their naturall impietie by the which they haue deserued euerlasting punishment if God for Christs sake had not forgiuen the same Furthermore that they maye be styrred to the more ardencie of prayer and faith So IONAS also although he were so excellent a Prophete that by his preaching he restored the decayed kingdome of Israell as it is written in the xiiij Chapter of the fourth booke of kings Yet notwithstanding he is nowe compassed about with so great feare of death that in dying he is more cowardly and effeminate than any common or rascall Souldiour But God would exercise him in this feare that he might know his owne estate and so be stirred the more earnestly to pray Wherefore let vs not feare our saluation in the perill of death but rather let vs haue a sure trust hauinge respect vnto Christ the sonne of God who hauing suffered the feare of death hath deliuered vs from the malediction of this feare that although we be wrapped and tangled in the same yet notwithstanding we shall not perishe but be saued for Christes sake Thirdly IONAS is not onely vexed with grieuous feare of death but also dispayreth of hys corporall lyfe I am cast sayth he out of thy sight that is thou hast no more respect vnto me to preserue me in this life neyther shall I sée any more thy holy temple that is I am constrained in this Whale to die that I may go no more to the flocke of thy Church in thy temple What is the cause therefore that the Prophete dispayreth of his lyfe where is his fayth Coulde he beléeue that GOD would saue his soule and not beléeue also that he would preserue and saue his body Can not God rayse vp men from death to lyfe how could he not than preserue those in lyfe which are yet liuing Did he not saue the Israelites in the redde sea howe than coulde hée not saue IONAS in the Whales belly These and such like might be obiected to the prophet dispayring of his corporal life in the Whales belly But the prophet by this desperation sheweth foorth no part of wicked incredulitie or distrust no more than Paule did when he sayde we were grieued out of measure passing strength so greatly that we dispaired euen of lyfe Also we receyued an aunswere of death in our selues For there is two maner of deliuerance or saluation from death The one is corporall the other is spiritual And euerye one truely which beleueth in Christ hath the certaine promise of the spirituall and heauenly saluation and deliueraunce from death For Christ hath ouercome death and sayth Euerye one which béeleueth in me shall not die for euer Wherefore we must in no wyse doubt or dispayre of this deliueraunce and saluation For whosoeuer dispayreth of the same shall die for euer The other is the corporall lyfe the which although it hath béene promised and is perfourmed by God towardes manye yet notwithstanding wée haue not a generall promise at the handes of God that euery one which beléeueth in Christ shall alwayes corporally be deliuered from the perils of death Wherfore séeing this externe and corporall deliueraunce hath not a certaine promise it can not certainly be looked for but we must committe our will to the will of god Wherevpon we may gather that our Prophete IONAS dispayred not of the true and eternall saluation and deliueraunce which hath a certaine promise in the séede of the woman and in the séede of Abraham which is Christ As touching the corporall saluation and deliueraunce séeing it hath not a certaine and expresse promise it cannot conceyue a certayne and vndoubted trust but it must call vpon God and repose and commit the certaintie of the deliueraunce to his will. For so Christ taught vs by his praier that we being compassed about with externe and corporall perils from the which to be deliuered we haue no certaine promise shoulde pray vnto God that he woulde vouchsafe corporally to defende and deliuer vs Let this cup passe sayth our sauiour Christ from me yet not as I will but as thou wilt This if we doe with hart and minde then shall wée oftentimes haue a deliueraunce out of perill vnlooked for when all hope is gone euen as it happened to IONAS to the thrée yong men in the fierie Ouen in Babilon to Daniell Dauid and such lyke Yea in all our trouble God will make a way in the midst of the same whereby we may escape But if this deliueraunce happen not vnto vs yet neuerthelesse our celestiall deliueraunce is most sure and certaine by the which whosoeuer beleueth in Christ and calleth vpon the father in his name shall neuer be destitute Now it foloweth in the other verses what the Prophete did in so great feare of death and desperation of life ¶ But thou O Lorde my God hast brought vp my life againe out of corruption when my soule fainted within me I thought vppon the Lorde and my prayer came in vnto thee euen into thy holye temple They that hold of vaine vanities will forsake his mercye But I will doe thee sacrifice with the voyce of thankesgiuing and will paye that which I haue vowed for why saluation commeth of the lord And the Lord spake vnto the fishe and it cast out IONAS againe vpon the drie lande THe Prophete hath rehearsed the troubles afflictions yea the flames of hell fire with the which he was tormented in the Whales bellie Nowe followeth the other part of the Canticle or Psalme in the which the Prophet sheweth what he did to obteyne delyuerance from such narrowe strayts and to slake the tormenting heate and rage of hell fire Although sayth hée I went downe to the bottome of the hilles and was barred in with earth yet notwithstandinge thou O Lorde God hast brought my lyfe againe out of corruption But hast thou deliuered mée I doing nothing or rather dispairing No truly I was not ydle in the Whales bellye but when my soule was troubled within me I remembred thée O Lord that my prayer might come to thy holy temple We sée here that the Prophet in his extréeme necessitie had no other respect and regarde than to the Lorde himselfe to whome he came by earnest and faythfull inuocation and prayer Whereas many of vs being set in affliction and trouble make haste to impacience to curssing to blaspheming the name of god But by this way we obtaine not deliuerance but our affliction miserie is the more increased For if we couet to be preserued and deliuered in aduersity and trouble we must make hast to pray vnto the Lorde For inuocation is the waye by the which we purchase vnto vs true deliuerance Euery one sayth the Prophet Ioell which inuocateth or calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued The which saying being once vttered by the Prophet Ioell is also repeated by Peter and Paule and therfore worthy to be noted There is nothing that
