Bullock that hath horns and hoofes For first of all by this worshipping of God his goodnesse clemency mercy and omnipotencie is set forth Furthermore men are stirred vppe to fayth and inuocation of God in all aduersities These are the holy and acceptable thinges which please God and by the which wée ought to declare a thankefull minde for those benifites that wée haue receyued And if any man require examples of this matter we haue Moses Debora Anna the mother of Samuell Dauid Ezechias Zacharias the father of Iohn the Baptist Symeon and Marie the mother of Christ for examples Wherefore it is our partes and duties to knowe and learne such Psalmes and by these wée being admonished of the diuine miracles maye conceyue a firme and vndoubted hope in aduersitie and may stirre vp the holy ghost by the which we are made apt to call vppon God and so wée shall be in déede deliuered in aduersitie For euerye man which calleth vpon the name of God shall be saued But to returne to our Psalme which IONAS made and committed to the Church to be song wée must know that it comprehendeth seauen verses The first verse is I cryed in my trouble vnto the Lorde and he hearde mée This verse comprehendeth in it selfe the argument and summe of the whole Psalme namely that IONAS was ouerwhelmed with great sorrowes and griefe of the mynde But when he called vppon the Lorde by fayth hée was wonderfully and miraculously deliuered 1 First of all therefore when he turneth himselfe aright vnto the Lord not to any of the Patriarches which were deade he teacheth vs that wée ought not in our troubles to turne vs eyther by vowes or prayers vnto deade Saincts but onely to God the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ and that in the name of Christ and for Christ his sake séeing that we haue a manifest promise Whatsoeuer ye aske of the father in my name he will giue it you 2 Furthermore it teacheth vs what time is most apt to offer our prayers and supplications vnto god Ignoraunt and vnlearned men iudge and estéeme that that time is fitte and méete to praye vnto God when eyther they rise in the morning or go to bedde at night or else when they leade a happie and prosperous lyfe and truly we ought not to pretermit prayer at these times and seasons But when as great and grieuous afflictions do arise and daungerous perilles approche men thinke then that it is hye time and more fitte to blaspheme to curse and to rage agaynst God and men than to praye vnto god But the Prophet when he sayth in my trouble I cryed vnto the Lorde and from the bellie of hell I cried he plainelye declareth that then the time is most cōuenient to praye vnto God when great perils are at hand and we compassed round about with present death as testifieth the Prophet Dauid saying The Lorde is nigh vnto them that are of a broken hart and he will saue such as are of an humble spirit And agayne Call vpon me in the daye of trouble and I will deliuer thée and thou shalt glorifie me Also it is written I am with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him 3 Thirdly the Prophete teacheth vs by his owne example in all our trouble to looke for certaine helpe and deliuerance if we repent and cal vpon God by true faith For the Prophete fell into this daunger not for his owne righteousnesse obedience of Gods calling but for vnrighteousnesse and disobedience by the which hée fled the calling of God yet neuerthelesse when in the middest of daungers hée acknowledged his sinne and conuerted him selfe by fayth and prayer vnto the Lorde he was hearde saued and miraculouslye deliuered Externall saluation and deliuerance is not alwaies wont to happen to euery one in extréeme perils and daunger Yet notwithstanding it is most certaine and sure that if a sinner euen in the midst of his trouble and aduersitie repent and conuert vnto the Lorde he shall alwayes obtayne true and eternall saluation although he shoulde perishe with corporall death Wherevpon the Psalmist sayth Approche vnto the Lorde and be lightned and ye shall not be ashamed This poore man IONAS cried and the Lorde heard him And Christ himselfe sayth I am the resurrection and the lyfe he that beléeueth in me though he were deade yet shall he liue Wherefore let not our sinnes dismay or discourage vs from calling vppon God in our trouble and aduersitie but rather let them be a meane to stirre vs vp to repentance that we may call vpon God by fayth and looke certainly at his hands for the promised saluation ¶ Thou haddest cast me down in the middest of the sea and the floude compassed me about yea all thy waues and rowles of water went ouer me I thought that I had bene cast awaye out of thy sight But I will yet agayne looke towarde thy holy temple The waters compassed mee euen to the verie soule the deepe laye about mee and the weedes were wrapt about my head I went downe to the bottome of the hilles and was barred in wyth earth for euer In the first verse of this Psalme the whole state and summe of the Psalme is conteined as we haue shewed before And now the other seauen verses followe in the which that which was briefly comprised in the first verse is plentifully expounded And first of all the Prophet rehearseth and expoundeth the tribulations afflictions and sorrowes which he suffered the which no man can sufficiētly vnderstand vnles he himself at some time féele in dede the lyke Thou hadst cast me sayth hée down in the middest of the sea We know that the Prophete was caste of the Mariners into the sea and receyued of the Whale Beholde therfore and sée how copiouslye he doth expounde and dilate thys thing Thou hast cast me not simply in the sea but in the déepe of the sea in the hart of the sea in the middest of the sea that the water might compasse me about on euery side yea that all thy waues and rowles of water might go ouer me For I did not only swimme vpon the superficiall part of the sea but also when I was receyued into the Whales bellie the waters did so compasse me that they entred euen into my soule that is I was euen ready to bée choked For I was in the déepe of the sea and when the heade of the Whale in the which I laye was wrapped about with wéedes and sedge I séemed also to be tangled and tyed in the same insomuch that I looked for no waye to escape Neyther was I caried simplye by the sea shore but of necessitie I was constreyned to beare the Whale companie euen to the stéepe and déepe valleyes of the mountaynes in the sea where I thought my selfe to bée barred in for euer To be short bicause I was in the Whales bellie I was so subiect to the sea that I
