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
suffering as if they were smitten and rejected of God which hath been the practice of unbelievers Esa 53.3 or as if they were worse then others which is expresly censured by our Saviour Luke 13.1 2 3 4. There is such a censorious humor abroad but ye see by this place how it is condemned And ye see how David was wary not to offend this way Psal 73.15 if I say I will speak thus condemning the godly because of afflictions behold I should offend against the generation of thy children And our rule is to let every one stand or fall to his own Master and who are thou that judgest another mans servan Two things would be minded in these matters of prosperity and adversity 1. A godly man is never the worse nor in more danger for all his adversity Gold is gold though it be in the fire Jonah is Jonah though he be in the Whales belly only the godly should clear up his evidences at such a time that he is indeed a godly man Recount the old grounds he went upon and former experiences and fortifie against unbelief which in hard times is apt to be stirring and prepare for greater tryals then as yet he hath endured and God may justly bring him unto Old tryed blades may be put to more hardship then tender ones shall be 2. A wicked man is never the better nor in more safety for all his prosperity Dross is dross though it be laid up in a silken bag The Mariners escaped the storm and Jonah was cast into the sea the only way for some in prosperity is to study this matter of godliness If thou repent and become a sincere worshipper all will do well both prosperity and adversity Aug de civit Dei lib. 1. it much avails not what a man suffers but who it is that suffers and in the likeness of sufferings there is great unlikeness in them that suffer Oh the great force of godliness Thou hadst cast me into the deep It might be objected the Mariners cast forth Jonah into the sea how then doth he impute it unto God Answ 1. It was by the appointment of Jehovah that the Mariners cast Jonah into the sea God by lot so designed him to be cast forth 2. In all the doings of men God hath an overruling hand not only to permit what they do but order all to the good of his Chosen as for Job The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away and as in the passion of Christ all was done according to the determinate will and counsel of God A godly man in all the doings of men against him looks up to the hand of God appointing the affliction thou hast cast me into the sea the Lord hath bid Shimei to curse Note Look from men to God who afflicteth Amos. 3.6 Esa 10.5 Reas there is no evil in the City but the Lord hath done it Ashur was the rod of his wrath and the staff of indignation in his hand A rod or staff moves not but by the motion of another nor the battel-axe This the godly man considers because he is well grounded in the doctrine of Gods providence how it reacheth to all things small as well as great evil as well as good particulars as well as the general contingent as well as natural and necessary and voluntary actions as well as fortuitous and how the Lord leaves the evil to the Agents but reserves the simple act to himself and works out his own most holy and righteous ends which they never think of as Joseph told his brethren Ye meant it to evil but God meant it for good Gen. 50.20 Which is utterly against the course of many who look Use 1 only to the instrument of their smart and suffering in any kind and wreak their displeasure there murmure rail or repine it may be swear and curse because such and such have damnified them or otherwise stood in their light Yet we read no such word come out of Jonahs mouth against his Mariners no thou hast cast me forth and David was dumb because the Lord did it Psal 39.9 Oh but it is meer malice that leads my Adversary to say and do what he doth Ob. Sol. but the Mariners were fair conditioned men Answ 1. I suppose it was meer malice that led Shimei to rail at David yet he espyed the hand of God in the business And meer covetousness led the Chaldeans and Sabeans to plunder Job as they did yet he said the Lord hath taken away God is still righteous who ordains thee a punishment whatever the instruments be 2. The more malicious thine Adversary is the more testimony of innocency thou hast in thine own bosom and so an argument of comfort 2 Cor. 1.12 our rejoycing is this even the testimony of our conscience David took comfort that his enemies persecuted him without cause and so may others John 15.25 Use 2 Learn then O Christian by an holy abstraction to look farther and higher then the wrong dealings of men acknowledge God who hath let loose their tongues and hands it is he that permits them or else they could not stir a whit he that ordained thee a punishment or if thou wilt a chastisement for thy earthliness dulness in Religion unmortified Passions or other evils True the lot did not pass upon thee as it did upon Jonah but in the affliction there was the determinate counsel of God so ordering therefore say Shall I not drink of the Cup which my Father hath put into my hand should I spurn against the pricks either in doing or suffering God Note times some Gods afraid of utmost wrath Out of the belly of hell cryed I that is out of a deep sense of the wrath and displeasure of God for my sins a good soul sometimes apprehends the wrath of the holy Lord God as due unto him for his sins The pains of hell get hold on him he suffers the terrors of God with a troubled mind God seems to set him up as a Butt against which he will shoot all the envenomed arrows of his Jonah here hath not only Gods waves and billows passing over his head thy billows and thy waves but as it were the devils billows and waves In the bottom of the sea he is very near to the place of the damned only he is not adjudged thither finally nor fastned there so it hath been the case of some deserted souls to conceive â—hey were half in hell already very fire-brands vessels of wrath reserved to the judgment of the great day My God Psal 22.1 my God why hast thou forsâ—ken me why standest thou afar off c. Reas Thus can the sense of sin work where there is not a present sense of mercy And this is the force of a guâ—lty Conscience yea or of a tender Conscience where the Spirit of comfort doth not presently do his office as it is sometimes suspended by the dispensation of Gods grace for Discipline to be
