and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not This may be the voice of faith striving between hope and fear The King and Nobles of Nineve hope well they may be spared upon their repentance but they fear the worst they cannot tell what the event will be they will use the means but are not sure what will be the success Only they hope God may be over-intreated by their humiliation and reformation to save them from perishing It is a temporal mercy which they crave and Gods own Children are not sure alway to speed in such matters viz. to escape the danger of war to get out of a great fit of sickness or the like Yea such is the modesty of godly men that in the sense of their own unworthiness they will not prescribe to Gods wisdom concerning the length or strength of their afflictions but quietly submit to his will and good pleasure I was dumb and opened not my mouth because thou didst it Psal 39.9 Yet methinks we may look higher even to the forgiveness of sin and salvation of the soul Our Saviour saith of the Ninevites that they repented at the preaching of Jonah and in the former words we have seen three acts of repentance and now the fourth will make up a competent description of repentance Repentance is such a grace of God as whereby we are humbled for sin Description of repentance pray for pardon reform what is amiss and have some hope of finding mercy at Gods hands All these were in the Ninevites and are in each true Convert 1. A true Convert is humbled for sin though not perhaps in sackcloth and ashes as these here 1 Cor 14.25 or though he do not fall down on his face as he in the Corinthians yet his heart is pierced with godly sorrow for sin which now begins to be very bitter and grievous to him Jer. 2.19 He finds it an evil and bitter thing to have forsaken the Lord his God Sin now is grown burdensome to his soul as is implyed in those words labour and are heavy laden Mat. 11 2â— And now earthly comforts grow unsavory what joy can he have so long as he is under the guilt and condemnation of his sins especially the pleasures of sin O odious and bitter to be thought on 2. A true Convert prayes for the pardon of his sins God be merciful to me a sinner Luke 18.13 Psal 51.1 according to the multitude of thy mercies blot out my transgressions So Daniel and Ezra in their humiliations and these Ninevites cry mightily unto God In the one and fiftieth Psalm we see Davids doubled and trebled Petitions for mercy just as a condemned Malefactor earnestly beseecheth the Judge to shew him mercy forgiveness of sins being the happiness of a sinner Rom. 4.6 and a chief mercy for which we should give thanks Psal 103.1 2 3. Oh how happy should I be thinks the distressed soul if I were released of my sins 3. A true Convert reforms what is amiss Turns from his evil way both Commissions that the wickednesses shall not be done over and over as heretofore and Omâ—ssions that he will do the duties which formerly he neglected pesonal and in the family not as our negative Christians who rest contented if they be not so bad as sometime they were No God requires good to be done as well as evil to be left undone Cease to do evil and learn to do wâ—ll Put off the old man Esa 1 16. Eph. 4 22.24 put on the new Paul when he was converted presently a sked Lord what wilt thou have me to do 4. A true Convert hath some hope of finding mercy at the hands of God who can tell whether he will turn and shew favor Though he cannot yet say his sin is pardoned yet he conceives it is pardonable To the Lord my God belong mercies and forgivenesses we have heard of this King of Israel that he is a merciful King therefore we will nourish some hope amidst all our fears and notwithstanding many discouragements Doctr. Mixture of hope and fear in Converts The point is this Gods own Children sometimes cannot well tell whether he will be merciful to them that they perish not there is a Conflict of faith between hope and fear we read of a bruised reed and smoaking flax some fire but much smoak They can say with the poor man I believe Mark 9.24 Rom 7 24 but say with tears too Lord help my unbelief They can say Good is present with me but withall who shall deliver me from this body of death Now this holds both first and last 1. At the beginning of conversion a young Convert cannot tell whether his sins be forgiven him and his soul set in safety by Jesus Christ as the Childe lives in the womb but knows not that he lives A man may be rich and not know that he is rich so aâ— Christian is ignorant concerning his good estate toward God till the Spirit of revelation be given him to know his happiness 2. Afterward all along in his course he hath his doubtings fears cares jealousies concerning the love of God returning upon him now and then which comes to pass by the weakness of his faith