had no hope to be deliuered In so great therefore and horrible daunger I was so affected and perswaded that I thought my selfe as touching my corporall health and lyfe to be reiected and cast out of Gods fauour for I neuer looked to escape alyue out of the Whales bellie and to sée and visite the holy temple at Hierusalem to be conuersant among men agayne Thus we haue the Paraphrasticall exposition of these verses in the which the Prophete sheweth the daunger that he was in and the affection of his minde And now let vs sée what thinges ought specially in these wordes to be considered and obserued First of all the Prophete speaketh vnto God and affirmeth that he was cast by him into the sea But it is manifest that the Mariners cast him into the sea And yet notwithstanding we sée that IONAS pretermitting the Mariners sayth vnto God Thou haddest cast me downe Neyther doth he say the rowles and waues of the sea but he sayth thy waues and thy rowles went ouer mée By the which wordes the Prophete teacheth vs that in aduersitie trouble we ought not to haue respect to the instrumentall causes of aduersitie but rather to looke haue regarde vnto God the author of the same For we are so corrupt and affected by nature that we attribute and referre the causes of our afflictions eyther to men or to Sathan And as it is commonly sayd of the Beare that when shée is hurt shée reuengeth hir selfe on that which is next vnto hir euen so man being offended inueyeth agaynst the next or seconde cause by which hée séemeth to bée offended and hurte But if wée consider well wée shall finde it our parts in all aduersitie and trouble to lifte vp our eyes vnto heauen to God the Father the true and first cause of aduersitie and the author thereof For neyther Sathan nor man nor any other creature can hurt vs no they can not moue one heare of our heade vnlesse before power be giuen graunted of God from aboue One heare sayth our sauiour Christ falleth not to the grounde without the will of your heauenly father And the Prophet Ieremie in his lamentations sayth What is he which sayde that neyther good nor euill shall procéede out of the mouth of the most highest The which thing when good and godlye men considered they turned not themselues to contumelious sayinges to blasphemous othes to execrable and bitter cursinges in aduersitie and affliction as though men or anye other creatures had bene the authors of the same But they rather turned themselues by godly obedience and prayer vnto God which is the speciall author of affliction and trouble For althoughe wée our selues are the principall cause of al our afflictions by reason of our sinne yet notwithstanding we speake not of the deseruing cause of affliction but of the inferring and bringinge cause of afflictions the which is God the worker and giuer of all thinges without whose will and prouidence the little Sparrowe falleth not to the grounde So Iobe sayde The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh awaye when the Chaldees tooke awaye his shéepe and oxen when the fire burned his corne and when the winde ouerthrewe the house in the which his sonnes and daughters were banquetting So Daniell sayeth that the Lorde cast the Iewes out of Ierusalem into all landes when as notwithstandinge the Babilonians did it So IONAS in this place affirmeth that the Lorde cast him into the sea when as it appeareth by the text the Mariners did it But we commonly in aduersitie say The Lord gaue and the théeues haue taken The Lorde gaue and the fire consumed The Lorde gaue and the sea hath drowned contrary to the examples of Iob Daniell and IONAS who had not cause vnto the instrumentall cause but vnto the principall cause Let vs learne therfore by this example in all our trouble to lyft vp our eyes vnto the Lorde God of heauen onely and to impute the cause of all our trouble vnto him that we thereby knowing the will of God may conceyue pacience and be stirred vp to repentaunce and inuocation by the which we maye obteyne the true saluation the which we cannot obteyne if we referre the cause of our aduersitie to creatures which are but the instrumentall cause and so fall to banning and cursing them Secondly we sée that IONAS being in the Whales bellie trembled wyth great horror and feare of death When the waters sayth he compassed me euen to the very soule Whereby he declareth that with a fearefull minde he looked euery moment for present death The Legendes of Saynctes doe declare vnto vs that they suffered death voyde almost of all payne and that they went to their death with no lesse courage and ioye than if a Mayde shoulde prepare hir selfe to the daunce And trulye by the goodnesse of God we haue séene by experience that one man hath gone to his death with a more stoute and valiaunt minde than another For we may not thinke that they are in happye state which are withdrawne by great feare of death for God doth oftentimes exercise his Saints with this feare that they maye haue a perfite féeling and vnderstandinge of the imbecilicie and weakenesse of their flesh and may be stirred vp thereby to be the more feruent in prayer to god Who was more stronge more holye and more mightie than the sonne of God And yet notwithstanding when he should suffer death he was vexed with so great feare that hée trembled and bled a bloudie sweate What shall we saye then Did he not knowe that by this death he shoulde redéeme mankinde and enter into the glorie of his father Yes vndoubtedly he knew it What did he feare then He feared to declare himselfe to be a perfite man and by this feare to satisfie for man and to haue the victory ouer the feare of death that if we at any time shoulde be troubled with feare shoulde not dispaire but haue a certayne and sure hope and call vpon God for deliueraunce For he doth not reiect vs for our imbecilitie but the more weake and fearefull wée are the more care hée hath ouer vs Was not Dauid a valiant man a mightie a worthie and a holy Prophete And yet notwithstanding when hée thought vpon the deceytes and crueltie of his enimies he sayde Fearefulnesse and trembling are come vpon me and an horrible dread of death hath ouerwhelmed me By the which he was made so timerous and so fearefull that he sayde O that I had winges like a Doue for then would I flie away and be at rest What was therfore done to so valiant a Worthie that so childishly he should feare death This feare of it selfe is not impietie but it is partly a punishment of impietie For if man had not sinned he had not béene subiect to the feare of death This part therefore of punishement is left euen in the most holye men first that they maye acknowledge
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