the manner of restoring Jonah to his office the Lord never up raids him with his base and 〈◊〉 flying to Tarsus and how justly he had been served with the storm and the Whale but meekly and quietly he sends him upon the old errand to Nineve nor did Christ upbraid Peter with his threefold denial but gives a threefold admonition Feed my sheep Feed my lambs Feed my sheep Joh. 21.15 And of other holy simple souls it is said that when they ask wisdom of God he will not upbraid but give liberally Jam. 1.5 Mark this and imitate If a childe or servant or friend Use 1 repent of his fault never hit him in the teeth with it any more but close up the wound that was made and do thy best to put him into the right way again for doing his duty as here Jonah There is a base petulancy in mans nature to insult over Delinquents and never have done with shaming them and ripping up the old faults So doth not God and ye should be followers of him as dear Children I am sure ye would not have him to remember against you your old offences Eph. ◠1 Ps 25. that your consciences should be set upon the rack for sins of youth or later sins No but according to the Covenant I will remember their iniquity no more Jer. 31.34 I will blot out their sins I will chase away their transgressions as a cloud and scatter them as a mist It will be a sad case when God comes to set a mans sins in order before him Oh the roaring and breaking of bones and horrible torture that such do endure Take heed be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful and withall remember to magnifie the love of such a Father who freely fully and finally forgives the sins of his people We men use to admire and magnifie those that are of a generous and ingenuous disposition in passing by offences It is the glory of a man saith Salomon and it should yield glory unto God that he doth so graciously forgive the sins of his people Note Ordinances continued to a people Arise and go to Nineve This is spoken the second time to Jonah the Lord sometimes continues his mercies and ordinances to a people that they shall have good preachers sent to them and the preachers shall go on with their work for the good of that people sermons sacraments sabbaths precious liberties shall be afforded them from time to time We see it here 1. Jonah retaines his place and is set upon the same office as before though he had made a fowl fault and had suffered terribly for his disobedience yet he hath his commission again renewed to preach to the Ninevites as Chap. 1.2 Arise and go to Nineve that great Citie the same words as here at the text 2. Though the the mercy of good preaching was withheld from Nineve for a while yet it is again designed for them Arise go and preach to them so still Good preaching sometimes is delayed and kept back from a people sometimes interrupted in the free passage of the Gospel yet vouchsafed and continued where God hath a people to gather to himself as was said to Paul for his encouragement to preach at Corinth Speak and hold not thy peace for I have much people in this city Act. 18 10. Use Glorifie God who continues them Now let God be glorified whose kindenesse and love toward man so evidently appeareth that Magistrats are continued notwithstanding all their failings and Ministers notwithstanding all their failing◠and the use of Ordinances notwithstanding all their failings in point of thankfulnesse and obedience Sabbaths afforded though little good use made of them Abundance of good preaching though among a glutted and surfetted people Monthly sacraments though many never come at them others come very seldom others very unprepared and shew it too evidently by a foolish and fruitlesse conversation and good Ministers dwell among them but there be no cases of conscience to propose nor comfortable fellowship between them and their people There be two things that might break off the course of these Ordinances 1. The great sins of people whereby they forfeit them into the hands of God and if they be not grose and scandalous sins yet there is horrible unfrutfulnesse and unanswerablenesse to the wonderful mercy of God Nineve was not so barren when once they heard good preaching and in all likelyhoed the men of Nineve shall rise up in judgment with this generation and condemn it Certainly unfrutful Christians shall suffer heavily though the good preaching continue among them They neglect great salvation and how should they escape and at last it will be said as of the fruitlesse fig-tree Cut it down why should it cumber the ground 2. The great opposition of the devil and his instruments Satan hindred Paul once and again from comming to the Thessalonians and we see what persecutions the Jews raised in divers places to hinder the preaching of the word Such malice still there is in Sectaries and some profane persons Go to Nineve and preach the preaching Preaching of the word is ordained of God to bring sinners to repentance and so to salvation as here Note Preaching appointed to convert sinners at this great city God could have sent an Angel to do this message but useth the ministery of man as also Peters to Cornelius Or God could have sent another Prophet to Nineve but Jonah must be the man now well subdued by his late affliction and a man famous in Israel both for good preaching and for prophesying good to the ten Tribes which came to passe So still God will have soules converted by men subject to like passions It is his pleasure to have it so 1 Cor. 1.21 It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that believe It is enjoynd earnestly to be done by men appointed for the work 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine It is urged with a wo and a reward 1 Cor. 9.16 17. Wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel but if I do this thing willingly I have a reward And it is declared by the benefit to good Hearts Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God to salvation to every one that beleeveth But what is preaching Ans It is made up of three things It standeth in three things 1. Publication of the word a Preacher among the Greekes is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praeco the voice of a Cryer alluding to a Town-cryer who utters a Proclamation to the people Gods will is that the Minister should plainly and distinctly read his word to the Congregation Act. 15.15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets 2. Exposition to give the meaning
