recovered and set vpon his legs againe This comes to passe more ordinarily in the diseases of the soule then in the distempers of the body The more bitter bee the words of Ieremy and the more extreamely we heare Ionah to take on the more deepely let vs iudge of them that they have drunke of the cuppe of affliction the bitter cup of worme-wood and gall And this I finde God himselfe to have taken notice of and in a tender regard and compassionate feeling of her sorrowes thus to comfort his poore distressed Church by the Prophet Isaiah Awake awake stand vp O Ierusalem which hast drunke at the hand of the Lord the cuppe of his fury thou hast drunke the dregs of the cup of trembling and wrung them out A man in drinke we vse to say is not himselfe and therefore I finde added in the same place and with it I conclude the point Heare now this thou afflicted and drunken but not with wine thus saith the Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people Behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling even the dregges of the cuppe of my fury thou shalt no more drinke it againe but I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee which have said to thy soule bow downe that we may goe over and thou hast laide thy body as the ground and as the streete to them that goe over Fourthly But now lastly let mee adde the conclusion of the whole matter what 's the conclusion of this whole dispute contention or contestation betweene the Lord and Ionah A Song of praise a Meditation of due thankfulnesse Blesse the Lord o my soule and all that is within mee blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord o my soule and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction might Jonah well say and crowneth thee with loving kindnesse and tender mercies let every one who hath tasted the same cup with Ionah consesse O Ionah how great was thy offence how heavy Ionah was thy anger wherefore came not thy saying to passe or why did not death prevent thy wish since thou thoughtest it no sinne to be angry with God had it not beene too light a recompence for this thy rebellion to have sent thee hastily quicke into the grave with thy sinnes vpon thy head Behold death even called for doeth not appeare the Lord is more mercifull to Ionah then Ionah to himselfe man is angry with God God is not angry with man What shall we say The case is not Ionah's alone O David how troubled doeth the course of many of thy Psalmes runne why doest thou forget mee o God why art thou absent from the the words of my complaint o God Awake o Lord stand vp and iudge my quarrell Thus speakes David and much more as a man not well pleased with his God and as though the Lord were asleepe or deafe or blinde or forgetfull as if hee would not or could not regard the cause that was equall Yea but this same Dauid at other times hath recollected himselfe from this errour and hath as plainly noted the reason of the Lords more gracious and louing dealing both with himselfe and all Gods childrenels For hee knoweth whereof wee bee made saith hee in the Psalme before cited he well vnderstands our frame he remembreth that we are but dust therfore like as a father pittieth his owne children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him and shall set our sinnes as farre as the East is from the West Therfore also sayth another Prophet speaking in the person of God I will not contend for euer neither will I be alwaies wroth For the spirit should faile before me and the soules which I haue made For the iniquity of his covetousnesse was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seene his waies and will heale him I will lead him also and restore comforts vnto him and to his mourners Isay 57. Here is the goodnesse of our God and the whole worke of our saluation this is his glory which he will not impart to others nor to our merits or any desert in vs for we are a froward and most vntoward generation in our selues And this is the whole benefit he expects at our hands the calves of our lippes and herevnto he hath ordained vs in his beloved before the foundation of the world that wee should render vnto him the sacrifice of praise a thankfull acknowledgement from the ground of our hearts Blesse ye the Lord as before For this cause is it that the Saints in glory whose felicity in part is shadowed by those foure and twenty elders Reu. 4 fall downe before him that sirs on the throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their crownes before the throne as acknowledging their owne vnworthynesse but thus they say Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Sing we vnto the Lord a new songe for old things are forgotten and all things are made new a new heaven and a new earth a new Ierusalem from aboue And old things are cleane passed away for there shall bee no more sorrow nor crying nor paine saith S. Iohn there shall be likewise no longer infirmity nor disease of minde nor body there shall not be those vexations nor yet those vexing causes which here we both meete and carry about with vs. The tempter cannot reach vs there temptations shall be banished for euer Anger hath no place in heauen Ionah thy branch shall flourish and thy gourd it shall not wither the Sea shall not tosse thee the whale shall not eat thee the Sun shall not smite thee the fire shall not burne thee Who then can be angry or euill affected when God shall shew himselfe most willing to please vs when he shall