Newes from Niniue to Englande brought by the Prophete Ionas Which newes is plainlye published in the Godly and learned exposition of Maister Iohn Brentius folowing translated out of Latine into Englishe by Thomas Tymme Minister The silent tongue the listning eare which harkeneth after newes With staring eye and gaping mouth this title makes me vse ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Denham dwelling in Pater noster rowe at the signe of the starre 1570. To the right honourable Lord Willyam Cobham lord Warden of the cinque Portes Thomas Tymme wisheth Nestors yeares increase of honor with preseruation of desired health THE CVRTEOVS BEhauiour the noble vertue but speciallye the godlye zeale Right honourable which fame and report certefieth me to be in you hath kindled such an earnest affection in me that my rudenesse and base state stayeth mee nothing at all to dedicate this simple worke vnto you For I know that Nobilitie gratefully accepteth at others hands slender giftes and of small reputation according to their habilitie that offer the same Artaxerxes his good acceptation of a handfull of running water made mee thus bolde to offer this Pamphlet to your honour as a token of my good will hoping that as he thought no disdain◠of the one so you wil not take scorne of the other Let me craue therefore this one thing at your honours handes that the basenesse of my translation of the learned Brentius procure not you to refuse the patronage and defence of my slender woorke Which as I know vndoubtedly shall neuer counteruayle your worthinesse so do I assuredly hope that it may be a proofe of my good will and meaning The worthy Prophete IONAS deserueth a worthie personage to be his defence and garde agaynst scoffing Lucian and fretting Momus Wherefore if your honor refuse not but vouchsafe to take the same vpon you as I perswade my selfe you will weying the giuers intent and seing that these are partly the first fruites of his trauaile you shall not onely purchase immortall prayse of others but I also shall be incouraged and animated to greater and waightyer attemptes which I shall no sooner atchieue but you shall be a witnes of my indeuours and a rampire to my exploytes Thus hauing boldly required your honors assistance and tediously molested your eares with circumstaunces leauing now at length to abuse your friendly pacience I end wishing to your honor the increase of Nobilitie with a most happie estate and after this lyfe the gladsome ioyes of the euerlasting lyfe to come Beneficium dando accepit qui digno dedit Your humble Orator Thomas Tymme The translator to the Reader THe Merchant man that often sayles vpon the rockie seas Hath oftentimes for recompence the gaine that doth him please The Fisher man that castes his net and layes his bayted ginne Doth trust at length by happie hap his pray of fishe to winne The Plowman eke that sowes his séede on soyle with toyle for gaine The Winters trauaile being past doth reape the riped graine If Plowman then and Fisher too haue stedfast hope for gaines As recompence for their sore toyle and daily pinching paines Why should not I as well as they by paine some profite haue Since that my Muse as recompence most iustly doth it craue The which good reader thou shalt graunt if that thou take in woorth This simple Pamphlet at hir hande which she hath nowe set foorth And helpe to mosell Momus mouth and bridle Zoilus chappes Which like a Curre ech willing Wight with currish fanges he snappes This done well quighted is hir paine hir recompence is had And if thereby shée doe the good shée is excéeding glad Thomas Tymme ¶ The Preface of Iohn Brentius vpon the Prophecie of Ionas THe Apostle Paule writing to the Corinthians of the meeting and comminge togither of the Church cōmaundeth all thinges to be done in the same congregatiō to edifying When ye come togither sayth he euerye one of you hath a song hath a doctrine hath a tongue hath a reuelation hath an interpretation Let all things be done to edifiyng Seing therefore it is determined that wee must come togither certaine dayes in the weeke I will take in hande by the assistance of Gods holy spirite for our exercise at that time the explication of the Prophet Ionas to the ende wee may be godly occupied and exercised in this oure meetinge For wee come not togither in the Church to trifle and playe but we come to the ende we might be instructed in the worde of the Lorde Neyther are we created by God and redeemed by the precious death and bloudshedding of Christ to the ende we should ryot lyue in excesse and giue our selues to all kinde of filthye pleasure but we are created and redeemed to the ende we might glorifie God by our lyfe and conuersation We haue taken in hande therefore to expounde the prophecie of Ionas that by this prophecie we maye be admonished of our office dutie and calling And although the booke of this prophecie be very small yet notwithstanding it contayneth an excellent and famous hystorie First of all therefore we will declare who was this Prophet Ionas Then what and how great authoritie his prophesie hath And last of all we wil shewe the argument and what the summe of the doctrine contayned in this booke is First there are many which thinke and iudge the prophete Ionas to be the sonne of the widowe of Sarepta which receyued and fedde Elias in the time of famine but their iudgement is neyther likely nor probable For of this Prophet Ionas we haue mention made in the fourtenth Chapter of the fourth booke of Kinges how that Ieroboam king of Israel reedified his decayed Kingdome accordinge to the worde of the Lord which he spake by the prophet Ionas the sonne of Amithay which was of Gathhepher By the which it appeareth that hee made not only the sermon contayned in this booke but many other notable and famous sermons which are not writtē For he preserued by his sermons two of the most excellent kingdomes that were Excellent was the kingdome of Israell but in the time of Ionas it was a decayed and ruinous kingdome by impietie and inuasion of enimies Ionas therefore being stirred vp by the holye ghoste exhorteth the people to repentaunce and incourageth king Ieroboam valiauntlye to gouerne his common welth promising that God will sende a time of mercie wherein he will restore his kingdome And so in deede it came to passe that the coast of Israell from the entring of Hemath vnto the sea of the wildernesse was restored by the goodnesse of the Lorde Famous also was the Citie of Niniue for in it was the greatest Monarchie of the whole worlde But the Lorde had determined to destroye the Citie of Niniue from the face of the earth Yet notwithstanding Ionas saued the same by his sermon Wherefore seeing Ionas by hys sermons saued such two excellent kingdomes he is not to bee counted among the