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
Go and preach to Nineve and thereupon should have silenced his own reason utterly 2. Having a desire to advance the glory of God be sure to use right means thereunto not as Jonah who for fear of Gods dishonor refused to do Gods Errand at Nineve It is a goodly and specious colour for actions to talk of the glory of God but if the course be 〈◊〉 a direct and warrantable course in vain shall the glory of God be pretended who will never account himself honoured but in a way of his own Yea it hath been the advancement of many a wickedness to pretend so and so in order to 〈◊〉 and the course of Antichrist to make a noise of acting in order to the Church 3. Be tender of the life of man and of his outward welfare I say not soul but even the body and worldly condition as Jonah was not and we see how he is chid for it And we see how loving the Lord is even in this respect ver 11. Should not I spare Nineve a City so populous Remember the sixt Commandment Thou shalt not kill 1 Thes 4.6 no not in desire Remember those commands Let no man defraud or go beyond his Brother in any matter for the Lord is the avenger of all such And be chary of thy Neighbours Oxe or Asse much more of his life and comfort of his life We are fallen into an hard yea bloudy age wherein the life of man is little regarded nor how well he shall go along in his course Take heed there remains a merciless judgement for them that shew no mercy Jam. 2.13 4. Study the gaining of souls to God and be glad when there is the least hope of grace begun in any Here also was some fault in Jonah certainly he heard how they fasted and prayed and turned from their evil wayes which should have gladded him and made him congratulate their repentance and safety thereupon Remember and do so Luke 15.10 Convert any if thou mayest be so happy and as there is joy in heaven for a sinner that repenteth so let it be on earth It was a wicked humour in the Pharisees that they envyed the conversion of the Publicans Beware thou and be ambitious of the great honor of converting a soul Dan. 12.3 To shine as the Stars for ever and ever For the second particular A marvel it is that Jonah is so stout and sturdy after his great punishment and all those terrors which God sent upon him One would have thought he had had enough of his flying to Tarsus Note But so it is Some godly men have stout and sturdy corruptions sticking by them which may humble them and keep them upon their watch and because they watch not as they ought God sometimes exerciseth them with strong afflictions and sometimes with strong conflicts in sad hours Take heed Use Christian and take thy self in the manner for every unmortifyed lust and every corrupt affection Sturdy humors are sometimes punished with sharp temptations or Visitations of the Almighty But I had rather put this humor of Jonah upon a way of carnal reasoning which too much swayed with him at this time taken from the mercy of God which he thought would never so far proceed as to let Nineve be overthrown though he said it Was not this my saying thou art merciful c Calvin If Jonah had been sent to Nineve with an offer of mercy upon their repentance as to the ten Tribes we may verily think he would rather have offered his service then declined it But now he mutters against God for his meer denunciation of judgment Note Carnal reasonings mischievous as if it could not agree with the nature of so merciful and gracious a Lord God and this mis-leadeth him Carnal reasonings do sometimes lead us from God and duty 1. Totally as in the ungodly eve◠the mercy of God undoeth them as they misuse it it is their bane They know God is gracious and merciful and flow to 〈◊〉 and of great kindnesse therefore live as they list turn grace into wantonness sin more that grace may abound more As men make it mercy is a common pack-horse for horrible wickednesses and final impenitency Why should they trouble themselves about repenting when God is so merciful 2. Partially in the godly as here in Jonah he knew these Attributes and therefore he left Nineve and went to Tarsus It were well if we did not sometimes bear up our selves too much upon the mercy of God and an interest in Christ and certainty of salvation and perseverance in grace We hold these things right in the Doctrine and miserably pervert them in the Use And though we swim not with full Winde and Tyde yet we sail too fast with a side-winde Take head Christians Use Avoid them and down with these carnal reasonings which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and against the due obedience to Jesus Christ The ministery intends the casting them down and so do you 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Never will Religion thrive where such reasonings prevail As it prevails more with any man so he leaves them off as Gal. 1.16 Paul consulted not with flesh and bloud but fell to his preaching-work Consider there be many of these carnal reasonings taken from the multitude from example profit pleasure credit safety or the like but none more dangerous then this from the mercy of God so long as God is merciful on they go in their sins and fear nothing A miserable case God is gracious that is freely for his own sake to forgive the sins of his people And he is merciful that is will relieve them against all their misery