And so I came to the words of the Text Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy Holy Temple Which after I had open'd by shewing in what Sense Jonah was cast out of God's â—ight and what was the meaning of his looking again toward the holy Temple I â—hewed what may befal many that God may yet be working Grace in and have designs of eminent Good unto First They may be in a State of Blindness and Darkness yea thick and gross Darkness may be a great while upon them We read in the Gospel of a Man that was stark Blind that was born so and liv'd so all his days yet by the Povver of Jesus he immediately receiv'd his sight Mark 10.51 52. Ah! present Darkness is no ground of Despair you may see vvhat God in his Word says to such Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that â—eyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh 〈◊〉 Darkness and hath no light Let him â—ust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon â—…s God Here is a certain Remedy for nose that are in Darkness to stay upon their God and here is a Duty that God requires even in a dark State to trust in his Name Secondly They may be as to their own Apprehension in a very hopeless and helpless Condition but yet even then there is both Hope and Help for them by looking toward the holy Temple that is by looking to Christ and believing what he is and what he says Oh! hear that sweet word flowing from his Lips Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted to preach Deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the Blind to set at liberty them that are bruised Oh! What can be more fully and plainly expressed What can Christ speak more comfortably and more encouragingly to poor wounded Souls to look unto him Thus the Church by Faith look'd to God in a sad State Lam. 3.55 I called upon thy Name O Lord out of the low Dungeon And did she call or believe in vain Oh! No. Pray mark the next words Verse 56 57 58. Thou hast heard my voice hide not thine Ear at my breathing at my Cry Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee Thou saidst Fear not O Lord thou hast pleaded the cause of my Soul thou hast Redeemed my Life And what the Church did here experience all afflicted ones in like manner shall experience to their unspeakable Joy if they take the same course of looking to the Lord in the day of Trouble Thirdly They may have no Sense of God's Work in their Hearts which yet for all that may be really carrying on We read of the Peoples smiting their Breasts upon the doleful sight of Christ's Agony on the Cross Luke 23.48 But many poor Souls are smiting their Breasts with Sorrow because they can find no effect of Christ's Death in their Hearts They have not yet Taâ—ed that the Lord is Gracious 1 Pet. 2.8 And therefore they are breaking forth into hideous Lamentations and giving up themselves as lost Creatures Oh! but this is through a great Mistake there may be a blessed Work a glorious Work begun and yet you not at present sensible of it Fourthly They may be in their own Thoughts without the inâ—â—…ential Motion of God's Spirit And hence they are day and night â—ourning though still preserved and not consumed as the built was Exod. 3.3 Oh! how many do look upon themselves in no better a Condition than those dry Bones which God shewed the Prophet and ask'd him whether they could live Ezek. 37.3 4. But as these Bones the forsaken Jews will live when the Spirit of the Lord blows upon them so those Creatures that are at present dry and vvithout Sap and therefore are mourning in secret and crying out bitterly because of their desolate State shall most certainly if they look toward the holy Temple as Jonah here did find and feel after a little time the vivifying Influences of God's Spirit to their exceeding Joy and Comfort I then drew some Inferences from all this which I will make a brief Rehearsal of and so proceed First Then even in such a State we are not really out of God's sight Jonah was obvious to God when he was shut up in the Whales Belly and so is every Mourning Soul though under the blackest Circumstances Hear the Apostle as to this Heb. 4.13 Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do Not a Tear flows from our Eyes not a Sigh or Sob comes from our Hearts though in never so secret a manner in never so retired a place but is naked and open unto God Christ told Nathaniel John 1.48 When thou wast under the Fig-tree I saw thee Ah! When any poor Creature is Weeping Lamenting and Bemoaning himself in Holes and Corners even then and there God sees him Secondly Oh! Then this State is the Will of God which must be submitted to Is there any Evil in the City and the Lord has not done it Jonah being in the Whales Belly was the Act of God God put him there So whatever Mourning State thou art in it is the Lord 's doing As Christ speaking of God's Gracious Revelation of Gospel-Light and Knowledge rather to Babes than to the Wise and Learned resolves it into God's Free-Will and distinguishing Goodness as the only moving cause thereof Matt. 11.26 Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight So should every poor Creature under the pressure of Temptation under Spiritual Conflict and Soul-trouble say Even so Father it is thy Will it should be so It hath seemed good unto thee thus to lay thy hand upon me and therefore come to this â—â—sult under such a Dispensation