drew him to idolatrie brought sinne vpon him all the land besides Roboams case is well knowne what good greene heads did to him Few kings haue stoode vpright when they haue leaned on crooked proppes It sheweth that they are weake when they cannot find the deprauednesse or infirmitie of the other but if themselues were able men yet hauing none about them but silly or corrupted ones or carelesse or vnfaithfull persons many things must needes run to wracke if men reputed wise haue conceiued things aright Lampridius in the life of Alexander Seuerus citeth this out of the works of Marius Maximus as an approoued truth that the state is better a great deale safer wherin the Prince is naught if the Counsellers who be about him be good then that wherin the friends of the Prince be euill men although himself be good for one who is amisse may easily be corrected by many which are right but when many are depraued it is hard for one to rectifie thē Thē it is wel with that Prince who being for his own part vertuously minded hath other vertuous ones to assist him 9 I might amplifie this by the example of Iustinus the Emperour spoken of by Euagrius who being growne into much miserie imputeth the cause of it to his Magistrates and those great men who were about him but my purpose is rather to remember that the highest should much depend vpon good counsell and not thinking themselues to be disgraced thereby as not being selfe-sufficient but to repute it their greatest honour to heare as well as to speake That which the Romane Minutius said of himselfe and Fabius is very true that the best thing is to giue counsell and he is but next the best who can take it when other giue it but he is a most miserable man who can neither giue nor take He is not the most eminent whose weakenesse is such that he must onely follow other men but since none here can be absolute as it is the highest glorie to giue so to take it is no dishonour Who was euer among the Romans more gracious for his person or glorious for his actes then Scipio Africanus and yet as Plutarke writeth he so vsed his faithfull and true friend Laelius for his counseller that some spared not to say that Laelius was the Poet and penner of all the play and Scipio did but act it and present it vpon the stage True wisedome had taught that honorable Generall to be no way wanting to himselfe howsoeuer other men would talke their pleasure of it I could wish that in our age persons of high esteeme would so vse the help of their wise and faithfull friends that they might oftentimes runne into so happie an errour You see that he who commaunded Niniue did hold this rule and the Spirit of God doth record it to the instruction of our age and if we will so receiue it as I haue expounded it before to his exceeding commendation that in so waightie a cause he would take the aduise of his Nobles And yet to say what I thinke it may not vnfitly be gathered by those deedes which are reported of him in the former verse that he himselfe stirred vp his Princes and was as a spurre to them to giue assent to his Edict howbeit to shew his mind to be temperate and moderate and humble vnto men as well as deuout to God he ioyneth them with himselfe as not failing to grace them and honour them in their places The ambitious man and he who is desirous of much gaine agree in this one point that they loue to haue no fellowes The man who is greedie vpon money excluding from himselfe all other companions can in his priuate thought onely deuoure the greatest pray And the hawtie and proud heart being like to the iealous man in his iealousie loueth not to communicate to other the least part of that honour which gladly he would appropriate to his owne actions The more runneth to the boughes the more the stocke is lessened shred all the boughes saith Machiauell and the sap then going but one way the bodie of the tree will prooue the greater But is that the way to be honorable The mightiest that euer were haue found it the truest glorie that bearing the raines aright for that must euer be looked to they haue bene kings ouer kings and raigned not ouer beggers but ouer men of woorth And God is better pleased when good things shall be commaunded first by the highest in place and then after it shall be added by the Lords spirituall and temporall and by the assent of the commons And princes which are gracious do neuer grieue at this and wise men do loue that stile when all is not appropriated to one but there is a kind of parting Plutarke in his state-precepts telleth that when himselfe and another ioyned in office with him were sent foorth as Proconsuls in some businesses for Rome and occasion so fell out that his fellow stayed by the way so that all was done by himselfe whē being againe returned he was to make declaration of all things which he had done in his iourney his owne father lessoned him before that he shold not tell his tale in the singular number but speake still plurally not I went but we went and not I but we said assuring him that by this he should ease himselfe of much enuie and by his faire behauiour be very louely and amiable He was a wise father who taught thus and he was a son much to be esteemed who so inwardly embraced his good precept that he thought of it many yeares afterward recorded it to be remembred of others Now if it were wisedome and modestie in him so to do then what humilitie was it for the great king of Niniue to ioyne with him I do not say his fellowes for this great Monarke had none such but his subiects in his stile by the King and his Nobles And this I haue gathered hitherto frō the Preface or induction to this Proclamation now a little while let vs enter into the Edict it selfe Let neither man nor beast c. 10 It is good when an action is caried cleanly throughout to be well and coherent both in matter and manner Euen ceremonies and circumstances detract much from good causes if there be a failing in them but where is a shew of accidents and the substance shall be defectiue there all is but ridiculous Diodorus Siculus telleth that on a time Dionysius the great tyrant of Sicilie according to the custome vsed in those dayes by men of much honour did send to the games of Olympus diuerse singers and Poets who made so excellent musicke that euery one admired them and commended them beyond measure But afterward when the Poemes which were the matter of most expectance came to be rehearsed they were so base and barren that both they and their maister were
well enough when so often they end their sentences with these words Thus saith the Lord. Saint Paule writing to the Corinthians doth take this course in the matter of the Sacramēt I receiued of the Lord that which I also deliuered vnto you Otherwise as he is a traytour to his Prince who taketh on him to coyne money out of base mettall yea although in the stampe he for a shew doth put the image of the Prince so he that shall broch any doctrine that commeth not from the Lord whatsoeuer he say for it or what glosse soeuer he set vpon it he is a traitor vnto God yea in truth a cursed traitor although he were an Angell from heauen as Saint Paule telleth the Galathians Earthly kings are offended if their subiects shall do from them or in their names such messages as they send not or if their Ambassadours being limited by aduertisements what they shall do and what not should entreate of contrarie causes Then should the Minister be carefull in a verie high degree that he speake not but according to his commission least he offend a Lord of more dreadfull maiestie who is more iealous of his glorie and more able to punish The visions are now ceassed reuelations are all ended such dreames are past and gone as did informe in old time Now it is Gods written word which must be to vs as the threed of Ariadne to leade vs through all laberinths The Law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the testimony of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedome to the simple saith Dauid Tertullian could say of the written word I do adore the fulnesse of the Scripture This full Scripture this perfect Law of God is it which must be the guide and as the loade-starre vnto vs. Vincentius Lyrinensis in his litle booke against heresies speaketh elegantly to this O Timothy do thou keepe fast thy charge What is it that is thy charge That which thou hast receiued not that which thou hast deuised that which is cōmitted to thee not vvhat is inuented by thee a matter not of thy wit but rather of thy learning wherein thou art no author but onely a keeper not a leader but a follower And a litle after Do thou so teach that vvhen thou speakest after a newe maner yet thou do not speake new matter Thy order may be new thy method may be newe but the substance of that which thou speakest must be old This is an argument very copious to be handled and thereunto may be ioyned the iust reprehension of some fantasticall Anabaptistes who haue taken on them in our time to crosse this written word by illuminations and reuelations of their owne But I leaue the one and the other till God send further grace to wade more into this Prophecie That which I rather gather here is this that if Ionas would not go from one place to another without the expresse commaundement of God who is Lord ouer heauen and earth and ruleth all at his pleasure and that also the other Prophets did euermore obserue this rule that then in the examples of Gods auncient seruants there is no protection or warrant for such men who sometimes in our Church do flit from place to place without staying in any It is one thing to be sent and for a man then to go another thing to runne first and not at all to be sent Feede the flocke saith Peter but it followeth in the text which doth depend vpon you or which is committed to you for so the best translate it although to the letter it be the flocke which is among you The Apostles indeede did go throughout all the world but they had their passe-port for it Go ye and teach all nations But besides that the immediate presence of Gods Spirit did still attend them and told them what they should do and againe what they should not do so that they were not at their owne libertie When they were let go by the Spirit they came vnto Seleucia And they would haue gone to Bithynia but the Spirit would not suffer them These men of whom I speake are not Apostles that dispensation is ceassed as all Gods Church doth know It were rather to be wished that they did not come much nearer to the name of Apostataes for reuolting from the approued rule of the Christian faith while they vse that profession which is sacred in it selfe but as pretenced pietie to couer vnhappie shifting yea sometimes an vngodly life I do not speake of all among bad may be some good and circumstances oftentimes do make whole causes differ But for many of them I could wish that experience had not taught vs to the slaunder of the Gospell that such fond admiration as they procure in the pulpit among the ignorat multitude who are easily deceiued is quitted with some infamy which from town to towne doth follow them and from countrey vnto countrey or with some actuall cosinage or with lustfull carnalitie or one bad tricke or other 11 Their calling in the meane time is not warranted in the word although Ionas went to Niniue Ours is a stable profession it is no gadding ministerie And yet I doubt not but that we who are children of the Prophets and haue a home in this place and therefore are different from them to exercise our selues against such time as God shall send vs charges or especially to win men to Christ may sometimes in this towne and sometimes in the villages which are here about adioyning euen with a free-will offering bestow our litle talents By writing we learne to write by singing men learne to sing by skirmishing we shall learne to fight the Lords great battels The people in the meane time are wonne to Iesus Christ the faithfull are increased ignorance is well expelled idolatry is defaced Satan and sinne are conquered The very crummes of our tables would keepe many soules from staruing the lost houres of our idlenesse would helpe many poore to heauen God graunt that the burying of those talents in the ground which he in his great loue hath giuen vnto vs be not layd to our charge in that dreadfull and terrible day If ignorance or idolatrie or iniquitie did not rage if the enemies of the Gospell to hold vp their Romish Antichrist were not busie to peruert we might keepe our selues in our cloisters but if all these do fret and dayly consume like a canker let vs sometimes looke about vs. Theodoret reporteth in his Ecclesiasticall storie that when Valens the Emperour with his Arrian opinions had bee-postered much of the world by that meanes the flocke of Christ stood in great danger Aphraates a Monke a holy man of that time contrary to his order and vsuall profession came foorth out of his Monasterie to helpe to keepe vp the truth And being asked by the Emperour who was offended at him what he did out of his cell I would
mariners did to Ionas that is to sift out the whole truth by demaunds before that they giue any iudgement Moses could say of himselfe to the Israelites I charged your Iudges the same time saying Heare betweene your brethren and iudge righteously betweene euerie man and his brother and the straunger that is with him First heare and then iudge Iob professeth thus of himselfe I vvas a father vnto the poore and vvhen I knew not the cause I sought it out diligently The speech of Nicodemus to the Pharisies was good Doth our law iudge a man before it heare him and know what he hath done So Felix could tell Saint Paule that he would not iudge his cause before that he had heard it perfectly Otherwise the accused person should haue a hard bargaine by it for as Iulian the Apostata once aunswered verie wittily If it be sufficient to accuse shall any man be an innocent The Poet therefore said well Qui statuit aliquid parte inaudita altera Aequum licet statuerit hand aquus fuit He who determineth any thing not hauing heard both the parties speake although he haue decreed the right yet himselfe hath not bene iust that is he hath done it wrongfully because he should heare both And this is the generall doctrine which may be deriued here from the examination of these mariners ouer Ionas Let vs gather a little nearer to the particular wordes Tell vs for whose cause this euill is vpon vs what is thine occupation whence commest thou 7 I haue in part before touched that these men imagined that some sinne plucked this wrath vpon them But when the lot fell vpon Ionas they gessed him to be the sinner Now to know the particulars they asked him of his trade for good men they little dreamed of a Prophet they demaunde of him for his countrey and the place from whence he came For both Rhetorike and experience and diuinitie most of all do shew that good coniectures and presumptions for any thing in question may be drawne from the life which in former time hath bene led from the companie and familiaritie which hath bene entertained from the countrey and habitation where any hath abode Then what is thine occupation and the course of life which thou vsest wherein doest thou spend thy time If thou be a robber or a rouer no maruell if some straunge punishment do pursue thee at the heeles If a sorcerer or a necromancer the same may be thy doome If a stewes-maister or a broaker for vncleannesse of the bodie it is verie likely that wrath may follow thee