by the strength of temptations by his remisness in using the means of grace or by neglecting his religious course Hath the Lord forgotten to be gracious c. One way or other it comes to pass that even a good Christian must rejoyce with trembling Pas 77. Psal 2 11. Phil 2.12 and work out his salvation with fear and trembling and he that ere while was very confident in little time begins to flag and faint exceedingly I know that my Redeemer liveth said Job yet by and by he was quite carryed down the stream Quest But may not a Christian tell whether Gods fierce anger be turned from him or no Answ 1. There be good and sufficient grounds for assurance Answ as for example the covenant of grace the freeness and largeness of the promises the powerful satisfaction and intercession of Jesus Christ the word of reconciliation committed to Ministers the Oath of God the Seals of Sacraments with other Why all this but to give us strong consolation Heb. 6.18 God would not have his Children to doubt and be afraid and hath said Why did ye doubt O ye of little faith Be not faithless but believing c. Assurance then is to be had and those are the grounds of this assurance 2. This assurance admits of degrees In Scripture we read of assurance much assurance and full assurance of faith Some days are brighter then other and the comforts of some Christians are more lively then of others Yea in the same Christian there be lucida intervalla among all their evidences dusky at times but the cloud soon vanishes and after many wrestlings comes at last the triumph of faith Who shall accuse or condemn Rom. 8.34
Jonah at this time had sinned hainously and might be ashamed to look God in the face yet see how he ownes God for his God and falls to prayer so did David Daniel Ezra other Saints they ever prayed to God as to a God pardoning iniquity transgression and sin Exod 34.7 And he is glorified in this act of mercy as well as in delivering out of trouble and danger and more because it is an act of greater mercy as he proclaimed before Moses Oh but mine is an amazing evil Ob. Sol. and so puzzles me that I cannot pray Answ 1. Jonahs case had as many amazements as any mans case lightly can have yet was not he puzzled 2. It is a sinful infirmity in Saints that they were not able sometime to pray and to lift up their heads and so they have confessed it Psal 77.10 I said it is my infirmity And they checked themselves for their unbelief hastiness saying they were cast out of his presence and he was angry with their prayer Often we read in the Psalms how David upon these distempers fell to prayer again Oh but I am unworthy to pray Ob. Sol. or to be heard in prayer Answ So was Jonah and yet he prayed and was heard And the Centurion who acknowledged his unworthiness yet had his suit granted And Gods Children when they fall upon this work do not go as worthy persons but in Christ they are accounted worthy and that is all their pleading In true and proper speech none but the Lamb is worthy to receive honor and glory Oh could I see any door of hope open to me Ob. Sol. I should be encouraged to pray Answ 1. God is able to open a door where in nature and in thy sense there is none at all 2. Pray and it shall be opened and thou shalt see it as Hagar who saw the weâ—l of water Little did Jonah think that the Whale should vomit him out upon dry land Little did Israel think that thy should go on foot through the red sea or Jordan Ob. Sol. Oh but I am afraid God is angry with me and will do nothing for such a wretch as I am Answ It is a certain rule that God is sometimes angry with his Children but never hates them as with Jonah angry but loved him still He ever loves his faithful ones and in his love he will receive their prayers as Jonahs In Christ their persons are accepted and in his mediation their prayers shall prevail Use 2 Hear thou afflicted and never give over thy praying though in a forlorn case Think what Jonah did in the Whales belly and among the weeds waves billows noysomeness Think what it is to cry out of the deeps when the floods of ungodliness made thee afraid when the arrows of the Almighty stick fast in thee when a plurisie comes or some dangerous disease Try what an hearty prayer can do do not restrain prayer from the Almighty nor give all for lost or if thou hast fainted as Jonah yet pluck up thy spirits and to it again Insignis mutatio saith Mr. Gualter He that before fled from the presence of the Lord doth now upon his repentance hang on him and will not let him go without a blessing even so do thou Amend every error and mark this notable change in the Penitent 2 Cor. 7.11 to sorrow after a godly sort works much carefulness and fear and zeal Consider for encouragement to prayer while a Christian finds an heart God will find an ear to hear and do and save out of troubles and still the best is behind Mark here what follows I cryed and he heard me again I cryed and thou heardest me Doctr. 