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
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
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
séemeth more easie than to call vppon the name of the lord For what worke can be more sleight and easie than the tongue to speake and saye Our father which art in heauen c. Yea the children and Infantes can vtter these wordes But childishe inuocation is one and true and earnest inuocation is another The one is most easie the other is most harde I remember a certaine Father sayde there is nothing more harde than to praye and inuocate the name of god For it is an easie matter to recite the words of prayer But to pray and call truly vpon the name of God is a great worke and painefull labour For no man can call truly vpon God except he bée first of all in the fauour of God and reconciled vnto him For how shouldest thou call vppon or praye vnto him whome thou hatest and knowest to be thine enimie For thou canst not be in Gods fauour and reconciled vnto him vnlesse thou repent thée trulye of thy sinnes And in repenting aright we must first acknowledge our sinnes and wickednesse and auoyde them Then we must beleue that our sinnes are put away by Christ and forgiuen by the which faith there followeth a true obedience towards God in euery calling Here let vs consider how harde a thing it is to call vppon God aright in aduersitie For no man calleth truly vppon him but he which repenteth him of his sinnes flieth the same and beléeueth firmely that he hath frée remission in Christ and then giueth himselfe wholy to the obedience of god But what séemeth more difficult vnto mē than to hate sinne to flie the same and to follow the works of righteousnesse Let no man therfore think that he is called to an easie or light worke when hée is called to inuocation of God and prayer These things are set before vs not that we shoulde be terrified or discouraged from inuocation but that we should be stirred to earnest true and feruent prayer Our Prophet IONAS is set here for an ensample vnto vs For he is cast into the sea for his sinne bicause he fled from the presence of the Lorde and obeyed not his calling He sawe therfore in the bellye of the Whale the wrath of God to follow his disobedience What doth he therefore He beginneth to crie vnto the Lorde and to call vpon god But God is angrye He is therefore constrayned first of all to acknowledge hys sinne and to attribute vnto God the glorye of righteousnesse namely bicause God iustly punished him with so great and daungerous perils neither had he done vniustly if he had suffered him to haue perished euerlastinglye Hauing acknowledged his sinne he beléeued certainely that by the promised séede of Abraham which was Iesus Christ hée shoulde haue frée remission and pardon for the same Then in hart he promised obedience vnto God that he would euer afterwarde serue him and neuer runne away again as he had done before These things being done hée might boldlye come vnto God call vpon his name and looke for deliuerance out of the bellie of the Whale But some man will saye many call vppon God which notwithstanding are not deliuered from their corporall trouble Did not Christ himselfe call vppon God the father that the cup of his passion might passe awaye from him and yet notwithstanding Christ was not deliuered from the externall crosse Steuen called vpon Christ Iesus and yet notwithstanding he was stoned We must so thinke therefore of inuocation that although externall saluation happen not alwayes yet notwithstanding eternall saluation shall alwayes happen to the true caller vppon god So Christ was not deliuered from the externall crosse but yet he was deliuered from death it selfe and obteyned a name aboue all names So Steuen was not deliuered from the stoning but neuerthelesse he was deliuered from death and hell and when he saw Iesus Christ at the right hande of God he was receyued of him into the fellowship of his kingdome But how did IONAS behaue himselfe towardes God for the wonderfull benifite of his deliuerance Surely he offered vnto God the acceptable sacrifice of thankes giuing as appeareth by the texte I will doe vnto thée sacrifice with the voyce of thankesgiuing And before it is sayde they that holde of vaine vanities will forsake his mercie By the which words the Prophete maketh a difference betwéene the thankfulnesse of the godly and the thankesgiuinge of the wicked The wicked when they receyue anye benifite at the handes of God they referre it to their Idolles and to their hypocriticall worshippings and seruice The Ethnicke or heathen being deliuered from a Feuer or any other disease runneth straight way to Iupiter and for his health offereth to him the offring and sacrifice of thankesgiuing The hypocrite being deliuered from the paine of tooth ache goeth to Saint Appoline to whome for the ease receyued he offereth the sacrifice of thankesgiuinge The Monke being deliuered from the perill of waters maketh haste to S. Frauncis or to his Masse where he yéeldeth the sacrifice of thankesgiuing But what saith the Prophete here of such They that holde of vaine things sayth he will forsake the mercy of the Lorde That is they which followe vayne Idolles and hypocriticall worshippinges in offering thankes vnto God these forsake the mercy of the Lorde which he bestowed vpon