make all things worke for our contentment O Lord I am ashamed now saith Ionah when I consider this thy most wonderfull goodnesse I doe repent of this my foolish anger and begin to waxe exceeding angry that euer I was mooued to anger against so good so mercifull so gracious a redeemer who doest not onely passe by our offences when we haue most hainously prouoked thy iust displeasure but hast also reserved laid vp in store for vs most vndeseruing wretches such good things as passe mans imagination to conceive O Lord God mercifull and gracious long suffring abundant in goodnesse and truth accomplish thy good word vnto thy servants and shew vs thy glory that we may live and never dy that we may live and praise thee eternally Amen NOw to call thee backe a little friendly Reader to the matter of my text and withall if I may persume to communicate my selfe vnto thy
changeth not though chang'd be we Then doe thy office but consider The Gourd that spring's from'th ground will wither IONAH'S CONTESTATION ABOVT HIS GOVRD IN A SERMON DELIVERED AT Pauls Crosse Septemb. 19. 1624. IONAH 4. vers 9. And God said to IONAH Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd and he said I doe well to be angry even vnto death THIS whole Prophesie or Booke of Ionah may well for the state thereof be so conceived as to be borne forth by way of Dialogue or Interlocution betweene the Lord and Him the Argument maintained sometimes directly sometimes indirectly by Word by Signe by Practise by Example The Lord begins The word of the Lord came vnto Ionah the sonne of Amittai c. Ionah answeres disobediently The Lords sends him to one place hee goeth to another Then the Lord speaketh againe but by his creatures opposing his practise against Ionah's and maintaines his Argument by the Windes the Marriners the Whale-fish and so the controvesie descendeth into the bottome of the Sea At the third Chapter Behold A new Scaene of trouble beginneth The word of the Lord came vnto Ionah the second time saying Arise Goe vnto Nineveh that great Citie and Preach vnto it the preaching that I bid thee Here Ionah answeres like an obedient seruant conforming his practise to the Lords command But soone after his Message according to the tenour thereof not taking effect he showes his discontented minde and the same expressed in angry tearmes inwardly conceived by way of expostulation in the beginning of the fourth Chapter Then the Lord enters parley with Ionah after a friendly manner Doest thou well to be angry the Lord replies vpon Ionah by a loving signe and the Lord prepared a gourd c. and thereof Ionah was exceeding glad But now Iterum saeuiunt irae Anger breakes out againe The gourd withers Ionah frets the Lord speakes Ionah answeres the one friendly as before the other frowardly Ionah Doest thou well to be angry yea saith Ionah I doe well to bee angry even vnto death The next words conclude the prophefie and whole disputation directly against Ionah And thus may be conceived the frame and structure of the whole Booke This Text is a plaine part of the Dialogue disputation contestation or contention which you will and herein more particularly are obserueable the parties contending the Lord and Ionah the manner how the contention or controversie is carryed and it is by word or saying God said to Ionah and againe Ionah said to God The matter in question is expressed in the word angry and therein I shall speake of anger somewhat largely the question in speciall is concerning Ionah his anger and therein I shall deale more strictly And thus far on the Lords part The answere of Ionah hath likewise in it these three specialties answerable to the three parts of the former Quere which may easily bee apprehended in the question by the Lord specially directed to Ionah First here is a simple affirmation on Ionah's part the Lords question first implying thus much Ionah art thou angry yea saith Ionah I am angry Secondly a peremptory affirmation or iustification Doest thou well to be angry Ionah yea I doe well to be angry Thirdly a deepe aggravation Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd yea I doe well to be angry vnto death The first Circumstance The parties contending are the Lord and Ionah Impar congressus a most vnequall match and yet Ionah farre the weaker hath also the weaker cause in hand Tu domine fundasticaelos Thou Lord in the beginning hast established the heavens and laide the foundation of the earth and formed the spirit of man within him Great is our God and great is his power his wisedome is infinite Now looke vpon Ionah and who or what is he at the best but a weake and mortall creature a man borne of a woman of few dayes and full of misery hee commeth vp and is cut down like a flower he fleeth as a shadow and abideth not And doest thou open thine eyes vpon such an one bring such one into iudgement with thee saith Iob in the same place Here is instruction for all in places of Superiority let them learne from this one example of the Lord here how to carry themselues towards their inferiours Doth the Lord vouchsafe to reason with Ionah and give him account of his doings who then art thou that doest swell against thy brother and disdainest to answere thy fellow-seruant Drop downe yee heavens from above and let the skies powre downe righteousnesse Woe be to him that striveth with his maker For wee may not search into the Lords counsell further then he hath revealed it is farre more dangerous then