and down the City when he came there and might spend much of his strength by travelling and crying all along Learn we Ministers and people to settle to difficult costly and dangerous duties Are they not Gods Commandments did not he say Arise and cry To the third point The wickedness of a people doth go Doctr. 3 up and call for vengeance upon them Wickedness calls for vengeance so did the blood of Abel against Cain Gen. 4 10. So did the filthiness of the Sodomites against that City Chap. 18.21 So the cry of Servants wages detained â—ames 5.4 And here the Robbery and Oppression of the Assyrians who had made slaughter of many Nations and spoiled others to enrich themselves together with the cries of Widows and Fatherless Children and their Pride Idleness Filthiness Inchantments other sins which were now grown so great that the Earth was no longer able to hold the cry but the Air and Heaven too did ring of their sinfulness and now it was high time for God to take vengeance The Lord sees when the iniquity of a man or people is ripe and then proceeds to judgment as of the Amorites It is not yet full but when it is I will 〈◊〉 root them out Gen. 15.16 Every single sin comes up before God and provokes wrath Psal 7.11 but wickedness much more He is angry with the wicked every day but defers to do execution till the measure of sin be filled up and then he can forbear no longer Use 1 Admire the patience and long-suffering of the Almighty though he be wearied daily with the cries of mens sins yet he bears all yea though they be sins of whole Towns whole Nations or the whole world He is not slack of his coming but patient to us-ward and waits for our Repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 No mans patience can be so exercised as Gods is yea we see too often how even a godly man hath some adoo to keep patience on such and such provocations Oh the goodness and long-suffering of our God to whom our wickedness goeth up continually The Lord the Lord merciful and gracious slow to wrath abundant in goodness and truth Use 2 Admire also the worth and power of Christs mediation which cries down the cry of our sins and keeps off the vengeance which thereby we had deserved The blood of Christ speaks better things then the blood of Abel Heb. 12.24 mercy and not judgment and this secures both the persons and duties of Believers though they deserve a fulness of wrath yet by the mediation all will be well with them Use 3 This shews people the sinfulness and danger of their estate even when they are most secure All the while their wickedness gets up before God and would draw down vengeance upon then when they are most jolly and brave in their worldly enjoyments yet their extreme danger continues sin hath not lost his voice of crying as here against the Ninevites yea it cries more because of more light and more means of grace so the men of Nineve shall rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it Take heed of sin if not for the foulness which should Use 4 be yet for the fearful after-claps and for the measure of your sins lest that be filled up and then the Vials of wrath be emptied upon you Know the Lord can overthrow England as well as Nineve and we have had warning not only for forty years but forty and forty and more then that it is now above a hundred years that the Gospel hath been preached among us with liberty and encouragement and ye know we have sins enough to hasten the overthrow Oaths and other abominations Consider and beware if there were no more mischief in sin but the losing of the Gospel it were bad enough an intolerable loss to have the Candlestick removed out of his place or to have your Jonahs sent from Israel to Nineve or the righteous taken from the evil to come Ver. 3. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa and he found a ship going to Tarshish so he payed the Fare thereof and went down into it to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Here the Prophet declines the Lords message of going to Nineve by going a quite contrary way Why Jonah fled to Tarshish His ground he tells us in Chap. 4.2 Namely a carnal fear lest he should be ashamed and accounted a false Prophet if within forty dayes Nineve were not overthrown A great matter with the proud nature of man which cannot endure the least disparagement Other reasons Jonah might have for not going to Nineve So peter Act. 1â— 1. The strangeness of the thing No Prophet had ever been sent to the Gentiles before Jonah All of them were sent to the house of Judah or of Israel and should Jonah be the first man that should be sent to the sinners the Gentiles God goes beside his ordinary method and Jonah thinks strange of it 2. What hope could there be of doing good among the Heathen seeing he had so little good among Gods own people should Ninevites be converted and Israel not converted how can things go quite in a new Road which was never heard of 3. Might not Jonah fear what would become of him among a Company of Infidels who were also rich and proud and knew not God he one and they many he a poor man and they the Potentates of the world What should