fellowes and just men The Papists say some thoughts affections words and outward actions not agreeing with the Law of God are easily washt away with a little holy-water c. they are not deadly they deserve not the wrath of God they are but veniall Did you ever read of these veniall sinnes in the Scripture But thinke you they have nothing but Scripture Yes they have Decrees they have decretals the Ceremonies whereof observed these veniall sinnes are soone pardoned they have a Pope that can forgive any sins Thus they lessen sinnes thus they abate the price of sinnes and they can buy out sins with money or redeeme them with Masses and by a little short pennance purchase a large and long pardon And as the Marriners every man thought hee was no great sinner so Ionah thought with himselfe Though I bee a great sinner yet am I not so grievous a sinner as these Idolatrous heathens or if he throughly condemned himselfe yet unwilling to bee knowne such a rebell he thought it may be it is most likely they are many I but one peradventure therefore the lot will not fall upon me like a theefe which notwithstanding in his own heart hee acknowledge himselfe guilty of that wherewithall he is charged yet will not confesse untill the matter be throughly sifted and so clearely proved to his owne face in such sort that he cannot for shame though with shame hee confesse deny it Therefore if God had not sifted out this sinner the better Ionah would not have beene knowne the man and the Marriners would still have contended who was the lesser sinner therefore they consult to cast lots Let us cast lot They did not use to cast lots this was no custome among the Marriners but the tempest was so wonderfull that it made them seriously to thinke of God and willing to use the meanes prescribed by God for the ending of doubtfull matters acknowledging that he ordereth all and the lot is the sentence of God by the falling of the lot he revealeth the truth These like worldlings never confesse God but when he commeth in a tempest they will not see his mercy untill his justice appeare they will not acknowledge Gods governement before he bring on them some judgement like Pharaohs Sorcerers who confessed not Gods majesty while they lived at ease but when the Lord plagued them they cryed out This is the finger of God Let us cast lots that wee may know for whose cause this evill is come upon us Why what are they the better when they know him what would they doe with him on whom the lot should fall Surely they supposing or rather cleerely seeing this tempest to be sent from some wrathfull power and that for some one mans sinne amongst them they determined having found him to sacrifice him unto the God that was so offended by him God turneth evill unto good but the divell turneth good unto evill The Gentiles had a custome in the time of the common plague to sacrifice one for the rest This custome they took by imitation of the Iewes in offering beasts and of Abraham in offering his sonne the divell that father of lies and schoolemaster of all mischiefe teaching them So the divell tooke advantage to doe evill by the service of God In moving the Gentiles to worke abomination by offering men imitating the Iewes commanded sacrifices But if they had rightly knowne the true God they would have taken their sins by the throat and have sacrificed them Come let us cast lots The Marriners were not so wise to prevent the tempest before it came as they be diligent to allay the tempest when it may not be laid we overtaken with Gods just judgements are very carefull alwaies to use all meanes to bee rid of them But who keepeth a watch over his owne waies and diligently laboureth to keepe himself free from that which necessarily draweth on it selfe Gods judgement who purgeth himselfe of his sinnes lest hee bee sicke who letteth or fetcheth out his corrupt bloud of pride lust covetousnesse lest hee before who keepes a good diet and maketh his choise of holy exercises godly companions religious conferences c. But know we he is not safe that is sound neither he sound that is intemperate So they cast lots Whether it be lawfull to cast lots it is not evident by this example because they were Gentiles and therefore no president for us but so farre may we use them as the Word doth lead us and no further There are two Goats brought to Aaron Levit. 16. that hee might cast lots to see which Goat should bee killed and which should not these Goats signifie Christ for as he died he lived againe and as he was buried he rose againe Againe the land of Canaan is parted by lots Numb 34. to see what part each Tribe should inhabite Againe that theefe Achan is found out by lots Iosh 7. first by his Tribe then by his Family and lastly by his particular person Againe it is said that Saul was chosen King by lots 1 Sam 10. and least any should have said that it was his good lucke his good lot or chance to bee King therefore the Lord appointed that he should be annointed before hee was chosen by lots Againe Matthias is chosen by lots to the Apostleship in stead of Iudas Acts 1. so that it is lawfull in some causes to cast lots so that they doe attribute nothing unto them and acknowledge that the lot is cast into the lap but the disposition thereof is from the Lord Pro. 16. 