chardge you at this time with these particulars 1. what Ionas made a booth 2. for what vse to sit vnder the shadowe of it 3. how long to continue till hee mighte see vvhat vvas done in the cittie The 1. and the 2. shew vnto vs the one the nature the other the vse of all buildinges By nature they are but boothes and tabernacles and such as the Prophet reporteth of Sion that shee shoulde remaine as a cottage in a vineyarde and like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers Or as Iob speaketh in the 27. of his booke like a lodge that the watchman maketh no longer to abide than till that service is ended I would be loth to tearme them the houses of spiders and moathes as Iob doth but compared with eternity such they are The patriarches and people of auncienter times dwelt but in tentes easily pight and as easily remooved and as many other things in antiquity so this amongst the rest was a figure to all the ages of the world to come that so long as they dwell vpon the earth they haue but a temporall and transitory habitation The earth which we dwel vpon is but our place of soiourning and wherein vvee are strangers as God tolde Abraham Gen. 17. In the 47 of the same booke Pharaoh asked Iacob howe many were the daies of the yeares of his life Iacob to expresse our condition of travailing and flitting vpon the earth to and fro aunswered the king the whole time not of my life but of my pilgrimage or rather pilgrimages by reason of often remooues is an hundreth and thirty yeares Few and evill haue the daies of my life beene and I haue not attained vnto the yeares of the life of my fathers in the daies of their pilgrimages David 1. Chron. 29. giveth thankes vnto the Lord in behalfe of himselfe and his people that they were able to offer so willingly towards the building of the temple because all thinges came of him and from his owne hande or liberalitie they had given vnto him For saith he we are strangers before thee and soiourners like all our fathers our daies are as the shadowe vpon the earth and there is none abiding Thus Iacob and his fathers David and his Princes and his people and their fathers al were pilgrimes Let vs see nowe what vse the Apostle maketh hereof Hee saith of Abell Enoch Noah Abraham Sarah and the rest that all these died in faith and received not the promises but sawe them a farre of and beleeved them and receaved them thankefullie and confessed that they vvere strangers pilgrimes on the earth For they that say such things declare plainly that they seeke a country It may bee their owne from whence they were exiled the Apostle aunswereth no. For if they had beene mindefull of that countrey froÌ„ whence they came out they had leasure to haue returned But now they desire a better that is an heavenly Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God for he hath prepared for theÌ„ a citty Likewise he exhorteth vs Heb. 13. As Iesus to sanctifie the people vvith his owne bloud suffered without the gate so that we should goe forth of the campe bearing his reproach for here we haue no continuing citty but wee seeke one to come And our Saviour told his disciples Ioh. 4. that in his fathers house there were many mansions or settled dwellings for here wee haue but tabernacles Houses I confesse we haue as foxes haue thtir holes birdes their nestes and bees their hiues to be chased and driven from them but till the promise be fulfille which is mentioned Revel 21. that the tabernacle of God shal be with men that is men shal be with the tabernacle of God and God dwell with vs and we with him in heavenly Ierusalem we must trust to that other prophecie Mich. 2. surgite ite arise and depart for this is not your rest The vse of buildings is that we may sit vnder the shadowe thereof The posterity of Noah Gen. 11. having fouÌ„d out a place in the plaÌ„ie of Sinar said go to let vs build vs a citty towre to get vs a name Was that the end of buildings Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4. built them a palace for the house of his kingdome and for the honour of his maiesty to vaunt of the mightines of his power and to forget the God of heaven Was that the end of building It seemeth by the wordes of Salomon Eccles. 