If a flattering hungrie iester who waytest vpon a trencher and makest no kinde of conscience to taunte any man that displeaseth thee vengeance may droppe vpon thee So these simple men did perceiue that there was some kinde of life vnlawfull and vngodly which because it was contrarie and aduerse either vnto pietie or humane charitie it might well offende that power which ruleth all mortall creatures 8 I maruell what the vsurer could haue aunswered in this case who liueth on the sweat of others and maketh a gayne of their losses It was no shame for Iacobs sonnes to tell the king of Egypt that their father and his children were shepheardes Neither was it any disgrace to Amos to say that he was a heardman and a gatherer of wild figges but to say I am an vsurer one who liue vpon my money is but a blushing speech Dauid asketh a question and aunswereth himselfe Lord vvho shall dwell in thy Tabernacle who shall rest in thy holie mountaine He that giueth not his money vnto vsurie Ye in some places of this land for I must not imagine that any interest is to be found in Oxford we haue scant money for our necessities such as haue their hands polluted with extortion in this kinde will come into the tabernacle and sit them downe in the Temple be at Church as soone as any and be as intent and earnest vpon the preacher as if there were no such matter If speech be of the inheritaunce which is on Gods holie hill they will vrge as farre as the farthest How can this hang together the breaking of Gods commaundements in a wilfull professed sort and the true feare of the Lord But this were a greater wo if it should be found in the Leuites and the Priests euen such as serue in the Tabernacle Thou that preachest a man should not steale doest thou steale saith Saint Paule doest thou spoyle It was the speech of Apollonius in Eusebius against the Montanist Prophets doth a Prophet colour his haire or annoynt his eyes vvith stibium doth a Prophet put money to vsurie If it be thy portion which was giuen thee by thy father or some money which thou hast gotten or a stocke left in thy trust for the widow or for the fatherlesse which thou art loth should be idle this or that or whatsoeuer doubtlesse it is not well since no carnall pretence â—an serue to violate the euerlasting law of God and men should haue tender consciences fearing to exercise that which by so many places of Scripture the iudgement of all the auncient fathers the Canon and ciuill lawes the constitutions of most good common-wealthes the reasons of heathen Philosophers the consent of the schoolemen and opinion of the greatest part of our late Diuines is condemned as an vncharitable and most vnchristian practise All those things which may be obiected that thy case is not common that there be many sortes of interest a biting and not biting vsurie that learned men of great fame in some causes do permit it that the lawes of our land winke at it that now it is much frequented and many good men do vse it great gentlemen in the countrey as well as Citizens and marchants that thou mayst do good to another and he shall gaine by it as much as thou nay a thousand excuses more cannot aunswere that one place Thou shall not giue to vsurie to thy brother as vsurie of money vsury of meate vsury of any thing that is put to vsurie And whereas thou wouldst shrowd thy factes vnder the skirts of some few reuerend mens writings if thou loue them and the Religion which they professed then couer that their ouersight proceeding from humane infirmity do not as wicked Cham discouer the nakednesse of those who were fathers in the faith to many in this last age Do not wrastle against thy conscience With Mathew leaue to be a Publican with Zacheus to gather tribute it is not for a Christian to be of this occupation relinquish it to the Iewes 9 If I be not deceiued this question for the trade of life insinuating that some artes are not pleasing to the Lord should stumble a great many men If in the lawfulnesse of a calling Gods immediate glorie and the benefite of his Church or at least the good
Basile saith few come and those who come come so carelesly and sleepily as if they were not present at all but in many great townes and cities vpon a day of ordinarie Lecture men and women are so scant to be seene that indeede the boyes of the schoole are more then all the Church besides and yet they be not many This is a fault which cannot be excused the greatest herein do as commōly offend as the meanest How would the Pastour delight to see a great flocke about him how would euery true heart ioy to heare the sound of Psalmes sung like the showte of a mightie armie How would the Lord be pleased to be mooued called vpon by the prayers of such a multitude We cannot excuse this 14 Yet I commend the men of Niniue for what they did they did wholly I pray God that it neuer fall out that they stand vp in the iudgement and condemne many of our nation for their forwardnesse and our beckwardnesse For what do we in comparison of those infidell heathen men We haue receiued gifts farre before them but bring foorth fruite farre behind them There came one man to them but we haue had many hundreds a straunger was their sollicitour but we haue had of our owne God hath powred the spirit of Prophecie on our sonnes and on our daughters our young men haue seene visions our old men haue dreamed dreames They were onely taught by threatnings but we haue had sweete promises and perswasions and allurements and when these haue not serued we haue felt the smart of the rodde by a hunger and by a sicknesse They had the word but one day or a very little time but we euen fortie yeares a goodly space and a large and therein line after line and precept vpon precept now a little and then a little yet in so many diminishments and extenuations of theirs in comparison of vs they repented and all of them repented in sackcloth and ashes in fasting and lamentation but we without repenting go on to prouoke his wrath Then what should stay Gods furie that it doth not breake out against vs Nothing certainly but some few such righteous as were not to be found in Sodome but especially his owne mercie which followeth vs vnthankfull persons for his owne sake and his Sons sake and for his Churches sake Let vs pray that this fauour of his may yet lengthen that it be not cropped off with violence that we feele not that indeede which the Niniuites did but heare of yet a very little while and much sorrow and affliction God the Father turne this from vs Christ Iesus euer fauour vs the holy Ghost still preserue vs and to them be eternall glorie now and for euermore THE XX. LECTVRE The chiefe poynts 1. The word in diuerse worketh diuersly 3. The causes of meaner men concerne Kings 4. Things are concealed from many Kings 5. But they should take notice of them 6. Good things in Princes are much respected by God 8. Examples of great personages draw on the meaner to goodnesse 10. The Kings humilitie in comming from his throne 11. and putting off his attire 12. The vse of sackcloth 13. Correction must be of those things where the errour is 14. The inward mind maketh true repentance Ionah 3.6 For word came vnto the King of Niniueh and he arose from his throne and he layed his robe from him and couered him with sackcloth and sate in ashes THat saying of Saint Paule is a most true speech that the Ministers of God the ministerie of the word are to some the sauour of death vnto death and to other the sauour of life vnto life And so is that also which we find in Saint Gregorie that this woord is like the Planet or wandering starre Venus which vnto some is Lucifer a bright morning starre arising in their hearts whereby they are rowzed vp and stirred from iniquitie and sinne but to other is Hesperus an euening setting starre whereby they are brought to bed and layed asleepe in impietie To this purpose we neede no example more significant then the preaching of our Prophet whose words by their contemptuous receiuing of them were a meanes of condemnation to the Israelites adding hardnesse of heart to their rebellion and vnthankfulnesse but were such an occasion of peace to the men of Niniue that no where in the world hath the word by teaching wrought greater effect in so short a space of time In the describing whereof I lately gaue but a glaunce dealing no otherwise therin then if the gardiner topping a tree should cut off here a bough and there a shred that he might afterward come to the maine stocke it selfe So I haue prepared the way to shew the meanes of the fast and repentance in that citie by touching the precedent circumstances but whereas exegetically or expositorie-wise it is now more largely amplified I am at this present to discouer particularly the substance of all that is here done 2 When the Prophet then hauing entred the citie had in terrible and fearefull sort cried out that yet for some few dayes it might be spared but after that glasse runne out Niniue must be ouerthrowne the auditours are affected with that horrour of conscience and miserable molestation that by their disturbance their King doth take notice of the imminent daunger which was denounced from God and being prouident for himselfe and his people which were vnder him he taketh a course I cannot tell whether more holy or more happie to turne away the wrath which was comming out against him For by a Proclamation which was made with good aduise he inioyneth a fast for the taming of the flesh a generall fast both of men and cattell But to the end that he might seeme to be most liuely touched himselfe and that he might the more stirre vp the people to deuotion he performeth all ceremonies of debasing and deiection He who sate in his maiestie before now ariseth vp as forsaking it he who was distinguished from all inferiours by sitting in a throne as if it had beene in a solemne Parliament now standeth among the common sort as a person of no reputation He who before was couered with a royall and princelike robe layeth the same aside as loathing it and putteth sackcloth vpon him and to his tender flesh he ioyneth dust and ashes An example which very few times hath beene heard of in an Ethnicke and therefore it is the more worthie our best consideration For the expressing whereof after some studying what way might be most commodious I resolued to treade these steppes first to note some things in generall concerning him and other Kings which notes are insinuated by the text then in speciall to examine the manner of his proceeding which is varied by diuerse braunches But first here it is said that word of the Prophets preaching was brought to the King Generall things of the King 3 I suppose it to be
and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lambe They cannot escape his sight they cannot auoyd his iudgement When Pericles once was sad about yeelding an account of much money to the Atheniens which he possibly could not discharge his nephew Alcibiades did helpe him with this good counsel that he should not beat his braines how he might giue a reckening but he rather should deuise how he might giue no reckening He tooke this course indeed and by plunging the Atheniens into a grieuous warre he did auoyd the account Before the Lord of heauen this will not serue the turne he knoweth all things and seeth all things Ionas could not be so grosse as to run so from his presence 18 But if that thought were in him or if any man wil so take it he went the worst way to worke for himselfe that euer man did For he that would be so blockish as to thinke he might flie from God and would go to sea to do it were worthie to be registred for a man most vnaduised This is as much as if to auoid some heate that commeth by an ague the patient should run into the fire as it is said that Hercules did being troubled with a frenzie or if another to auoide a showre of raine should leape into the riuer for if Gods hand any where do euidently appeare or if any where it be fearefull it is in being at sea where as the Poet speaketh a man is stil within foure or at most seuen inches of his death where stormes that be impetuous do cause them to pray who scant euer prayed before where rockes and sands and gulfes are readie still to deuoure The remembrance of this made Dauid speake so sufficiently They that go dovvne to the sea in ships and occupy by the great vvaters they see the vvorkes of the Lord and his vvonders in the deepe Paule found this by experience when he endured such a storme and wrecke too in the Mediterrane sea He who would see more of this let him reade in Virgil what a tempest is described to haue befallen Aeneas in the Sicilian sea So then if God be present any where to punish or preserue it is in the huge Ocean That if a man would haue wished to be followed as with a furie he should do as Ionas did When Plinie the elder was choked in going to see Vesuuius a hill which burned in Campania as Aetna oftentimes doth in Sicilia the sight thereof was so terrible that the beholders were all amazed at it But there were saith the younger Plinie among them some who were so afrayd of death that they vvished themselues to be dead They so feared that which they feared that they wished for that which they feared If our Prophet did desire to escape away from the Lord he did iust as these other for to flie away from Gods presence he runneth into Gods presence 19 Therefore we will not imagine that Ionas was so ignorant to thinke thus to get from the Lord but his going from Gods presence doth signifie in this place a departing from his dutie and from the execution of his office For they are said in the Scripture to be in the Lords presence or to stand before the Lord who do execute their ministery or functiō as they should So the Lord separated the tribe of Leui to beare the Arke of the couenant of the Lord and to stand before the Lord which is expounded there to minister vnto him and to blesse in his name to this day So as the Lord God of Israel liueth saith Elias before whom I do stand that is whom faithfully I do serue there shall be neither deaw nor raine these yeares but according to my word The verie selfe same phrase doth Elizeus vse in another place to Naaman the Syrian The contrarie of which speech is vttered by that wicked Cain who did neuer serue God From thy face I shall be hid And afterward Cain went out from the presence of the Lord. He was not in his grace he would not be in his seruice Such was our Prophets flight from the presence of the Lord. When he should haue performed his calling vpon occasions continually haue taken direction from the voyce of God speaking to him he did forsake his charge and could haue bene wel contented if God would neuer more haue spoken to him But his maister will not leaue him so This is an excellent comfort to the Ministers of the Gospell that as long as they do their duties they stand before the Lord who doth protect and preserue them from the rage of bloudie tyrants from the tempests of the world from the mischiefe of cruell enemies Neither can the rage of Sathan lay anie thing more vpon them then God giueth them grace to beare And againe in as much as in this life they are spectacles to men in preaching and in liuing they are spectacles to Angels they are spectacles to God they are warned that they discharge their function with sinceritie remembring this good lesson that they be not as many who make marchandise of the word of God but as of sinceritie but as of God in the sight of God speaking in Christ. 20 In these most perillous times wherein Satan fretteth and rageth wherein Papisme is litle weakned but Atheisme waxeth strong and the sinnes of men do crie but on the other side pitie waxeth thin and charitie groweth cold This should be a liuely motion to stirre vp the Spirit of God in vs that with alacritie we may go forward to the building vp of Gods house and not to be wearied in well doing or withdraw our selues frō the work In the fifteenth of the Actes although Barnabas were more mild and did not take the matter so hainously yet Paule did so dislike it in Iohn Marke at Pamphylia that he would not go with them about the Lords seruice that he refused his companie afterward Surely God looketh for much of them whom he hath singled out to be the messengers of his glorie If with Ionas we should leaue him and turne away from his presence when he hath vse for vs in the field let vs feare least a greater iudgement befall vs then did vnto Ionas Which what it was in the next by Gods grace I shall shew In the meane time Iesus send vs due consideration of our calling that not following wordly reasons which often draw men to Tharsus when they should go to Niniue but attending Gods commaundement we may with ioy run our course and so possesse that inestimable crowne of iustice which the righteous Lord hath layed vp for all those that loue his comming To this God be praise for euer THE III. LECTVRE The chiefe points 2. The punishment of the Prophet may well fright other from sinne 4. All tempests depend of God 6. Yet Satan and his instruments by
