned even as the Starres in a darke night are not seene to the eye yet both the eye retaineth the power of seeing and the Starres also are visible in themselves and abide fixed in the firmament which the succession of an other night plainly doeth discover So in this case againe and in this particular of anger a Christian is compared to a Philosopher in a tempest at the Sea While there is tumultus multus clamor magnus Much tumult and clamour the Philosopher though he be grounded in the Principles of his Art at that time hath no abilitie of manifestation neither himselfe being at all disposed nor his hearers capable of instructions so while the fury and strength of temptation lasteth the Christian is not his owne man in appearance waite then a while longer the tempest will be over the Starres shine cleere and the eye of faith shall be comforted with the light of Gods countenance Now as there is evermore an habite of grace and seede of God remaining in the soule of every true servant of God and faithfull member of Christ Iesus and ever shall remaine in spight of all the malice of Satan and the gates of hell and our owne corruptions too and the rage of wicked men so for the operation of the same it is at all times stirring the power thereof being never wholly buryed even in the greatest agony of the soules vexation there is a resistance vnto evill and a secret hand of grace running along with our impotent and tumultuous passions keeping those waving stormes of the soule within some compasse which else would swell above the bankes to the fearefull inundation of the soules tranquillitie And therefore is it howsoever may arise rebelling commotions from within yet never shall we finde that they have in direct tearmes of blasphemy broken out contrary to divine light inkindled in their breasts in despight against the Holy Redeemer which too often falleth out in Cast-awaies Consider the example before mentioned whether Moses or Eliah or Job or Jeremy It is true they were exceedingly and beyond measure transported to wish for death and to curse the day of their nativity doeth argue a great distemper of spirit but it is but a distemper and doth not forbid but they might as soone after they were be brought to a more sober moode and better minde Eliah wisht to dye so Moses so Jonah here wishes directly against themselves howsoever their anger or a great part thereof might be against the Lord. Iob and Ieremy they cursed but whom the Lord no they durst not they could not therefore it breakes out another way and is discharged vpon the day the night wherein they were conceived and borne the pappes that suckled knees that dandled them the man that brought tydings they shot at randome bitter words yet none flye vpward against their Maker this caution still hath beene remembred and the secret power that hath curbed those swelling motions hath at no time beene wanting to them Two cases there bee wherein I observe the holyest of Saints living to be iniurious in the highest measure against their owne felicitie but never directly against God the one is in extremitie of their owne sufferings which hath now beene handled the other an excesse of their zeale to Gods glory Thus Moses wished to be wiped out of the booke of life rather then that people should have beene consumed to whom the Lord had made promise of entring Canaan What would the nations have said thought he either that the God of Israel was vniust of his word or vnable of power to bring and plant that people in the land of the possession O let me never see good day saith Moses rather then God should suffer this dishonour With the same affectionate zeale was Paul mooved partly to his countrey-men the Iewes of the same flesh with him chiefely in regard of Gods honour who had sworne and bound himselfe in an everlasting covenant to Abraham and his seede for ever that rather then that people should absolutely be cast off and forsaken hee himselfe might become Anathema and accursed for ever Doe you see by these examples how iealous of Gods glory the Saints have beene though no mans zeale can be too great to Godward yet in the ardour thereof working with their dimme faith to have discovered manifest impotency The same effect well nigh to returne to the present purpose after a contrary manner of working in the violence of their owne extremities most commonly hath beene produced There can no such causes happen wherein a man with Ionah ought to wish for death the time by God appointed yet not come Ionah truly herein did transgresse so did Moses and Eliah too Yea but to be angry with God in expresse tearmes or to fall into this hopelesse exigent of cursing can it any waies be excused or made tolerable in the sight of God or course of sanctitie What then shall we say for Iob and Ieremy or yet for Jonah the occasion of this whole dispute Yea there is none so madde I doe suppose who will offer the excuse or purgation of Ionah in this his madde teasty combate and quarrell against the Lord his Maker yet in this will I exempt Ionah from the everlasting curse in that hee fell not into expresse tearmes of cursing For the other two O what iust what holy men Iob I meane and the other good Ieremy whether went ye downe downe vnto the sides of the pit or how fell yee downe downe into the