2. that hee made him great worke and built him houses to prooue his hearte vvith ioie and to take pleasure in pleasant thinges Or was that the end of building Some build wonders of the world as the walles of Babylon set vp by Semiramis the house of Cyrus the tombe of Mâ—usolus All which buildings whither they be summer-parlours as Eglons Iud. 3. or winter-caÌ„hbers houses in the citty or TusculaÌ„ farmes in the couÌ„try were they as stately for heigth as the spires of Egypt or as the teÌ„ple of the great Diana of the Ephesians which as they were woÌ„dred at for their buildings so for their ruine dissipation or were they as sumptuous for cost as that pallace of king Alcinous the wals wherof were of brasse the gates of gold the entries of silver they are all but vanity and vvhen vvee haue all done there is none other vse of building than to sit and shadovve our selues and to defend our bodies from the violence of the weather and other forreigne iniuries It is a sickenesse that some men haue to spend their time in building as the Epigramme noted Gellius Gellius aedificat semper Gellius is alvvaies building or repayring or chaunging or doing somewhat to keepe his hand in If a friend come to borrowe money of him Gellius hath no other word in his mouth but I am in building Alas to what purpose are these lardge and spacious houses without inhabitants chimneyes without smoake windowes not for prospect but for martins to breed and owles to sing in Such are the tenants insteed of families heretofore kept hospitality maintained nowe hedge-hogs lying vnder the walles wesels dwelling in the parlours Ieremy doth notably taxe the vanity of a great builder Hee saith I wil build me a wide house and lardge chambers so he wil make himselfe greate windowes and seele theÌ„ with Cedar paint them with Vemiâ—ton But shalt thou raigne saith the prophet because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar did not thy father thy grandfather eate and drinke and prosper when they executed iudgement and iustice kept houses relieved the poore but thine eies thy heart are but only for covetuousnes oppression for vainglory to coÌ„maund and over-looke the country round about and to leaue a name behind thee even to do this and according to the endes thou proposest herein so shall the Lord visite thee Till he might see what should be done in the citty But the
there anie vessell more or lesse in honour then the rest are Moses is no better then Samuel Samuel thē David David a king then Amos an heardman Iohn Baptist more then a prophet not more then a prophet in this auctority Peter or Andrewe the first that was chosen not better then Paul that was borne out of due time The foure beastes in the Revelation haue eies alike before and behinde and the Apostles names are euenly placed in the writings of the holy foundation Salomon the vvisest king that euer vvas in Ierusalem perceiued righte vvell that wheresoeuer the vncreated vvisedome of GOD spake it spake of excellent thinges even thinges seemelie for Princes David his princelie father before him had so high a conceite of these ordinances of the most high that vvhere he defineth any thing he esteemeth them for value aboue great spoiles and thousandes of gold and silver yea all maner of riches and for sweetnesse aboue the hony and the honycombe where he leaueth to define he breaketh of with admiration wonderfull are thy testimonies I haue seene an ende of all perfection but thy commandement is exceeding broade meaning thereby not lesse then infinite The Iewes acknowledge the old testament abhorre the new the Turkes disclaime Iulian atheists and skorners deride Grecians haue stumbled at both olde and newe Papistes enlarge the olde vvith Apocryphall vvritings some of the ancient heretickes renoūced some prophets others added to the number of Evangelists but as the disciples of Christ had but one Maister or teacher in heauen and they were all brethren so one was the authour of these holy vvrittes in heaven and they are all sisters and companions and vvith an vnpartiall respect haue the children of Christes familie from time to time receiued reverenced and embraced the whole and entire volume of them They knowe that one Lorde vvas the originall fountaine of them all vvho being supremely good vvrought and spake perfect goodnesse One vvorde and vvisedome of God revealed these wordes to the sonnes of men himselfe the subiect and scope of them one holie Ghost endited them one bloude of the lambe sealed and confirmed the contentes of them one measure of inspiration vvas given to the pen-men and actuaries that set them downe one spowse and beloved of Christ as gages of his eternall loue hath received them all in keeping And surely shee hath kept them as the apple of her eie and rather then any maime or rent shoulde bee made in their sacred bodye shee hath sent her children into heaven maimed in their owne bodies and spoiled of their dearest bloud they had thinking it a crowne of ioie vnto them to lay downe their liues in the cause of trueth And therefore as branches of the same vine that bare our predecessours to vvhome by devolution these sacred statutes are come vvee esteeme them all for Gods most royall and celestiall testament the oracles of his heavenly sanctuary the onelie keye vnto vs of his revealed