to strike vs because otherwise he cannot awake vs but let vs watch to him that his anger may sleepe to vs. 21 If our Ionas haue offended by wilfull disobedience let vs dread to do the like if he were punished for that then let not vs presume to sinne by his example if God sent a tempest against him he can vse his rods against vs if Satan be sometimes the instrument of Gods iustice let vs feare to come in his fingers if the Lord so hateth iniquitie that the companions of the wicked are oft punished for their sakes let vs hate sinne as a serpent and flie from the profane if heathen men preferre their liues before their wares let not vs aduenture our soules to get temporall trash on earth if idolaters serue their Gods once when they be in daunger let vs serue our God euer to keepe vs free from daunger if they pray when they haue neede let vs pray euerie day because euerie day we neede Lord guide vs still with thy grace and bring vs vnto thy kingdome To thy name be prayse for euer THE IIII. LECTVRE The chiefe points 1. The drowsinesse of Ionas in his daunger 2 Sinne breedeth sinne 4 Satan is desirous to make vs secure 6 A superuising diligence should be in all that haue charge 10 The ship-maister teacheth the Prophet 11 Idolaters had many Gods and their vsage toward them 14 One man is more acceptable to God thē another 15 Danger of praying to many Gods 16 Heathē men know there is a God 17 In crosses it is good to suspect that there is some sin 18 The vse of lots and diuerse circumstances in them 23 Sinne will be discouered IONAH 1.5.6.7 But Ionah was gone down into the sides of the ship he lay down and was fast a sleepe So the ship-maister came vnto him and said vnto him what meanest thou ô sleeper Arise call vpon thy God if so be that God vvill thinke vpon vs that vve perish not And they said euery man to his felow Come let vs cast lots that we may know for whose cause this euill is vpon vs. So they cast lots and the lot fell vpon Ionah WHen Alexander the Great with his happy temeritie as a Philosopher doth call it but by the prouidence of God as Daniel doth describe it had proceeded so farre as that after one great ouerthrow giuen to Darius in person in the straights of Cilicia he was now a second time in the fields neare Arbela or as the best writers haue in the fields neare Gaugamela to ioyne battell against him whereas many things should haue inforced him to looke about him as the smalnesse of his armie the strength of his aduersarie the widenesse of the field where he had none aduauntage his distaunce from his owne home and no place to flie vnto yet when it was farre day that verie morning when the battell was to be tried and by that time his armie should haue bene ordered and raunged into aray the enemie comming forward the Generall Alexander who otherwise did stirre with the formost was fast asleepe in his tent Parmenio and his Nobles who for no cause of their owne but for his sake and his honour there aduentured their liues were troubled aboue measure they were in a sea of cares and scant knew which way to turne them onely he whom all concerned and whose making or marring depended on that dayes triall and for whom and whose sole sake they endured all things which they were then to sustaine as a man that knew not of it or one that tooke no care which end went forward lay in his bed soundly sleeping The Prophet in this place shall be no whit behind him but rather much beyond him He hath listes to enter with the verie wrath of God his life doth lye vpon it and his soule too if his God should not deale kindly with him the ayre is now disturbed and yeeldeth a mightie tempest the waues they froath and roare the windes they beate and blow the sea is moued exceedingly the ship is almost broken the sea-men are afrayde happie man that can pray fastest the burthen of the ship be it costly or be it necessarie it must out into the water and all for Ionahs sake his cake it is that is baking the euent concerneth him onely and he alone as the man who of all other did know least and was a straunger to the action doth seeke a secret corner the inner sides of the ship where he may lye rest Oh Ionas thou who shouldst be a mā beyond a many euen the Prophet of the highest thou art now short of a mā thou art now below thy selfe sleeping snorting then when all the powers of thy spirits were too few to looke about thee 2 If the man had not liked of Niniue for reasons which once I named but yet wold still haue kept his calling and wold haue held on his preaching his sin had weighed the lighter he might haue bestowed his talent at Tarshish when he came there and done some good on the marchants by the way going thither he might haue giuen exhortatiō to his fellow trauellers to serue the true God of Israel If he had not had so many auditours as were in Niniue or so many as S. Peter had when at one sermon he won three thousand soules to Christ yet he should haue had some hearers if it had bene but one Plato to haue attended Socrates he had not vtterly lost his labour he who hath conuerted one sinner from going astray out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes which either the conuerted or conuerter hath committed But it is not for this cause that our Ionas goeth to the sea his preaching is turned to sleeping Let the world go how it wil he is got away from his maister will thinke no more of the matter See what the best man on earth is if God withdraw his Spirit eclipse his grace but a moment We are desperate to all wickednesse but beetles and blocks to goodnesse Here is an obdurate sinner a hard brawne is ouer his heart a thicke skin and insensible let the sea roare and the mariners crie and tumble out their packs our Ionas taketh a nap in verie supine securitie and maketh no more of it Oh the stubburnnesse of iniquitie and mans auersenesse from his maker But when we haue once passed the lines of duty obedience and grosse sinnes haue taken hold vpon vs then we must iustifie our actions we will run we care not whither from the shoes vp to the shoulders yea sometimes ouer head and eares 3 Sin stealeth on vs by degrees but cōmonly the last step is the deepest Dauid being idle had spied out Bethsabe there idlenesse was the beginning then did his eye as the window of his mind let in concupiscence into his hart Of idlenesse cometh cōcupiscence Therof foloweth
thee Plato for thee Seneca then for many who liue not in Ethnicisme or Barbarisme but in a ciuill nation in the cleare light of the Gospell in a countrey of good learning yet do make dispute of the being of their Creator But I leaue these wicked Atheists and returne to our idolaters who did not stay at these prayers but went yet one step farther They fall to casting lots And they said euery man to his fellow come let vs cast lots 17 They see that there was some thing in it beyond the cōmon course of nature The sodainnesse of the tempest and the violence of the storme shewed some God to be angrie It may be that other ships which were at sea did go quietly or the wind did beate and strike most of all vpon this ship But without doubt they saw it to be extraordinarie and thereupon their hearts by and by did giue them that in all likelyhood it was for sin they knew not what nor in whom but for sinne they were well assured Which may be a memoriall to vs Christians that if anie crosse do come straungely or if anie noted thing do befall vs whereof our owne hearts may best of all be iudges that straightway with feare and trembling we examine our selues enter into our consciences and sift them in sinceritie as in the sight of God whether sinne do not plucke that on vs. It troubled the Israelites much when going in a good cause to take vengeaunce vpon the Beniamites for the abuse of the Leuites concubine there perished of them in two dayes no lesse then fortie thousand They went and wept before the Lord and fasted till the euening to know what the cause was But whē they who came before presuming vpon their multitude had learned to humble themselues they obtained that which they desired If any thing should happen straungely as while we be in this mortalitie we may verie well expect we can take no better course then with these ship-men presently to feare least iniquitie be the authour of it But we must not alwayes follow their meanes for they fell to casting lots 18 The vse of lots is anciēt wherin the custome was in causes of great importāce to take stickes or stones or shels or to write names in a paper or to draw strawes or cuts so to determine that which otherwise without strife could not be accorded or to put that vnto God which mē could not decide So S. Austen doth describe it A lot is such a thing as in the doubts of men doth shew the will of God So whē men knew not who it was that had taken the excommunicate thing the lot shewed it to be Achan for so the most do expound it So when no man could tell Saule that Ionathas was the man who so contrarie to the rash oath of Saule had tasted of the honie it was found by lot who it was Least strife should arise and parts be taken about Ioseph and Mathias which of them should be admitted into the roome of Iudas the Apostles made the triall by a lot So Homer doth report that Nestor gaue the counsell that it should be determined by a lot which of the nine worthiest of the Greekes should fight in combat with Hector Each man marked his lot and put it into the helmet of Agamemnon The first turne fell to Aiax But whereas according to the rules of diuinitie these lots should be vsed but in speciall causes and that with great iudgement and meditation because it is a trying of God in a kinde of sentence and we are not to tempt him rashly in some men superstition in some other a hope of gaine and a sort of deceiuing fraude haue wrought great abuses in them Proude Haman in the booke of Hester made lots to be drawne before him from the first moneth to the twefth to see what moneth or day should be fortunate to attempt the mouing of his great matter the murther of all the Iewes O Haman in that thy lot thou wast blind as well as bloudie Caesar telleth in his Commentaries that the women among the Germanes did vse to diuine by lots what dayes were good to fight on or to begin a battell This is heathenish superstition Some casting lots to get money haue made a profession of it as the counterfeit Aegyptians in telling of fortunes The lawes contra sortilegos were made by worthie Princes against such kinde of men and other of much like qualitie God sometimes doth suffer these in verie truth to hit that themselues and such as follow them attending to strong delusion may make vp their owne dānation These abuses haue made some to thinke all lots vnlawfull and not to be vsed at all Yea Hierome speaketh somewhat doubtfully of them who vpon this place saith that this deede of the mariners should not be drawne to an example of attributing any thing to lots neither should any in holy Scriptures because they were speciall motions and euents giuen by God to speciall men and not by other to be attempted or put in practise 19 But the Scripture is not so straight the lot is cast into the lap but the whole dispositiō therof is of the Lord. And elsewhere it is commended The lot causeth contentions to cease and maketh a partion among the mightie So S. Austen doth teach that there is no euill in the lot And in another place Those things vvhich are giuen by lot are giuen vnto vs by God And in his hundreth and eightith Epistle disputing that question of the flying of a Minister in the time of persecution and supposing that there be diuerse pastours in one congregation whereof some are to depart for a time and some to stay if it cannot be agreed saith he who shall do the one and who shall do the other let it be decided by a lot Indeede he doth not like that lots should be made of euerie thing as of the leaues of the Gospell which it seemed that some in his time vsed to do because he thought it not to be fit that diuine matters should by a superstitious custome be applied to profane vses There the abuse is in the manner of doing not in the thing But the question which ariseth from this difference of iudgement may easily be resolued by considering the seuerall sortes of lots which are found to be three For there are either lots appointed to diuide or intended to consult or vsed of purpose to diuine The first of these three is lawfull that is to diuide lands or goods or any like thing when otherwise contention would arise as Salomon doth import in the place which I named before In this kind did Iosuah part out the land of Canaan by lot to the people of Israell The second is not vnlawfull that is to consult what shal be done when matters stand in an equalitie of reason so that there be no offending in the