them and make themselues vnworthie of the same But I sayth the Prophete will doe to thée sacrifice with the voyce of thankesgiuing and will perfourme that which I haue vowed for why saluation commeth of the Lorde That is I in offering the sacrifice of prayse and thankesgiuing will not do as the wicked and hypocrytes doe which worship God with abhominable Idols with vaine worshippings and fained inuentions But I will offer vnto thée my true God and sauiour the voyce of praise yea I will prayse thy name for euer and will set foorth the glorie of the same vnto all men I will preach and proclayme thy clemencie and mercie so long as I liue And I will pay my vowes that is I will doe those thinges which I ought to doe I will not deuise and inuent fayned sacrifices as the hypocrites doe but I will doe those dueties which God requireth at my handes to be done If it please God to send me againe vnto Niniue I will not murmure but with heart and minde I wyll séeke the performance of his will. This example therefore of the Prophete IONAS is set foorth vnto vs to the ende we might learne to offer the true sacrifice of thankesgiuing vnto God for those benifites which we receyue at his handes whether they pertayne to the bodie or to the minde that we may continually abyde in the fauour of the Lorde The thirde Chapter THen the worde of the Lorde came to IONAS againe saying vp and get thee to Niniue that great Citie and preache vnto them the preaching that I bade thee So IONAS arose and went to Niniue at the Lordes commaundement
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
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
to cut woode fell into the water This affection is naturall not sprong vp in our flesh by chaunce but by the wisedome and secret councell of god created ingraffed in vs What then doe we learne by this Surely by this sensible affection in vs we learne and are admonished of the insensible and inuisible affection of God towarde vs For if we greatly sorowe for things lost and destroyed which we notwithstanding neyther created nor made let vs vnderstande and knowe that the Lorde doth much more sorrow for men which he hath created and for whose saluation he hath sent his onely begotten sonne into the worlde to suffer death Wherevpon by the mouth of the Prophete he sweareth saying I liue and will not the death of a sinner but rather that he turne from his wickednesse and liue So in the nine and fortie Chapter of Esay he teacheth vs to knowe the affection and loue which he beareth towards vs by the affection of a mother towardes hir childe saying Can the mother forget hir childe that she bare and not pitie the sonne of hir owne fleshe And though shée doe forget yet will I not forget thée So also he propoundeth his loue before vs to be knowne by the affection of a father towards his sonne in the .xj. Chapter of saint Luke saying Which of you being a father of whom if the sonne shal aske bread will giue him a stone If ye then being euill can giue good thinges vnto your children how much more shall your father of heauen giue the holye spirite to those that desire it of him So lykewise in the fiftene of Luke by the Parable of the housholder which sorowed for the losse of his sheepe and by the Parable of the lost groate is set forth vnto vs the excéeding loue of God towardes lost men that is towardes sinners that they might be brought to repentance and saluation Wherefore our affections are ordeined of God to be domesticall preachers vnto vs and to teach vs how God is affectioned towardes vs and to make vs féele the affections of God which otherwise are insensible and inuisible Furthermore when as it is sayde that God spared and had compassion vpon the Citie of Niniue for so many thousands of men which knewe not their right hande from their left there are diuers expositions Some expounde those that knewe not their right hande from their left to be infantes and children Othersome thereby vnderstande the common and simple sort of people But the first opinion is best allowed namelye that they were children as yet not come to age of discretion Notwithstanding we must not think that God spared those infants and children for their innocencie for although children and infants be innocents before men yet they are not innocents before god bicause they are conceyued and borne in sinne But he spared them for two causes The first is bicause he is gentle and mercifull It is neyther sayth S. Paule in the willer nor in the runner but in the mercie of god Moses also eryed and sayd Lorde Lorde God mercifull and gracious long suffering and abundaunt in goodnesse and truth and kéeping mercy in store for thousandes forgiuing wickednesse vngodlynesse and sinne and not leauing one innocent visiting the wickednesse of fathers vpon the children c. The second cause why God spared the Innocents was for that the auncient men of the Citie though not all yet the greatest part repented at the preaching of IONAS God therefore spared the Infants for the elders sake which repented As appeareth by that which he sayth in another place thus Shewing mercie vnto thousandes in them that loue me and kéepe my cōmaundements For as God was woont to destroy children and Infantes for the wickednesse of their forefathers as appeareth in the time of the floode in the destruction of Sodome and in the