counselles milke from his sacred breastes the earnest and pledge of his favour to his Church the light of our feete ioy of our heartes breath of our nostrels pillar of our faith anchor of our hope ground of our loue evidences and deedes of our future blessednes pronouncing of the vvhole booke with every schedule and skrole therein conteyned as hee did of a booke that Sextius vvrote but vpon farre better groundes vivit viget liber est supra hominem est It is a booke of life a booke of liuelyhood a booke in deede savouring of more then the wit of man Notwithstanding as the parcelles of this booke were published and delivered by divers notaries the instruments of Gods owne lippes in divers ages divers places vpon divers occasions and neither the argument nor the stile nor the end and purpose the same in them all some recounting thinges forepassed some foreseeing thinges to come some singing of mercy some of iudgement some shallowe for the lambe to wade in some deepe enough to beare and drowne the Elephant some meate that must bee broken and chevved vvith painefull exposition some drinke that at the first sighte may bee supt and swallowed dovvne somevvhat in some or other parte that may please all humours as the Ievves imagine of their Manna that it rellishte not to all alike but to everie man seemed to taste accordinglie as his hart lusted so though they vvere all vvritten for our learning and comforte yet some may accorde at times and lende application vnto vs for their matter and vse more then others Of all the fovvles of the ayre I meane the Prophetes of the LORDE flying from heaven vvith the winges of divine inspiration I haue chosen the Doue for so the name of Ionah importeth and Ierome so rendereth it to Paulinus to bee the subiecte of my labour and travell vndertaken amongest you vvho vnder the type of his shipwracke and escape figuringe the passion and resurrection of the sonne of GOD and comming from the sea of Tharsis as that Doue of Noahs Arke came from the vvaters of the floude vvith an oliue branch in his lippes in signe of peace preacheth to Niniveh to the Gentiles to the vvhole vvorlde the vndeserved goodnesse of GOD towardes repentant sinners For if you vvill knowe in briefe vvhat the argument of this Prophet is it is abridged in that sentence of the Psalme The LORDE is mercifull and gracious of longe suffering and of grette goodnesse Hee is mercifull in the first parte of the prophecy to the Mariners gracious in the seconde to Ionas long suffering in the thirde to the Ninivites and of great goodnesse in the fourth in pleading the rightfulnesse of his mercie and yeelding a reason of his facte to him vvhich had no reason to demaunde it So from the foure chapters of Ionas as from the foure windes is sent a comfortable breath and gale of most aboundant mercies And as the foure streames in paradise flowing from one heade vvere the same water in foure divisions so the foure chapters or sections of this treatise are but quadruple mercie or mercie in foure parts And so much the rather to bee harkened vnto as an action of mercie is more gratefull vnto vs then the contemplation the vse then the knowledge the example then the promise and it is sweeter to our taste beeing experienced by proofe then vvhen it is but taught and discoursed You heare the principall matter of the prophecie But if you woulde knowe besides what riches it offereth vnto you it is a spirituall library as Cassiodore noted of the Psalmes of most kindes of doctrine fit for meditation or as Isidore spake of the Lordes prayer and the Creede the vvhole breadth of scripture may hither bee reduced Here you haue Genesis in the sodaine and miraculous creation of a gourd Moses and the lawe in denuntiation of iudgement Chronicle in the relation of an history Prophecy in prefiguring the resurrection of
preachers And let him make those preachers and hearers hearers and doers doers and perseverers good teachers good learners good liuers everlasting companions within our borders So shall our land be blessed with all both heauenly and earthly encrease and God even our owne God shall never repent that hee bestowed such blessing vpon vs Amen THE SECOND LECTVRE Cap. 1. vers 2. Arise and goe to Niniveh that great citie crie against it for their wickednesse is come vp before mee NOT to trouble you with longer repetition wee enquired in the former exercise of these three pointes 1. The place which Ionas was sent vnto 2. his busines there 3. the cause Touching the place we proposed foure reasons why God sent him to Niniveh 1. To keepe his manner and vse of foretelling the plague before hee inflicteth it 2. to set vp a standard of hope to the rest of the Gentiles that they also should pertake the goodnes of God 3. to prevent his