to meddle in mans matters but there admire where he hath concealed Howbeit we see to the shame of our pride and scorne of our haughtie stomackes the Lord full often doth not refuse to commit himselfe to the tryall the Iudge to be iudged by vs his vassals Therefore hath he appointed a day wherein he will iudge the world in righteousnesse and the consciences of wicked men who refuse his iudgements now shall be made to acknowledge his iustice then Thus speakes the Apostle and he alleadgeth it out of the Psalmes that thou mightest be instified in thy sayings and overcome when thou art iudged Let then all petty gods take example from this great God whether they be Kings or Rulers or Magistrates or Officers or Masters or Fathers of Families since God is equall towards vs and that the heavens will one day declare let vs learne equitie and faire dealing one towards another This lesson had Iob learnt Chap. 3.13 If I did despise the cause of Man-seruant or Maide-seruant when they contended with mee what shall I doe when God riseth vp and when hee visiteth what shall I answere him Thus shall we walke worthy the title of Gods otherwise breake the teeth of the vngodly and malicious smite out the Iaw-bones of the Lyons O Lord. For such who walke not according to this rule retaine no longer the image of their Maker but are degenerated into Lyons Beares Tygers evening Woolues and so are they called in Scripture The second Circumstance Here the question is how the saying came to Ionah againe how Ionah spake to the Lord. Was it facie ad faciem face to face not so It was a Priviledge of Moses alone Exod. 12. That the Lord would speake to him face to face and this but in a figure too there being intended thereby but only a more familiar kinde of presence or dealing with Moses then with any other the Prophets vntill Christ came for when Moses desired to see the glory of God and his very countenance it was permitted to him only to haue a sight of his Backe-parts while his glory passed by This being a received truth That no man can see God and live I meane the life of Nature more then the waxe can indure the heate of
the fire without melting And for this cause neyther was it the voyce of the Lord proceeding immediately from his spirit which spake to Ionah here or to any of his Prophets elsewhere For as no man hath seene his shape so neyther hath any man heard his voyce at any time as sayth our Saviour Ioh. 5.37 The voyce of the Lord sayth David is powerfull the voyce of the Lord is full of maiestie c. but in his Temple doth everie man speake of his glory And truly vnlesse wee first take comfort in hearing the Lords voyce in his Temple and that by the Ministery of man daily delivered wee shall take little pleasure in hearing the Lords owne voyce which shall shake both heaven and earth much more the consciences of all sinners when he shall show himselfe in farre more dreadfull manner then once he did vpon Mount Sinai But how came the voyce to Ionah I have showen you negatively how not was it then in audible manner from without audible or rather intelligible it was to Ionah but in secret and from within like that still small voyce that came to Eliah The Lord spake vnto Iob but out of the whirl-winde and Job therewith grew humbled before a man most daring And I thinke had there to this voyce in what kinde soever it came to Jonah beene ioyned but some powerfull signe of the Lords presence Ionah durst not then have carryed himselfe so petulantly if the Lord had spoken to him whither out of the whirlewinde as to Iob or out of the flaming bush as to Moses or out of the storme as to Eliah or in a more excelling vision as vnto Daniel as vnto Iohn Rev. 1. He durst not then have replyed as he doeth much lesse if as he is in his owne ineffable existency had God spoken durst he once to have muttered It is true the Lord doeth sometimes speake audibly striking the outward sense of man as by the Trumpet which called vnto Iohn Revel 4. Againe sometimes hee hath revealed himselfe visibly to the eye of mans body and so he did to the young man with Elisha the Prophet 2. Kings 6.17 and to Paul Actes the 9.3 Sometimes againe and that very vsually vnder the time of the old Law he hath revealed his will to the fantasie or imagination and that by a dreame in the night Lastly and that most specially and most inwardly of all hath the Lord made knowen his purpose to the minde of man his intellective or vnderstanding part as the most essentiall part of man and most capable of Divine revelation But this last hath not happened alwayes after one kinde and manner but sometimes after a more abstracting and ravishing sort the man for the present being so disposed that hee knowes not whether his spirit bee in or out of his body at the lestwise the spirit being for the time deprived the vse of any the senses that it may attend the better to heavenly visions Thus was Ezekiel carryed out of himselfe into the valley of dry bones Paul into the third heavens thus fell Peter into his trance Sometimes againe to come to the question in hand and this most commonly to his Seruants the Prophets the Lord hath given his word or his signe by a secret instinct or inspiration Thus was the manner of olde and that thus it was with Ionah in this place may appeare by the context in comparing this speech with the precedent verse where is set downe that Ionah fainting wished in himselfe to die and said it was better for him to die then live