changeth not though chang'd be we Then doe thy office but consider The Gourd that spring's from'th ground will wither IONAH'S CONTESTATION ABOVT HIS GOVRD IN A SERMON DELIVERED AT Pauls Crosse Septemb. 19. 1624. IONAH 4. vers 9. And God said to IONAH Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd and he said I doe well to be angry even vnto death THIS whole Prophesie or Booke of Ionah may well for the state thereof be so conceived as to be borne forth by way of Dialogue or Interlocution betweene the Lord and Him the Argument maintained sometimes directly sometimes indirectly by Word by Signe by Practise by Example The Lord begins The word of the Lord came vnto Ionah the sonne of Amittai c. Ionah answeres disobediently The Lords sends him to one place hee goeth to another Then the Lord speaketh againe but by his creatures opposing his practise against Ionah's and maintaines his Argument by the Windes the Marriners the Whale-fish and so the controvesie descendeth into the bottome of the Sea At the third Chapter Behold A new Scaene of trouble beginneth The word of the Lord came vnto Ionah the second time saying Arise Goe vnto Nineveh that great Citie and Preach vnto it the preaching that I bid thee Here Ionah answeres like an obedient seruant conforming his practise to the Lords command But soone after his Message according to the tenour thereof not taking effect he showes his discontented minde and the same expressed in angry tearmes inwardly conceived by way of expostulation in the beginning of the fourth Chapter Then the Lord enters parley with Ionah after a friendly manner Doest thou well to be angry the Lord replies vpon Ionah by a loving signe and the Lord prepared a gourd c. and thereof Ionah was exceeding glad But now Iterum saeuiunt irae Anger breakes out againe The gourd withers Ionah frets the Lord speakes Ionah answeres the one friendly as before the other frowardly Ionah Doest thou well to be angry yea saith Ionah I doe well to bee angry even vnto death The next words conclude the prophefie and whole disputation directly against Ionah And thus may be conceived the frame and structure of the whole Booke This Text is a plaine part of the Dialogue disputation contestation or contention which you will and herein more particularly are obserueable the parties contending the Lord and Ionah the manner how the contention or controversie is carryed and it is by word or saying God said to Ionah and againe Ionah said to God The matter in question is expressed in the word angry and therein I shall speake of anger somewhat largely the question in speciall is concerning Ionah his anger and therein I shall deale more strictly And thus far on the Lords part The answere of Ionah hath likewise in it these three specialties answerable to the three parts of the former Quere which may easily bee apprehended in the question by the Lord specially directed to Ionah First here is a simple affirmation on Ionah's part the Lords question first implying thus much Ionah art thou angry yea saith Ionah I am angry Secondly a peremptory affirmation or iustification Doest thou well to be angry Ionah yea I doe well to be angry Thirdly a deepe aggravation Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd yea I doe well to be angry vnto death The first Circumstance The parties contending are the Lord and Ionah Impar congressus a most vnequall match and yet Ionah farre the weaker hath also the weaker cause in hand Tu domine fundasticaelos Thou Lord in the beginning hast established the heavens and laide the foundation of the earth and formed the spirit of man within him Great is our God and great is his power his wisedome is infinite Now looke vpon Ionah and who or what is he at the best but a weake and mortall creature a man borne of a woman of few dayes and full of misery hee commeth vp and is cut down like a flower he fleeth as a shadow and abideth not And doest thou open thine eyes vpon such an one bring such one into iudgement with thee saith Iob in the same place Here is instruction for all in places of Superiority let them learne from this one example of the Lord here how to carry themselues towards their inferiours Doth the Lord vouchsafe to reason with Ionah and give him account of his doings who then art thou that doest swell against thy brother and disdainest to answere thy fellow-seruant Drop downe yee heavens from above and let the skies powre downe righteousnesse Woe be to him that striveth with his maker For wee may not search into the Lords counsell further then he hath revealed it is farre more dangerous then to meddle in mans matters but there admire where he hath concealed Howbeit we see to the shame of our pride and scorne of our haughtie stomackes the Lord full often doth not refuse to commit himselfe to the tryall the Iudge to be iudged by vs his vassals Therefore hath he appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world in righteousnesse and the consciences of wicked men who refuse his iudgements now shall be made to acknowledge his iustice then Thus speakes the Apostle and he alleadgeth it out of the Psalmes that thou mightest be instified in thy sayings and overcome when thou art iudged Let then all petty gods take example from this great God whether they be Kings or Rulers or Magistrates or Officers or Masters or Fathers of Families since God is equall towards vs and that the heavens will one day declare let vs learne equitie and faire dealing one towards another This lesson had Iob learnt Chap. 3.13 If I did despise the cause of Man-seruant or Maide-seruant when they contended with mee what shall I doe when God riseth vp and when hee visiteth what shall I answere him Thus shall we walke worthy the title of Gods otherwise breake the teeth of the vngodly and malicious smite out the Iaw-bones of the Lyons O Lord. For such who walke not according to this rule retaine no longer the image of their Maker but are degenerated into Lyons Beares Tygers evening Woolues and so are they called in Scripture The second Circumstance Here the question is how the saying came to Ionah againe how Ionah spake to the Lord. Was it facie ad faciem face to face not so It was a Priviledge of Moses alone Exod. 12. That the Lord would speake to him face to face and this but in a figure too there being intended thereby but only a more familiar kinde of presence or dealing with Moses then with any other the Prophets vntill Christ came for when Moses desired to see the glory of God and his very countenance it was permitted to him only to haue a sight of his Backe-parts while his glory passed by This being a received truth That no man can see God and live I meane the life of Nature more then the waxe can indure the heate of