1 God will hear and regard all the moanings of his Children in prayer God hears all good prayers why because he is a God hearing prayer it is one of his Attributes because Jesus Christ appears for them and is a powerful Mediator with his Father because good prayer iâ— the breath and voice of his own holy spirit in his Children because they cast themelves upon his mercy and faithfulness because hell and the world is all against them because they have an honest purpose to glorifie God with whatsoever mercies they shall receive at his hands as here Jonah But mark how he hears prayer 1. In the kind of mercy How 1 which is desired as Jonah to be delivered out of the Whales belly we out of sickness danger or any adversity 2. In How 2 something that is as good or better we shall have grace sufficient for us strong consolation of his spirit hereafter it shall come but not yet our posterity shall fare the better for those prayers in the appointed time and manner all the promises of God shall most certainly be fulfilled Now take this as an encouragement to prayer Ask and Use 1 ye shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you Cry as Jonah and thou shalt be heard as Jonah every suitor at Court is not sure to speed of his Petition but believers are sure to speed 1 John 5.15 we know that we have the Petitions that we desired of hâ—m And a begger will know the door where he useth to get a good alms And if it be so do not mis-conster Gods delays as if Use 2 they were denials sometimes he delays to give his answer but he never denies his children It was three days and three nights ere Jonah got out of the Whales belly he prayed the first day but came not forth till the third The woman of Syrophenicia sped at last in her suit but it was after some repulses Every vision of comfort is for an appointed time but at last it will speak and not lye But mark yet another thing A godly man receives an Doctr. 2 outward mercy as a fruit of prayer We may know it he sees in the effect that his prayer is answered and takes the mercy as the income of prayer he heard me saith Jonah and I am delivered so David Psal 120.1 In my distress I cryed unto the Lord and he heard me â— vast difference then there is in the godly mans receiving Use 1 mercies and others He receives it upon prayer and by vertue of a covenant and pâ—omises and as a part of Christs purchase who makes requests for us in heaven prayer ascendeth and grace descendeth Others not so Use 2 And it teacheth godly Christians to look after their prayers that they may observe what answer it pleaseth the Lord to give as Psal 85.8 I will hearken what the Lord God will say Praying is compared to sowing of seed and the Husbandman useth now and then to look to his sowen fields Only mark the last clause there return not to folly A godly man must keep himself a godly man and do the work of a godly man or else may miss of his answer at least for a time as here Jonah Ver. 3.4 5
6. For thou hast cast me into the deep in the midst of the seas and the floods compassed me about all thy billows and thy waves passed over me Then I said I am cast out of thy fight yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple The waters compassed me about even to the soul the depth closed me round about the weeds were wrapt about my head I went down into the bottoms of the mountains the earth with her bars was about me for ever yet hast thou brought my life from corruption O Lord my God Amplificatio prima Here the Prophet amplifies his prayer by the greatness of the danger whereinto he was brought the fishes belly the belly of hell the deep the midst of the seas bottoms of mountains weeds floods and billows Being escaped out of the danger nevertheless he recounteth the danger wherein he had been as every godly man also will do Nature teacheth a man to be sensible of present evils Note Recount old sufferings troubles and dangers but grace teacheth to mind old ones as of which he hath a saving use to make so did Jacob Gen. 32.10 with my staff I passed over this Jordan a poor and desolate man and David I followed the Ews great with young and Amos tells how he had been an Herdman and had gathered Sycomore fruits chap. 7. Use Benefits accrewing thereby Do so Christian now that thou art set in a large place out of thy troubles There be these good uses to be made of this recounting former evils 1. It will keep thee humble and low in thine own eyes though now increased into two bands mighty high preferred before many of thy brethren time was when thou wast low enough remember and be lowly-minded as God seems to set it down for a remedy against perking Deut. 8.2 Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness to humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou wouldest keep his Commandments or no. It is the great sin of many a man that he is lifted up with present prosperity though sometime he was in a very low estate yet now that he is got into a mountain Psal 30.6 he stands cracking as if he should never be moved And none must mind him of his old poverty or meanness he that doth doth break the peace and sometime it comes to daggers drawing and much ado there is to be reconciled as friends should be Possibly there may be a fault in such twitting a man with his ancient poverty but yet a godly man should take it well so to further his humility which it is hard to retain 2. It will make and keep thee thankful for the comfortable change which God hath made in thy estate as Jacob there confessed to the glory of God and as Israel was required to do Deut. 8.10 when thou hast eaten and art full thou shalt bless the Lord thy God Thankfulness is a grace that will wither as soon as any flower in our Garland and needs to be thus watered Remember the terrors of the late wars so to be thankful for our present peace Remember the terrors of thy burning feaver which thou hadst at such a time the sleepless nights tormenting fits of the Gout or Stone publick evils that lay upon the Church or threatned it shrewdly as in Queen Maries time in eighty eight in the Gunpowder-plot and others whereof we may say as the Psalmist had not the Lord been on our side Ps 1â—4 1 2. the proud waves had gone over our soul blessed be his holy Name for so great deliverances 3. It will help to bear up your faith in expectation of future deliverances as the Apostle said God hath delivered from great death and doth deliver and we trust also he will deliver 1 Sam. 17. 2 Cor. 1.9 10. and David He that delivered me from the Lion and the Bear will deliver me also from this uncircumcised Philistine so one of us God hath helped when I was as low as this comes to this is not the first time that I was in want or danger I remember such and such a straight I cannot well be worse then I was at such a time and yet it pleased God in mercy to send seasonable supply or deliverance therefore in this case also I will not faint nor cast away my confidence Esa 59.2 see Psal 77.10 11 12. Gods ear is not heavy nor his hand shortned nor is he weary of bestowing benefits therefore trust in him still Still there are promises and a covenant of grace and Christ a Mediator for me and bowels of a Father power faithfulness wisdom all divine perfections therefore fear nothing And note by the way one part of the great gain of godliness Godliness takes advantage by every thing to promote the main which is sanctification and salvation that all shall work together for good to them that love God Rom 8.18 and are called according to his purpose Afflictions past and present yea and sins too to be the more humble and more wary for time to come whence we hear Jonah telling of his fleeing to Tarsus and Paul telling how he had been a Persecutor c. Thou hadst cast me into the deep Gods own Child may be cast into deep and great afflictions as Jonah Joseph David Note Saints sometimes deeply afflicted other holy men who without all doubt were very dear unto God yea his own only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ he had one Son without sin but none without affliction And why though he love them all well Reas yet he will not make fondlings of them and though they be good in the main yet they have their faults now and then and they need correction witness Jonah at this time And they have their corruptions which need to be more mortified and their graces must be tryed and made more conspicuous which is not done but in the furnace of affliction And the Devils mouth must be stopped who will be apt to say as against Job that they serve God meerly for prosperity who yet was true to God when he was stript of all Therefore let no godly man misdeem his estate because Use 1 he suffers such and such evils Ecc. 9.1 None can know love or hatred by all that is before him there be other tryals to know it but affliction is no tryal And mark how Jonah professeth his faith in God even now when he thus amplifies his affliction The best employment certainly in such a sad condition is to find out the sins which occasioned the breach and those ends which God aimes at This is our part to look unto and let God alone to do his part which will be for good in the end No Artist must have his work esteemed by some particular piece of it Neither misdeem the estate of others who are so deep Use 2 in