people with mercy and to take vp favour in Assyria for them before hand against the time of their banishmente 4. to shame and confound the house of Israell with the singular repentance of a strange people Niniveh is further beautified in my text by two epithets or additions the one describing the nature or kind of the place A citie the other the quantity or amplenes thereof A great citie The inference from both these must needes be this that because it was a city and a great city it was therefore stately for wealthines glorious for buildings well peopled tedious to be gone through perillous to bee threatned where the prophet was likely to finde in all states of men Princes Counsellors Courtiers Marchants Communers mightie contradiction The greatnesse of Niniveh is more plentifullie set downe in the thirde of this prophecie vvhere it is tearmed a greate and an excellent citie of three dayes iourney It had an auncient testimony long before in the booke of Genesis for thus Moses vvriteth that Asshur came from the lande of Shinar and builte Niniveh and Rehoboth and Calah and Resin betweene Niniveh and Calah at length he singleth out Niniveh from the rest and setteth a speciall marke of preheminence vpon it This is a greate citie VVhich honour by the iudgement of the most learned though standing in the last place belongeth to the first of the foure cities namelie to Niniveh Others imagined but their coniecture is without grounde that the vvhole foure cities vvere closed vp vvithin the same vvalles and made but one of an vnusuall bignesse Some ascribe the building of Niniveh to Ninus the sonne of Belus of vvhome it tooke the name to bee called either Ninus as we reade in Plinie or after the manner of the Hebrewes Niniveh They conceiue it thus that when Nimrod had builte Babylon Ninus disdaining his governement went into the fieldes of Ashur and there erected a citie after his owne name betweene the rivers Lycus and Tybris Others suppose that the affinitye betwixt these names Ninus and Niniveh deceaved prophane writers touching the authour thereof and that it tooke to name Niniveh because it was beautifull or pleasant Others holde opinion that Ashur and Ninus are but one and the same person And lastly to conclude the iudgement of some learned is that neither Ashur nor Ninus but Nimrod himselfe was the founder of it But by the confession of all both sacred and Gentile historyes the citâ—e vvas verie spacious having foure hundred and eighty furlonges in circuite vvhen Babylon had fewer almost by an hundred and as afterwardes it grew in wealth and magnificence so they write is was much more enlarged Raphaël Volateranus affirmeth that it was eight yeares in building and not by fewer at once then ten thousand workemen There was no citie since by the estimation of Diodorus Siculus that had like compasse of grounde or statelines of walles the height whereof was not lesse theÌ„ an 100 feete the breadth sufficiently capable to haue received 3. cartes on a row they were furnished and adorned besides with a 1500 turrets The holy Ghost no doubt had a double purpose in giving this glorious title of distinction vnto Niniveh the one in respect of Ionas the other of Niniveh it selfe 1 In respect of Ionas it was the meaning of God to trie and arme his prophet before hand with commemoration of the greatest difficulties that by naming the worst at the first vnto him hee might prooue his obedience whether hee felt himselfe disposed to holde out and so settle his thoughts in some sort in declaring the costes of the building before hee vndertooke it least afterwardes when hee came and founde the danger of the place beyond his expectation hee might complaine of God as we read that Ieremy did I am deceived O Lord and thou hast deceived mee Thus hee dealt with Abraham his servant in the 22. of Genesis about the offering of his son whose faith and obedience hee sounded before by aggravating in his eares everye circumstance of the action that Abraham might forecast with himselfe whether the infirmity of his nature were able to brook it for it is written there that God did prooue Abraham The proofe was thus Abraham take 1 thy sonne 2 thine onely sonne 3 Isaac thy son 4 whome thou lovest take him 5 thy selfe take him 6 nowe presently 7 get thee into the lande of Moriah 8 there offer him offer him 9 for a burnt offeringe vpon one of the mountaines which I shall shew thee The weight of every worde is enough to bruise him in pieces and make him since downe vnder the burthen of that charge 1. Take thy sonne not thy bondman nor beast nor any common thing that belongeth vnto thee 2. thine onelie sonne the onely begotten of the free woman 3. not Ismaell but Isaac thy sonne to vvhome thy promises are established 4. Isaac