draw each of vs to a speciall consideration of that good or that euill which hath or doth fall vpon vs. It is a very dull age euen the dotage and last time of the world wherein we do now liue our memory is decayed by reason of the heauinesse of our spirits and the earthinesse of that corruptible carcasse which hangeth so fast vpon vs. Then we had neede be wakened with often and loud remembrances that as drop after drop doth pierce the hardest stone so thought after thought may make our dead heart to be plyable This is the course of our Prophet by manifold repetitions of the dangers wherein he was to acknowledge the Lords ayde to be so much the more ouer him and himselfe the more beholding the more bound and deuoted to such full mercies on him Great loue requireth a great measure of returning retribution if that possibly may be if not that yet of consideration and earnest contemplation and acknowledgement to the vttermost Take Ionas here for an example of behauiour in like daunger This was my case this my state this my forlorne hope of rising yet thou hast brought my life from the pit ô Lord my God This word yet commeth with an Emphasis which confesseth that his helpe came more welcome But before that I speake of his restoring one little note more from hence 14 The daunger whereinto Ionas was fallen being thus expressed by himselfe and that with so sensible a feeling might recall into his mind the vanitie and folly of his former feare which was that when by the Lord he was appoynted to go to Niniueh he would needes vnto Tarshish I shewed in the third verse of the first chapter that among some other reasons the feare of daunger might make him change his course It might haue bene that in Niniue he should haue bene much disgraced it might haue bene quite despised perhaps by the king imprisoned peraduenture put to death It was best for him to escape all this good sailing in the hauen good sleeping in a whole skinne The safest way were to make sure work and not to come there at all But what a chaunge did he make He feared a little hurt and now he hath a great deale He suspected that onely one thing might annoy him and now he hath found another Nay in truth for euery ten he doth receiue a thousand Before he did distrust that his body might haue smarted now body and soule pay for it Before he might haue had some man perhaps his enemie but God his friend assured now not so much as any man is his friend and God like to a furious enemie doth chase him and make after him In this sort such who in the Lords causes will not depend vpon him but in their imagination cast great perils to themselues thinking to auoid those by declining from their dutie in that their turning away do plunge themselues into greater daungers They thinke that they flye from a dogge and they turne them vpon a cockatrice They hope to escape a blow and receiue a deadly wound They imagine to saue a finger and are pierced to the heart Saule would not displease the people by killing the king of Amelek but he displeased the Lord which was a higher matter He was vnwilling to loose so much cattell but he lost his crowne and his life Pilate would not offend the Emperour what spare him who was said to be the king of the Iewes but he plucked on himselfe the anger of the great king and Emperour of the heauens This is a fault too common among the sonnes of men to dread that which is litle and to passe by that which is more to make a strayning at a gnat and to swallow vp a whole Camel It is an excellent saying which Chrysostome hath to this purpose It is a point of extreme madnesse to stand in feare of those things which are not to be feared but to laugh at such matters as in truth are dreadfull In this saith he men do differ from children that these as not hauing their vnderstanding perfect do feare vizards and men clothed with sackes but thinke that it is nothing to reuile their father or their mother and they leape into the fire or touch candles which are burning but they quake at some noyses which are not to be feared But men do care for none of all these things If we looke vpon our selues and sift our hearts as we ought we shall find our selues in the number of these babies and silly infants when we make much scruple of some trifles but respect not an higher dutie and so to escape the raine we runne our selues into the riuer 15 What is more common amongst vs then when we are in hope of preferment to feare this or that crosse the anger of this mightie man or of that noble woman If their names be but vsed or their letters be procured although vpon wrong information yet if they be induced to mooue something inconuenient or scandalous or amisse be it neuer so much against the will of the writer for that he wanteth true notice do we not more feare to faile their vniustly extorted motion then wee dread the Lords displeasure or the great account which one day we must yeeld for our selues when no Prince of the earth shall be able to protect vs Thus for mens sakes we leaue God for so it may be termed when we decline from iustice and that which should be done and when we thinke that we haue dealt most subtilly and most wisely Gods finger is vp against vs and ouerturneth all our pollicies Yea peraduenture he whom we haue serued or she whom we haue feared by the motion of the Spirit of the Lord is made a rodde to whip vs considering that we haue dishonoured them in making them the authors of vnfit actions or else that person for some worldy respect is drawne away from our purpose and so the hope of our labour is frustrated and made nothing And then this wound remaineth vpon our conscience that we haue done this and this which our heart did tell vs was vntoward and indirect or at the least to be doubted And what a griefe is it to vs to haue such a worme within vs fretting and gnawing on vs The way to preuent all this is euermore to looke on Gods feare and his precise commandement and not to swarue from that and then he whome we sincerely serue will either send vs the fruite of our desires or patience in the contrarie The kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the riuers of waters he turneth it vvhither so euer it pleaseth him Then how much more the hearts of other inferiour persons If he thinke that it be fit for vs where-about we go he will send it vs but when he pleaseth if not his will be done Onely this is our comfort whether that come or not the bird is safe in the bosome
lying vanities we may acknowledge thee in our life time to be the onely Lord and when our soule fainteth within vs and is departing hence we may onely thinke on thee that both our present prayers and spirits afterward may ascend into thy celestiall temple where thou raignest with thy most blessed Sonne to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit be laud and praise for euer THE XIIII LECTVRE The chiefe poynts 1. Ionas prooueth thankfull for Gods mercie 3. The reason and order of sacrifices 5. They should be spiritually meant 7. How we should do in Gods seruice 8. Gods praise is publikely to be sounded out 9. Thankfulnesse is a sacrifice to be offered of all 11. We are forgetfull in it 12. The manner of vowes 14. What rules are to be obserued in them 17. Popish vowes examined 19. All helpe commeth from God Ionah 2.9 But I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voyce of thankesgiuing and will pay that that I haue vowed Saluation is of the Lord. IN the words before going the Prophet doth comfort himselfe exceedingly that he serueth such a maister as is best able to helpe him whē he most needeth and in his Temple attended to his heartie prayer when as his soule fainted within him whereas all other things be they idols or heathen Gods or any deuised refuges be nothing but lying vanitie and therefore those who wait and depend vpon them do forsake their owne mercie Where when he had found God so eminent and incomparably great in comparing him with those weake ones he esteemeth it a speciall point of dutie to yeeld to one so excellent a high measure of praise and most deserued thankes to him who in extremitie had so raised him from the pit And this is the drift of this present verse to acknowledge himselfe so bound and deuoted to God that all the powers of his mind and faculties of his soule should be employed in his seruice A conclusion well beseeming him who had receiued such fauour that he would not as beastes or as vnthankefull persons do onely take that which doth come and make no more adoo but with a respect vnto the giuer who beyond all expectation had raised him and relieued him would record it and repeate it and in his best meditation againe and againe reuolue it as not knowing how to returne enough for Gods great mercie 2 But in the meane while the words which he vseth are various and significant He doth mention thankesgiuing which declareth his gratefull mind and the better to expresse it he nameth the voyce of thankesgiuing as intending that he would aduaunce the honour of him who saued him not in secret onely but with manifest declaration to others and to both these he doth ad the act of offering sacrifice applying that to his thankes which was the most solemne seruice vsed in old time to God Neither doth he make his stand heere but whereas he had vowed some things vnto the Lord which he promised to performe if euer he did escape he saith he vvill pay those vowes and at the last for a conclusion he shutteth vp all with these words saluation is of the Lord. Where because as you see the circumstances in the text are manifold and all of them haue their vse for better order of instruction I thinke good to obserue two things First the dutie returned by Ionas and that consisted in a double deede one the sacrifice of thankesgiuing and the other the paying of his vowes Secondly that good which commeth from God not onely to the Prophet but to all those who do serue him Saluation is of the Lord. Among all which the word of sacrificing is first proposed vnto vs. I will sacrifice vnto thee 3 The only thing which God doth looke for at mans hands for creating him in so goodly a shape for enriching him with gifts so glorious in shew so gracious in deed for preseruing him and protecting him in such infinite varietie of dangerous occurrents for heaping daily vpon him such multiplied benefites is to be serued and feared by him Thou shalt vvorship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue In this because he hath made all he doth require all our selues and all ours the bodie and the soule the inward and the outward the sensible and inuisible although especially the heart and immateriall soule yet ioyntly the hand and action from without yea and the wealth also that euery part may recommend a dutie to the authour And for these externall matters he hath giuen vnto man not onely members as in prayer his hands to be lifted vp his breast to be beaten on his knees to be bowed his eyes to be bedewed that so compunction in the mind may the more be stirred vp but also his other creatures either dum or dead things the fruites of the earth the birds of the aire the beasts of the field the mettals of the ground to be vsed to his glorie And this in old time was done in nothing more then in sacrifices which was in some to consecrate and dedicate them vnto him in some other to offer them in whole or in part consumed with fire to testifie their obedience and seeking vnto him Which manner of sacrificing was knowne vnto men from the first time of nature as good Abel and bad Cain the first heires of the world presented an oblation of such things as they had to him who had sent them Noe after the floud offered a sweet smelling sauour and Abraham by commaundement intended to sacrifice his onely sonne Isaac By all which it is euident that sacrificing was common before that any order for Gods seruice was settled 4 But when the people once were returned out of Egypt and God by the hand of Moses had ordained a ciuill pollicie for the gouernment of the laitie and a Hierarchie Ecclesiasticall for so I may well call it for guiding of his Clergie to the end that euery thing afterward might be practised with conformity he appointed first for the Tabernacle and after that for the Temple a tribe of Priests Leuites whose office was to attend to the offerings of the people And himselfe did name the matter and manner of euery sacrifice what bird or beast daily or on other occasion should be offered as the whole body of the Leuiticall law doth make knowne to vs. Thence grew the daily sacrifice which neuer was omitted the sinne-offerings and free-will-offerings and many sorts besides and when extra-ordinarie cause was giuen great store of beastes were slaine as when Salomon to consecrate the Temple at Hierusalem did offer in his magnificence two and twentie thousand Oxen and one hundred and twentie thousand sheepe such a sacrifice as I thinke the like was neuer seene And that time onely excepted when the Iewes were captiues in Babylon or when Antiochus did tyrannize at his pleasure the altars were still going till the very time of Christ and diuerse yeares afterward vntill that
touch thee but thou shalt escape from their clutches as a bird from the snare How much lesse shall mortall man oppresse thee or triumph ouer thee if it be he that doth vexe thee God doth but cast an eye vpon thee and the mist before the Sunne can not be dispersed so suddenly as thy sorrow and heauinesse In steed of sadnesse ioy and mirth shall compasse thee embrace thee If once his refreshing spirit cast but an aspect vpon thee thou art as safe as thy selfe wouldest euer desire to be Onely to win God hereunto be thou sorie for thy transgression and grieue at thine owne iniquitie If thou haue fallen with Dauid spare not to sing with Dauid a Psalme of Miserere if thou haue offended with Peter with Peter go thou foorth and cease not to weepe bitterly With Ionas pray and call and thou shalt be deliuered A comparison betweene the Prophet and Arion 11 Looke what hath bene spoken hitherto may manifestly be gathered by the plaine words of my text and therefore as you haue seene I haue passed it very briefly But pondering farther on this Scripture and looking nearer into it yea withall comparing it with some things of the Gentiles it seemeth vnto me to offer a farther doctrine For thinking with my selfe how strangely those mariners who in the Chapter before threw him into the sea and made account they had drowned him would looke vpon him if they met him any where afterward as that was no impossible matter maruelling how he should liue whom they left in the sea and how he should be at land whom they cast into the water and there relinquished him remedilesse and past hope I called to mind the narration of Arion in Herodotus who being said to be throwne into the Ocean by mariners and supposed by them to be drowned was afterward seene at Corinth in the court of Periander to the great amazement of them who before had consented to his death And I thought of this the rather because Saint Austen in his first booke De ciuitate Dei doth compare this storie of Ionas vnto that of Arion reproching the Gentiles that whereas they would not beleeue this which was written of our Prophet yet they would giue credite to that which their Poets and other writers reported of Arion Whereupon conferring yet farther the likenesse of these two matters although not in euery circumstance yet in the mainest points I could not but suspect that the Greeke tale of the one meant the Hebrew truth of the other And therein I imagined that the Musitian of the Gentiles was the Israelite mentioned here although the storie were peeced vp with another narration after the custome of the Heathens in dealing with the Scriptures And moreouer the note of a learned interpreter writing vpon this place did further this opinion who nameth our Ionas here Arion Christianus the Arion of the Christians I find also that this report is very auncient among the Greekes and therefore might well sort with the antiquitie of the Prophet Now as if we will allow this to be true it doth yeeld vs fruitfull doctrine fit to be handled in this place before so learned and iudicious an auditorie so being otherwise that is vntrue and false it is also worthie of our consideration and therefore giue me leaue to speake a little vnto it You shall see anon to what end 12 Herodotus in his Clio hath a narration to this purpose that Arion a skilfull harper going from Greece his owne countrey into Italy there and in Sicilia by the excellencie of his musicke had gained a great deale of money Being now desirous with his wealth to returne againe to Corinth to his old Prince Periander he found a vessell at Tarentum