A PRACTICAL EXPOSITION OF THE Historical Prophesie OF JONAH Delivering sundry brief Notes in a Cursory way concerning the mind of the Holy Ghost in the several Passages Hard things exercise the Reader Plain things nourish him Imprimatur June 5. 1665. LONDON Printed by L. Miller for John Chandler Bookseller in Reading 1666. To the Right Worshipful my much honored Friend The Lady Cecilia Knollys All Health and Happiness in the Lord. IT is a very comfortable priviledge good Madam vouchsafed to sincere and faithful Christians that being planted in the house of the Lord Psal 92.14 they shall still bring forth fruit in old age when other trees grow doddick and past fruit-bearing these trees of Righteousness by a singular blessing from God shall be able to yield the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5 21. for the honor of God who planted them and for the good of that Christian community whereof they are members They are more in prayer and more in magnifying the grace whereby they stand more in their meditations of God and the things of God more in their preparations for death and for an entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of Jesus Christ more in imparting experiences of the gracious dealings of God with themselves and others for helping the troubled spirits of their brethren more free in Alms-deeds and all good uses according to ability more mortified to the world and to their passions more profitable to the Church in whose prosperity they rejoyce and grieve in the adversity and better redeem the time whereof they see so little remaining Though they be infested with their infirmities of old age and with divers incumbrances of the world yet even in old age they mind the doing of good yea more good then they were wont to do as willing to the uttermost while they may to shew forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous 1 Pet. 2 9. light The recompence of reward draws nearer and nearer and in little time will be fully in their possession therefore for the inch of time that remains in this tabernacle they will work as fast as they can with all faithfulness carefulness and chearfulness And this their priviledge stands upon sundry unmoveable grounds as The eternal love and counsel of God who enables them to persevere and be fruitful The meritorious intercession and powerful grace of Jesus Christ John 15.5 in whom they are as branches in their Vine The effectual working of Gods blessed Spirit who is promised to abide with them for ever 14.16 The immortal and incorruptible seed of the word 1 Pet. 1.13 whereof they are born again and cannot perish for ever The faithful and stedfast Covenant of grace Jer. 32.40 which as it engageth God never to depart from them but do them good so it warrants them fresh abilities that they shall never depart from their God together with promises in particular and divers helps both to hold out to the end and to bring forth fruit still in old age This I write good Madam to comfort you in this your age and against the many infirmities which accompany it The Lord adde unto your days abundantly and give you yet to see the peace of his Jerusalem Many good fruits you have born already and we rejoyce in seeing them your love to the House and Ordinances of God which sometimes you frequent with danger to your health your love to godly Ministers whom you esteem worthy of double honour the religious ordering of your Family the careful observation of the Lords Day which with many is almost out of request the large provision you make weekly for poor people with other good fruits which will abound to your account in that great day of Jesus Christ Phil. 4.17 Go on good Madam and never be weary in well-doing Gal. 6.9 in due time you shall reap if you faint not and according to the premisses you shall be sure in this holy way never to faint for the way of the Lord is strength to the upright Prov. 10.29 and the whole stream of the Scriptures runs for your encouragement At this time I make bold to present your Ladyship with these brief and plain Meditations and pray your acceptance as from one who desires to acknowledge the grace of God in you and to help you along to the end of your course with much joy and assurance humbly taking my leave in present and unto death remaining Your Ladyships obliged William Jemmat To the Practitioner in Religion GOod friend here I present thee with a few plain and familiar Observations on the Book of Jonah Learned and eloquent Discourses he that is willing may find in those great Masters of our Israel A. Abbot B. King who many yeares ago wrote on this Prophesie which yet is rather an History And this present endeavour needed not but to revive those Notions which lie hid from the most and plain people will best relish plain and short Discourses Yet if we consider the matters herein contained we shall find some of them lofty Hieron proem in Jonam and fit for deep meditations Some Hebrew Doctors say that this Jonah was son of the widow of Sarepta whom Eliahs raised from the dead which if it