33. for they must not say that it is their chance fortune or good lucke for so they make an Idoll of it and rob God of the honour due unto him For it was not Sauls fortune to be King but Gods mercy it was not Achans chance to be caught but Gods judgement Lots may bee used to prevent strife when all other meanes have beene used and sometimes before all other meanes when in wisedome it is thought the best meanes Brethren often and godly at first divided their inheritance by lots as the Children of Israel divided the land of Canaan Therefore in the Church of Geneva there is an order that in the time of plague there should be an house set apart for the sick to lodge in and least they should bee uncomforted they chuse out a Mininister by lots to doe it So they cast lots Now we are come to put up our selves to the Court of Lawyers to see if they will doe any thing for God for conscience or for love viz. that they would end mens suits quickly and let the poore Clients have equity Some say that Lawyers bee good untill they bee Counsellers like Lions which will be gentle untill their tallons grow bee not offended but amend for malice speakes not I am perswaded that if the lots were cast to see who troubles the ship it would fall upon the Lawyers bee not offended but amend for malice speakes not
A poore Client commeth forth accusing one and going home accuseth a hundred for so many seeke to hinder him so few seeke to further him and so many seeke to hinder him that all his gaine is but labour and losse For a small matter many will come to law to strive for that which with reason might easily be attained without such contention and others seeke to enrich themselves with contending for a small matter with their neighbours yet in the end lose that they sought and that they had beside and so they contend and strive about a thing commonly till the Lawyer hath gained more by them than the thing which is in controversie is worth These are like the Mouse and the Frog which strove so long about Marsh-ground that at length the Kite came and took them both from it Others will come up to law about a small matter and therein so intangle themselves that they cannot rid their hands of it untill it have almost undone them like a silly sheepe that is hunting a flie which runneth from bush to bush and every bush catcheth a locke of him so that the poore sheepe is threed-bare ere he hath done and hath not a fleece left him to cover himselfe withall So hee runnes from Court to Court to sue to complaine to plead till he have spent his cloake his coat were it not better to have cast lots for the coat at first For the Law is like a Butlers box play still on till all come to the Candlesticke Therefore it is lawfull to end any controversie in a hard matter to use this meanes Now whether it bee lawfull to cast dice if lots may not bee used as Salomons words Prov. 18. 18. The lot causeth contention to cease compared with Heb. 6. 16. prove but in hard matters and waighty causes when the thing is doubtfull and all good meanes are tried before to avoid strife that question is decided which none but voluptuous men make question of namely whether dice-play bee a meet exercise for a Christian soule Salomon saith the lot causeth contention to cease therfore lots are to end strife but these lots make strife for before thou takest the Dice thou knowest thine owne and no man striveth to take it from thee but when thou castest the Dice thou doest as it were aske whether thine owne be thine owne and makest a strife of no strife Art thou not worthy to lose the gifts of God which venturest to lose them when thou needest not Doest thou not deserve to forgoe thine owne which art so greedy of anothers that thou wouldest have his living for nothing but for turning of a Die Esau did not sell his birth-right so lightly but hee had somewhat for it which refreshed his hunger but God hath given thee a living and thou spendest it for nothing The Marriners did cast lots to finde out the sinner they did not cast Dice to see who should winne as Dicers doe for to whom the lot falls hee taketh all which deserves to lose all as well as the other and hath no right unto it by any law for God hath not allowed one man to take anothers goods for the tripping of a Die but either they must bee merited or they must be given or they must be bought or else it is unlawfull ungodly unconscionable to take them Besides the brawles the cosenages the oathes annexed to this game which would not agree with it unlesse it had beene a meete companion for them Thou takest another mans goods for nothing whereas God hath appointed thee to get thy