which belonged to certaine ship-men of Corinth who were returning home and with them he agreeth for his fare When they had him at sea being men of ill conditions and desirous of his money they intended to drowne him He now in this perill maketh request for his life but when nothing would serue those hard-hearted persons but that such must be his doome he begged this fauour of them that yet before he died he might cloth himselfe with his best clothes which being done he taketh his harpe and singing and playing to it a most melodious song then threw himselfe into the sea There a Dolphin a kind of fish delighted as it seemeth with the musicke doth vndertake him and ceassed not to beare him on her backe till it landed him safe at Taenarus whence he going to Periander the tyrant then raigning at Corinth so apparelled as he was when he came out of the water informeth him of all the matter who beleeued it not till at length sending for the selfe same mariners who were arriued in his countrey and shewing them Arion who vpon the sight of him were exceedingly amazed as indeed they had great cause he learned that all was so This saith Herodotus is reported at Lesbos and at Corinth and at Taenarus there is a very great image made of brasse which is a man sitting on a Dolphin and that image was set vp there by Arion This tale with all his circumstaunces is so common among the auncient that Plinie and Plutarke and Ouid and Gellius both do report it at large and Plinie giueth other examples that Dolphines couching downe their pinnas their sinnes which as he seemeth to say go all along their backes haue caried diuerse other ouer the water and so saued them 13 If I shall giue my iudgement concerning this I do not at all doubt but that it is a fable The diuersitie of the report which is among the auncient doth argue the vncertaintie For although the most record it to be one Dolphines doing one that caried him all the while yet Plutarke hath it otherwise that they were diuerse Dolphines which caried him in the sea meaning belike by turnes or many at once supporting him So they agree not in the manner But whether it were one or many why did not the mariners see it that it was so straunge a thing vnto them when they met him on the land If he went aboue the water they of likelyhood might haue spied him and so made some shift to vnhorse him if it were vnder the water how came it about that he was not drowned in all that time The auncient full well saw that this was but a fained thing That made Suidas in Arion to say nothing of the fish nor his escape from drowning although he haue other things of him Strabo in his thirteenth booke saith plainely it is a fable The late writers thinke no otherwise and hold these tales of Plinie to be but fained matters and they giue this reason for it because the nature of Dolphines and of all other fishes as also of all other creatures is the same in our dayes which it was in ages long agone but since those auncient
that Iosephus himselfe could say that their wickednesse was so monstrous that he thought in his conscience if the Romanes had not inuaded them that the very earth would haue opened and deuoured them vp as it did Corah Dathan and Abiron or a speciall flould haue drowned them as a generall one in Noahs time made a riddance of all the world or fire and brimstone from heauen haue consumed them as the Sodomites God will no longer endure it but will roote them vp and destroy them by misery which cannot be described And whereas I speake so much as this concerning Hierusalem what other sinfull place may not tremble For if those who are so neare him do so bitterly feele the smart what shall they suffer who are farther off If it be thus in the green tree what shall it be in the dry If those do not escape whom he hath once loued tenderly why should they hope for fauour extraordinary who were neuer otherwise vnto him then common men 13 If this do not sufficiently informe vs how haynous sin is in his sight let vs runne ouer all them who haue notoriously bin punished in the world and the examples of them are committed to solemne memory as Adam Cain and Saule or Antiochus or Ananias Saphyra or Iudas the traytor or Iulian the Apostata yea looke into the Babylonian Empire or the Persian or the Graecian yea particular cities Corinth Rome or Constantinople all these haue suffered ruine onely for their sinnes The future torments of hell are prepared onely for sinners All calamities which our neighbours endure or we sustaine here in our land do come to vs for sinne The speech which Cyprian vseth Contra Demetrianum is very fit in this place Thou maruellest or complainest in this stubburnnesse and contempt of yours if the raine do few times fall vpon the ground if the earth be vnsightly by the filthinesse of the dust if the barren turfe do yeeld hungry and pale grasse if the haile falling do spill the vine if the ouerturning whirle-wind do marre the oliue if drouth dry vp the springs if pestilent breathes do corrupt the ayre if diseases consume men when all these things come by sinnes prouoking and God is the more offended since such and so great things do no good at all Now by this we may remember to thinke that it is our sin which bringeth on vs that famine which is euery where so bitter Then if wickednesse be so forcible it is no maruell if on the one side Niniue were like therewith to perish in so short a time but on the other side let vs flye from all grosse sinnes and wilfull disobedience lest transgressing we so farre prouoke God as they did and so bring on our land that which perhaps we can be content with patience to heare of them but should rue to feele in our selues 14 The second thing here worth the noting in these words of our Prophet is that he letteth them know that they should be ouerthrowne but he doth not tell them how He himselfe did not know and therefore he could not speake it It was inough of their part and too much as they thought that the matter should be verified they needed not to enquire of the manner But this kept them in suspence and made them feare the more since they knew not what to preuent For if they had knowne the way their wits would haue bene busied to withstand the thing imagined That is the froward nature of man to turne away from the maine and to looke on some by-thing as in the like sort we see the man who is complained off to his superiour for his fault striueth not to amend his errour take heed of that by all meanes but laboureth to know who it was that complained that he may be quit with him If the Prophet here had sayd that some enemy should inuade them all their wits would haue bene employed if they had beleeued his message in mustering of their men in scowring of their armour in preparing of their munition in vniting of their forces Their citie must haue bene victualled their rampars haue bene repaired If mention had bene made of some inundation to follow here trenches and there ditches had bene cut to see whether art and labour might haue turned away the water And the like is to be sayd of any other set euill whatsoeuer they would haue bâ—ne busie in prouiding for it But now while they know nothing they stand in feare of euery thing They entertaine that opinion that it is God who doth threaten them and allowing him thereupon to be infinite and Almighty as amazed men they do feare what possibly may be dreaded He is of force to do what he pleaseth and they onely must be the sufferers Now as euery man will graunt that one skilfull at defence may rap a sillie child who hath neither strength nor knowledge and may strike him at his pleasure on this side and on that side and aboue and vnderneath because euery way he lyeth open so God if he see cause can lay a burthen of any kind of trouble on men or cities who must take what he offereth and in no sort can auoyde it 15 Then hath he wayes inough to ouerturne great Niniue He speaketh by his seruant Ezechiel of foure grieuous iudgements to chastise men withall that is the sword and famine and the noysome beast and the pestilence what hauocke would these make and cause cleane worke before them that what escapeth of the one might fall vpon the other and he whom the first doth not touch might be crushed with the last And if these foure would touch the people but do nothing to the Citie then remember the force of fire not onely rained from heauen as on Sodome and Gomorrha but being put to by men How came Corinth to destruction or Saguntuâ— to desolation but by fire which is one of those things which we truly say hath no mercy If all the world hereafter shall be destroyed with fire what maruell then if one city might perish with that element Remember the force of water which by inundation from sea within these hundred yeares hath deuoured great parts of Zeland and by the ouer-flowing of Tiber within these forty yeares hath cast downe very many houses in Rome and hath bene knowne in other places to haue ouerturned many mighty bridges Yea the generall deluge did drowne the whole world with water when they thought themselues as sure as Niniue now could be perhaps laughed at the newes which Noe brought to that purpose therefore a speciall deluge might quickly drowne one city if God should loose the water Remember the force of earth-quakes which destroy both men and buildings How did Lysimachia fall and Thessalonica sinke Constantinople in the time of Agathias was sore shaken and Antioch with a great part of Asia neare to Antioch was swallowed vp in Traianes time as Dion
no straunge matter that speech of the great abashment of his people should be brought to this King for the crye of common miseries and open desolations will preasse into the Court and to the hearing of the Prince who although he seeme to be aboue ordinarie yet in care he is possessed by small things and such as be but contemptible in shew The abūdance of the earth saith Salomō is aboue all the King consisteth by the field that is tilled Thē the greatest cannot stand without husbandry and feeding of cattell The infection of the plague euen among very beggers will trouble the mightiest The Generall is not safe if an enemie hath made an irruption into the tents of any of his souldiers That Emperour may well stir in his owne person on whose land and coastes an armie is entred and that King is not free whose imperiall citie where himselfe resideth is in the brinke of daunger Galienus the Emperour is condemned as vnwise when he so neglected his prouinces that he made no more of it when Egypt was lost then to say cannot we be without the flaxe and linnen of Egypt and when Fraunce was gone cannot the commonwealth stand sine sagis trabeatis without those souldiers cassockes which France doth send vnto vs Wise mē do neuer thus but although themselues be as the head they will looke to the feet Therefore it is not this which I hold so necessarie to be obserued that the king should know of it but rather that so soone it should come vnto him for immediatly vpon the crye of Ionas against them the best vnderstoode of it Which albeit it may be imputed to the amazednesse of the people who were not aduised whither else to seeke or to the idle curiositie of some who were glad to carie newes of any thing yet I rather ascribe it to the good gouernment of the King and his orderly proceeding that his house was so setled and his Court so disposed that matters of moment were imparted to himselfe He himself did not stand still as an image wrapped in gold very glorious without yet neither seeing nor hearing but putting all ouer to other but he saw with his owne eyes and heard with his owne eares and with his owne heart considered And vnto this opinion of him I am induced by reason of those gracious parts which the text recordeth to be performed by him could not haue beene so done vnlesse there had bene in him a sensible feeling with great vnderstanding of his place office which groweth by practise 4 The manner of some Courts is that to satisfie the auaritious or ambitious affections of some few in place the humor of the Prince is fed with faire tales or iests or delights yea wantonnesse peraduenture that the other may sway all things at their pleasure Placentia are sung and that which may content If Sara a faire woman although a straunger come into Egypt the Princes of Pharao will thinke that to be a tale woorth the carying to their maister but if it be businesse which toucheth neuer so neere that must not be told for feare lest it should disquiet Thus by his voluptuousnesse the King is made a child and as Salomon saith Wo is to the land when the King is a child not in age so much as in manners the land is impouerished the subiects are iniuried iustice is troden downe iniquitie preuaileth a confusion of all things is begunne and continued and he who should amend it silly man is brought a bed with folly and securitie So no man is more a straunger to his owne charge and the heauie burthen which lyeth vpon him then he who is most interested in it Vopiscus in the life of Aurelian doth vtter to this purpose a good speech which as it seemeth he borrowed from Diocletian who sometimes had made triall of it Foure or fiue in the Court gather themselues together and take counsell to deceiue the Emperour They tell him what is to be liked and allowed of The Emperour who in the meane while is shut vp at home doth not know the truth He must onely know that which they will speake to him He maketh such Iudges as be not fit for the place he remooueth such from the Common-wealth as he should keepe and in briefe the good Emperour the honest and wary Emperour is bought and sold by them If the good be thus dealt with how pitifully are they vsed who willingly fancy and embrace all delights tendered to them by their seruants and are nusseled of purpose that they might vnderstand nothing and thinke very well of it In such places and with such persons it is likely that a messenger who should haue brought such melancholike newes to the king might haue stayd without doores or perhaps haue bene sent backe againe as wise as he came 5 But this monarke of Niniue is not made of that mettall Such cases as much import are brought to his hearing He knoweth that the Prince as the father of the countrey is set ouer the people for their good That the foundation of iustice remaineth in his owne person and is thence deriued vnto other men that if he cease to do iustice in his owne person if the case do so require he should by right cease to raigne and giue ouer the name of a King as a woman once sayd to Hadrian the Emperour and truth cannot be knowne but by taking and admitting speech from the parties themselues This is the cause why the report of Ionas is first brought to his owne hearing that he may know and iudge and take order accordingly This may be a lesson to all the Princes of our time that they themselues be partakers of all great causes of estate that they leane not wholly vpon other because the Lord hath layd the charge vpon them but especially that their eares be open to Gods word when it shall be deliuered by the Prophets that they may be taught thence what is healthfull for their people and acceptable to their maker on whose seruice their prosperity doth wholly depend Here may we conceiue the happinesse of our kingdome where God hath placed a gouernesse who thinketh vpon such things Hence also the Magistrate and euery housholder in his priuate family may learne to giue easie accesse to sober information that if there be any thing that doth make for the good of their houshold or other charge it may not be reiected It is best to quench fire while it is but in the sparke to stop a water-course at first to bind vp a wound betimes to kill young foxes in the neast to meete with daunger while it appeareth yet a great way off and in such things not to rest on those who will faile but to trust thine owne eyes thine owne eares thine owne knowledge So many euill matters shall be met with in the egge good things shall be aduanced and promoted opportunely and as among the