be true we meet with a wonder both strange and not exemplified in any other Here are three resurrectians for one Saint first in that he was raised by the Prophet Eliah next that he recovered out of the belly of the Whale wherein he was a figure of our Saviours resurrection and last of all Mat. 12.39.40 that in the generall resurrection he shall come again with his body and for ever be with the Lord. It is also a wonder in this Book that the providence of our God is so present with his people and of so large extent among the creatures both small and great It is a wonder that Jonah should so long subsist in the Whales belly and at three dayes end be set on land again and do the message which formerly he had so stifly refused to do It is a wonder that in a little time he reaped more fruit of his Ministry among heathenish Ninevites then in a long time he had reaped among Gods own people It is a wonder that after his miraculous deliverance out of the Fish and after his holy resolutions to be wholly for the Lord yet he should be stout and sturdy about the sparing of Nineve the Lord bespeaking him very mildely and he replying upon the Lord very peevishly Christian there is something to be pickt out of these and other passages for thy edification Let the brevity of the Notes occasion thee to fall into large meditations and applications to thine own soul And let the plainnesse of them which saves the labour of farther inquiry occasion thee to deal the more seriously with thy conscience that thou mayest be brought to an entire estate of faith
Arise call upon thy God if so be that God will think upon us that we perish not In every Society of men there must be order Here in Note 1 a Ship there is a Ship-master in a Navy Order in every Society there is an Admiral in an Army there is a General in an House Town or Nation there is a Governour So in the Church there ought to be Order and Government or else all comes to Confusion We see what mischief is befallen since Government ceased and should see more mischief if Civil Government ceased as well as Ecclesiastical In both it is true better a bad Government then no Government Tyranny is very bad but Anarchy is far worse and more intolerable For our Ship-master he comes to Jonah and reproves him for sleeping It is likely that in this great distress of weather he bestir'd him to the uttermost to save the Vessel and all that were in it sometimes under Deck sometimes above sometimes among the Ropes and Cables sometimes in the Keel or sides of the Ship to see what must be done to that purpose And here in the side of the ship he finds Jonah fast asleep and rouseth him up What meanest thou O sleeper Note 2 Great diligence must be used of every one in his Place and Calling Look to the main chance to save the main chance for the Body for the present Life for the onward Estate but especially for the Soul and Eternity So for Church and Common-wealth do thy best to save a Barque ready to perish If Prayers can do any thing if Tears Sighs Zeal for Reformation Mourning for the Abominations let us not want thy helping-hand We should not give all for lost till there be no Remedy and we be now sinking This Ship-Master by his diligence saved his Vessel and so may we Note 3 What meanest thou O sleeper A secure sinner can have no good meaning with him Naturalists mean not well I suppose he hath no such meaning as to damn himself and his Companions or to ruine the Church and State It is not the thing which he doth purposely intend yet he may be well asked the question What meanest thou It is not yet in his thoughts and purposes to do any good either in publick or private In present he minds nothing but a sinful and sensual enjoyment Use Carnal people say they have good meanings but it is much to be doubted For how can meanings be good when they are only General Blind Lazie and not Operative according to the Exigents of Church and State or of the precious soul should these be called good meanings It is a meer delusion We shall further question them as here the ship-master what meanest thou O sleeper Arise call upon thy God It is our duty to rouse up secure Note 4 sinners Rouse up secure sinners that they may escape the great danger wherein they are as the danger of losing a Vessel Life and Goods so and much more the losing of a precious and Immortal soul Exhort Admonish Reprove pull them out of the Fire save them with Fear and use Compassion As we would call upon a sleeping Master when his house is all on Fire so and much more should we in soul-dangers Consider our Brethren whom we help now may help us another time in our drowsiness and sleepiness And none of us but is apt to be sleepy we are of a corrupt Nature and have taken a dram of hellish Opium so all possible help will be little enough Consider Charity requires helpfulness