nowe wée must say somwhat of the indignation and displeasure which IONAS tooke at the repentance and conseruation of the Niniuets For after that IONAS sawe that the Niniuets at his preaching were conuerted vnto the Lorde and had obteyned not only remission of their sinnes but also the safegarde of the Citie he should greatly haue reioyced euen as the Aungels reioyce more ouer one sinner that repenteth than ouer ninetie and nine that are righteous but he is so farre from reioycing that he rather taketh indignation and displeasure with him selfe and inueyeth with his complaint agaynst the Lorde our God for sparing them For he sayth O Lorde was not this my saying I praye thée when I was yet in my countrie By the which expostulation and complaint he casteth God in the téeth with his excéeding mercie and long sufferance and accuseth him of iniustice and vnrighteousnesse And also he sorroweth so much for the repentaunce and preseruation of the Niniuets that he wisheth death vnto himselfe Although many men were woont to excuse the faultes of holy men and to interprete them to the best yet notwithstanding bicause this déede and this indignation of IONAS is reprehended of God himselfe as hereafter shall appeare therfore it is not lawfull for vs vainelye to excuse this sinne of the Prophete Charitie truly bindeth vs to couer the sinnes of our neyghbours so much as we may But yet we may not make righteousnesse of sinne neyther must we say that sinne is equitie and equitie sinne IONAS therefore in this sinneth once againe bicause he is offended at the repentance and preseruation of the Niniuets He séemeth trulye to himselfe to haue iust cause of indignation For first of all when God spared the Niniuets IONAS thought that the worde of God which he preached was in daunger of discredit For he had sayd it would come to passe within fortie dayes that Niniue shoulde bée ouerthrowne The which thing when it came not to passe according to his prophecie who would afterward beléeue the worde of the Lorde who would beléeue the promises of God if God fulfill not the threatnings of his worde who woulde not condemne the Prophetes of vanitie and leasing IONAS therefore thought that it woulde be to the glorie of Gods name to haue the Citie of Niniue destroyed The which whē it came not to passe he thought that the glorye of Gods name was in hazarde and perill Furthermore when he saw the Niniuets which were Ethnickes and vncircumcised to obtayne remission of sinnes and to be receyued into gods fauour he thought that the lawe of Moses and Circumcision was in great perill bicause the other Ethnicks when they should heare that god without respect of persons receiueth those that truly repent although they were vncircumcised woulde saye by and by what auayleth Circumcision what profite shall the law of Moses bring vnto vs when these being Ethnickes are receyued without Circumcision and the lawe of Moses into Gods fauour IONAS iudged these things to be most vniust Fearing therefore least by the sufferaunce of God the truth of his worde the glorie of Circumcision and the lawe of Moses shoulde be in daunger of discredit he taketh such indignation at the matter that he wisheth death vnto himselfe But IONAS I saye greatly erred For as touching the preseruation of the truth of Gods worde God in sparing the Niniuets truly fulfilled the truth of his worde For although it were sayd There are yet fortie dayes and then shall Niniue be ouerthrowne yet notwithstanding as it is sayde before this is so to be vnderstoode that Niniue shall be ouerthrowne if the Citizens of the same did not repent But and if they repent then shall the Citie abide in safetie For that this is the meaning of Gods threatnings those wordes and Epithytes which IONAS himselfe in this place rehearseth declare For if God be gentle mercifull and long suffering he will willinglye no doubt forgiue the sinnes of those that turn vnto him as appeareth by the mouth of Ezechiell I will not the death of a sinner but rather that hée turne from his wickednesse and liue Wherefore IONAS feared in vaine that God in sparing the Niniuets shoulde lose the credit and authoritie of his worde And as touching the Circumcision and lawe of Moses which séeme to be aduentured bicause God receiued the Niniuets into his fauour without those IONAS declareth agayne his ignorance For Circumcision and the lawe of Moses so farre as it conteyneth the ceremoniall and iudiciall rightes pertayne not to the Gentiles but onely to the externe posteritie of Abraham And God is not onely the God of the Iewes but also the God of the Gentiles For although the Iewes only had a promise that Christ shoulde spring out of their nation yet notwithstanding the promise was not so made vnto them that they alone shoulde obteyne saluation by Christ but as Saint Peter sayeth amonge all people whoso calleth vpon the name of the Lord is acceptable vnto him And againe Euery one which calleth vppon the name of the Lorde shall be saued Wherefore IONAS once againe falleth into a foule errour Here therefore beholde and sée with how great feare of God euery man ought to walke