Niniuites all points succeeded well although they sowed in teares yet they reaped in ioy so shall it be with thee But let word of causes important be still brought to thy selfe 6 The next matter which in generall I note in this great person is that God would haue him to be touched aboue other that his humiliation might be accepted beyond others For the Lord is much affected toward them in the persons of whom he hath imprinted a maiestie and by speciall ordinance hath made them his Vicegerents As he hath seated them in a propriety of dignitie aboue all their fellowes so the account which he hath of them is of speciall property Looke through the Heathen men as well as vpon such as knew him and feared him Where do we find a man furnished with such parts as Alexander was of celerity of resolute magnanimity of felicity in all his attempts Where see we a man comparable with that worthy Iulius Caesar How admirable were the workes of Herode the Great and how maiesticall yea terrible was the presence of his person when enemies of his came into the place where he was washing and yet feared to make toward him although he were naked and they armed Name him who may be like to Constantine that blessed Emperour And if it be suggested that the faculties and abilities which they had to do great things because they were mighty Princes might make them to do such matters as which others in their places might as well haue effected yet this serueth not the turne since a spirite of rarer quality then other men haue enioyed might apparantly be seene in them Now where the Lord soweth most he looketh to reape most largely Where he powreth foorth most benefits he expecteth most gratefulnesse And if his seruice be neglected but especially contemned by these royall Potentates he taketh it more vnkindly of them then of a common man When Saul being brought to a kingdome from following his fathers asses had faulted in that case of Amelek what furies did follow him euer after with irreconcilable desolation It was not a little punishment which followed after the murther and adultery of Dauid The childs death the reuiling of Shimei the rebellion of Absolon the deflouring of his concubines were euident corrections When Salomon who was fraught with wisedome fell foolishly to idolatrie at once ten tribes were rent off from from the kingdome of Iuda The like may be sayd of many the persecuting Emperours when they being aduanced by Christ turned their swords and scepters against Christ and his Gospell he did not long endure their tyrannie but with violence cast them downe 7 But on the other side God so embraceth the true piety of those in highest authority that themselues are not onely blessed for their entire deuotion but their people for their sake The blessings powred on the heads of them runne downe vnto the skirts and lower parts of their garments When such as by Gods hand are lifted vp aboue others do come nearer then their people to the heauen not so much in place as in spirit and the inward man the Lord doth accept them with greater fauour and acquaintance The Israelites knew this when they thus make request for their king The Lord heare thee in the day of trouble the name of the God of Iacob defend thee Send thee helpe from the Sanctuarie and strengthen thee out of Sion Let him remember all thine offerings and turne thy burnt offerings into ashes Graunt thee according to thy heart and fulfill all thy purpose That we may reioyce in thy saluation and set vp our banner in the name of our God the Lord shall performe all thy petitions And so they go forward Now know I that the Lord will helpe his annointed and will heare him from his sanctuary They knew that from him being blessed good things would flow to them and God would blesse his deuotion How louely and how precious in the eyes of the Almighty was the melting heart of Iosias when he heard the threates of the Law read vnto him What priuate man alone euer turned backe so much wrath Yea God doth attribute so much to this his ordinance that if it be but Ahab yet if he put on sackcloth and will fast and go barefoote the Lord will deâ—erre that vengeance which was to come on him and his land Those countries then are right happy where such sit in the throne of honor and most eminent place of glory who do loue and feare the Lord in integrity and sincerity full of faith For mercy and louing kindnesse is by such conduit-pipes diffused through all the coasts and quarters of a land If the pestilence shall deuoure yet the prayer of such Dauids will stay the destroying Angell If Sennacherib shall reuile yet if such Hezekiahs shall enter into the Temple and with weeping shall lay open the letters before the Lord a hooke shall be put in his nostrels and he shall be turned another way If a victory shall be gotten and such Deborahs shall acknowledge it by a publike gratulation this victory shall be doubled When our Deborah and Hester as it is voyced and receiued with bended knees did begge of the Omnipotent maker and guide of all our worlds masse that he would prosper the worke and vvith best forewinds guide the iourney speede the victory and make the returne the aduancement of his glory the triumph of the fame of those which were sent and the surety of our Realme with least losse of English bloud we all know what effect this holy prayer had to foile the proudest enemy in a strange land we all know it and it were great pity but succeeding ages should remember it And that may serue for an example of the point whereof I now intreate which is that the actions of great Monarkes haue a straighter kind of reference vnto God then those of common men Their voluntary debasing doth lift them high with the Lord their repentance is very gracious their sorrow is much acceptable Then it was well with the Niniuites that such a king did raigne ouer them as had an humble mind God dealt with them most bountifully to send them such a ruler as whose heart he himselfe did soften and put some graces into it and then did crowne those graces to the comfort of all his subiects For I ascribe all this to God The words of the Prophet were something but the heart was touched from the Lord. Paule may plant and Apollos water but God must giue the encrease And as Saint Austen speaketh Teachings without and admonitions are helpes to set things forward but he hath a chaire in heauen who teacheth the hearts of men I speake sayth he of the Lord. God then did them much fauour when he sent such a king among them as whose heart he made to be flexible that so the Lord might embrace him and with him
how they haue bestowed themselues yet because many thousands are more then one soule the accompt for their charge shall more strictly be stoode vpon 5 Inferiour Magistrates may herein take instruction that it is not for themselues that they are hoissed to their places but to the good of other Be they neuer so eminent for sanctitie or synceritie it is not enough vnlesse they whom they rule do sauour like to themselues God expecteth of each of them that they and their houses as Iosuah said should serue him euen so many as they rule ouer And that if a blessing come vpon them it should like Aarons ointment droppe from the beard to the skirts of their clothing that the low valleis may haue the benefite of that fruitfull raine which falleth vpon the mountaines And if plagues and woes should come that then the rest should be retired from the daunger of the shot as well as the fairest That there should be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and naturall affection to all that be in their custodie principally to saue them from the wrath which is to come and afterward to encourage them that they go with an vpright foote to quell that which is rebellious to take pitie vpon the weake to rectifie the vntoward to thinke that to be the field wherein God hath bestowed them and they will striue to make it like the Paradise of the Highest by planting choise plants in it by pruning them by watering it by fencing it and hedging it by keeping out the boare to take comfort in the beautie and prosperitie thereof and to delight in all happinesse which shall befall vnto it Thus the faithfull steward doth being alwaies pleased best when the common good doth flourish not thinking himselfe a bodie besides the publike bodie and so as two substances to be contradiuided things and all well which is scraped and scratched away from the members but a head vnto that bodie where and in whom he liueth and so to haue a fellow-feeling of the sufferings of other This doth well in all things but in nothing so much as vrging them to ayme at things celestiall to beg of God the continuance of his graces vpon them or to intreat him to be pleased to turne away that furie which is comming out against them And in this last case the king of Niniue may well be proposed as an example very singular who thinketh not his dutie to be discharged at all vnlesse besides the subiecting and debasing of himselfe he do stirre vp his people to a liuely apprehension of the state wherein they stoode that they as the followers he as the leader but both they and he he as well as they like humble suppliants might make intercession to recouer Gods fauour or at least to be pardoned He sheweth himselfe a man worthie to beare a scepter worthie to weare a crowne who is so considerate as to thinke that since they should haue part of the punishment he might do well to bring them to part of the penance 6 Now as this in generall is gathered of that act which is imported to vs by the scope of this verse the next so I iudge that some farther matter is naturally yeelded in this that he put foorth a precept or mandamus an imperiall Edict and an vrging Proclamation that euery one should fast And this is that Princes by the prerogatiue of their dignitie haue vnder God a power not onely to animate and encourage and exhort but by commaundement to constraine and by lawe to enforce their people to the performance and practise of those religious proceedings which they warranted by the word shall thinke fit They may ordaine lawes in Ecclesiasticall causes as we commonly terme them and vse compelling meanes to bring men to God He who should dispute this against the Church of Rome may easily declare out of the Scriptures both in particular and sufficiently concerning all the circumstances whereupon they do stand that it is holy iust which our Princesse doth claime and our Church doth maintaine And this most plentifully hath beene shewed in excellent workes extant to the view of the world Therefore it shall be enough for me now to touch and go Wise Salomon deposed Abiathar from the Priesthood and placed Sadoc in his roome Therefore Princes may depriue their Bishops of their dignities if they deserue it and place other in their steede Iehoash doth call the Priests to an accompt for their negligent carelesnesse in repairing the Temple Good Iehosaphat Hezechiah and Iosiah do make lawes for the recalling and exercising of the seruice of God they restore it and renew it according to the lawe and therefore Christian Princes by their example may do the like And if we will looke lower how great was Constantines care for setling the faith of Christ how did he labour both in the Nicene Councell and otherwise Doth he not call himselfe as Eusebius reporteth a Bishop out of the Church Others were Bishops within the Sanctuarie because they were to preach and administer the Sacraments but himselfe one without by reason of his care to discharge that dutie which was imposed on him How many lawes did he make in causes of the Church and Theodosius after him yea this prerogatiue was retained vntill the time of Charles the Great and Lodouicus after him as appeareth by so many decrees extant to this day These and many other knowing more fully then the Niniuite spoken of by Ionas did that God had appointed them to beare the sword not in vaine made Edicts and put out Proclamations to commaund men to the exercise of Christian deuotion Yea some of them went farther and by lawes repressed diuerse heresies and enforced men to an embracing of the Orthodoxe Catholike faith 7 A matter which may seeme most straunge and improbable vnto such as in truth mistaking the issue of this question do much vse that Maxime Fides non cogitur faith cannot be enforced It is very true that faith is an assent of the inward man which indeede cannot be extorted if we will speake of the actuall and complete apprehension in beleeuing for in that there must be a willing framing of the mind it selfe from within But the meanes whereby men get faith are visible and externall as the hearing of the word the receiuing of the Sacraments the repairing to the Churches where religion is set foorth the flying from the Synagogues of heretikes and schismatikes lest other should be infected the forbidding of their assemblies and these things Princes may not onely vse and set on foote but they are bound by dutie to the highest Lord to exercise and execute them Iosiah in his feruent zeale compelled all in the land or bound them as other translate it to serue the Lord their God And his deed is commended Doth not Christ in the Parable shew that he who made the banket bid his seruants go foorth and enforce them vnder the