and this is a work of the truest Charity And why should not eternal danger quicken us as well as common danger Call upon thy God Carnal people can wish for a part in Note 5 all good prayers as here All would share in good prayers the Mariners before had cryed every one unto his god Possibly there might be an hundred Passengers in the ship and an hundred several gods that were called upon yet see how the ship master bespeaks Jonah for his Prayers too that if it be possible they may escape this danger And possibly they that never made good Prayers in all their Lives yet will beg the Prayers of the godly in their distress and God send them a part in all good prayers Take heed Christians and blunder not along in these Use 1 wild and idle wishes as ye desire the benefit of other mens prayers so ye must learn to pray your selves There is not only prayer in common suppose with a Family or in a Congregation but it is said distributively Every one that calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved and personallly when thou prayest enter into thy Closet The reason is every one of us hath a soul to save and every one hath personal sins personal corruptions personal temptations wants afflictions and every one that is truly godly Zech. 12.10 hath the Spirit of grace and supplications poured upon him And why shouldest not thou make account to pray for others as well as that others should pray for thee is it not one duty of the Communion of Saints as Feeding and Cloathing are duties for the good for the Body No member in the natural Body but must help his Fellows and there is the same reason for the Members of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ And why should any put so great a matter upon the Adventure whether others remember him in their prayers or no every one is his own nearest Neighbour And every one shall give account of himself unto God Rom. 14.12 Use 2 Every Christian therefore that is able to pray should stir up his gift Be much in prayer and improve his interest at the Throne of Grace for his own good and the good of others There is something in this advice to the ship-master Call upon thy God and in the other Every one in the Ship cryed unto his god Mic. 4.5 all people will walk every one in the Name of his god and we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever Why not we devout in a true way as they in a false Mot. 1 Consider the word of appropriation thy God Jehovah is thy God in a Covenant of grace bound to thee both by Promise and Oath and daily solicited by Jesus Christ to shew thee favour according to thy Prayers and Necessities Now then make bold with him every one may make bold with his own but Jehovah is thy God therefore go boldly to him and doubt not of acceptance It is a Miserly trick to have Gold and Silver in store and want Provisions of Food and Physick and it is worse to have a loving Lord God to pray unto and be a stranger to him Mot. 2 Consider also the Name of thy God it is lovely and invites thee to come to him As it is a glorious and terrible Name Deut. 28.58 Exod. 34.6 The Lord thy God so it is an
windes and Seas do obey The Sea ceaseth from raging when God would have it to be quiet but profane persons as the fool rage still and are confident neither word nor works of God can reduce them to obedience nor Magistracy nor any good means whatsoever Others that are enemies of godly men never cease from raging jeering abusing or breathing out threats against them Pharaoh will adventure into the midst of the Sea to overtake and destroy Israel An implacable Generation of men there are who will never cease from sinning till they be in Hell But let us a little re-mind our Type Note Christ dying Gods wrath ceased As when Jonah was cast into the Sea the Sea ceased from raging so when Christ endured the cursed death of the Crosse the wrath of God toward the Elect came to an end as was said from Heaven This is my well beloved Son in whom my Soul resteth He was made a curse for us that we might receive the blessing of Abraham through faith Gal. 3.13 14. This comes from the concurrence of these three Reason 1 things 1. The Person of Christ was of infinite worth being God as well as man and as God he had power to still the raging of these Seas which our Sins had raised against us 2. Christ as a surety had undertaken all Reason 2 the Sins of his people and all the dangers that accrewed thereby stood for a time in the state of the greatest sinner that ever was Esa 53.6 the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us Reason 3 all as on the Scape-Goat 3. It was the agreement of the Father and Son from all eternity that if the second Person in Trinity would take flesh and dye for sinners all the wrath should cease and there should be a full and finall friendship contracted So by this