in his vocation and neuer to turne awaye his eyes from Gods holye worde This IONAS was a great Prophet which by inspiration of the holye ghost prophecied of many thinges and by his prophecie restored the kingdome of Israell with whome also it pleased God to talk And yet when he was left to his own strength and turned away his eyes from the worde of the Lord he greatly erred in the vnderstanding of the law and the gospell He vnderstandeth not the true sense and meaning of the law namely that the lawe bringeth not death but to impenitent persons onely He vnderstandeth not the condicion of Christ namely that he pertaineth to all nations which by fayth in him repent them of their sinnes Therfore let vs not be prowde of our gifts but let vs walke in the feare of the Lorde and persist in his calling let vs be thankefull to God for his benifits least by our ingratitude he take them from vs This is also to be noted that we must not trust to our good intentions as some terme them but wée must direct all our doings by the worde of god IONAS in thys his indignation and displeasure hath as séemeth vnto him a verye good intention and meaning he perswadeth himselfe to haue iust causes of offence but when they are examined by the worde of God they shall be found manifestlye repugnaunt agaynst the same Wherevpon it is sayde in Deuteronomie that no man shall doe that which séemeth right to be done in his owne eyes let vs take héede therefore in all our actions that we take nothing in hande contrarie to the calling of the worde of God. But the titles and Epithytes of God which IONAS here rehearseth are not to be pretermitted For although he reciteth these
stoode warmyng hymself at the fire voyde of care as though he had done no euill To be short there are infinit examples by the which we may note that sinne is of that qualitie and nature that in the beginning it hydeth from man the grieuousnesse of the wrath of God and bringeth him to securitie But thys nature of sinne and the qualitie of the sinner are not only to be knowne but also a remedy for the same ought to bée sought for of vs Securitie after the sinne committed is a grieuous disease and a great impietie bicause it bringeth the contempt of god the neglecting also of the knowledge of his wrath and punishmentes which are the rewardes of sinne and kéepeth also man in hardnesse of heart and impenitencye This trulye is euen to bring man to extréeme destruction Wherefore thys disease is expressed and set forth not onely that it maye be knowne but also that wée may be stirred vppe to séeke a remedie for the same bicause the neglecting thereof bringeth eternall and euerlasting death What ought then to be done that wée may haue remedye agaynst this securitie a disease of al other most pernicious First we must take héede of all sinne and disobedience bicause as we sayde before disobedience bringeth with it that foule disease securitie Then if thou be preuented with sinne and hast committed the same sée thou deferre not the time of repentance but out of hand with all expedition bewayle thy crime For god is not woont to punish the sinner immediatly or so soone as the déede is committed but deferreth the punishment not that he doth allowe sinne but that he looketh for the repentance of the sinner If therfore thou repent in time thou shalt escape the punishment of God. But and if thou persist and go forward in sinne then shall thy punishment be the greater If we did iudge of our selues we should not be iudged of the lord That is if we after wée had sinned agaynst the Lorde would by and by repent vs of our sinne we shoulde not bée punished at the handes of god If IONAS had repented him of his disobedience before he entred into the shippe then had he not bene brought into such extréeme perill of shipwracke as he was If that people sayeth the Lorde against whome I haue deuised a plague conuert from their wickednesse I repent of the plague that I deuised to bring vppon them Wherefore least by securitie after sinne committed thou be cast into perpetuall destruction repent without delay and turne with expedition to the Lorde and mercifull God. ¶ But the Lord hurled a great winde into the sea and there was a mightie tempest in the sea so that the shippe was in daunger of going in peeces IONAS imagined that the Lorde had forgotten his disobedience and was a sleepe But as he neyther slumbereth nor sléepeth which kéepeth Israell that is the godly and obedient so he slepeth not which punisheth Esau that is all impenitent sinners The Lorde therefore stirred vp a great tempest in the sea insomuch that they which were in the shippe dispayred and were without all hope of life 1 First here is to be noted that tempests eyther vppon the sea or vppon the lande come not by chaunce but by the wyll of God the aucthor of the same For the texte sayth here the Lord sent a mightie winde Wherefore we may not thynke that enchaunters sorcerers or coniurers can at their will and pleasure stirre vp tempests For except the Lorde permit suffer not one heare of the heade shall shake or bée moued The Lorde therefore is to be feared and not enchaunters Yet notwithstanding such pernicious and wicked persons were wont to be punished by publike lawes bicause so much as in them lyeth they go aboute vndoubtedly to hurt men when as notwithstanding they are able to doe nothing without the sufferance of the Lorde 2 Here thou mayest sée Christian reader how wicked a thing it is not to obey the calling of god IONAS is disobedient And he is not only punished but also those which are wyth him in the shippe are cast for his sake into extréeme perill of their liues Such an example is Adam whych drewe wyth him by his disobedience all mankinde into continuall bondage and slauery of Sathan This therefore is declared vnto vs first that wée may learne to acknowledge the heynous weyght of sinne and to