with 〈◊〉 dear Redeemer John 18.11 The Cap which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it So this stroak that my Father has laid upon me shall I not bear it Thirdly Then such a State is very dreadful to poor Creatures To be under the hiding of God's Face and left to the Hurries of the Tempter is sadly terrifying and affrightning The Spirit of a Man may sustain his Infirmity but a wounded Spirit who can bear If it was a grievous thing to Abraham to send away his Son and the Bond-woman out of his House Gen. 21.11 12. Oh! How much more grievous is it to poor Creatures when their Rest is gone Peace is gone and all Quietness is gone from them In such a Perplexity was Jonah here in the Whales Belly And thus David mournfully complain'd Psalm 30.7 Thou didst hide thy Face and I was troubled 'T is not a small but a very sore great tormenting Trouble when a Soul is left in the Dark
Mind about her sad Condition I at last called to mind the words of our Lord Jesus This kind of Devil goeth not out but by Prayer and Fasting It came therefore into my Thoughts to try once more that way that never-failing way when manag'd rightly and in good earnest And being not very well satisfied with the manner of keeping the First day upon several Accounts not proper here to mention I resolved to take another and as I judg'd a more effectual course that is to desire the Church to set a-part a Solemn day of Humiliation to cry mightily unto God on her behalf And I was mightily encouraged to this way by what I found recorded in Sacred Writ in which there was an overflowing Fulness as to me and a very Incentive to a Proceeding in my intended Design In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Zion There brake he the Arrows of the Bow the Shield and the Sword And the Battle Selah And a little farther we find these words When God arose to Judgment to save all the Meek of the Earth Surely the Wrath of Man shall Praise thee the remainder of Wrath shalt thou restrain Now thought I musing on this Sweet Portion of Scripture as the Wrath of Man so the Wrath of Satan shall Praise God and the ramainder of that Wrath how fierce or boisterous soever God will most certainly restrain And this restraining is chiefly to be expected and looked for in the Sacred Boundaries of Zion For there he breaks the Shield that is the Carnal yet Obstinate Defence poor tempted ones make through the cunning Delusions of the Devil against the Saving Comforts of the Gospel when tendred to them in the day of their Conflicts There he breaks the Sword that is the Arguments poor tempted ones according to the Logick they have learn'd of Satan do form as it were in Mood and Figure to wound and gall themselves with Horror and Despair There he breaks the Battle that is the long and tedious War poor tempted ones are ingaged in with Satan in the fatal Course of which they are spoil'd of all their precious and pleasant things and by Satan's too prosperous Success they are miserably held down under the Hatches and cannot help themselves and pittifully a long time kept in horrid Darkness and can-see no manner of Light and lamentably made to walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death and cannot in the least find any Comfort Oh! but when Prayers are made in and by a Gospel-Church for such tempted worried Persons God will in answer to those Prayers Arise to Judgment to save such meek ones of the Earth And then and there he will Graciously break the Shield and the Sword and the Battle My Thoughts ripening upon this comfortable Subject I forthwith repair'd to Mrs. Mary and acquainted her with what was upon my Spirit and what I had in my Thoughts resolved upon as to the calling my Church together to keep a Solemn day of Wrestling with God for her and ask'd her if she was willing to it She answered I might if I pleased but was something cold in the matter seeming to suggest it would be of little avail as to her nothing being likely to do her any good for she look'd upon her Disease as past Cure and her self as past Remedy I replied God had among other his Glorious Attributes entitled himself A God hearing Prayer And therefore upon this account and for this most Gracious Manifestation of himself Praise always waits for him in Zion and there the Vow shall be performed And there Prayers shall be answered and seasonable Mercies shall be bestowed Moreover as I farther alledg'd we are told The effectual or working Prayer of the Righteous avail much And if the Prayers of God's People solemnly met together would so far reach the Ears of God which I doubted not but they would according to his own word Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them And had such Prevalency with him to awake for her and to visit her with the special Favour he beareth unto all his Her despairing Language would soon be turned into another Tone for then She would see the Good of God's Chosen then she would rejoyce in the Gladness of God's Nation yea then she would Glory with God's Inheritance And then a new Song would be put into her mouth even of Praise unto her God So leaving her pretty well satisfied I took the first Opportunity of propounding it to my People who very willingly and readily embraced the Motion We agreed upon Friday the twentieth of May 1698. and accordingly met in the Morning at a Private House in the Town after a little