6 My next obseruation in this generall compasse is that Ionas is here described to haue sinned once againe This plentifully appeareth in the first Chapter so it doth in this last chapter by the reproofe of God himselfe vsed toward him and the words of my text do necessarily include it for to be grieued at the Lords will and to be angry at his workes is a very high transgression And so much the higher because it is in a Prophet a sanctified seruant sequestred for Gods businesse and attendance on himselfe more enlightened then ordinarie and better acquainted with diuine mysteries then other men Then from this man it is euident as well as from Dauid from Salomon from Iosiah from Hezechiah from Peter that the greatest in this life fall and fall to the ground There is no man that sinneth not The iust man doth fall seauen times and ariseth againe In many things vve sinne all sayth the Apostle Saint Iames. And Saint Iohn doth second it If vve say we haue no sinne vve deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. Ionas being once freed and deliuered from his sinne by the mercy of the Lord which purged him by a suffering is a second time in and yet remaineth Gods seruant and a member of the Church cleane contrary to that heresie which the Nouatians held who denying repentance to sinnes after Baptisme and secluding offendours from acceptance into the congregatiō among the faithful much impeached Gods mercy and layd an intollerable burthen vpon mens consciences Why should the seruant be hard where the maister is easie and gentle Where the wise owner is well pleased why is the steward straight When he whom it most concerneth hath proclaimed by his Prophet that if a sinner repent be it once or be it often from the bottome of his hart God will put away his sins quite out of his remembrance Indeed from the falles of the old Patriarkes we should not learne to aduenture vpon iniquities with greedinesse and boldnesse lest presuming we come short of that which was granted vnto them For if we will prouoke God in hope of that which in likelyhood will neuer be giuen to vs because we would so prouoke him who can tell whether the Lord will turne and repent and abate his furie The end wherefore the examples of fals in the greatest men are proposed to our reading is not to incourage vs to ill for that were to abuse the kindnesse of God and out of a good flowre to sucke deadly poyson Yet it is a thing too common for Libertines and carnall men so to apply good to euill Many vvill fall with Dauid sayth Saint Austen and will not arise vvith Dauid There is not proposed to thee any example of falling but of arising when thou art fallen Take heed thou do not fall Let not the slip of the greater be the delight of the lesser but let the fall of the greater be a trembling to the lesser What he there sayth of Dauid may most fitly be applied to the rest of the Patriarkes and other Prophets that by any thing of theirs we must not be intised to disobedience 7 Saint Chrysostome taketh occasion by Dauid of whom Austen also spake to draw a threefold benefit from the example of his transgression which I thinke not amisse to be mentioned in this place Dauid sayth he for three reasons vvas suffered to go astray First that he might make the righteous man to looke more earnestly to his way He perhaps sayth to himselfe I am a religious man I am famous for many merites now I haue done those things which appertaine to the garland Deceiue not thy selfe sayth he thou hast done no more then Dauid His meaning is that if such captaines and leaders in the faith so gracious with the Highest so acceptable in Gods sight yet by humane infirmities haue fallen and fallen notoriously then no man shold be proud none senslesly secure no man confidently foolish because his turne may be next He should set a watch before his heart and a hatch before his lips that nothing may enter thither nothing may come out thence which is not weighed and ballanced And that this is one of the causes why the ouersights of the best are made knowne in the Scriptures Saint Austen also consenteth The sinnes of great men are vvritten to this purpose that the saying of the Apostle may euery vvhere be trembled at vvhere he sayth Let him that standeth take heede lest he fall The second reason in Saint Chrysostome is that it might appeare that Christ Iesus alone in mans body vvas pure from all offence For if the holiest creatures and most sanctified sonnes of women men vpright and fearing God men after the Lords owne heart the best men of famous memory yet bore about them a body which was heauy to the soule and were shamefully ouertaken with crimes which their inferiours knew to be enormous then the single prerogatiue and that priuiledge of innocency and vnspottednesse which is not to be communicated to any of Adams children appeareth to belong onely to Christ. He alone could say to the Iewes Which of you can rebuke me of sinne But all other haue this sinne on them although it raigne not in them The iust man must confesse that of Hierome to be very true that while vve dwell here in the tabernacle of this body and are compassed with fraile and brittle flesh we may moderate our affections and rule our perturbations but cut them off we cannot we cannot roote them out Then all arrogant merite-mongers may boast themselues while they will of meriting of saluation and Pelagius he may vaunt that he can keepe the law but we account those speeches to be cursed and hereticall and derogatory from the eminency of Christ. We say to thē as Orosius sometimes wrote to that heretike Pelagius Thou sayest that it is possible that a man should be without sin I repeate it againe oftentimes the mā which can do this is Christ the Son of God Either take that name vnto thee or lay aside thy boldnesse God hath giuen that but to one and that is he which is chiefe and first borne among many brethren Then other yea the Virgin Mary her selfe must renounce themselues and all their possibility and admire the vnspotted beauty of Iesus our Redeemer 8 The third reason in Chrysostome is a matter of more comfort The faults of others are vvritten that sinners may the lesse despaire of their owne errours but if any one haue offended let him daily confesse his sinnes yea if he haue sinned a thousand times yet let him go forward to confesse a thousand times Forthere is nothing vvorse then distrust or despaire This sentence of turning againe a thousand times to God was it whereof Socrates speaketh that Chrysostome did dare to teach this in that time which was so filled with the Nouatian heretikes And this
is a most comfortable point to a distressed conscience which I thinke did neuer more neede to be plaistered and suppled then in these our present dayes wherein Satan is busie to take aduantage of the tendernesse and softnesse of them who earnestly desire to haue peace with God And he seeing that it grieueth them to displease so good a father straightway representeth to their eyes the fearefulnesse of his iustice and the multiplicity of their crimes Oh it is a deadly enemy suttle and full of sleights he hath baytes for euery one For the wanton shewes of wantonnesse for the idolater superstitions for the Atheist wayes of obstinacy for the enuious cause of spite for him who hateth to sinne a tickling pride of doing well for those who loue the word terrours out of the word to beate them downe to drowne thē so that all threatnings shall be applied to thē mercies shal be passed ouer as no way appertaining vnto their cōfort How careful had we need be stand continually on our watch serue God while we haue time pray to him for perseuerance euermore be busied about that which is good that solitarie idlenesse melancholike tentatiōs great meanes to a greater fall do not grieuously oppresse vs But to preuent that obiectiō which is common to all those who are so affected as I speake of God who writeth for all our good that testified in his sacred booke that the bel-wethers of his flocke haue stūbled lyen along that not in toyes or trifles but in causes of great importance they haue giuen witnesse of much weakenesse And yet they haue risen againe more humbled and more purged more renewed by grace taught to flye from themselues vnto the throne of mercy to repose all their saluation on him who is farre more sure then the strongest rocke or castle And when the spirite is thus contrite God accepteth it as a sacrifice he is so farre from despising the troubled broken heart that he loueth it and embraceth it Thus he dealt with them in old time vnder the threatning law and therefore he will rather do so vnder the Gospell The errours of our time are no otherwise then theirs were we are made of the selfe same mettall he is made of the selfe same mercy He changeth not he varieth not he euermore remaineth himselfe Then why should we yeeld our selues to diffidence and distrust why sinke we vnder our burthen which lyeth heauy for a moment and no longer Sorow may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning He tempteth not aboue our strength but in the midst of tryall he giueth an issue out That which we feele in the meane while is our burthen and we must beare it We cannot liue here like Angels Our purity is in hope it is not yet indeed Christ well knew that there would be faults in vs when he bad vs euery day to pray forgiue vs our trespasses Then let vs rowze vp our spirits and shake off that dull kind of blockishnesse and sinne that hangeth so fast on and let vs with alacrity runne to Iesus our Redeemer our brother and Sauiour and the finisher of our faith He sometimes was tempted himselfe which maketh him the better know how to pity those which are tempted And thus much generally I haue spoken that the Scripture maketh no spare to display the worst of the writers thereof and how the best do offend yea and double it too with Ionas and yet still remaine Gods seruants The speciall fault of Ionas 9 By this time you expect as I thinke that I should not stand so farre off and looke on my text per transennam but that I should touch it nearer and so indeed is my meaning All this while you haue heard that the Prophet was out but what was it wherein he faulted It displeased Ionas exceedingly and he was angry at it And what was it whereat he vexed and knew not which way to take it That Niniue should be spared God meant to continue the standing of that city and Ionas would not haue it so The Lord thought best to spare the inhabitants but our man is of another mind Here in the meane time are two sides but the match is very vnequall I am certainely perswaded that Ionas is not like to gaine much by such bargaines The potter is of one side and the pot-sheard of another Fire and thunder and flaming lightning doth say it shall be so and flaxe and towe doth say otherwise And yet this weake one is right angry that he may not beare away the bucklers Now a man might haue seene this messenger a perfect male-content that euery thing went not as he conceiued before that it should But why should this fretter greeue that Niniue should haue a tast of his mercy who is the father of pity and compassion All agree that he did so but there is not any common consent what that was which specially did mooue him Hierome telleth that some imagined that Ionas was now growne spitefull and boyled very much with enuy that the Gentiles should be called As if Gods grace toward him and other of his people were now so much the lesse because it was communicated to a forrein nation This was to make no difference betweene the sonnes of Cham and Sem to bring Esau and Israel to be beloued alike This were to make the Ethnickes as good men as the Iewes yea to make such as were or hereafter might be great enemies to Ierusalem to tast the best fruites of Sion Where then was the promise to Abraham or the oath which was sworne to Isaac if the Niniuites should be called as well as the holy seed Thus perhaps flesh might reason and murmure in our Ionas 10 If this were it which troubled him he might iustly be concluded to be enuious and malicious and therefore to sinne highly For was his eye growne euill because his maister was good Would he repine that other should find that kindnesse at the Lords hand which himselfe had felt before As soone as he was ouer must the bridge by and by be broken As soone as he was in must the doore foorthwith be shut Would not that sufficiently content him that he should haue a place in heauen but must he be the porter nay rather the housholder to direct who should come after his friends and acquantance only This was a fault which raigned much among the people of the Iewes they could not brooke the fellowship of the despised Gentiles Christ noted this their enuy by the parable of the elder brother grudging that the younger which was the prodigall sonne should be receiued with such grace But it is very manifestly storied to be true in the Acts as both at Antioche and so otherwise at Thessalonica for when the Greekes began to beleeue the Iewes enuied at it and reuiled with euill words yea made an vprore But when Paule
Praeparatione Euangelica doth manifestly lay downe citing there Numenius the Pythagorian who writeth that Plato was nothing else but Moses speaking Greeke or in the Attike language But be this so or be it otherwise the doctrine is most true 8 First then in this are condemned those who yeelding themselues too much vnto Satans suggestions wilfully destroy their owne bodies frō whom as I dare not generally withdraw the hope of saluation and euerlasting life for Gods mercy may giue grace and a sudden hastie repentance betweene the bridge and the water betweene the deed the dying so that then they could wish all were well and no violence offered so on the other side I cannot but pronounce that the case is very daungerous and in the highest sort to be suspected and feared vnlesse the Lord do giue apparant tokens of penitencie Do not first take strong poyson and then afterward seeke some such remedie as may be offered in an instant whereunto to trust thou hast no warrant but almost all to the contrarie Secondly they are here taxed who wilfully and without cause aduenture vppon such things as are the wayes of death by that meanes tempting God to see whether he will preserue them for so it must needs be if they thinke of him at all Remember how Christ discountenanced all leaping off from the Temple which in nature had bene a meanes to dash himselfe to peeces Some dangerous tumbling trickes and walking vpon ropes not without danger of life and other sports of that qualitie are very neare to this Here let me acknowledge one thing to you wherof I haue oftētimes thought in my selfe by occasion of that text which was cited to our Sauiour by Satan the great tempter in the story last mentioned When he would haue Christ throw himselfe from the pinnacle of the Temple he incouraged him by that place of the Psalme He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp that thou dash not thy foote against a stone Where as euerie man may see he cited the Scripture falsly leauing out that which is very materiall to keepe thee in all thy wayes He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes I haue heard that a reuerend mā preaching on a time in our sister Vniuersity at the buriall of one or two gentlemen who came to an vntimely end by swimming enforced out of that place of Mathew that it is the pollicy of the tempter to draw men from their owne wayes to the waies of other creatures And therin as I haue heard he obserued that a mās way was to go a birds way was to flie as fishes way was to swimme and if we would leaue our owne pathes dangerously and without cause to do as fishes or birds do we tempt God in that case and suppresse as much of the Psalme to our selues as Satan did to Christ. For God will keepe thee in all thy wayes not in the wayes of a bird not in the wayes of a fish I cannot say that at that time by collection from that text or by the dolefull example which was then before his eyes that reuerend learned man vtterly forbad that exercise as impious vnlawfull neither dare I do so for fishermen haue vse of it and Peter in the presence of our Sauiour girded his linnnen garment to him and threw himselfe into the sea and the meanes that some escaped from the ship-wracke in the company of Saint Paule was their swimming and souldiers in passing waters are oftentimes constrained to betake them to this exercise So that vtterly to condemne it or dislike it I thinke it not conuenient or warrantable but certainely in that sort as many vse it and too many in great cities and perhaps some in this place that is to say young ones in the deepe and without company or good helpe yea and vpon the Sabaoth day which the Lord hath notedly punished as some of vs may remember doth fall within iust reproofe of being too much accessarie of shortening mens owne liues Let the elder and the younger lay this to their owne consciences and make the vse to themselues Onely vppon occasion of this sommer time of the yeare I do briefly mention it 9 Within this compasse there come plainely our chalenges and defendances for combats in the fields for euery trifling braule where not for God