beware of the same least that we thereby bring our selues our friendes and neyghbours into destruction Then that we take héede of the fellowship and company of wicked men Wicked and disobedient men are blasphemers drunkardes fornicators backbyters and such lyke whose company and fellowship we ought to auoyde knowing that there is no felicitie in their familiaritie And let vs ioyne our selues with godly and vertuous men that wyth them our estate may be happy and prosperous For godly and obedient Paules sake all those that were in the shippe were preserued 3 Consider the foolishnesse of disobedient persons IONAS thought that he coulde escape the punishment of God in the sea but thereby he casteth himselfe into great daunger For there are no greater externall daungers than vpon the sea As testifieth the Psalmist saying They that goe downe to the sea in shippes and occupie their businesse in great waters these men sée the workes of the Lorde and his wonders in the déepe They are caryed vp to heauen and downe agayne to the déepe their soule melteth awaye bicause of their trouble Therefore IONAS by that meanes commeth into great daunger by the which hée thought to escape the same This ought diligently to be obserued and noted of vs that we may learne to shewe vnto God true obedience For looke what God commaundeth vnto man the same he must doe or else perish and not escape It was commaunded vnto IONAS that he should preache destruction vnto the Citie of Niniue IONAS therefore was constreyned either to do the commaundement of god or else to perish Here there is no meane But this must be transferred to euery calling of God and to all his commaundements God hath commaunded vs not to abuse his holy name not to commit adulterie and so forth Here now we must of necessitie obey or perishe Neyther can we escape destruction if we doe not obey although we fortifie and arme our selues neuer so much with humaine power For as IONAS by fléeing in the sea escaped not punishment but cast himselfe into the same so blasphemers adulterers vsurers and such lyke in thys are subiect to punishment that they thinke and perswade themselues to be frée and safe from the same Wherefore there is no other way left to escape daunger and punishement but the way of obedience or repentaunce ¶ Then the Mariners were afrayed and cried euerye man to his God and the goodes that were in the shippe they cast into the sea to lighten it of them But IONAS gat him vnder the hatches where hee
vnderstande the difference betwene the lawe and the Prophetes that we may knowe which is the true sense of the Prophecies and threatnings which pertayne to the lawe For the lawe of God doth manifestly require the perfite fulfilling of the commaundements of God and absolute righteousnesse also And if any man doe not fulfill the commaundementes of God perfitely neyther doth performe absolute righteousnesse then doth the lawe curse him and pronounce him to be guiltie as well of corporall as of eternall damnation After the same maner also the prophecies of the law require righteousnesse the which except a man obserue and performe both corporall and spirituall afflictions are threatned vnto him But the Gospell interpreteth these Prophecies threatnings and maledictions of Christ namely that the prophecies and threatnings of the lawe shall procéede and fall vppon impenitent persons but bicause Christ hath satisfied for sinne and hath reconciled vs vnto God the father therefore he which repenteth and turneth by fayth vnto Christ is no more subiect to the threatenings and curses of the lawe Wherefore this Prophecie of IONAS also saying There are yet fortie dayes and then Niniue shall be destroyed is to be vnderstoode with this condicion if ye doe not conuert repent and amende For that such prophecies and threatenings are so to be vnderstoode many other places of Scripture doe testifie As thys But if that people doe repent them of their euill I also will repent me of the plague that I haue deuised agaynst them Here the Lord by the mouth of the Prophet Hieremie teacheth that the prophecy of destruction or plague is vnderstoode with this condition if the Iewes doe not repent For if they had repēted at the preachings of the Prophetes then Hierusalem had not bene destroyed The Lorde also by the Prophete Ezechiell sayth I liue and will not the death of a sinner but rather that he turne from his wickednesse and liue Here agayne the Lorde plainlye declareth how he woulde haue his Prophecies to bée vnderstoode by the which hée threatneth death or destruction vnto sinners For he sayth often times to a nation to a Citie or to a priuate man thou hast grieuouslye sinned agaynst mée by committing this or that sinne Wherefore thou must of necessitie die not only corporally but also eternally This is a moste true and certaine prophecie but yet notwithstanding we must vnderstande it aright Howe God himselfe in this place of Ezechiell sweareth by himselfe by his lyfe that he woulde not simplye haue the sinner to bée damned but rather that he repent him of his sinne and liue And most sure certayne it is that the sinner should dye eternally if he did not repent but if he doe repent then is the plague before threatned retracted Saint Paule sayth If we denie him he remayneth faythfull he can not deny him selfe And agayne he sayth The giftes and calling of God are such that it cannot repent him of them that is god repenteth him not of his promises All these thinges teach that the promises of the Gospell as concerning the redemption from euerlasting death are most sure and irreuocable But the promises and threatnings of the lawe maye be retracted not from the impenitent vppon whome they remayne most firme and immutable but from the godlye and penitent which turne themselues vnto Christ by fayth which cannot deny himselfe to those that beléeue in him Wherefore when our sinnes