IONAS feared least that the Niniuets which were Ethnickes shoulde receyue the worde of God and repent and be receyued of the Lord to be his people and so the Israelites to be reiected Therefore least his countriemen the Israelites shoulde be reiected hée rather sought to flie than to obey the calling of god And it maye be that IONAS had such cogitations in his mind But IONAS himselfe in the fourth chapter folowing rehearseth the true and certaine cause of his flight For when God did spare the Niniuets and destroyed them not according to the preaching of IONAS IONAS reasoned with God and sayth O Lorde was not this my saying I pray thée when I was yet in my countrie therefore I hasted rather to flie vnto Tharsis By these wordes we may plainly gather that IONAS hearing the commaundement of the Lorde by the which he was commaunded to preache the subuersion of the Niniuets thought within himselfe of the inspeakable clemency and mercy of God by the which God is wont to forgiue those that repent and séeke for the same He feared therefore least he preaching the ouerthrow of the Niniuets they in repenting shoulde be preserued and so he counted and estéemed as a vaine and false Prophete For IONAS was not of the common sort of men neyther was he only famous in Israell But he was a singular and excellent Prophete and so he was estéemed and accounted of not onely among the Iewes his countriemen but also among other nations Which fame he got by this that according to his prophesie the whole kingdome of Israell was restored as it is written in the booke of Kings Wherfore IONAS feared to impaire his fame and glorie by preaching that to the Niniuets which afterward should not come to passe whereby he myght be counted a lyer the which thing to the vertuous IONAS was more grieuous than death But what Coulde IONAS by his determined flight escape daungers and preserue the fame and glorie of his name No truly but rather he casteth hymselfe into extréeme perill and doth not only by his disobedience bring infamy to himselfe but also putteth his lyfe in venture and suffereth euen the paines of hell whyle he is constreyned thrée dayes to lye in the belly of the Whale alwayes looking for present destruction Here therefore wée maye sée that the common prouerbe is oftentimes verified namely that the wyse man sometimes prooueth himselfe a foole IONAS was the wisest and the holiest Prophet in Israell And yet notwithstanding in this poynt he is so ouerwhelmed wyth foolishnesse that he thinketh by disobedience and sinne to preserue hys name and fame not considering that by this waye he shoulde rather loose all his goodes both corporall and spirituall than preserue and kéepe them from shipwracke and hazarde He knewe no doubt that Salomon sayth that the thing which the vngodly feareth falleth alway on him But thys saying came not now into hys mynde For so it was wont to come to passe that if God doe staye his hande then not one Prophet abideth in true obedience First of all therefore let vs learne by this example of IONAS the feare of god No man ought to trust to hys wysedome holynesse power or other gyftes but onely to the clemencie and mercie of God in all his actions to call vpon God by Christ his sonne that he will vouchsafe to preserue and kéepe vs in the true obedience of his worde We maye not by the example of IONAS take anye thing rashly or disobediently in hande and saye if God preserued IONAS in his disobedience he will also preserue mée wherefore I also will be disobedient vnto god This is detestable rashnesse and temptation of god For God preserued IONAS not that we should learne to be rashe and disobedient but bicause we should learne to feare God and to obey him bicause truly we may fall with IONAS but peraduenture wée cannot rise with him againe specially if we rashly tempt god But and if we fall vnaduisedlye then the example of IONAS teacheth vs to repent and to trust to the mercye of god and so we shall be deliuered Furthermore the example of IONAS veryfieth and confirmeth the saying of Salomon namelye that the thing which the vngodly man feareth falleth on him For it is commonly séene that men séeke to escape daunger by impietie and sinne as IONAS did who went about to put awaye infamie by disobeying the will of god So Pilate would auoyde exile and banishment from his dominion and office by shedding the innocent bloud of Christ So artificers merchant men and other occupiers goe about to auoyde pouertie and néede by craft fraude and deceyte in bargayning and selling But that which they so greatly feare falleth vpon them Let vs therefore abyde in our calling and obedience towards god so shal we in déede escape all daunger and perill ¶ And gatte him downe to Ioppa where he founde a ship ready to go vnto Tharsis So he payed his fare and went abourde that he might go with them vnto Tharsis from the presence of the Lorde The disobedience of IONAS is already described and nowe his securitie is set forth For after he had determined to flie out of the lande of Israell not to Niniue wherevnto he was called but by sea vnto Tharsis that is to Aphrica in Carthage or as men nowe call it to Tunetum he taketh his iourney voyde of all care He feareth no daūger in fléeing he thinketh not that God is angrye with him for his disobedience he thinketh and perswadeth himselfe that he is not séene but that he lyeth hidden from the eies of the almightye And therfore he goeth to the ship and payeth his fare that he might séeme to be a iust and honest man And afterwarde when the tempest arose he getteth hymselfe vnder the hatches voyde of all care and sléepeth thinkinge that this tempest peraduenture came eyther by chaunce or else bicause of those wicked Idolaters and vncircumcised which were also in the shippe In this place of IONAS an example of humaine securitie after sinne committed is described For this is the nature of man namelye when he hath newly sinned or committed any kynde of wyckednesse he carelesselye contemneth the iudgement of god Hée thinketh then that the wrath of God is not so grieuous as it was sayde to bée and that hell fire flameth not so much as men paynt it out So Adam after the eating of the Apple became carelesse He thought himselfe to be sufficiently hidden with his aperne of figge leaues So Caine after he had killed his brother carelesly sayth am I the kéeper of my brother So Dauid when hée had newlye committed adulterie and homicide carelesly he maried the adulteresse saying diuers is the chaunce of warre which some while killeth one some while another So Iudas after his treason walked carelesse for a whyle not waying the heynous offence that he had committed So Peter when he had denyed Christ before the damzell