living with the sweat of thy browes for thou takest away that which others sweat for and whereas thou shouldest live by working thou seekest to live by playing like as the Ape which lives by toying Doth any Dicer thinke he doth well Tell me what thinkest thou for every sinner doth condemne in his prayer to God that which he excuseth before men if they which are Gamesters repent it how can they which are Gamesters defend it Thou shouldest doe nothing but that thou wouldest have God finde thee doing if hee should come to judgement wouldest thou have him take thee at dice I am sure thou wouldest not have God see thee so vainely occupied neither canst thou thinke that Christ or his Prophets or Apostles or Evangelists were Dicers for no such lots are named in the holy Scripture and yet the Lords day is most prophaned with this exercise Cards and Dice as though they kept all their vanities to celebrate holy dayes what hast thou to alledge for Dice now evidence is given up against them hast thou any patron to speake for them but thy vaine pleasure and filthy covetousnesse which are condemned already and therefore have no voice by Law Take away these and take away Dice The Patron condemnes the Clients when one voyce condemnes another if the exercise were lawfull such Patrons as pleasure and covetousnesse would not speake for it Take thy pleasure therefore in that which is good and the Angels will rejoyce with thee if this were good God would prosper them better that use it but neither winners nor loosers are gainers I know not how but there is not so much wonne as lost as though the Divell did part stakes with them and draw away with a blacke hand when no man seeth for the winner saith he hath not wonne halfe so much as the looser hath lost One would thinke that one of them should flow when so many ebbe there is never an ebbe without a flowing never one loseth but another winneth but at Dice What a cursed thing is this that turnes no man to good which robs others beggars themselves The Schoole of deceit the shop of oathes and the field of vanities Thou doest not onely hazzard thy money in this game but venturest thy salvation and castest Dice with the divell who shall have thy soule For every thing that commeth well to man he giveth thankes but for that which commeth by Dice hee is ashamed to give thankes which sheweth that in conscience that gaine is evill gotten and that hee sought it without God Can this bee good when worst men use it most If it were good the evill would like worse of it than the good but the more a man savoureth of any goodnesse the more he begins to abhorre it and his Conscience doth accuse him for it as for sinne They which doubt whether GOD doe allow it need but looke how hee doth prosper them that use it but they trust not in God the termes of their occupation discrie for they call all their casts chances as though they relyed not upon God but upon chance Therefore if Dice make strife without cause if they take away others goods for nothing if wee may not live by playing but by labour if they which have beene Dicers repent it among their sinnes if the holy men never used this recreation but the worst most delight in it if thou wouldest not have
God see thee when thou playest at Dice nor take thee at it when he comes to judgement if nothing but pleasure and covetousnesse speake for them if they doe not prosper which take pleasure in it if they trust not upon God but relie upon chance if thou doest not onely venture thy money but hazzard thy soule then the best cast at Dice is to cast them quite away And the lot fell upon Ionah The lot fell upon Ionah not because hee was the greatest sinner of them all for so is the opinion of the common people to censure them worst whom they see most afflicted If any one bee seene to beare his crosse then many will say This is a wicked man and so thinke well of themselves supposing that God is not bent against them to punish them as well but because Ionah should feele the hand of the Lord both punishing and preserving him and be reformed for God correcteth all as hee did his Sonne to learne them obedience But if judgement begin with the house of God what shall become of the ungodly And the lot fell upon Ionah Now when the sinner that troubled the ship is taken now Ionah can hide himselfe no longer Now he might also feare to bee sacrificed by the Marriners presently For the Marriners partly for the paine they had endured partly for the losse they had sustained partly for the danger wherein they remained were no doubt as the shee wolves robbed of their whelpes out of measure furious and fully bent to sacrifice him on whom the lot fell to appease the wrathfull God But God stayed and restrained the rage of the Marriners and made them afterward willing to abide the tempest a while and put themselves to more paine to save him endevouring by rowing to recover land For having heard of the true God and though they lost their goods having found who is all good shall we say they destroy him that hath saved us Shall we give him up to death unnecessarily that hath brought us to life and assured us to reigne with God in all glory everlasting Surely the thanklesse are gracelesse especially they that love not and shew not forth the labour of love for their gracious guide to God but therefore wee may see that the hearts of men are in the hands of God and he turneth them which way he list hee fashioneth their hearts every one yea even Kings hearts as rivers of water doth he turne to water and make fruitfull his vine to pitty and to persecute to honour and to shame to love and hate his people to deliver their power to the beast Revel 17. 