doe pricke our consciences and accuse vs before God and doe condemne vs to euerlasting death let vs turne to the gospel to Christ who being made accursed for vs hath purchased euerlasting benediction to vs. ¶ And the people of Niniue beleeued God and proclaymed fasting and arayed themselues in sackecloth as well the great as the small of them This place of the repentance of the Niniuets is worthie the remembrance and diligently to be noted and it is not onely knowne to the godly teachers but also to the hypocrytes sacrificing Priestes and Monkes For these men alwayes in speaking of repentaunce are woont to bring foorth streight way the example of the Niniuets and to exhort their Church to repent by theyr example But they choose out in this place onely those things which make more to the stablishing of hipocrisie than to the setting foorth of true repentaunce For that which the text sayth they beléeued in the Lorde they couertly omit and take onely for their purpose fasting and sackcloth and perswade themselues that they preach true repentaunce when they vrge the church to fast certain dayes and to go woolwarde without linnen For they thinke that by eating of bread onely and by drinking water by going woolwarde their sinnes are done away before God and that these are merits for the which God doth omitte the fault and punishment of sinne And in the meane time they make no mentiō of the true acknowledging of their sinnes of the true fayth in Christ for the which fayth alone God is mercifull vnto vs and of the true fruites of fayth and repentaunce But this place conteyneth a manifest and plaine doctrine of true repentaunce Wherfore let vs omit the dreames of Monkes and learne out of this place true repentaunce which God regardeth and which saueth and deliuereth vs in extréeme perils And first of all before we come to the explication of repentance we must know that the repentaunce is not in vaine in the Church but of great force before God obteyning for vs the true and euerlasting saluation There were sometymes certaine heretikes called Nouations which left to the sinner after he was baptised and had receyued once remission of his sinnes no place of repentance But the error of these men is manifestly refuted by many euident testimonies of Scripture As in the thirde of Hieremie where the Lord speaketh to the people thus Commonly when a man putteth away his wyfe and she goeth from him and maryeth with another then the question is should he resort vnto hir any more after that Is not his fielde then defiled and vncleane But as for thée thou hast played the harlot with many louers yet turne againe to me sayth the Lorde And againe he sayth If that nation repent I will also repent The Parables also in the .xv. of Luke teach the same thing by the lost shéepe by the lost grote by the prodigall sonne Wherefore let vs vnderstand that true repentaunce is most acceptable vnto God and auayleable to saluation sometimes corporally as appeareth here by the example of the Niniuets but alwayes eternally Let vs now therfore sée what we must doe when we haue sinned and for sinne deserued most grieuous punishment both corporall and eternall as the Niniuetes deserued First let vs truely repent and wée shall obtaine not onely remission of sinne but also release of punishment It is not necessary that we should be curious or muche inquisitiue when as this present place brieflye yet notwithstanding both godly and truely
his fayth whether hée bée king or subiect maister or seruaunt father or sonne according to the saying of saint Paule There is neyther Iewe nor Gentile neyther Barbarous nor Sythiā neyther bonde nor frée neyther man nor woman but all are one in Christ Iesu 3 Thirdly the king is not content to doe penaunce himselfe alone and to begin to leade a new and godly life but also he constituteth a puplike and generall ordinance in the Church that other men likewise might imbrace godlinesse For first of all he proclaymeth a generall fast not onely of men but also of beastes Sée sayth he that neyther man nor beast oxe or shéepe taste ought at all and that they neyther féede nor drinke water Then hée commaundeth them to put off their costly apparell and mourning wyse to array themselues in sacke Furthermore he commaundeth them to praye generallye saying and crie mightily vnto the lord Last of all he appoynteth a sermon or proclamation to be made of repentance saying Sée that euery man turne from his euill way and from the wickednesse he hath in hande Here we haue an excellent example of this godly king from whom al other kinges and princes may take examples of their calling There are manye which thinke that mundane or seculer princes as they terme them ought not to deale in matters Ecclesiasticall but onely in matters pollitique But this example and many other examples of Dauid Salomon of Iosophat of Iosias and likewise many sayinges of holy scripture doe testifie that princes ought specially to haue a care of matters Ecclesiasticall It is not required at their handes to preache but it is required at their handes to appoynt preachers and to sée that the woorde of God be preached sincerely For it is not ynough for Princes that they themselues are honest godly and vertuous but they ought to labour and to séeke by all meanes that their subiectes may also be honest godly and vertuous For as the good man of the house hath not done his duetie if he onely here sermons and leade a godly lyfe but must also séeke to traine vp his familye in true godlinesse and vertue euen so kings and princes haue not sufficiently discharged their duetie in directing their owne footesteps aright vnlesse they haue a farther regard to the pathes of their subiects But nowe let vs sée by the Text what things are here to be noted 1 First the king with his Citizens are clothed in sackcloth sit in the dust while they go about to repent