and that the truth ought to bée sought out by dreames bicause that Pharao sawe the truth by dreames euen so also it is not lawfull generally to séeke by lot for secret théeues and to bringe them for théeues to the gallowes vpon whome the lotte chaunceth This is a temptation of god What then doth the example of the casting of lottes of the Mariners profite vs Surely in all poynts it serueth greatly for our commoditie For we sée that the sinne of IONAS which was hidden secrete and vnknowne to all men to be manifested and reuealed not naturallye but miraculouslye by lotte Let vs therefore know and well assure our selues that no sinne no wickednesse how secret soeuer it be can be hydde from the presence of the Lorde Men commonlye sinne in secrete and thereby they hope to escape vnpunished bicause their sinne is not manifest But although sinne bée vnknowne and hidden from the eyes of men yet notwithstanding it is not hydde from the sight of God who reuealeth and maketh them knowen oftentimes to all the worlde by extraordinarie meanes Wherefore the Prophet Dauid sayth whither shall I go then from thy spirite or where shall I hide mée from thy presence c. Also the wyse man sayth Wishe the king no euill in thy thought and speake no hurt of the riche in thy priuie chamber for a byrde of the ayre shall bewray thy voyce and with hir fethers shall she bewraye thy wordes Beware therefore that thou sinne not in secrete vppon hope to escape vnpunished but abstayne from all sinne as well secret as open and manifest ¶ And the lot fell vpon IONAS Then sayde they vnto him tell vs for whose cause we are thus troubled what is thine occupation whence commest thou and whither goest thou what Countrieman arte thou and of what nation He answered them I am an Hebrue and I feare the Lorde God of Heauen which made both the sea and drie lande Then were the men exceedingly afrayde and said vnto him why diddest thou so for they knewe that he was fledde from the presence of the Lorde bicause hee had tolde them and sayde moreouer vnto him what shall we doe vnto thee that the sea maye cease from troublinge vs For the sea wrought and was troublous Hee aunswered them take me and cast me into the sea so shall it let you be in rest for I wotte it is for my sake that this greate tempest is come vppon you Neuerthelesse the men assayed with rowyng to bring the shippe to lande but it woulde not bee bicause the sea wrought so sore and was so troublous against them Wherefore they cryed vnto the Lorde and sayde O Lorde let vs not perish for this mans death neyther lay thou innocent bloude vnto our charge for thou O Lorde hast done euen as thy pleasure was So they tooke IONAS and cast him into the sea and the sea left raging And the men feared the Lorde exceedingly doing sacrifices and making vowes vnto the Lorde IONAS is founde out by lot Hitherto hath bene described the secure and disobedient fléeing and starting aside of IONAS Nowe it is declared that he is brought to the acknowledging of his fault and that his securitie is altered and chaunged into extréeme tremblinge feare and carefulnesse For as Peter at the thirde tyme of the crowing of the Cocke remembred the wordes of Christ and by and by acknowledged his sinne and wept bitterly euen so IONAS beinge bewrayed by lotte streightway vnderstoode that the tempest arose for his sake and felt the greatnesse of his sinne Wherefore by his owne accorde he confesseth hys sinne and pronounceth the deserued punishment against himselfe namely that he must bée cast into the sea Take me sayth hée and cast me into the sea so shall it let you be at rest Here wée haue in IONAS those thrée parts of repentance which the hypocrites the Papists I meane doe teach to be the satisfactions for sinne And yet notwithstanding he is so impotent weake and vnable to satisfie for his sinne that vnlesse he had béene preserued by the mercye of God he had perished euerlastinglye For first he had contrition bicause he bewayled his sinne and felt the wrath of God agaynst him for the same Secondlye hée confessed his sinne not in the eare of a Priest but publikely to all those that were in the shippe Last of all he satisfied for the sinne that he had committed say the Papistes when he had commaunded the Mariners to cast him into the sea So Iudas had these thrée Papisticall parts of repentance He had contrition bicause he was sory that he had betrayed Christ Hée had confession bicause he confessed his trayterous fault before the hye Priests saying I haue sinned in betrayinge the innocent bloude He had also satisfaction for desperately he hanged himselfe I praye God giue these enimes of his sonne Christ if it be his wyll a more righteous and iust satisfaction than this hypocriticall satisfaction But the reason why IONAS obteyned remission of his sinne and not Iudas when as both of them had these thrée parts of repentance shall be hereafter God willing shewed Now let vs sée what things are to bée gathered and obserued in this place First know we that IONAS was a Prophete accepted and beloued of the Lorde And yet notwithstanding when he tooke not his iorney to Niniue at the commaundement of the Lorde he was cast into grieuous punishement when as his sinne might séeme to be not so horrible and gréeuous For IONAS had neyther committed homicide nor adultery but onlye refused to preache to wicked men Is this so great an offence Were there not many in the lande of Israell which had committed most cruell déedes and yet neuerthelesse led a secure quiet lyfe Were not the Mariners themselues which were Ethnickes and heathen more heynous and horrible offenders than IONAS For they were Idolators And yet notwithstanding these escape daunger onely IONAS is cast into the sea and is swallowed of the Whale when as in déede the other deserued to be swallowed and deuoured both of sea fishe and lande But this is the same which Peter writeth saying Iudgement beginneth at the house of God that is when God goeth aboute to punishe he beginneth first with his saints Also the Lorde himselfe by the mouth of the Prophete Ieremie sayeth In the Citie where my name is called vpon will I begin to punish So Malchus the seruant of the hie Priest offended more than did Peter and yet notwithstanding Peter is reprehended and Malchus hath his eare restored The almightye God doth as the mayster of a housholde or family is woont to doe which first of all reformeth hys owne housholde Wherefore wée must learne and knowe thys that when we are afflicted and sée in the meane season wicked men to escape vnpunished that the almightie doth it to signifie vnto vs that we are of his familie and housholde and that therefore he beginneth first to punishe