and their countrey or for their Princes safetie but vpon euerie brauling disgrace the life is thrust into danger How vncomfortable a thing is it in a mortall deadly wound which may very well be thy share to thinke that thou hast sought the dissolution of thy soule from thy body and to haue rather stood on thy manhood and fame with other men then vpon thy Christian dutie How many lawes did Moses make but none for the duellum or combat betweene two Nay he who layd it downe that if the head of an axe flie off as a man is cutting wood and slay his neighbour being neare vnto him with whom he had no quarrell if the pursuer should take his person before he came to the city of refuge it was lawfull to kill him what would he haue thought of these men who will thrust themselues into this straigth to slay or to be slaine What the Emperour Honorius sonne to that good Theodosius thought of this appeareth hereby that as Theodoret writeth he tooke away all sword-playings and gladiatorie fights which so long had bene vsed in Rome because they were the meanes of many slaughters The very Turkes in this case are worthie of commendation of whom I find in the Epistles of Augerius Busbequius Embassadour sometimes among them for Ferdinandus the Emperour that while he was in the countrey when one of the Turkish Captaines had reported before the Bassas that he had challenged into the field another of the San-iacks or Lieutenants of the Turke of whom he had receiued some grieuance the Bassas that Graund Segnieur thrust him presently into prison and vsed these words vnto him Didst thou dare to denounce the combat against thy fellow souldier vvere there not Christians to fight vvith You liue both by the bread of our Emperour and would you trye for each others life Knovv you not that vvhether soeuer of you had ben◠slaine it had bin a losse to our Soueraigne he had lost a man a souldier This was but a worldly reason which yet holdeth among vs also But for the auoiding of slaughter vpon other men or our selues which point concerneth the Lords commandement we should flie from these great occasions of murther which is so horrible a sinne But to returne to the maine cause if these accessaries and helpes to bring our selues to the graue be things not to be iustified then what a great fault is man-slaughter directly done vpon our selues 10 I haue sayd more of these adiacents then my purpose was to speake but for
depart with death Gods messenger which commeth for them and must be the end of all when they see themselues housed with glorie and lodged with all kind of beautie their fish-pooles their orchards without doore to please them their musicke of all instruments within doore to delight them their cattell about their ground their children about their table Whereas the man who hath bene vsed to beare the yoke from his youth and to leaue and lose and lacke neuer standeth nor staggereth at it but when he is bid come he slippeth his coate with Ioseph and with a good will springeth away being assured that he leaueth nothing which may be reckened of but shrubs and leaues and shadowes but he goeth to such a Sauiour Redeemer and Intercessor as he long hath thought of and longed for whome vntill he saw he was neuer contented and in quiet and who will welcome him when he commeth who will keepe him when he is there who will dwell with him for euer God imprint into our hearts a true desire of this Sauiour that esteeming all worldly things but trāsitorie and vaine we may onely aspire to him to whome with the blessed Father and the euerlasting Spirit be praise for euermore THE XXIX LECTVRE The chiefe poynts 3. It is to no purpose to murmure against God 4 What Easterne wind was here sent 6 Too much heate and prosperitie do hurt 8. 11 The impatiencie of men in afflictions 10 The manner matter of Gods reproofe 12 Of sinne groweth sinne 13. Ionas would iustifie his fault 14 The vsing of weake instruments glorifieth God the more 15 Doctrine gathered from the fall of Ionas Ionah 4.8.9 And when the Sunne did arise God prepared also a feruent East-wind and the Sunne beat vpon the head of Ionah that he fainted and wished in his heart to dye and said It is better for me to dye then to liue And God said vnto Ionah Doest thou well to be angrie for the gourd And he said I do well to be angry vnto the death AS by that which went before in part may be seene that the patience of the Prophet is once againe to be tried so by that which now followeth it most euidently appeareth While he sate in expectation for Niniues destruction much pained with the burthē of his distempered thoughts God a little to appease him whome each small thing perplexed raiseth vp a certaine tree or growing kind of creature to shadow him and refresh him Wherein when he had taken more contentment and delight then a Prophet should haue done or then a wise man would the same hand which did send it by a very abiect bodie a worme did ouerthrow it We need not doubt but he who was so proud of that trifle would be much out of quiet to be stripped of all his ioy for the more we loue what we haue the more we grieue to leaue it but the Lord goeth one step farther and when he hath taken from him that which so highly pleased him he sendeth him the contrarie another thing to displease him The wind and Sun are set to warme him without who was so hote within that since he was prone to anger for the loosing of his shadow he might see what it was to misse it when there was now such vse and necessitie to enioy it Ionas being like himselfe very quickly apprehendeth this boyling in impatiencie would be no lesse then dead to be rid of this vexation In his very heart he doth wish it such a fierie heart was his heart that his life were remooued from him And his toung secondeth his mind so that he feareth not to speake it out that it were better for him to die then to liue So because he had not his shadow he would not haue his life 2 God who had a double purpose first to reprooue his impatiencie and vntemperate kind of cariage and secondly by his owne words to schoole him that he should not be so hard-harted and very cruell to Niniue doth not let him wast himselfe in his choler no not for a moment but asketh of him mildly if he did well to be angrie for such a greene growing couer so giuing him to vnderstand by an insinuation if his iudgement had bene capable thereof that he went much awry But the other in his furie will not be checked therewith but commeth on him againe I do well to be angry that I do euen to the death You see he maketh no spare at God but fondly hauing thought he doth vtter it more foolishly and he maketh no stay but come what will come of it out shall his passion go Thus yet farther is offered matter of the Prophets weaknesse who maketh no care to bind one sinne vpon another and in the same transgression of anger impatiencie to lay lode vpon lode which yet the Lord doth beare with and turneth to our instruction Which that we may the better fasten on to our edification we may note in the former verse Gods triall and Ionahs patience Gods trial which was little and his patience which was none In the latter verse the Lords reproofe and his entertainment of it the one mild which had great cause to be rough and seuere the other frowning and boisterous who if he had looked well to it had great reason to bend and carie a lower saile In all these the first thing offered is the plaine direct narration of that which befell to Ionas Of the East-wind and the Sunne 3 If we loue our owne ease and quiet we had need be very vigilant that we striue not with God nor shew our selues discontented with any thing that pleaseth him since he hath such power ouer vs as to crosse vs and curbe vs in as many sorts as he pleaseth Because we are his creatures and he is Lord of all we lye open on euery side to be beaten and striken by him in taking away our liking and sending vs that which we loath and doubling it and tripling it as seemeth good to himselfe When Dauid had lost that child of his which was conceiued in adulterie he had gained much by the bargaine to haue fretted grumbled at it because it was immediatly in Gods hand to let Absolon rise against him first to defloure his concubines and then to seeke his life and after to suffer Shimei to raile on him and reuile him When Iob had the newes first brought vnto him that his oxen and his asses were seazed on by the Sabees his case had bene much amended to haue grudged and grieued at it whereas his Camels and his sheepe yea his very children were vnder the same hazard yea his flesh euery houre lay subiect to be striken with blaines and sores This messenger sent to the Niniuites who thought to haue found his harbour in the morning as greene for him as he left it in the euening had bene wel helped vp to mutter that all was dry and withered when he was within
euident and so to worke in the Prophet a manifest conuiction of his errour and mistaking from that which had bene done and said before of the gourd he doth gather a kind of Parable which is rather reall then verball full of wisedome and arte familiar to Gods spirit which doth naturally yeeld a most significant comparison both of persons and of matters and in the vp-shot conclude the equitie and integritie of the Lords proceedings Wilt thou assume to thy selfe a priuiledge to be mooued with affection and wilt thou deny me my prerogatiue in the like wilt thou wish that ought should be saued and wilt thou grieue that it should be spilled and shall not I much more take a delight in preseruing that which otherwise would perish Yea is all thy loue fixed on that greene thing wherin the pleasure was small but the profite none at all which was but the sonne of a night for so it is in the Hebrew quickly vp and quickly gone And shall not I more respect a citie and such a citie as is that mightie Niniue wherein besides store of cattell the life of the worst whereof is farre to be preferred before things without sence are young and old male and female of reasonable creatures to a very great sort of thousands By such not disputation but demonstration rather is warranted the fauour which was shewed to that citie and the mouth of him who murmured is to such purpose stopped that there followeth no more replie In handling all which matter I shall omit to deuide that which very well will not beare it and shall touch such obseruations successiuely and in order as the text doth offer to me Wherein first I must say something of this Parable and of other the like vsed in the Scripture 3 The vse of speech is one of the rarest gifts that the diuine Creator hath giuen vnto man For it ministreth a power of opening the inward thought or of discoursing freely concerning high or low causes of celestiall matters or terrestriall affaires of spirits of Angels of the ioyes of the elect of Christs incarnation of the blessed God himselfe But the excellencie of this is so much the greater because it maketh man not onely to differ from the beast but from other of his owne kind yea and from himselfe also The difference is great betweene the rude lippes and the toung of the learned betweene zealous and cold speech the mildnesse of comfort and the sharpnesse of rebuke betweene affirming and asking by a piercing interrogatiue betweene naked asseuering and figuratiue vttering of the intentiō of the mind But of all kinds there is none which doth more cunningly creepe by an insinuation into the vnderstanding and leaueth deeper impression with a feeling conceit then a Parable doth whose proper nature is to make shew of one matter and to aime at another and if it be personall the issue of it is to touch to the quicke in a sort to extort that which otherwise would not be graunted The exercise whereof is for elegancie so seemly and for powerfulnesse so effectuall to procure admiration and attention in those which heare that in the sacred Scriptures men inspired with a supernaturall and celestiall spirit haue held this as the height of that whereunto they could attaine When Dauid would raise himselfe to speak of high meditations which exceeded the common qualitie I will saith he incline mine eare vnto a Parable And in another place I will open my mouth in Parables The wise sentences of Salomon which the holy Ghost thought fit to commit to eternall memorie are inscribed with that title The parables of Salomon Yea the Son of God himselfe who spake as neuer man spake whose words were with authoritie and not as the Scribes whose speech prouoked reuerence and amazednesse and astonishment to heare that it was so gracious spent not the least part of his doctrine in Parables similitudes the mysticalnesse whereof preuailed much with the auditours See the thirteenth Chapter of Saint Mathew and there you shall find seuen Parables of the sower of the mustard seede of the leuen and of the treasure and other things beside These made the people wonder and giue more honour to him 4 The Ministers of the Gospell who haue a generall warrant to be imitatours of Christ in any thing that they may may here behold the libertie which is left vnto them in the performance of their calling not onely nakedly to lay open the truth but to vse helpes of wit of inuention and arte which are the good gifts of God so to remooue away all disdaine and loathing of the word from the dull hearts of the auditorie Similitudes and Comparisons Allusions Applications yea Parables and Prouerbes which may tend to edification and illustrating of the word For they haue to do with weake ones as well as with the strong with some of queisie stomackes with some of dull capacitie with some which must be entised allured with a bait of industrie and eloquence of prety and witty sentences And where should labour be spent but in the worke of God which he who doth negligently is accursed or where should skill be shewed but in fishing for mens souls after whom Christ himselfe so caught And such is the weaknesse of sinners that they are as much mooued with the forme with the vtterance as they are with the matter Saint Austen telleth that in Caesarea a citie of Mauritania where himselfe sometimes liued was a brutish senselesse custome that on certaines daies of the yeare the people of that place did gather themselues together and as if they had bene mad the father against the children and the children against their fathers and the neighbours against their neighbours did throw stones with that violence that not a few were killed with it Who would thinke that any one who had the face of a man would grow to that stupidious foolerie Yet let it not seeme incredible For first so graue an authour as Saint Austen is doth witnesse it that of his owne knowledge and secondly I find that Leo Africanus doth make mention that a custome not vnlike this doth remaine vntill our time in places very neare that to wit in the kingdome of Fez and thirdly such absurdities haue elsewhere bene experimented But concerning this of Saint Austen he aduoucheth of himselfe that being to disswade his neighbors of Caesarea from this so long a setled custome he speaketh to them in a loftie and eloquent kind of oration in grandi dicendi genere and preuailed in his desire It is easie to be gathered from the narration of the author and whole course of his report that his opinion was that if he had spoken coldly but frigidè ieiunè as of a common matter he had failed of his whole purpose So it is with other pastours in other people and places 5 Quintilian that good Oratour hath this saying concerning