one Lamb do among a thousand Wolves 4. For the Errand which Jonah was to deliver what likelihood that Nineve should be overthrown within forty days seeing no enemy appeared before it and it had now flourished twelve hundred years in great prosperity what wise man would go and publish impossibilities No sound reason at all Yet all this is but carnal fear and Jonah sinned greatly in flying to Tarsus 1. He left the Command and calling of the great God of Heaven which is the only rule of all our obedience 2. He left the Land of Israel wherein his main business lay for all his life-time 3 He thought poorly of God as if he could not meet with him at Tarsus as well as Samaria 4. He shewed little pity to thousands of souls that might receive benefit by his preaching All shewing the great corruption of mans nature even after grace received and how watchful we need to be and keep close to our rule and to the calling wherewith we are called not regarding the crooked rules of humane reason and wisdom which Jonah too much followed He rose up to flee to Tarsus The chief City of Cilicia Expos 1. St. Pauls Country a Citizen of no mean City Act. 21.39 Some say Jonah went to be a Merchant there another while But it is not good to fasten more sins to the good man then we are sure of It is most likely that as a man
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 2. By the anguish or straights arising out of the danger I cryed to the Lord I said I am cast out of thy sight my soul fainted within me 3 By the hope he nourished all the while I will look again toward thy holy Temple I remembred the Lord and my prayer came in unto theâ— into thine holy Temple 4. By the good speed he found at last The Lord spoke unto the fish and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land We must begin with Jonahs prayer and the Audience he found with God ver 1.2 In the first Chapter ver 9. he professed to fear the Lord the God of heaven which made the sea and the dry land and now to the same God as the only true God he addresseth his prayer not to Neptune as Heathens were wont to pray nor yet to true Saints who had traded much in waters as Noah was saved in the general flood of waters or Moses who was drawn out of the waters while an infant and led Israel through the red sea and through Jordan or Elias who parted the waters this way and that way whereby one would think they should have compassion on them that are in danger by water according to the carnal reason of Idolaters in other things No Jonah prayes only to the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land God alone is an All-sufficient God and he alone ought to be called upon Prayer is one part of divine worship whereof it is said Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him alone shalt thou serve Mat. 4.10 And it stands with reason we must pray to none but one in whom we believe but we believe in God only therefore to God only must we pray Rom. 10.14 how shall they call on him in whom they believe not Use Mark this against the Papists and maintain the truth against them Note Pray earnestly Jonah prayed and cryed to the Lord This crying notes his fervency in prayer and it is twice set down I cryed I cryed to the same purpose Christians ought to be both frequent and fervent in prayer Rom. 12.11 12. fervent in spirit serving the Lord and continuing instant in prayer If one prayer will not fetch a mercy try what another will do and let the second be more earnest then the former and the third more earnest then that Paul besought the Lord thrice and obtained grace sufficient Jonah at last got out of the Whales belly Use It is not every sluggish and short-breathed prayer that will obtain a mercy Therefore continue instant in prayer Col. 4.2 But I aim at another point from the consideration of Jonahs prayer as being now in a distressed condition No doubt but in all this time three days and three nights he prayed often and earnestly for the pardon of his great sin for deliverance out of the Whales belly and for the employment he had refused of going and preaching to Nineve Oh that God would trust and enable him to do that seruice he would do it with all his heart if he might be put upon it again Let the point be this Doctr. In distress pray Gods children in their greatest and deepest afflictions should keep their hearts in a praying frame to obtain grace and mercy to help in time of need we read a prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. Psal 102 1. and 130.1 Out of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord. For reasons thus 1. There is a Commandment to Reason 1 call upon God in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 Not only in prosperity but adversity not only if it be likely we shall get out of trouble but against all likelihood not only if means be present but if no means appear likely to be had 2. There cannot be such a case of sin unworthiness Reason 2 and misery but the mediation of Christ can help at a dead lift Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will do it for you The Father can deny nothing to the Son nor to such