whome thou lovest as tender and deare vnto thee as the bowelles of thine owne breast 5. take him in thine owne person even thou the father of the childe turne not over the execution to any other man 6. take him without delay I giue thee no time to deliberate nor day nor houre to conferre vvith thy selfe and to comfort thy broken harte about the losse of thy beloved 7. Get thee into the land of Moriah which will aske the travell of three daies so long vvill I holde and suspend thy soule in bitternes 8. leaue not thy sonne in Moriah as an Orphan without his father to soiourne in a straunge country offer him in sacrifice commit slaughter vpon his flesh 9. lastly vvhen thou hast slaine him thou shalt burne him in the fire and consume him to ashes thou shalt not spare thy sonne for my sake neyther quicke nor deade So likewise vvhen he sent Ezechiel to the rebels of Israell hee gaue him this provision Sonne of man I sende thee to the children of Israell What are they I will not
which foolish idolatry one of their owne sophists sometime spake in derision Bono estote animo quando Dij moriuntur ante homines Be of good courage since Gods die before men And not only men haue they thus hallowed but their qualities and vertues Iustice Prudence the like yea their affections perturbatioÌ„s Feare Hope Loue with the rest wherof Lactantius writeth Audax consilium Graeciae quòd Cupidinem Amorem consecrant Greece was very bold in making Loue a God Shal I adde moreover the defects infirmities of men they had their dumbe Goddesse by LactaÌ„tius a thing most ridiculously taxed in them Quid praestare colenti potest quae loqui non potest what good can shee do to her suitors that cannot speake They are not yet filthy enough vnlesse they erect altars and shrines to theis vices to Impudencie and Contumelye as Epimenides did at Athens and to those plagues which their sinnes deserved as to Furies and Fiends Revenge and the like mischiefes Tullus Hostilius put Feare Palenes in the number of his Gods It is pitty saith Lactantius that ever his Gods should go from him And the people of Rome helde Rust and the Ague in no lesse account The fruites of the grounde as Corne and Wine the very land markes in the fields rude unshapen stones were not debarred of this honor They had their God for dunging their lande and the basest thing that coulde bee imagined a goddesse for their draught-houses And not to disquiet any longer Christian eares with their hethnish absurdities drunkards harlots and the eues were not lefte without their patrons A Poet of their owne inveighed against their multitude of Gods in a Satyre long since Nec turba deorum Talis vt est hodie contentáque sydera paucis Numinibus miserum vrgebant Atlanta minore Pondere There were not wont to be so many Gods as now a daies the heavens were content with a smaller number of them laid lesse burthen vpon the shoulders of poore Atlas We read in the history of the sacred booke that Astaroth was the idoll of Zidon Melchon of Ammon Chemosh of Moab Beelzebub of Ekron for every natioÌ„ that came out of Asshur to inhabit Samaria who were therfore destroyed by lyons because they knew not that maner of worship which the God of the country required a several God was found out for the men of Babel Succoth-Benoth for the men of Cuth Nergal for Hamath Ashima Nibhaz Tirtak for the Avims for Shepharvaim Adramelech Anammelech to which they burnt their children in the fire Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum So much mischiefe coulde their verie religion persvvade vnto them Lactantius setteth dovvne the cause of this vainenes in the thoughtes and darkenes in the harts of men that wherein they professe themselues to bee most wise therein they become most fooles Men are therefore deceived because eyther they take vpon them religion vvithout vvisedome or studie vvisedome without religion so they fall to many religions but therefore false because they haue forsaken vvisedome vvhich coulde teach them that there cannot be many Gods or they bestow their paines in wisedome but therefore false because they haue let slip the religion of the highest God which might instruct them in the knowledge of truth To shew the absurdities wherwith this opinioÌ„ floweth of devising many Gods Cyprian proveth that the maiesty and sublimity of the godhead cannot admit an equal Let vs borrow an example from the earth saith he when did you ever know society communion in a kingdome either begin with fidelity or end without bloudshed Thus was germanity and brotherhood broken betwixt the Thebans Eteocles and Polynices One kingdome could not hold those brethren of Rome Romulus Remus though the harbor of one woÌ„be contained theÌ„ Pompey Cesar though so nearly allied yet they could not endure