while being together Mrs. Mary Harrison come to us with a mournful dejected Countenance her Hood over her Face she sat down over against me at the Table I then address'd my self to the Company in a few words declaring the cause of our meeting at that time and opening as well as I could Mrs. Maries Case to them begging their assistance and concurrence with me in laying close siege to the Throne of Grace for her I began in Prayer and then called forth some of the Brethren who prayed very meltingly and affectionately for her Indeed the Lord opened their mouths and mightily help'd them with apt suitable and pathetical Expressions which was no small Comfort and Refreshing to me for I plainly perceived the Cause was the Lord's and he would own it since he enabled his Servants to plead it so notably with him And I could not but comfortably infer a pleasing Presage that God was not far from appearing since the Grace of Prayer and Supplication was so eminently poured forth by himself for it For thought I with a Transport of Joy little below an Assurance of the thing he never did yet say to the House of Jacob and surely he will not now assist any of the House of Jacob to seek his Face in vain After the Brethren had concluded I spoke from those words of Jonah Chap. 2.4 Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy Holy Temple I took notice of the first Verse Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the Fishes Belly And I began with the word Then as noting the time From whence I remark'd these things First It was a time of very great and amazing Surprize to Jonah to be in the State he was poor Creatures are often plunged into those Soul-troubles they never dream'd of But notwithstanding the Greatness and Amazingness of their Sorrows it is then an especial time of going to God as Jonah here did and of crying out with David Psalm 39.7 And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee Ah! God should be the Object of hope in never so hopeless a Condition Secondly It was a
being displeased with that way from such an unusual Manifestation of his special Grace and Favour has an Art beyond what I desire to be acquainted with Oh! that every Congregation in England that call themselves a Church had so full and clear a Testimony from Heaven of God's owning them and his reflecting so on them with the Rays of his Beauty and the Beams of his Glory our Land would be in a far better State as to Religion than now it is To you also my dear Friends do I therefore Dedicate the following Narrative Of the Life and Death of this sweet Lamb who was of your Fold When she first heard of the Breathings amongst you and the Spirit of Judgment and of Burning with the Lord of Hosts had poured forth upon you she could not be satisfied till she went to see you and seeing you she lik'd and liking you she joyned with you and joyning with you she met with the Comfort which before in vain she sought after The time to Favour her yea the set time was come when she entred her self a Member of your Society and became as one of your Infant Congregation Oh! then she found the overflowing Fulness to her of those Words spoke about Temple-work That God will not despise the Day of small Things in which there is a Meiosis that is something more Intended than Expressed God will not despise the Day of small Things No he will eminently appear in and Gloriously Honour the Day of small Things when those Things have a Tendency to his Glory 'T was a Day of small Things with you when this then Militant now Triumphant Saint became acquainted with you but as mean as you were in outward Appearances as despisable as you were in the Eyes of the World you were Precious in God's Sight who put this great Honorarium upon you in casting this unvaluable Jewel into your Bosome whom I am more than Confident the most Famous Church in the Nation would have been Glad of and Thankful for as a more than common Blessing Certainly you would not be more Honoured in a State of Mortality than to have such a Darling of Heaven take her last Step in the Borders of your Sanctuary immediately before her Translation unto Glory And now my dear Friends having this Opportunity of speaking to you from the Press which I may never have again I will make bold as a real Lover of you and the Cause you are ingaged in to commend a few Words of serious Advice which I pray take as the result of my Dying Thoughts for I am not like to trouble the World long and I hope they may have some Impression on you First Be much affected with the Footsteps of God towards you and his wonderful Appearance for you in your Church State We are told The Works of the Lord are Great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein His Work is Honourable and Glorious and his Righteousness endureth for ever If ever People had cause to â—ook back with Admiration upon the Works of the Lord and to take Pleasure therein surely you have who have so abundantly experienced the Truth of what Bildad told Job Though thy beginning be but small thy latter-end shall greatly Increase Your beginning was but small and you are not yet come to your latter-end yet your Progression and the Accession to you is already very Great so that you are apparently in the most thriving Way of any Church I know or hear of And should you not remember even to Admiration the Divine Wisdom that has led