Covenant the wrath of God ceased toward sinners for whom Christ dyed Comfort to beleevers against whom Sin had stirred up an Ocean of wrath and misery Use Comfort to their Eternal condemnation infinitely more and worse danger then ever Jonah and the Mariners were brought into Christ hath dyed therefore all the storm is over and they may be sure it is over and take comfort in the assurance The Mariners were glad when the Sea ceased from her raging and so may they be in the appeasing of Gods wrath The same debt must not be discharged both by the surety end by the principal debtor Whence it is said God is just to forgive us our sins not mercifull only but just 1 Joh. 1.9 Hear and get a weak faith strengthened Peruse those grounds of reason in the reason of the point Peruse the Covenant of grace and the tenor of it Believe and thou shalt be saved Peruse the promises how free they are as well as universall sure and precious Esa 55.1 and Rev. 21.6 And how these great mercies are sealed up in the Sacrament of the Supper a crucified Saviour is here exhibited and all for us therefore conclude we shall escape He needed not to have suffered as for himself for what had the righteous man done no To us he was given and for us he was born A good feast is appointed for cherishing the Guests that come to it and so is this Thou comest with a weak faith and in much doubting yet come and it shall be strengthened Other feasts are not sure to yeild a man nourishment but this is If thou beleevest thou eatest and if thou eatest thou shalt live even for ever Joh. 6.54 Only come preparedly Examine mourn renew repentance and covenant hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Blessed are all such Mat. 5.6 When the Jews was to eat his Pascall Lambe he must prepare him sower Herbs to eat it withall intimating to us that Godly sorrow which Communicants must bring along with them And he that comes mournfully is allowed to go away joyfully He that sowes in tears shall reap in joy Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted And mark such are not only permitted but commanded to rejoyce Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 Psal 32.11 rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous be glad and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Where still remember the main ground of your joy the storm of Gods wrath is over ever since Christ dyed for his Chosen by his stripes they are healed therefore bid defiance to all hellish Enemies as Rom. 8.34 Ver. 16. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vowes This is the Mariners thankfulnesse for the great mercy of deliverance and it hath three Clauses Parts 1. For inward worship they feared the Lord exceedingly 2. For outward worship They offered a sacrifice unto the Lord. These for the present 3. For the future they made vowes bound themselves to the service of the true God For the first of these twice before it was said that the Mariners were a fraid vers 5. and 10. once for the storm that was so dangerous to them another time for that they heard Jonah tell of the God of the Hebrews to be his master and that he had declined his service And now again they fear exceedingly when the storm is over Jonah being cast into the Sea A signe their fear of God was a work of grace in them why they fear the Lord and his goodnesse as Hos 3.5 One would have thought it should have been said That they rejoyced exceedingly namely to see the Sea quiet the danger past and themselves set in safety naturall men use to be frolick in such escapes and poure out their hearts unto pleasures it is a matter of ordinary observation But Grace teacheth a man not to rest in the works of God which are joyous and comfortable Note but to look up unto God himself to fear him that is by a part for the whole to perform all worship to him of Faith Love Joy Desire Zeal other gracious affections and actions that are sutable Psal 111.10 So the fear of God is said to be the beginning of wisdome that is an Introduction to all religious affection and behavior Timor initialis as the schooles say neither altogether ingenuous and Child-like as in setled Christians nor altogether slavish as in natural men who are only terrified with their sins and Gods judgments Felix for example but of a mixture of these as useth to be in time of conversion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Alex. a fear joyned with an holy reverence toward the great God and it continues ever with a Christian once converted to bring the work of grace to perfection 2 Cor. 7.1 perfecting holâ—ness in the fear of God Such fear in all likelihood possessed the hearts of these Mariners namely that now presently upon the casting of Jonah into the Sea such a calm followed Oh the great Power and Holiness and Justice and Mercy of the God of