as plead in his Sons merits 3. The spirit of grace and supplication is given them Reason 3 on purpose that they should alway pray Luke 18.1 Rom. 8.26 and not wax weary he helps their infirmities not knowing what to pray as they ought the bears up their spirit to hope to the end he raiseth sighs and groans which cannot be uttered 4. No affliction whatsoever can break asunder the Reason 4 tie between God and a Believer Jonah at this time wanted neither sin nor sorrow nor fear nor care what would become of him yet mark the word of appropriation he prayed to the â—ord his God 5. The covenant and promises are made so as to serve our turn in the worst condition that is either of sin or sorrow Of sins he hath said I will blot out thine iniquities I will scatter them as a mist I will forgive their sin and remember it no more Of sorrow he hath said I will be with thee in six troubles and in seven I will be with thee when thou passest through the fire and through the water and in a word I will not leave thee nor forsake thee 6. The greater a trouble or danger is the more we need to flee to God and keep close to him and hide with him as he that is cast upon a rock at sea the more the waves beat upon him the more careful he is to keep to his rock see Psal 61.1 2 3. so we We are weak but he is a strong God we are helpless but he is a friend good enough Use 1 A fault to faint in prayer All to reprove our foolishness who in great afflictions suffer our selves to be so afraid with amazements that we neglect the duty of prayer The heart is even bound up and so straightned with fear care and sorrow that we cannot lift up a prayer to the God of our life and mercy yet Jonah prayed out of the Whales belly and amidst all those incumbrances Moses cryed to the Lord at the red sea when the people so murmured and were discontented Daniel prayed in the den of Lions where every moment he was ready to be devoured David prayed in caves woods mountains in all his flight before Saul and Absalom He longed to come to the Temple and pray but could pray out of a Temple as well as in it and Jonah here in great distresse looked toward the Temple v. 4. no whit like those who can never pray but when they stumble into a Church or when they are in some hope to receive what they crave Ob. Oh but my case is higher then worldly afflictions I have many and great sins upon me and much guiltiness which puts me out of heart Sol. Answ
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
1. who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Our Saviour upbraids the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 21 32. that they belâ—eved not when they had heard the preaching of the Baptist And the Apostles say they could not enter because of unbelief Heb. 3.19 Rev. 21.8 and The unbelieving march with the formost into the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone for ever and Give him his portion as with hypocrites so with unbelievers Yea more He that believeth not is condemned already Unbelief is a damning sin as well as any gross sin against the Law and whereas the Law condemneth a sinner potentially unbelief condemneth actually Use 2 What of God is to be believed Take heed Christians and believe your God when he speaks by his Ministers 1. Believe the justice of God that he knows to be angry as well as to shew favour to threaten as well as to promise to damn as well as to save He is very merciful but will by no means clear the guilty Men may dream what they please Exod. 34.7 but one day will find they have a just God to deal withall 2. Believe the truth of God that all he hath threatned he will most certainly perform without true unfained effectual repentance The words of God are pure words as silver seven times purified in the fire As the promises to the godly so the threats against the wicked not one falls to the ground 3. Believe the power of God that he is able to execute the judgments he hath denounced against sinners The Lord was able to overthrow Nineve within forty days yea within the compass of one day why not Nineve as well as Sodom and neighbouring Cities 4. Believe the wisdom of God that the only way which he hath devised to turn away threats is to be found in Jesus Christ The wisdom of God and the power of God to salvation there is no salvation in any other by him wrath is appeased and by him comes all saving good to repenting sinners Motive to believe threats Consider for a Motive to believe the threats of God 1. This is the only safe way to bid you believe the promises of God We have no commission to bid you believe these till ye be first overawed with his threats The broken heart is the only sacrifice wherein the Lord delighteth Psal 51.17 Esa 61. Mat. 11.28 Christ came to bind up the broken-hearted and said Come all ye that labour and are heavy-laden I will give you ease ye shall have refreshment for your souls 2. It is a mercy to be spoken unto by men weak as your selves as Israel said to Moses Let not God speake to us lest we dye Should God come and speak in his storms and tempests who among us could abide the terror Moses at such a sight did exceedingly quake and tremble Take heed and abuse not his goodness to security or to harden your hearts 3. Mark how those two are joyned together Believe the Lord and believe his Prophets 2 Chron. 