This wish or speech of Jonah was secret within himselfe no eare heard it but the Lord and so the Lord in secret againe doth answer him and hee againe answers to the Lord. The Lord saide to Ionah and Ionah saide to the Lord the manner and carriage of which saying and interchange of speech as it was secret and silent so no thoughts could vnderstand but the heart of Ionah and the Lord only Shall we now apply this the Author to the Hebrewes hath done it in these words God who did in times past at divers times and sundry waies speake vnto the Fathers the Prophets have in these last daies spoken to vs by his owne Sonne whom hee hath appointed heire of all things by whom he made the worlds Now which kinde of speakings had you rather choose whither by seruants in the house or him that hath made the house and is heire of all Some there be who say O that we had lived in the daies of the Prophets or the Prophets now in our daies for then should we be vifited with new revelations and visions from the Lord. Hence spring vp almost in all ages those Anabaptisticall spirits pretending daily new revelations but inspired from hell to leade away vnstable soules which will not content themselues with the sound doctrine of the Gospel delivered by Christ Iesus the only Sonne of God To this end also have the Ministers of Antichrist devised new traditions and vnwritten verities to feed the humour of such men that they all might bee damned saith Saint Paul who beleeve not the truth but have pleasure in vnrighteousnesse in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians O remember the saying before that God spake divers times and diversly to the Fathers the Prophets none of them for the time being able to deliver an absolute forme of doctrine but as expecting daily somethings yet to bee added they waited for further revelations or inspirations from above And shall we expect that doctrine which they left imperfect to be made vp or perfected by the giddy spirits or furious phantasies of such who come like the old Prophets I have dreamed I have dreamed O no God hath spoken to vs in these last dayes by his Sonne the heyre of all who came out of his Fathers bosome and therefore hath revealed his whole will concerning our salvation and the means thereof and the same to remaine without any addition alteration or change to the end of the world he hath also sealed the same by the witnesse of his spirit in the hearts of all beleevers so that we may say with Peter whether shall we goe from thee for thou hast the word of Life c. To conclude since Saint Iohn wrote his revelation which he received from Christ there is to be looked for no other Revelation whether from Angels or men but cursed is he that addeth or taketh away from the words of the Booke of this Prophesie or from the writing of any other the Prophets Euangelists Apostles This word of God saith S. Paul to Timothy is able to make the man of God perfect what neede then any other helpe and furtherance perfection being by this word to bee attained vnto a perfection greater then that the fathers before Christ saw a perfection so farre as is conuenient during the state of our mortall life and Pilgrimage here vntill that glorious day in full strength breake out and the
sheaves Therefore also he saith in another place ah I will ease me of mine aduersaries and avenge me of mine enemies And againe if I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold on iudgement I will render vengeance to mine enemies and repay them that hate me But yet he speakes peace vnto his people mercy and loving kindnesse all the day long why will yee die O yee house of Israel I desire not the death of a sinner why art thou all so angry O Ionah I have given thee no iust cause Doest thou well to be angry thus against thy Maker be not so peruerse in thy fury but iudge righteous iudgement The same I say to thee and every one else in particular for the Lords words are both particularly vniuersall and vniversally particular that which at first was delivered to one Tribe is applyable to all Tribes and kindreds of the earth and the word preached to an whole Citie is brought home to some few private consciences and is to be brought home to thine Propound this that hath beene said as thine owne cause and admiring not so much the Lords patience towards Ionah as towards thy selfe aske these questions of thine owne soule Whether thou doe well to deferre thy repentance and turning vnto God so long whether thou doe well at any time to be angry with thy God or with thy brother say oftentimes to thy selfe in thy passion and distemper of minde doe I well to be thus impatient thus fretfull doe I well to be thus vnthankefull to my God to provoke him to grieve his holy Spirit Is it better for mee to inioy God as my Father or as a Iudge a gracious Redeemer or terrible revenger to have my part in his blessed promises by listening vnto his loving admonitions or in those fearefull comminations before mentioned by continuing obstinate An admirable clemencie was it in the Lord in such faire tearmes to treate with Ionah his servant his creature but far greater his loue vnder this forme of reasoning to make Ionah his owne Iudge in the cause by this meanes to reduce him to a more sober minde when as he saith to this effect if thou thinke that thou art hardly dealt withall Ionah at my hand and that I the Lord am no equall Iudge in thy behalfe I referre the cause to thine owne censure lay