vs Wherefore let vs paciently receyue his punishment and repent vs of oure sinnes Furthermore although the Mariners went about to bring the shippe vnto land least they should cast him into the sea whom they iudged innocent yet notwithstanding the more they striued agaynst the streame the greater was the tempest neither did the vnlading of the ship help them any thing at all By this example we are taught that the daungers which are sent of God are not auoyded by mans pollicie and witte but onely by obedience which is due to god It was humane pollicie to vnlade and lighten the ship it was humane pollicie to bring the ship to shore but those deuises profited nothing Onely obedience would haue profited For God layde the punishment vpon IONAS and appointed the Mariners to be executours of the same This office this obedience was fulfilled of the Mariners Wherfore they sought not to auoyde the perill and daunger before they left theyr owne deuises and obeyed the councell and motion of god in casting IONAS into the Sea. The which councell and will of God was reuealed as well by lot as by the confession of IONAS himselfe This example in these difficult and daungerous tymes is to be considered speciallye of Magistrates parents and Maisters of housholdes For God hath euen nowe begonne to punishe vs and to afflict vs for our sinnes and reuealeth his wrath by diuers stormie and boysterous tempestes For at this present he afflicteth vs with warre with penurie with pestilence with ciuill contention and greater plagues no doubt than these hang ouer our heades and are at hande And what doe we to auoyde or eschew this iust vengeance of God Surely according to our accustomed and naturall woont wée followe our owne deuices we trust vnto them we make fleshe our arme Agaynst the forreyne enimie we fortifie and arme our selues But what doth that profite vs against the wrath of God To auoyde the plague or pestilence so called we take preparatiues diuers medicines but what can they preuayle agaynst the wrath of God Yet notwithstanding I say not that the vse of such ordinarie meanes are to be forsaken But if we will preuayle and haue good successe we must cloth our selues with repentaunce wée must exercise our selues with obedience and wée must arme our selues with fayth God commaundeth the Magistrate to punishe the fault and offence of the common people euen as he required the Mariners to cast IONAS into the sea Except therefore this commaundement be obeyed in punishing the enimies of God I meane the Papistes the blasphemer the drunkarde the fornicator the vsurer and such lyke the wrath and punishment of God cannot haue an ende The wrath of God fell vpon the children of Israell for whoredome but after that Phinees began to punishe the same the wrath of God was appeased The lyke example we haue of Achan and such like But we must take an ensample of these Mariners and consider with howe great feare of God Magistrates ought to punish the wicked For they tooke not in hande to cast IONAS into the sea before they had made theyr prayers vnto God saying we beséech thée O Lorde suffer vs not to perish This example all Magistrates ought to followe in punishing malefactors and wicked offendors For to punish wickednesse and to put the malefactors to death is a worke onely pertayning to the diuine power of god For in the lawe it is sayde thou shalt not kill This lawe is naturall pertayning generally to all men Wherevpon before the floud when as Magistrates were not ordeyned it was not lawfull for any man though he were a murtherer to be put to death Caine and as some thinke Lamech were murtherers yet they were not put to death But after the floud the office of a Magistrate was ordeyned to the which God gaue power and authoritie to put malefactors to death according to lawe All Magistrates therefore ought to execute their office with the feare of god least they punishe the innocent for the offender The second Chapter BVT the LORDE prepared a great Fishe to swallowe vppe IONAS THis sentence comprehendeth few wordes but if we cōsider and marke them well they bring vnto vs great comfort and consolation in al aduersities and troubles For wheras the Text sayth not simplie that IONAS was cast into the sea and deuoured of the fish but that the Lord prepared a fishe which swalowed vp IONAS it manifestlye declareth that the clemencie and prouidence of the Lorde is so great in preseruing his people and defending his Church that he will suffer no hurt or harme to happen vnto them vnlesse he haue appoynted and prouided a meane and waye before by the which hée may preserue and deliuer them the which thing both the examples and promises of scripture doe testifie Among examples let this which we haue here of IONAS be the first For although the Lorde was angrye with IONAS for his disobedience yet notwithstanding bicause he acknowledgeth him not onely for a member of his Church but also for a Prophete beloued of him he prepareth for him a lodging or guest Chamber in the sea before he was cast into the same For he woulde neuer haue suffered the Mariners to cast IONAS into the sea vnlesse he had foreséene and prouided first a meane by the which hée might preserue him in the sea and deliuer him againe Another example we haue in the Israelites who were oppressed many yeares vnder the cruell tyrannie of Pharao in Aegypt and yet notwithstanding they were the people or Church of god But vnlesse God had foresene and prouided a way by the which he might deliuer them from so cruell tyranny he would neuer haue suffred them to haue come into Aegypt and to haue béene there afflicted For that he had prouided such a meane before his people went into Aegypt and were there afflicted it is euident by the fiftene of Genesis where it is fayde vnto Abraham Thy séede shall be a straunger in a lande that apperteyneth not vnto them And shall serue them and they shall intreate them euill foure hundred yeares But afterward they shall come out with great substaunce Here we may sée that God had appoynted a meane to deliuer them out of affliction before they were afflicted An other example we haue in the Citizens of Hierusalem For it was appointed that within a hundred yeares or there aboutes after the death of Ezechias Hierusalem should be destroyed of the Babilonians the Citizens caried into captiuity But before this thing came to passe the lord prepared Cyrus to be their deliuerer of whom Esay prophecied the said Cyrus being yet vnborne and promised deliuerance to his church before affliction came For of so great prise is the Church or Congregation of the Lorde vnto him that he winketh not at the aduersaries but punisheth them in the ende and deliuereth his Church from all trouble and vexation And therefore also the Prophete Ieremie