you and the Divine Power that has help'd you though the many Briars and Thorns that â—ay in your Way Give me leave therefore though very briefly to make a Rehearsal and that ab initio of the many Difficulties you have met with and yet have been borne up as upon Eagle's Wings above them and how you have been carried on in your or rather God's Way in spight of them so that you may now say with David By thee we have run thorough a Troop and by your God we have leap'd over a Wall When the House where you now meet to Worship God was begun what Flouts and Jeers were there at it how did the Sanballats Mock and Scoff with a What do these feeble Jews some cry'd where will they have Money others cry'd where will they have Company And indeed they took what Course they could to prevent any Company by Ingaging all they had any Interest in from hearing a Sermon in that place What Lies and Shams did they make to Discourage poor People from attending on the Word there I know some of you Breathed unto God in the Words of Nehemiah Hear O our God for we are Despised and turn their Reproach upon their own Head which Prayer in an astonishing and terrible Manner you know what I mean has been already answered and that so visibly as was I am confident as much beyond your Expectation as Desire But the Sheet Anchor of your Adversaries Hope for a Blasâ— on your Undertaking was want of Money It seems they took Measure of the Spirit of God by their own Genius and so thoughts he would not nor could not Work without Money and where Money was necessary 't was above his Power to provide it But in this they found themselves wofully Mistaken for the Place was Finish'd and made Commodious to meet in and no complaint of the Workmen heard that they lack'd their Pay Ay But though there was Money procur'd for the Place how should you do for Money to maintain a Minister This was another Refuge they sled to as a comfortable Hope of the Works miscarrying But in this they have been as Successless as the former for that God whose is the Earth and the Fulness thereof has prevented even to Astonishment their Hopes and your Fears by opening such an effectual Door through the Key of his special Providence that there is though in a secret and unknown Way not only a comfortable but a plentiful and honourable Maintenance secur'd to your present worthy Minister And will you not now look up and admire will you not now look up and adore the interposing Goodness of God! who has a Wheel within the Wheel who can do who does do and who for you has done Great Things and unsearchable marvellous Things without Number I have so much Charity for the worst of your Opposers as to Believe that if they realy did know how strangely the Lord appear'd with respect to Supply they would have so much Christianity as to confess with that Cavelier Captain in the Civil Wars between the King and Parliament God does not stand Neuter But I must put you farther in Mind of God's exerting his Power for you not only in setting you as he has done above the Scoffs of your Enemies but in Reviving the Work after a fatal Damp had almost been put upon it by your Friends for though you cry'd to the great
came to my House but in the way of a complemental Visit and that seldom or never alone so that I never had opportunity of serious discoursing with her I always beheld her as our Saviour did Jerusalem with a Mournful Eye even ready to Weep over her as looking upon her in the broad way to Ruin and Destruction and one to whom the Judgments threatned in the Third of Isaiah did as properly belong as to any Person that ever I knew She was well vers'd in worldly things in worldly Fashions in worldly Customs in worldly Pastimes but in the things of God she was as ignorant as a Ninevite she knew not her right hand from her left and as little likely to be wrought upon by the Word as any Person that ever sat under it for her Eyes were rowling about to spy who was in the finest Dress or who had the newest-fashion'd Cloaths But that the Efficacy of the Spirit of God is irresistable and the Influence of Divine Grace immensely powerful one would think it utterly impossible that such a sorry piece of Carnality as this young Woman was and that in every respect did manifest her self to be should ever be savingly wrought upon or that such an amazing and most wonderful Change as afterward to the view of all appear'd should ever be made in her And the old Adagy in Israel Is Saul also among the Prophets was not more remarkable than that Mrs. Mary Harrison is now among the true Spiritual Mourners was wonderful to all that before knew her And therefore you are now to prepare your Eyes to behold what you will find writ in legible Characters and your Ears to harken to what you will hear sounding in a Charming Dialect the amazing Stories of the Wonders of Grace in the thorough and effectual Conversion of this young Damsel this Virgin-Daughter of Abraham who by the mighty Power of the Lord of Hosts was brought out of most Horrid Darkness into the beautiful Light of Jehovah And after a wearied Conflict with the Tempter passing through many Pains and Sorrows through many Fears and Doubts through many doleful Troubles and Heart-breaking Agonies whilst in the Bondage of Corruption was at last delivered into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God The first News I heard of her awakening