13. And againe to eate the Whores flesh and to burne her with fire Revel 17. 16 17. Therefore let us never feare to performe our duties whatsoever to whomsoever for he formeth the hearts of all who hath promised to honour them that honour him but to make them contemptible that doe despise him Neither let us put confidence in man nor in Princes for their hearts are rivers of water of themselves fleeting easily as they be led following But especially let us not forget chiefly to make prayers supplications intercessions and to give thankes for all those 1 Tim. 2. 1. on the godlinesse or prophanenesse of whose hearts the flourishing or defacing of the Gospell of Christ Jesus and the chosen of God doth most depend And the lot fell upon Ionah Now Ionah could not deny hee was that sinner unlesse he would accuse God of unrighteous judgement for the lot is cast into the Lap but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. Now therefore he must needs confesse it The windes thundering the waves tumbling the ship cracking the Marriners quaking upon their gods crying their wares forth casting Ionahs prayers requested to cast lots consulting Ionah kept himselfe close hee would not be thought that sinner The winde said I will overturne thee the water said I will drowne thee the ship said I cannot hold thee the Marriners said Wee cannot helpe thee his prayers said Wee cannot profit thee his conscience within bleeding and God at the doore of his heart knocking and the lots now ready for casting said threatningly For thee the tempest is come thou fugitive and wee will discover thee Yet Ionah conceales his sinne so much did hee abhorre the shame of men of strange men a few men fraile men or the feare of the fury of the flesh Therfore after the windes had roared and also the waves raged and the ship reeled and the Marriners cryed and the lot his conscience and God himselfe threatned him the lot also condemned him and the feare of being sacrificed by sinners to Satan terrified him so that hee forthwith repented throughly he declared it openly and confessed his sin freely Such a stirre hath God before hee can come by his owne he must crosse us and set himselfe and all his creatures against us he must straine our bodies or leave our soules and constraine us to it before wee will returne from our wicked waies and throughly humble our selves to yeeld him due obedience O the goodnesse of the great God O long sufferance and bountifullnes unspeakeable which not onely leadeth but also in the chaines of love draweth us to true repentance It was Gods great goodnesse to Ionah that the Marriners sacrificed him not greater that he truely repented that God continueth in his calling and blesseth his whose flying from God deserved flinging to Satan not so much solemne Preaching as sudden confession and short denuntiation of vengeance yea made it so powerfull that it converted Idolatrous Heathens most hardned Idolaters first Marriners then Ninevites For what a blessing felt Ionah God vouchsafing him of this honour to offer them a lively holy and acceptable sacrifice to God by whom hee presently before greatly feared to have beene offered a dead unholy and so a delightfull sacrifice to Satan This feare banished and that joy possessing him what a mercy of the Almighty did Ionah thinke it But before hee converted the Ninevites he was more to be humbled fuller to be strengthened better every way to be prepared Therefore God would have the sea to wash him the Whale to fast him and yet miraculously safe to preserve him that being purified he might pray fervently and being delivered finde power comfort and courage abundantly Therefore when by lot being taken and by his owne confession found the man that procured the tempest the Marriners in love and compassion of him had assayed by rowing to get to land but could not the Sea raging more and more and Ionah himselfe professed he knew the tempest was sent for his cause and would bee layed he being cast into the Sea Ionah at length was cast out of the ship into the swelling surge of the tempestuous Sea What hope of life then left Is there any to swallow up all soone after hee is swallowed whole of a Whale Here let us marke that after the tempest had terrified Ionah the