Niniue was a great Citie vnto God namely of three daies iorney And IONAS went to and entered into the Citie euen a dayes iourney IONAS at the length escaped oute of the Whales belly that is from extréeme death and hell For after that IONAS had repented and called vpon the name of the Lorde by true fayth the Whale was constrayned to cast him out aliue and to let him go frée For God being reconciled vnto vs all creatures are constrayned to minister vnto vs and to serue our necessitie and those thinges also which before were hurtfull vnto vs bring then muche profite and commoditie with them to oure great comfort and consolation Therefore nowe consequently the ministerie to the which IONAS after hys deliueraunce was called by the mouth of God must be declared For he is now sent of God as he was before to Niniue to the ende he might preach there the destruction of the Citie Vp sayth he and get thée to Niniue that great Citie As concerning the greatnesse of the Citie of Niniue it was before declared And now the things which are to bée considered in this place are these First IONAS after his deliueraunce is not placed of God in a soft Fetherbed but he is sent to preache the worde of God in Niniue which was a worke not onely laborious but also daungerous Here therefore wée are taught whervnto we are called of God and what we ought to doe when we haue receyued any benifite at his hande For we truly are so corrupted by nature with sinne that after we haue receiued benifites we are more peruerse and disobedient vnto God than we were before And we sée by experience that they which haue come from extréeme beggery and penury to great riches and possessions and from the dunghill to Nobilitie haue béene then more insolent and vnthankefull then they were before But the example of IONAS in this place teacheth vs true obedience and pietie For after that we are deliuered out of great perils and daungers we must not be ydle neyther must we then begin to dispise God but rather it is our duties to obey God and his calling and to bée thankefull for those benifits that wée haue receyued at his handes In the fift Chapter of Saint Iohn our Sauiour Christ sayth to the man that was restored to hys helth Behold thou art now made whole go and sinne no more least some worse thing happen vnto thée So IONAS also séemed to say within himselfe beholde thou art now deliuered from the perill of death and the goulfe of hell sée therefore that thou be no more disobedient but obey the calling of God least a worse thing happen vnto thée Euen so it is our partes to thinke also after that we are deliuered eyther from the perill of pouertie from the perill of infirmitie or from the perill of death Beholde thou hast receyued an excellent benefite at the handes of God bée not therfore vnthankefull but séeke by all meanes thou canst to shewe a thankefull minde by dooing thy dutie For God most liberally bestoweth his benifites not that we shoulde be worse but to the ende wée should be better But and it we abuse the benifites of God as riches to luxvrie and to fulfill our pleasure wyne to drunkennesse and health to dishonestie and wicked lyfe then let vs looke for nothing else but to be depriued not onely of these corporall benifits but also of heauenly treasure and felicitie and to perish with euerlasting paine and punishment Wherefore let vs consider that after the benifits receyued we are called to thankfulnesse and obedience the which if we perfourme we shall prouoke the Lorde to bestowe greater benifites vpon vs Furthermore we must consider in the example of IONAS hys singuler obedience For the Text sayth IONAS arose and went to Niniue according to the worde of the Lorde Before IONAS arose to flie from the presence of God. But nowe he ariseth not to flie but to obey the calling of the Lorde What was the cause that IONAS is thus altered and chaunged and that he is so prompt and readie to perfourme the wil and commaundement of God Surelye the affliction perill and trouble was the cause as hath béene alreadie at large declared We sée therefore what is the principall reason why God doth oftentymes lay crosses and sundry afflictions vpon vs IONAS would not simplye at the first obey the worde of the Lorde he is cast therfore into the sea that séeing he would not by the worde and in prosperitie learne to obey he might learne the same by crosse in aduersitie The lyke oftentimes happeneth vnto vs For God first of all calleth vs being sinners and disobedient to righteousnesse and obedience by the preachinge of his worde when we are in prosperitie But when we flie obedience then he casteth vs into the sea of diuers afflictions to the ende we might learne that in aduersitie and trouble which we refused in prosperitie and ease So the Lorde God of our fathers sent to the Citizens of Hierusalem that they should forsake their idolatrie but when they woulde not obey his worde in libertie they were constreyned to learne obedience in captiuitie Wherefore when we flourishing in prosperitie are called to repentance let vs not despise the voyce of the Lord but let vs obey him in time least with the wicked wée be afflicted and destroyed ¶ And he cried saying there are yet fortie dayes and then shall Niniue be ouerthrowne This is the sermon which IONAS made in Niniue being very briefe and short if we haue respect to the number of the words but if we consider the sentence it is very long and containeth much matter First of all let vs weye and consider the place of the Citie in the which IONAS began to preache When he had entred sayth the text into the citie euen a dayes iourney and so forth Therefore IONAS preached euen in the middest of the citie almost not in the comming in nor in the going forth to the ende the fame of his sermonde or preachinge might the more easily be spred among al the citizens and inhabitants thereabout For the word of the Lorde must be preached not to a fewe men onely neyther in an obscure place but to all men openlye to the ende no man might haue excuse Herevppon it came to passe and was accustomed that alwayes from the beginning of the world the word of God was preached in the chiefe Monarchies Cities of the earth For as IONAS could not go from house to house generally throughout the Citie of Niniue but stoode in a conuenient place of the City that the fame of his preaching might come to all men euen so the word of the Lord is not wont to be caried to euery corner of euery region but it is reuealed published in the speciall and principall kingdomes that by them the fame thereof might be spred abrode throughout the whole world that no man might haue excuse So