was in February 1697. A Good Woman of my Church came to my House late at night with shew of some more than ordinary Tydings in the Form of her Countenance she desired to speak with me in my Study where we were no sooner sat down but she told me in a Melancholy Tone Mrs. Mary Harrison was in deep Despair and requested me immediately to repair to her Whether Mrs. Mary sent her or she came of her own head I do not remember I want words to tell you how exceedingly I was surpriz'd at this unexpected News I replied It was then late and as I thought unseasonable to give her a Visit and the next day I was unavoidably engaged in a Journey which I could by no means put off but at my return would not fail to be with her if the Lord pleased With this Answer I dismis'd the Messenger after whose departure I began seriously to revolve in my Mind the Strangeness of the Relation What! thought I Mrs. Mary Harrison a proud vain ignorant Creature in Despair about her Soul Sure this is some Mistake for I thought as strange of it as Thomas did of his Master's Resurrection and was ready to say with him Except I shall see in his hands the Print of the Nails and put my Finger into the Print of the Nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe So thought I except I hear it from her own Mouth and see cause by proper Actions and suitable Expressions to judge the thing real I will not I cannot believe it Indeed Ananias was not more backward to give Credit to the Conversion of Saul than I was to any such Change in her for as he argued in defence of his Incredulity Lord I have heard by many of this Man how much evil he hath done to thy Saints at Jerusalem And here he hath Authority from the Chief Priests to bind all that call on thy Name And can such a Man be so chang'd on a sudden Ah! How dull are the best of Men in believing the Wonders of Free Grace So was I saying to my self I have heard by many yea by her own Mother of this young Woman that she was mightily puffed up with Pride and of the things of the Gospel extreamly ignorant and I never heard any body speak of her being inclin'd in the least to any thing that is good and now full of Horror about Eternity now concerned even to Despair about her Immortal Soul How or from whence can this sudden this unaccountable Change be I must confess to my Shame I did not know what to think of it and could scarce give this Report any Entertainment especially such a Welcome one as a true one of this nature deserves in the retiring Room of my Heart However though I did not that night speak to her I spoke for her and spread that unintelligible and indeed almost incredible Account I had received before the Lord and fervently begg'd if there were not that there might be something in it that it might be the Lord's time to open her blind Eyes to break her hard Heart to enliven her dead Soul and breathe into her the Breath of Life The morrow according to appointment I went my Journey but could not get her out of my Thoughts neither on the Road nor at the Place where I was whatever Company I was in or whatever Business I was about my Mind still ran on Mrs. Mary Harrison I purposely hasted my return home much longing to see her and to be satisfied how it was with her whether there were indeed any Breathings in her Heart any Sense in her Soul any Apprehension of her present Misery or a future Eternity and from what ground this Sense arose and what Operation it had in her Inward Man As soon therefore as I came home even before I pull'd off my Boots I went to her and found her in her Chamber alone sitting in a very disconsolate Posture her Face clouded her Eyes cast down and her Physiognomy so miserably altered that I could not but call to mind that of the Poet Qui color albus erat nunc est contrarius albo After Salutations I sat down by her and enquired into her Case demanding What made her look so Melancholly and seclude her self from Company She replied She had reason enough to be Melancholly for that she was one of the Lost Persons from whom the Gospel was hid I had a little before at the desire of a Godly Friend preach'd two Sermons on 2 Cor. 4.3 But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost Which the Lord bless'd with Success to more than
and severest Affliction And it is more than imply'd that Jonah apprehended this when he thus cried to him The Israelites were to eat no Leavened Bread with the Sacrifice of their Passover but the unleavened Bread of Affliction Deut. 16.3 That they might remember what they were once in Egypt and the gracious Design God had towards them even in that Bondage State Oh! a Belief of this glorious Truth would allay the tempestuous Sea of Sorrow when our Souls are bowed down with Anguish Fourthly God will appear as answering of Prayer in the greatest Affliction When Jonah was crying he heard by an Ear of Faith God answering And so we find Israel acknowledging Deut. 26.7 And when we cryed unto the Lord God of our Fathers the Lord heard our voice and looked on our Affliction and our Labour and our Oppression He is a Prayer-hearing God and then especially when Prayer comes from the Anguish and Bitterness of the Soul And we have not only the Experience of his afflicted People in all Ages to witness this Truth but his own express word for it Psalm 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Oh! who would not beg hard