ouerthrowing of the Amalekyts So he was wont to spare blesse and preserue Infants for the godlynesse of their forefathers and elders Wherefore if Parentes wishe well vnto their children and woulde bestowe great benifits vpon their children they shall not néede to scrape great aboundaunce of rythes togither for God will blesse and prouide for them if so be that Parents themselues liue godly and vertuously in their vocation 3 Last of all wheras he addeth Beside much cattell We may not thinke that it is spoken as though God spared such a Citie for the brute beastes sake and that he so much regarded them It cannot bée denyed but that God after a certaine maner hath a care ouer beastes and cattell As we may reade in the lawe where it is sayde In the Saboth day thou shalt doe no maner of worke neyther thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter and in the ende he addeth neyther thy cattell that is within thy gates And in the hundred and fourth Psalme it is said he bringeth forth grasse for the cattell Yet notwithstanding God spareth not men for the cattles sake but he spareth the cattell for the mens sake As we may read that the beasts of the earth are destroyed for the sinnes of men as in the floode in Sodome in Amelecke So also we may reade that beastes were and are preserued for the godlinesse of men as in the .xxviij. Chapter of Deutronomy If thou shalt harken vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy god Blessed shalt thou be in the towne and blessed in the fieldes blessed shall be the fruite of thy body and the fruite of thy ground and the fruite of thy cattell the increase of thine oxen and the flockes of thy shéepe c. Wherefore whosoeuer thou be that wilt haue thy cattell thy goodes and substance preserued blessed and increased thou shalt not néede to vse sorceries nor Witchcraftes but sée that thou thy selfe be godly and that thou perseuer in thy calling so shalt thou bée sure and safe in the lande so shall God blesse thée and thy posteritie for euer This we haue passed ouer the Historie of IONAS in the which there are many things to be obserued and noted but specially these First in IONAS we haue an example of the infirmitie and weakenesse of all men and euen of those which are the holyest and the saintes of God for we sée the disobedience of IONAS his terrors and feares in the Whales belly his indignation also and griefe at the repentaunce of the Niniuets But notwithstanding bicause he obeyed the calling of the Lorde and perseuered in the same he is miraculously saued and preserued Last of all we haue an example of repentaunce in the Niniuets by the which we are admonished that although we grieuously offend the diuine maiestie of God whereby we deserue euerlasting destruction Yet notwithstanding we ought not to dispaire of our saluation but rather repent vs truely and vnfaynedly of our sinnes For the gate of heauen alwayes standeth open to receyue penitent sinners And Christ himselfe standeth in the same contynually inuiting and calling suche vnto him saying Come vnto me all ye that labour and are heauie laden and I will ease you Wherefore to him with the father and the holy ghost thrée persons and omnipotent immortall wise and inuisible God be all honor praise glory and dominion nowe and for euer Amen Repent Englande in time as Niniue that Citie did For that thy sinnes before the Lorde are not in secret hid FINIS 1. Cor. 14. 4. Reg. 14. Math. 12. 1. King. 15. 3. King. 13. 1. King. 15. The text Cap. 1. Gene. 18. Gene. 19. Luke 1. Math. 1. Exod. 3. Exod. 19. and .20 Deuter. 4. 1. Reg. 3. Exod. 25. Daniel 7. Genesi 37. Iosephus lib. 3. de antiquita cap. 12. Ezech. 1. Cap. 1. Math. 13. Math. 17. Cap. 3. Cap. 4. A manifest token of Gods loue towards vs. The text Two thinges here to be considered Of flying from the Lorde Cap. 9. Exodus 15. Cap. 4. 4. Reg. 14. The Text. 2. King. 11. Luke 22. 1. Cor. 11. Ierem. 18. The text Actes 26. Psal. 107. The Text. Inuocatiō Roma 1. The vnlading of the shippe Math. 18. Lottes Prouerb 16. Ecclesiastes 10. The Text. 1. Peter 4. EZech. 9. Iere. 25. Numb 25. Iudges 7. The text Gene. 15. Esay 44. and .45 Esay 53. Respond EZech. 33. Psal. 33. Ier. 3. lamen Math. 10. The text Embryon is the vnperfit shape of the child being in the mothers wombe The text This Psalme consisteth of seauen verses Iohn 16. Psal. 34. Psal. 50. Iohn 11. The text Math. 10. Two causes of afflictions Math. 10. Iob. 1. Cap. 9. Psal. 55. 4. Reg. 14. 1. Cor. 1. Iohn 5. 6 Math. 26. Daniel 3. The Text. Ioell 2. Actes 2. Rom. 10. Math. 26. Actes 7. The text Iohn 5. Cap. 1 The Text. Math. 13. 1. Cor. 14. Two maner of prophecies Hiere 48. EZechiel 18. 2. Tim. 2. Rom. 11. The text Nouation heretikes Hiere 3. Hiere 18. Luke 15. Math. 19. 4. King. 14. Galath 3. Chap. 18. The ende of fasting The Text. Hiere 26. Thessa. 5. 1. Iohn 3. 4 Kin. 14. The yoke of Monkerye Psal. 115. Psal. 14. Coloss 3. Luke 17. Genesis 27. Math. 25. 2. Para. 20. The fast of beastes Exod. 20. 2. King. 15. Daniel 3. The text Esay 58. Iames. 1. Psal. 102. Cap. 18. Math. 23. Math. 12. The text Math. 18. 1. Peter 4. Ioel. 2 Esay 28. The Text. Luke 5. Luke 8. Psal. 127. Psal. 121. Psal. 91. Esay 43. The Text. The ende of affliction 3. Kings 19. The text Rom. 1. 4. Kings 6. Esay 49. Luke 11. Luke 15. Exod. 34. Exo. 20. 1. Kings 15. Psal. 104.145.147 Deutr. 28. Math. 11.