teacheth vs the true and perfite way to repent For the Scripture sayth the people of Niniue beleued in the Lorde This is the true and certaine way of repentaunce to beléeue in the Lorde The which thing being vttered and spoken Epicures and contemners of true godlynesse can scarce refraine laughter estéeming that there is nothing more easie to be done than to beleue in the lord But I would not that we should erre For whē fayth in the Lorde is required of vs let vs knowe and vnderstande that a worke no lesse hard heauenly and diuine is required of vs than was the creation of heauen and earth If a man should say vnto thée make heauen and earth thou wouldest thinke that a worke impossible and aboue thy strength were required of thée But when it is sayde beléeue in the Lorde a thing no lesse impossible is required of thée then the creation of heauen and earth Impossible I meane it is to fleshe bloud but not impossible to the spirite and spirituall force The which thing to explicate let vs take the example of the Niniuetes For where as it is sayde that they beléeued in the Lorde it is ment that they beléeued the sermon which IONAS made at the commaundement of the Lorde that it was the true diuine and heauenly voyce of god But how hard a thing it was to beléeue this many thinges doe declare For first of all if we haue respect to the person of IONAS although he were counted a great Prophete among the Israelites yet notwithstanding he was not of so great authoritie among the Niniuetes whiche were vncircumcised Gentiles It is maruell therefore that they sayde not what haue we to do with that Iew that straunger what meaneth that fugitiue and runnagate fellow hath God talked more with him than with our Bishops and high Priestes If it had béene the purpose of God to ouerthrowe our Citie woulde hée not sooner haue reuealed it to our King or to some of our chiefe rulers in the Citie than to this runneawaye iewe But neither the Citizens nor the Magistrates nor the King himselfe obiected any suche thing to IONAS but simply beléeued his worde as the worde of god Wherefore it is manifest that they were stirred vp to beléeue not by humane power but by heauenly force euen by the spirit of god Furthermore if we marke the text well when it sayth They beléeued in the Lord it shall easily appeare that fayth is not a humane worke but a diuine worke For to beléeue in the Lorde comprehendeth thrée things 1 The first is to beléeue that the lawe of God is true when it reproueth vs of sinne and condemneth vs for sinne and pronounceth vs to be guiltie of all as well corporall as eternall punishmentes But to beléeue this is not a worke of the fleshe but a worke of the spirite Let vs beholde therefore the sermon of IONAS There are yet sayth hée fortie dayes and then shall Niniue be ouerthrowne This is a sermon of the lawe which is in effect as if he had sayde You Niniuets ye are vngodly men and the moste wicked sinners in the whole world Wherfore God within fortie dayes will so ouerthrowe and destroye your Citie that ye shall be cast both body and soule into hell To take such a sermon in good part and to beléeue the same to be true is not of the flesh and bloude but a worke of the holy ghost For men being left and giuen ouer vnto their strength cannot abyde to be reprehended much lesse to be tolde that they shall bée damned Wherefore if they pacientlye beare reprehension and acknowledge their sinne and damnation it is manifest that they are indewed with the power of the holy ghost 2 Secondly to beléeue in the Lorde is to beléeue the promise made to Abraham as concerning Christ that is to beléeue that the remission of our sinnes our lyfe and saluation is eternall true and infallible But to beléeue this cannot be brought to passe in man but only by the holy ghost For it is not a worke of the flesh or of humane wisedome but only of the spirite of god Let vs therefore once agayne consider of the sermon of IONAS There are yet saith he fortie daies and then shal Niniue be destroyed Although this sermon séemeth only to be a sermon of the law yet notwithstanding he which vnderstandeth the lawe of God aryghte he vnderstandeth also that in this sermon is conteined the sermon of the Gospell of Christ For Paule as concerning the law sayth The law is a schoolemaister vnto Christ Wheresoeuer therfore the lawe doth condemne vs there doth it referre vs vnto Christ that wée might be deliuered from damnation Moreouer S. Paule sayth The scripture that is the law of the Lord hath concluded al things vnder sinne that the promise of the faith of Christ Iesus might be giuen to those the beleue That is to say The law bringeth vs to the knowledge of sinne not that we shoulde perish in sinne but that we shoulde be referred to Christ by fayth and by him obtayne saluation Also the Lorde by the mouth of Ezechiell sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he turne from his wickednesse and lyue But the law threatneth death to the sinner yet not that hée shoulde perishe by death but to the ende he might be stirred vp to come vnto Christ by fayth and so obtaine lyfe So this sermon of IONAS includeth in it selfe the Gospell of the séede of Abraham as concerning Christ For he woulde not that the Niniuets should perishe but that they shoulde be conuerted to the séede of Abraham which is Christ by faith and might haue in him remission of sinnes and eternall lyfe To beléeue this is not a worke of the flesh but of the spirite 3 Thirdly to beléeue in the Lorde comprehendeth also in it selfe to beléeue the commaundementes of the Lorde to be diuine and that it is necessarie to exhibite vnto them obedience by faith and to bring forth the true fruites of repentaunce namely the acknowledge of our sinne and fayth in Christ To doe this also we are vnable without the ayde of Gods spirite For we cannot truly obey the commaundements of God vnlesse the Lorde encline our hartes therevnto by his holye spirite Wherefore when it is sayd in the texte that the Niniuets beléeued the Lorde it meaneth not that they only had a light beliefe and imagination of God but it signifieth that they shewed foorth these thrée things namely that they beléeued themselues to be sinners and that they deserued not only destruction but also eternall damnation Secondly that they beléeued to receiue pardon and forgiuenesse of their sinnes for the seede of Abraham onelye which was Christ whose Prophete IONAS was Thirdly it signifieth that they determined with themselues euer after to auoyde sinne and to obey the commaundements of god This is that true repentance which God regardeth and which obteyneth
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
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