Caesarvé priorem Pompeiusvé parem either Caesar his better or Pompey his peere Neither mervaile sath he to see it thus in man when all nature doth consent therein The bees haue but one king flocks and heards but one leader much more hath the world but one governour That which was spoken to this effect in general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the kingdome of many governours is not good Caesar applied to his owne name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in exception to the multitude of Caesars or Emperours The colledge of Bishops in Rome answered Marcellus when he would haue built but one temple both to Honour and vertue One chappel or chancel cannot wel be dedicated to two Gods I often alleadge Lactantius in these matters a man that hath notably deserved of the gospell of Christ against the vanities of Gentilitie who being as it were a streame issuing from the eloquence of Tully as Ierome commanded him converted all the force oâ— his eloquence to assault beate downe vanquish triumph over the enemies of true religion Thomas Beacon a countrey man of ours in an epistle to D. Nowell Cherubin to Cherubin giveth him this commendation to close vp his appetite amongst many others before vttered I cannot but cry out O Celius a man truely celestiall and divine O Lactantius an authour sweeter then any milke and hony O Firmianus a champion in defending Christian veritie most firme faithfull and constant Behold the man c. alluding to his happy names which he rightly fitted by answerable good conditions This Lactantius presseth his arguments nearer to the marke If there bee more Gods then one then singlelie and apart they must needes haue lesse strength for so much shall bee wanting to every one as the rest hâ—ue gleaned from him and the nature of goodnesse cannot bee perfitte and absolute but vvhere the whole not where a litle portion of the whole is It they shall say that as there are sundry offices to bee looked vnto so they are divided amongst many officers all commeth to the same ende For their severall iurisdictions cannot exceede their bounds because they are crossed kept in by others as two contrary windes cannot blow togither in one place For if they haue equall force one hindereth the other if vnequall the vveaker of the two must perforce yeelde Againe if offices be shared amongst them besides that the care of every God will goe no farther then his owne charge and province they must of necessitie often fall out as they did in Homer where the couâ—t is devided into two factâ—ons some alleadging for Troy that it should be defended otheir against it that it should be sacked If in an army of men there should be as many generals as there are regimentes bandes and companies neither coulde they well aray nor easilie governe and holde in their souldiers And to say that the worlde is ruled by the disposition of many Gods is such a kinde of speech as if a man shoulde affirme there were
and kennings in some sort but not sufficient measures to skanne it by It is well observed by Cassiodore vpon the 51. Psalme that the beginning thereof Have mercy vpon me O Lord is the onely voice quae nunquam discutitur sed tranquille semper auditur which is never examined suspended delaied deliberated vpon but evermore heard with peace and tranquillity from God And in the Psalme 136. you shall finde his mercye both the mother that bread and the nurse that to this day feedeth and to the end of the world shal cherish and maintaine al the workes of God It standeth there like a piller or bounder at the end of every verse an endlesse and durable mercy not onely to beautifie the Psalme but to note that the whole frame of the world and every content thereof in particular touching both creation and government oweth not onely their being but their preservation and sustenance to Gods goodnes 4. To leave the persons and to examine the thinges themselves what was a gourd a matter of nothing and in nature but a vulgar ordinary plant for there is a difference in trees as Deut. 20. there is a law made that in besieging a citty they shall not destroy the trees thereof by smiting an axe into them the reason is for thou mayest eate of them therefore thou shalt not cut them downe For the tree of the fielde is mans life Onelye those trees vvhich thou knowest are not for meate those thou shalt destroy and make fortes against the citty Nowe of this tree there vvas none other vse either for meate or for ought besides that he knew save onely for shadow From this difference of things our Saviour argueth Luke 14. when hee healed the man sicke of the dropsy vpon the sabboth day vvhich of you shall have an asse or an oxe fallen into a pit and will not straight way pull him our on the sabboth day For if