them of their sinnes But what are those workes a satisfaction for sinne are sackcloth and ashes of such force before God that he respecteth them and for them turneth from hys wrath and punishment Nothing lesse truely For otherwise it were but vaine that God had promised his sonne from the beginning of the worlde to be the satisfaction for sinne and at the fulnesse of tyme to haue sent him to suffer death for sinne For he might then haue shewed vs sackcloth and ashes by the which our sinnes might haue béene done awaye But the matter is farre otherwise For the sinnes of the Niniuetes and our sinnes are farre greater than that they should be forgiuen of God by putting on of sackcloth or by sitting in the dust It was necessarie to the satisfying for sinne that the sonne of God should not put on sackcloth but that hée should suffer death that he should not sit in the dust but that he should hange on the Crosse What is ment then by the sackcloth and dust which the Niniuetes vsed They are not thinges able to pacifie the wrath of God but they are true signes of confession of sinnes and argumentes of contricion which is had for sinne In the King the throne was a signe of maiestie In the Citizens the hie and precious seats in the temple were signes of dignitie But nowe the king placeth not himselfe publiquely in his kingly throne but sitteth with his Citizens in the dust of the earth or in base and vncomely seates to the ende they might openly declare themselues for their sinnes to be vnworthy before God of their maiestie and dignitie and to haue deserued death and destruction The King and his Citizens had their sumptuous and precious apparell on festiuall dayes at mariages and at other solemne méetinges with the which they did bewtifie themselues and excell other men But nowe they put on vile and base apparell to the ende there might séeme to be no difference betwéene the king and his magistrates and other common people and also to declare that they thought themselues vnworthie of their bodily apparell by reason of their sinnne Therefore sackcloth and ashes are not satisfactions for sinne but they are onely argumentes of the acknowledging and confession of sinnes before God. The sinfull woman wherof Luke speaketh when she came and besought Iesus to haue hir sinnes forgiuen hir shée wept yet notwithstanding by this wéeping she did not put away hir sinne Esau also wept when Iacob had preuented him of his blessing yet notwithstanding he did not therby put away his sinne And Christ sayth In the vtward partes there shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth and yet neuerthelesse there shall be no satisfaction there 2 Secondly the king commaundeth a generall fast saying neyther man nor beast shall taste ought at all neyther shall they féede or drinke water But he commaundeth not a fast as though thereby sinne should be forgiuen and the wrath of God pacified as the hypocrytes imagine of fasting but he commaunded it first to the ende the fleshe might be brideled by sobrietie then to the ende common banqueting might be omitted whereby they myght more conueniently come togither to publique preaching and prayer Wherevpon also it is added in the commaundement let euery man cry mightily vnto god These are the publique prayers or suffrages which in solemne wise were obserued and vsed of our elders not one houre but the whole day It were necessary therefore that men should abstaine from meate all the daye long to the ende they might bée readie in the Church So Iosaphat proclaymed a fasting not to satisfie thereby for sinne but for publique prayers sake which were appoynted to call vpon God in extréeme perill So in many other places of the scripture fasting and prayer are ioyned togither to the ende wée might knowe that fastings were appoynted as a preparatiue vnto prayer 3 But what meaneth the commaundement giuen for oxen and shéepe and other beastes to fast Hath God respect vnto the fasting of beastes There is nothing lesse ment truely but they are commaunded to fast in that sense and meaning that beastes were commaunded in the lawe to haue rest on the Sabboth day Thou shalt doe no worke sayth the Lorde on the Sabboth day neyther thou nor thy cattel nor the straunger that is within thy gates For rest is required of cattell on the Sabboth day that by that occasion men might
leaue off their rusticall labors and come togither about sacred businesse So also fasting is commaunded to oxen and shéepe least men being occupied in féeding their cattell should neglect and pretermit the publique prayers and sermons which were then in Niniue for the auoyding of the daunger which was at hande For it was very néedefull for the Niniuets to be occupied in their publique temples wyth prayers with sermons with sacrifices and suche lyke seruices of god Suche rite and custome the primitiue Churche also imitated after the Gospell was reuealed and it is lawefull as yet in extréeme perilles to imitate the same so that it be not done hypocritically papistically and monastically but godly vertuously and christianlye The Papistes and Monkes vse these workes to the ende they might thereby merite remission of their sinnes This is a detestable opinion and farre from true repentaunce But we must vse these rightes and customes to the ende we maye declare our selues to be sinners and to haue deserued the wrath of God and that we call now vpon the Lord for remission of our sinnes 4 This is also contayned in the Kinges commaundement Let euerye man turne from his euill way and from the wickednesse which he hath in hande This is a sermon of true repentance and of the true fruites of repentance For whereas before mention is made of sackecloth fasting and ashes true repentaunce is not as yet declared but only a signe of humilitie or confession of sinne But nowe true repentance is taught for it consisteth in the conuersion