20.20 This saith he is the only way to prosper We have this treasure in earthen vessels we are Stewards and have the dispensing of holy things and all know in a great house there is no receiving of Pay or Diet but by the allowance of the Steward 4. How good was it for Nineve to believe God when he spake by the mouth of Jonah True they feared repented put on sackcloth refrained from diet and cryed mightily to God for mercy but the sweetness of mercy made amends for all And so it shall do for other Penitents And put on Sackcloth Christians must testifie the truth of their repentance by outward tokens of humility and humiliation Note Shew repentance by outward tokens These were ordinary practices among the Jews in their fasting Ahab put on sackcloth and went softly and so did others others rent their cloaths others stript off their robes and sate in the dust But because in process of time these forms became meer forms and were taken up by hypocrites therefore Joel bad them rent their hearts and not their garments Joel 2.13 and turn to the Lord their God and Esay at large describeth and rejecteth their hypocrisie chap. 58.3 and Zachary tells them they did but fast to themselves not to God chap. 7.3 7. Yet thus far the Ceremony will reach us at this day 1. On days of humiliation no fine nor gaish Apparel should be used as hath been the fashion of some in these days An humble heart must appear before the Lord as alway so especially on such days in the dress of mourners No reason the habit should give the heart the lye nor the heart the habit Out of the abundance of the heart the dress will shape to be either lowly or phantastical 2. Still there must be a rending of the heart to bewail those sins which provoked God to wrath and indignation yea though it be a good and holy heart Even godly men have an hand in the provocation and therefore even godly men should bear their part in the lamentation to turn wrath away even David after those failings did mightily humble himself before his God 3. Out of that which is spared from the back and belly allowanâ—e should be made to cloath the naked and feed the hungry and do works even of corporal mercy and of civil righteousness Esa 58.6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen saith the Lord. Use Thus fast and then see what promises are made Esa 58.8 9 10 11 12. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousness shall go before thee c. One fast well kept might rid us of all our confusions And thus to fast would well become all of us from the highest to the lowest as here From the greatest of them to the least of them A duty for all All are sinners both in their nature and life and all run into Arrear with God and are in danger of remporal and eternal vengeance If Nineve had been overthrown in those forty days all had gone to wrack infants and sucklings as well as elderly people and therefore all must smart by this humiliation Joel 2.16 so in Joel Those that suck the breasts must want their milk for a while and cry to God as well as they can Yea these Ninevites go farther to the beast the herd and the flock no eating no tasting no drinking of water that the very lowing of the cattel may go up to heaven and call in their language for mercy as is said Psal 147.9 He heareth the young Ravens when they cry If so at such times let the greatest forget and lay aside their greatness and let the least among us bear their part in humiliation especially they that are least in the Kingdom of God and they that think themselves less then the least of all
to understand of all outward observations abstracted from true piety they are nothing worth 1 Tim. 4.8 Bodily exercise profiteth little Though the body were never so much macerated and even brought to a Consumption yet without contrition of spirit it would avail nothing It is the fervent prayer of the righteous that availeth much Jam. 5.16 And note by the way how this King speaketh only of one God namely the God of the Hebrews whom Jonah had preached in the message he brought The many gods which he had served before began now to be vile in his eyes as able to do him no good Which is the guise of all true Converts to reject idol-gods the belly the Childe that is idolized the wealth c. See hence why we make those long prayers on a day of Use 1 fasting With some this may be accounted tedious Apology and hardly to be endured But the case stands thus Prayer is the chief work of the day and all our preaching is but to prepare your hearts and stir up your affections to cry mightily unto God even with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered And by that time we have duly confessed our own sins and the sins of the Land together with supplications for mercy and forbearance judge you whether it be not requisite to spend more time then ordinary Adde thus 1. These sins are mighty sins and need mightily to be cryed down Amos 5.12 