aside wrath and speake out of a more serious consideration whether thou doe well to be angry Angry with mee about the Gourd Thus if we were wise to take the whole benefite of this example we should not only admire his clemencie but also avoide his iudgements and procure his fauour we being made our owne Iudge as before for if we would iudge our selues we should not be iudged of the Lord as saith the Apostle to the Corinthians The cause of Ionahs anger It is expressed here in the text the Gourd Doest thou well to be angry for the Gourd A silly matter to be angry for yea to be angry with the great God in this regard only But this vndoubtedly is not the only cause but many things besides as vpon this ground doe offer themselues to the minde of Ionah as the sparke to the tinder the match to the sparke Yea indeede Ionah was as an hotte oven damm'd vp seeking vent for he was angry before as may appeare from the second verse of this Chapter he was not well pleased at first now this Gourd doth both increase the heate and makes passage Let vs put vpon vs the person of Ionah and reason the whole matter so farre as by circumstance we are able to collect in his behalfe And first looke wee vnto the office of Ionah He was a Prophet a name of honour so of great labour and molestation pride lookes contemptuously at the function envy weaves many subtill disgraces to bring downe the honour of it all the armies of vices doe bandon against it and he who hath vndertaken this office must show himselfe a profest enemie to the times iniquities Ionah was a Prophet So he was a Prophet to those revolting Tribes of Israel of whose incorrigiblenesse all the other Prophets have complained And now after that he hath wearied and spent himselfe among these hee is sent vnto a stout-hearted people the Ninevites And what hope of better fruit and successe of his labours amongst an vnbeleeving nation Or if perchance they proove beleeving and repent then is the credite of his message called in question this made him at the first to flye to Tarshish Now after so many iournyings by land and tossings by sea he takes vp his lodging in the belly of a Whale-fish He is out of that nastie place deliuered as out of the mouth of hell and now is commanded the second time for Nineveh And now Ionah must put on a firme resolution either to be slaine or else derided if the feare of God be not in the place then Ionah hath spoken words the land is not able to beare Flee oh thou seer and escape for thy life Or if the feare of God doe worke in their hearts to repentance and amendment then hearke to Ionah I pray thee O Lord saith he was not this my saying when I was yet in my owne countrey therefore I fled before vnto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gracious God c. Now after all these labours after all these dolours some poore refreshment springs vp to Ionah a Gourd from the ground to comfort Ionah's head in this great disquiet and paine of Ionah's heart The Lord prepared a Gourd to overshadow Ionah's head and therewith he was content to forget his present myserie for now thinkes he the Lord begins to remember my affliction and flatters himselfe from this conceit that the Lord will proceede to adde further consolation and herein Ionah was exceeding glad of the Gourd But behold on the suddaine all his mirth is marr'd Ionah's reioycing lasteth but for a night Ionah awakes in the morning and finds the Gourd quite decayed and all his pleasure therewith vanished Thus am I crossed saith Ionah every way thus am I mocked thus deceiued thus am I altogether and on all sides vexed And it came to passe saith the text when the Sun did arise that God prepared a vehement East-winde and the Sunne beate vpon the head of Ionah that he fainted and wished in himselfe to dye and said It is better for me to dye then to live Now saith God to Ionah thus many reasons no doubt and many more in his thoughts being amassed together Ionah Doest thou well to be angry or art thou exceeding angry yea saith Ionah I am exceeding angry yea I doe well to be angry to the death You see the cause or rather causes of Ionah's anger to content my selfe with one onely observation let vs learne from hence thus much for our instruction Namely from the orderly or rather disorderly working of Ionah's passions the present being vsed as an instrument to rake vp the
finde by the pulse of their affections a strong inclination to Ionah's disease they may vse these remedies to allay the fury and settle the tranquillitie of their owne soules First let them consider against whom they doe oppose in their anger is it not against the great and mighrie God The Thistle in Lebanon sent to the Cedar in Lebanon saying give thy daughter to my sonne to wife or take thou my daughter to thy sonne to wife and there passed by a wilde beast that was in Lebanon and trode downe the Thistle Thus said Joash King of Israel to Amaziah King of Iudah when he sent this message let vs looke one another in the face and this is the least of a thousand that I can say when we dare provoke the God of heaven to his face Can we throw downe mountaines by our might or dry vp the sea at our rebuke Can the Toade as the Fable hath it equall the Elephant in bignesse though shee swell and swell and swell againe and burst in swelling O then let vs remember that arrowes shotte vp into the ayre returne vpon the head of the shooters and pierce downewards Againe consider thine owne deserving for sure