for a Praying Heart and a Crying Tongue when the blessed God has such an hearing Ear. Secondly The other word that Jonah here sets forth the Misery of his Condition by is Hell Out of the belly of Hell cryed I From whence I remark'd these Observations First Poor Creatures and yet Elect Vessels may be in very dreadful Torments their Souls may be in very doleful Agonies Hell is a place of Torment 't is said of the rich Man Luke 16.23 In Hell he lift up his Eyes being in Torments Hence great and grievous Soul-troubles are Metaphorically called Hell David speaks in the same Language Psalm 18.5 The Sorrows of Hell compassed me about Now then when Jonah said here Out of the belly of Helâ— cryed I It is as if he had said In the midst of dreadful Torments and anguish of Soul I cryed to my God Secondly Poor Creatures may be surrounded with Sorrows every way from above from below from without from within thus David speaks of his case Psalm 116.3 The Sorrows of Death compassed me and the Pains of Hell gat hold upon me I found Trouble and Sorrow That is he was compassed about every way with Woe and Misery As Job's Messengers came from every Corner sinking his Spirits with ill News and piercing his Soul with the Darts of disconsolate Tidings Job 1.16 So many chosen Vessels of the Lord may be beset with Troubles and Sorrows of every kind which may make them roar and cry out as those without hope Thirdly Poor Creatures may be worried and hurried by the Temptations of the Devil which is a Species of Hells Torture As the Tongue is said to be set on Fire of Hell James 3.6 So the Spirits of tempted ones may be and too often are borne down and kept under the Hatches by the Tyranny of Hells Monarch We find Paul complaining of a Thorn in the Flesh the Messenger of Satan buffeting him 2 Cor. 12.7 Oh! it is an Hell upon Earth to be in the Claws of Hells roaring Lyon Fourthly Poor Creatures may be for a time conquered and overcome by Hells Sorrows though The Gates of Hell shall not absolutely prevail Matt. 16.18 yet they may a great while and in a great measure prevail over many precious Children of Zion though God's chosen ones shall not be left to remain always in Hell as David personating Christ spake with respect to the Grave Psalm 16.10 Yet they may be left a long time under the power of Hell to be crying out as though they were for ever lost Then I took notice of the Dolefulness of Jonah's Complaint as we have it in the third Verse For thou hadst cast me into the Deep in the midst of the Seas and the Floods compassed me about all thy Billows and thy Waves passed over me Wherein there is Metaphorically set forth First The Sense he had of Sin as the deserving Cause of what he now so lamentably groaned under Thou hadst cast me into the Deep and that deservedly for my horrid and crying Sin of Disobedience of which mention is made Chap. 1.1 2 3. Now the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah the Son of Amittai saying Arise go to Nineveh that great City and cry against it for their Wickedness is come up before me But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Here we find him shamefully turning his Back upon the Commands of his God and now in the Deep he is sadly sensible of it and broken in Heart for it So in like manner we find the Church acknowledging and that in a Soul-humbled and debased way Lam. 5.15 16. The Joy of our Heart is ceased our Dance is turned into Mourning The Crown is fallen from our head Woe unto us that we have sinned Ah! happy if under the weight of Grief we have a Sense of the Evil of Sin Secondly He was under Terrors of Conscience and miserable Confusion in his Spirit this is imply'd in the vvord Seas In the midst of the Seas That he vvas literally cast into the Seas vve read Chap. 1.15 So they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the Sea But besides this he vvas in a mystical Sense in the Sea that is under the Rackings of a vvounded Spirit under the Bitings of a stinging Conscience So that he vvas as the Prophet told Pashur he should be Jer. 20.3 Magor Missabib even a Terror to himself Oh! Terrors of Conscience are the vvorst of Sea-storms Thirdly He was over-whelmed with Sorrow and this is imply'd in the word Floods And the Floods compassed me about So that his Spirit as well as his Body sunk as Lead in the mighty Waters As it was said of Pharaoh and his Host when they were drowned in the Red Sea Exod. 15.10 Our Saviour thus expresses the Misery that shall come upon all incorrigible Sinners Matt. 18.6 It were better for him that a Mill-stone were hanged about his Neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea Oh! who can be sensible of the Troubles and Miseries wherewith poor Jonah was overwhelmed when he was in the Sea Fourthly He was closely confined not only as to his Body but narrowly pent up as to his Spirit This is included in the word Billows All thy Billows and thy Waves passed over me We read indeed of his being in the Whales Belly Chap. 1.17 And as that miserably confin'd his Body so his Spirit was worse restrain'd through the awful Sense of Divine Displeasure As David's once was Psalm 42.7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy Water-spouts All thy Waves and thy Billows are gone over me Ah! how sad 't is when the Soul is depressed groveling in the Dust and cannot look up for want of Strength and Faith