I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins Some sinners are mighty to pour in strong drink to swear bloudily to commit uncleanness to oppress their brethren and the like 2. The mighty God is mightily offended and provoked to wrath Psal 90 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger it hath proved heavy to men and Angels and so there needs a mighty cry to appease this wrath and get judgements prevented or removed It had been too late for Nineve to pray when once the forty days were expâ—red 3. The enemies of our peace and Gospel are mighty enemies idolaters profane persons dissembling friends real enemies It is a wonder that our house and Kingdom which is so divided is not fallen asunder long ago There needs mighty crying to God that we may defeat these enemies Remember this against a Fast and in your ordinary course of prayer Wrestle strive continue instant in prayer be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. True Christians have both the gift and spirit of prayer and should stir up the gift that is in them Do as Jacob who wrestled with the Angel and would not let him go without a blessing See how it is described in Hos 12.3 4 5 6. By his strength he had power with God yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplications unto him And the truly-godly are said to be a generation of people much of the same frame Psal 24.6 This is the generation of them that seek him that seek thy face O Jacob. They are the Israel of God weak in themselves but mighty in a spiritual consideration The weapons of their warfare are not carnal but mâ—ghty through God to throw down strong-holds Amendment needful to true Penitents For the reformation of life here required Amendment of life is necessary to all that repent and fast aright Let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands In Scripture a mans way is that course of life which a man steers for the pleasing of God and saving of his soul And they that steer not aright are said to go in an evil way and need to turn out of it And so to turn is the true fast and the true repentance Sackcloth and all abstinence is nothing without crying to God by prayer and all prayer is nothing without a real reformation Esa 58 6,7 Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickedness to undo the heavy burthens and to let the oppressed go free and that ye break every yoke Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thine house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh Zech. 7.7 Should ye not hear the words which the Lord cryed by the former Prophets Use 1 Whence it follows that numbers never rightly kept a fast in all those years nor truly repented of their sins If they had they would not be such swearers as they are or drunkards lyars unjust incontinent otherwise ungodly If they had they would every one have turned from his evil way and wrought righteousness before God Sound reformation ever follows upon sound humiliation Those that would justifie their repentance for sound and testifie the sincerity of their conversion let them turn every one from his evil way Never tell of the many fasts ye have kept and how many tears ye have shed or sighs or groans but make all good by a thorow reforming of things amiss Bring forth fruits meet for repentance Mat. 3.8 Good apples argue the tree to be good and the works of pâ—ety mercy and righteousness argue the man who fasted to be a man truly-godly But how shall I know that I reform aright Notes of right turning from sin and in a saving manner Answ 1. In true conversion there is a turning from every evil way though there be profit to be had by the sin or pleasure or content of any kind David that was a true Penitent hated every false way Psal 119.104 The reason is because all sin is displeasing to God and dangerous to the soul And no sin is forgiven but it cost Christ his dearest bloud there is no other price of our redemption 1 Pet. 1.18 19. We are not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but by the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lamb without spot 2. In true conversion the special sin shall be singled out for censure sorrow and amendment as here the violence of these Nâ—nevites So David confessed his foul sins of filthiness and bloud-guiltiness Zacheus confessed his forged cavillation Matthew his sitting at the receit of custom Jonah wrote the story of his flying from God and declining the work which he had appointed him to do All which things and the like are written for our instruction to do the like 3. In true conversion there is a turning to God with all the heart as the rule is given Jer. 4.1 If thou wilt return O Israel Joel 2.12 13. saith the Lord return unto me And Paul was sent to turn the Gentiles from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26.18 Otherwise the conversion doth not reach home God is the party offended by sin and in Christ must be pleased with us again or else we do nothing Remember this our ordinary Theme and turn aright from your evil way Ver. 9. Who can tell if God will turn
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