thou hast good cause to be angry with God and why thou hast from time to time so well deserved at his hands It is the mercy of the Lord that we are not all consumed saith Ieremy and truly wee are lesse then the least of all his mercies therefore the vse is soveraigne which the same Prophet maketh Lament 3. Wherefore doeth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes Let vs search and try our waies and turne againe to the Lord Let vs lift vp our heart with our hands vnto God in the heavens c. Thirdly to passe from this iudge not of Gods favour to thee or his righteous proceedings in thy cause or person from the sense of thy present suffrings but from the end and issue which commonly God makes of his Saints afflictions and therefore whereas now thou art vnder and thy feete sticke fast in myre and clay pray vnto God with David that he would advance thy head and set thee vpon the rocke which is higher then thou so shalt thou be able to looke about thee round and with comfort behold the hilles and dales spacious forrests and groves thou shalt then with correction of thy passed folly perceive plainely the causes the reasons the end issue of Gods wise and gracious proceeding with thee and perceiving shalt praise and magnifie his name for it The Warre-like Souldier while the heate of the battell lasteh heares and sees nothing but confused noise and garments rolled in blood the pransing of strong horses the ratling speares Bellonaes rage with the clashing armes and clanging trumpe doth astonne his sense for the present and hee hath no leisure so long to thinke of the countrey of Peace the Ensignes of Honour the Garlands of Victory Victorious when he doth returne from the spoyle of his enemies then he rides in the Chariot of Triumph Trophees are erected he doth with ioy recount his dangers passed glory in his wounds received when all tongurs doe sound his praises Saul hath slaine his thousand and David his ten thousand Even so when the Warre-fare appointed for vs is accomplished we shall stand vpon Mount Sion Victorious beholding the Aegyptians dead vpon the shoore and shall sing the song of Moses the Horse and his ryder are throwne into the Sea Principalities and Powers are vanquished and subdued and we shall raigne for evermore Secondly My second vse shall be also of exhortation but this to the troublers of Sions peace and Edoms children who insult vpon her desolations It is necessary saith our Saviour that offences come but woe be to them who are the causers and grieve the soules of Gods children for they doe not alwaies labour of their owne inward griefes and private distresses of their owne soules from within Eliah flyes from the face of Iezabel and growes weary of his life woe be to Iezabel therefore who is the cause of it In the meane time the Saints groane and cry out for the wrongs done vnto them and grow impatient of spirit because the Lord doeth not worke the deliverance shall we say howsoever their impatiencie is not to bee excused that the world who hath procured their vnrest shall escape vnpunished or that the soules shall not be heard who to this day cry from vnder the Altar how long o Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Remember the parable of the widow and vniust Iudge avenge me of mine adversary saith shee avenge mee of mine adversary and still shee cryeth avenge mee of mine adversary he would not for the iustnesse of her cause heare her but her importunity prevailed What 's the vse our Saviour makes thereof the answere ariseth by a gradation shall not God much more Iudge and revenge who is a iust Iudge and in a most iust and rightfull cause and that in the behalfe of his children his children which doe not onely call but cry and cry day and night shall not God avenge his owne elect saith he which cry day and night vnto him though hee beare long with them As who would say there is no sense nor reason to the contrary and therefore he saith plainly I tell you he will avenge them speedily Luk. 18. Thirdly In the third place Let vs learne to bee advised of this one thing how wee spend our iudgements vpon any whom we yet see labouring vnder the crosse least prooving vncharitable in our censure it proove to be our turne next to vndergoe the same tryalls vnder which wee see our â—â—other with some bitternesse of spirit wrastling for the present Alas If we iudge onely from the outward behaviour and externall effects which for the present affect our senses Ionah then is already condemned by our doome and how hardly must it goe with all those famous Worthies before named Rather Let vs enter into this account with our selves and say good God if Ionah indued with a farre greater measure of holinesse then poore I did proove thus fretfull and impatient vnder the hand of God how lesse able should I have beene to have borne but halfe the burden he sustained If Eliah Moses Ieremy Iob had not the power to master their vnruly passions sure then if Ibe not conscious to my selfe of the like weakenesse I never came vnto the tryall or how weakely should I resist in the day of evill A man that lyes groveling on the ground and sends forth lamentable groanes wee know not well the anguish of his spirit yet this we know that he is terribly indisposed yet for all this though the sight of all men and in his owne thinking too he be as a man most desperately forlorne and miserable he may notwithstanding by the helpe of some cunning Physitian and Chirurgion be