from our euill way and from the wickednesse which we haue in hande But to be conuerted from iniquitie is first to be conuerted from incredulitie and from Idolatrie to the true fayth in Christ the sonne of god Furthermore to be conuerted from iniquitie is to be turned from externall vices to vertue as from drunkennesse to sobrietie from deceyte to true dealinge from enuie to the loue of our neighbor from whoredome to chastity to be short from all kinde of wickednesse to all maner of vertue This is the meaning of the kinges commaundement when hée willed euery man to turne from his wicked waye And this is true repentaunce which is alwayes required of vs. 5 Furthermore in the commaundement or proclamation of the king this is also added Who can tell whether God will turne and repent and cease from hys fierce wrath that we perishe not What shall we saye to this Doth the king doubt of the mercie of God and of the remission of sinnes Are we not commaunded certainly to beléeue and without doubting to be perswaded that God for Christes sake doth forgiue vs our sinnes and to the ende we should firmely beléeue it in déede sacraments are ordeyned as baptisme and the supper of the Lorde Let vs therefore here note that the king speaketh not simplye of the remission of sinnes when he sayth Who can tell whether God will turne and repent and cease from his fierce wrath and so forth but includeth the remission of punishment which IONAS prophecied should come For in the remission of sinne there is commonly a double remission as the remission of fault and the remission of punishment By the Gospel of Christ the remission of fault is most certain and the remission of punishment also For Christ was promised vnto the elders offered vnto vs to take away our sinne to deliuer vs from the eternall torment of hell fire Wherfore we must neuer doubt of this remission and if any doe doubt hée reproueth Christ and his Gospell of a lye But beside the fault and eternal punishment the lawe of God threateneth to sinners temporall and externe punishment also As in this place the Niniuets had deserued for their sinnes eternall punishment but the Prophete threatneth vnto them also externall and worldlye punishment which should happen vnto them and to their Citie within fortie dayes after Neyther doth he adde the promise of the remission of this externall punishment if so be they should be conuerted Wherefore the king although he could certainly determine and appoint that if they did certainly repent their sinnes should be remitted and they deliuered from eternall punishment yet notwithstanding he coulde not certainlye affirme or saye whether God woulde forgiue for their repentaunce and conuersion the externall and worldly punishment He commaundeth the people therefore to hope well and to repent them trulye bicause he being sure that their sinne should be forgiuen and they deliuered from hell thought also that it might come to passe that by the méere frée and vnpromised mercy of God they might be deliuered from the ouerthrow and destruction of the Citie So Dauid knewe that God had forgiuen him his sinne and deliuered him from hell but he knewe not whether he shoulde returne to his kingdome Therefore he sayth If I shall finde fauour in the sight of the Lorde he will bring me againe and shewe me both it and the tabernacle therof But and if the Lord saye thus I haue no lust vnto thée beholde here I am let him do with me what séemeth him good in his eyes So the thrée yong men in the fierie Ouen knewe not that they should be deliuered from the fire although they did not doubt of the grace of God in forgiuing their sinne and in deliuering them from hell Therfore they say our God whom we serue is able to kéepe vs from the hote burning Ouen O king and can right well deliuer vs out of thy handes And though he will not yet shalt thou knowe that we will not serue thy Gods and so forth ¶ And when God sawe their workes howe they turned from their wicked wayes he repented on the euill which he sayde he would doe vnto them and did it not This place the hypocrites doe abuse to defende the merites of humane righteousnesse And doe affirme that the wrath of God maye be pacified and that sinnes might be forgiuen for such workes as are before mencioned as by fasting putting on of sackecloth and sitting in dust But they greatly erre and are deceyued For first of all the whole ende and scope of the Gospell of Christ is to teach only that our sinnes are forgiuen and that the wrath of God is pacified for Christes sake and by his death and passion the which must bée acknowledged and comprehended by faith The pacifying therefore of the wrath of God and the satisfaction for sinne before GOD must not be attributed to anye of mans merites or deserts but to the mercie of God in Iesus Christ Furthermore we haue shewed before that fasting and sackcloth of themselues are works indifferent and not acceptable vnto God if so be they be done of wicked men and of such as are not reconciled vnto god Wherevpon it is writtē in the prophecie of Esay Wherfore fast we say they and thou séest it not Beholde when ye fast your lust remayneth still What meaneth then the text when it sayth God sawe