they tendered the welfare of their beastes much more might he regard the life of man which was far more precious And it is there said that they were not able to aunswere him againe in those things they were so plainely evicted 5. Touching the accidents of this gourd if Ionas had planted nursed it vp which he did not he should have regarded it none otherwise than as a gourd he should not have doted vpon it as Xerxes is reported to have loved a plane-tree in Lydia and he could hardly be drawne away from it and Passienus Crispus twise Consul of Rome a mulberry tree they seeme to have beene some notable bovvers which they fel so in love with The nature of man is to love the works of his owne handes The Poet describeth it in the fable of Pigmalion arte suâ miratur hee is surprised with the liking of his owne arte Who planteth a vineyard saith the Apostle and eateth not of the fruite thereof For this is the ende why he planted it It is confessed Eccles. 2. to be the hand of God that wee eate and drinke and delight our soules with the profit of our labours Nabuchadonozor Dan. 4. boasteth of his greate pallace not which his fathers and progenitours had left vnto him but himselfe had built for the honour of his kingdome The Apostle telleth the Corinthians that hee had laid the foundation amongst them and that others did but builde vpon his beginninges and that although they had tenne thousand maisters in Christ yet had they not many fathers for in Christ Iesus hee had begotten them through the gospell Wherfore he requireth them in equity to be followers of him because they were his building and children and he had a right in their consciences which other men coulde not challendge Novv this vvas a tree wherein Ionas bestowed no labour nec arans nec serens nec rigans neither in preparing the ground nor in setting nor in dressing it was not his worke whereas the Ninivites were Gods creatures neither belonged that to his tuition or chardge to see it preserved whereas that people had evermore lived vnder Gods providence 6. If the continuance and diuturnity of time had bred any liking in Ionas towards the gourd because we coÌ„monly loue those things wherwith we are acquainted his passion might the better haue bene tolerated Nathan doth the rather amplifie the fault of David in taking away the poore mans sheepe because he had had bought it and nourished it vp and it grew vp with him and vvith his children Length of time commendeth many things It commendeth vvine vvee say the olde is better It commendeth wisedome Counsaile must be handled by the aged speres by the young It commendeth truth Id verius quod prius The first is truest It commendeth custome thou shalt not remoue the auncâ—ent boundes which thy fathers haue set It commendeth friendshippe thine owne friend and thy fathers friend forsake thou not forsake not an olde friend for a new will not bee like vnto him It commendeth service in the fielde dost thou despise the souldiours of thy father Philippe saith Clytus to Alexander and hast thou forgotten that vnlesse this olde Atharias had called backe the young men when they refused to fight wee had yet stucke at Halicarnassus Lastly it commendeth our dwellinge places possessions Barzillai telleth David vvho vvoulde faigne haue drawne him alonge vvith him I am foure-skore yearee olde let mee returne to mine ovvne citâ—ye and be buryed in the graue of my father and mother And Naboâ—h telleth Ahab the Lorde keepe me from giving the inheritance of my father vnto thee It would somwhat more haue commended the gourd if Ionas had long enioyed the vse thereof which he did not it was but the child of a night both in rising and falling sodainely sprung vp and sodainely dead againe So there is neither price in it because it is but a gourd nor propriety because he had not laboured for it nor prescription of long acquaintance because it was soone dead Now that which is set against the gourd on the other side is by name Niniveh by forme a citty by quantity a great citty and shall not I spare Niniveh that great citty Niniveh at this time the heade of Assiria the fame and bruite wherof filleth the world and holdeth the people in awe by reason of her soveraigne government Niniveh no villadge or hamlet of the East but a citty that had walles gates for so is the nature of a citty described we haue a strong citty salvation shall God set for our walles and bulwarks Esay 26. and the people wherof are inclosed within orders and lawes as the buildinges within fences Niniveh no small citty in Assiria as Bethlehem was in Iudah or as the litle city of Zoar which Lot fled into but a lardge and spacious citty in circuite of ground but for the number of inhabitants most populous and abundant Now the greater the place is the