sayth if thou walke thorow fyre it shall not burne thée So the children of Israell went out of Egypt into the desert for although there was not corne in the desert yet notwithstanding God brought to passe that they might beare it bicause he sent them Manna and gaue them water out of the rock Hieremy walked in the calling of God when he prophesied of the destruction of Hierusalem for the which he was cast not onely into prison but also into the mire to the ende he might séeme to perishe with hunger But God made him able to beare it and wrought meanes by his friendes to delyuer him and to set him at libertie The Apostles were sent out to preache the Gospell throughout the whole worlde but wythout prouision God therefore brought to passe that they hauing nothing possessed all things These sayings and examples of Scripture are set downe vnto vs to this ende that although we must suffer great perils in the vocation wherevnto God hath called vs yet notwithstanding we must go forward voyde of feare hauing a certaine hope that he will delyuer vs in the same ¶ But vpon the next morow against the spring of the day the Lord ordayned a worme which smote the wylde Vine so that it withered away And when the Sunne was vp God prepared a feruent east wind and the Sunne bet ouer the heade of IONAS that he faynted againe and wished vnto his soule that hee might dye and sayde it is better for me to die than to liue IONAS is refreshed and recreated with the shadowe of the wylde Vine but hys ioye lasteth not long bicause the wylde Vine is by and by striken with a worme that it perisheth and IONAS againe is so greatly afflicted that he wysheth death vnto himselfe This is a liuely Image and spectacle of the variety alteration and chaunge of humane thinges in thys worlde And yet notwithstanding we must consider that this alteration was not rashely brought to passe but by the iuste and wise councell of God. At the first IONAS reioyced for the shadowe of the Vine nowe he sorroweth for the destruction of the same Such is the course and rase of mans life One while he reioyceth bicause of prosperitye another while he lamenteth bicause of aduersity And yet notwithstanding these things come not to passe by hap or by chance but by the ordinaunce of god For in that the wylde Vine perished and IONAS thereby brought into great sorrowe and indignation God had a secret meaning For he ment thereby to teache IONAS that if he sorrowed so much for the destruction of a wylde Vine for the which he neuer labored how much more shoulde God be sory for the destruction of so great a Citie as Niniue was of the which he was the creator and gouernour and how much more should he spare so great a multitude Let vs learne therfore by this place that God doth neuer cast vs into any sorrowe or affliction but that he meaneth to teache vs somewhat as to prooue our faith to stirre vs vp to repentance or else to set forth the glorie of his name Furthermore this is not to be pretermitted that IONAS so often wisheth death vnto himselfe when as he greatly feared death before he was swallowed vp of the Whale Here againe the inconstancie of man is plainely set forth vnto vs Oftentimes I wishe for death sayth the Poet and oftentimes I refuse it agayne So Elias one whyle fléeth death and another whyle wisheth for the same This inconstancie of mans nature is diligently to bée noted euen in the holyest men not that we ought to alowe or excuse the same but bicause it is our dueties to correct and amende the like in our selues We can not put from vs all feare of death neyther can we let or cease to wyshe for death in great aduersitie But we must specially beware least wée dispaire in the feare of death whereas we ought to haue a sure trust in Christ and to suffer death with a valyant minde Also we must beware least in wyshing for death we bring death to oure selues but rather we must persist in our vocation hauing a sure hope that although we be beset with daunger on euerie side God will make away in the midst whereby we shall escape ¶ And God sayde vnto IONAS art thou so angry for the wilde Vine And he sayde yea verie angry am I euen vnto the death And the Lorde sayde thou hast compassion vpon a wylde Vine whereon thou bestowedst no labor nor madest it growe which sprang vp in one night perished in another And shoulde not I then haue compassion vpon Niniue that great Citie wherein there are about an hundred twenty thousande persons that knowe not their right hande frō their left besids much cattell God prepared as we hearde before a wylde Vine for IONAS that vnder the shadowe of it he might be defended from the heate of the sunne This wylde Vine being withered IONAS was full of indignation and wrath The Lorde therfore reprehendeth his wrath and declareth for what cause he brought to passe that the wylde Vine should spring vp in one night and vanish away agayne in another For before when IONAS sawe that God did spare the Niniuets he tooke it grieuouslye that the Lorde shoulde shew such clemencie towardes them and was greatly angry Now therfore the Lord teacheth IONAS howe vniust vncharitable and cruell his anger is by a comparison of the wilde Vine Thou art sorye sayth he for the wilde Vine which thou hast not made to growe and shoulde not I be sorie and spare so great a Citie which first of all by my benediction is come to so great maiestie and by the benifites which I haue bestowed vppon them is at this time the monarchie of the whole worlde In the which Citie also there are so manye thousands of infants and yong children which as yet are not come to the age of discretion besides thousandes of cattell which neuer did harme We haue therefore here an example of that saying which is in S. Paules Epistle to the Romanes where it is sayde the inuisible things of God are knowne by visible creatures But among all creatures the naturall affections of men are spoken of For we speake not of corrupt or vicious affections as of pride of enuie of couetousnesse of crueltie of desiring other mens goods or such like which are sinnes the author wherof is Sathan and not god But we speake of the affections of men which God by nature hath ingraffed in vs Of the which affections one is to be sorie if any thing profitable prosper not but perishe as in this place IONAS is sory that the Vine a thing very profitable for him should so sodenly perishe For although this affection was not in IONAS without sinne yet notwithstanding the affection of it selfe was not sinne So the disciple of Elizeus was sory bicause his Axe being a thing profitable