spiritual temporal and eternal And he is 〈◊〉 to anger that is he is loth to empty the Vials of his displeasure upon sinners And of great kindness that is tenderly considers their case and is willing to do them good But should this or any of these be abused to keep from repentance and amendment were not this the ready way to be drowned in a sea of mercy Jonah was almost drowned in such a sea though a godly man yet almost undone by misapplication of the mercy of God But thou O man a secure and hard-hearted wretch wilt be quite drowned one day look to it as well as thou wilt For the third particular It is a strange prayer that Jonah here makes both for the manner and for the matter of it He prayed unto the Lord and said Take my life from me Mark this is spoken in haste being exceedingly displeased and very angry and he speaks it in a muttering and chiding manner expostulating the case even with God himself I pray thee O Lord was not this my saying when I was yet in my Countrey as if he had said I thought what thou wouldest do I had just cause to fly away and never do the Errand at Nineve I said what would come of it A merciful God thou art and
Industry without Gods leave and blessing avails nothing Except the Lord build the house and keep the City all that men do will be in vain Psal 127.1 2. And there be many grounds of it as Gods displeasure Mans sin and insensibleness of his sin and of Gods displeasure for crossing him then Gods insisting still on his own way bringing about his own ends blasting of our endeavours and hopes disabling of the creatures disgracing of mans wisdom and intention to bring the sinner to his own bent as is said Man lives not by bread only Deut. 8.3 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Use Tradesmen see how they decay Many a man doth his true endeavour and takes faithful pains in his Calling and yet can make nothing of it when all is done rows hard and yet cannot bring his Vessel to land is ready to break and gives over his Calling What is the matter the Lord hath sent a storm upon him and it cannot be got to cease the Sea works still and is tempestuous against him do what he can he doth no good upon it Why the Lord is offended with his earthliness and neglect of a religious course Civil he is and observes a form of Religion and toils enough and too much but he is fugitive from God therefore is in great straights Here the man might take notice of Gods displeasure against him and seek to remove it Such cross providence is esteemed a judgment Hab. 2.33 Behold is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity so in Hag. 1.5 6. Consider your wayes ye have sown much and bring in little ye eat but ye have not enough ye drink but ye are not filled with drink ye cloath you but there is none warm and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes So now-a-days men make Cloth and cannot sell it would work but cannot provide Wool to set them on work or the inferiour Cloth-workers must be paid but the Master scarce knows how to get bread Great straights one would think that in this leisure-time men would addict themselves more to Religion which in an hurry of businesses used to be too much neglected But I doubt much whether it be so done or no I doubt much of earthly hearts which as yet are alienated from the life of God thence this working sea which continues tempestuous against you Oh no that is not the cause Object some have as little Religion as we and yet have good trading get money and live finely Answ 1. Some of them live upon the quick stock Answ which makes them pine and fret within themselves but they cannot help it Mat. 5 â—5 2. For the prosperity of worldings some of them very wicked it may be meer Atheists there is little comfort in it It is only of the general providence of God whose Sun shines and Rain falls upon good and bad And without repentance there is coming forth against them a tempest which shall lay them in the bottom of the sea of his fiery indignation 3. It were good for Tradesmen in these tempests to think of Gods intention toward them namely of industrious civil and well-natured men to make them Religious men which all this while they have not been to purpose See ye have time enough only find hearts seek God be religious in earnest and then the tempest may cease there may be a great calm Cloathing may be as quick as ever it was Wherefore they cryed unto the Lord we beseech thee we beseech thee Mark how these mariners profit in Religion by little and little At first they cryed every one to his God to be delivered in that great distress but now they leave their Idol gods and cry to Jehovah the God of the Hebrews whom Jonah had preached to them they heard his word and they saw his terrible works which made them afraid and now they call on him alone for mercy and deliverance and afterward we shall hear more of their piety ver 16. This is the progress of Religion in true Converts Note that by little and little they grow very good and zealous like leaven in three pecks of meal working on till the whole lump be leavened or like Corn sown in the field still growing on first the blade then the ear after that the full corn in the ear Mark 4.28 Though their beginning be but small yet their latter end encreaseth exceedingly 2 Pet. 3.18 1 Thes 4.1 So we are commanded Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and As ye have received how ye ought to walk and please God so increase more and more Reason Phil. 1 6. Col. 2.19 Phil. 1.19 The reason is He that begun a good work in them will finish it to the day of Christ it is a Divine conception the seed of God abideth in them and we read of increasing with the increase of God and of Christ the Head whereby all the body so increaseth and of the supply of the spirit carrying on the work with power Ye may conceive these degrees 1. The Convert lives in none of his old sins though pleasant and profitable He is cleansed from all his idols and all his filthiness These Mariners left their gods which their Fathers worshipped and called upon the God of the Hebrews so Naaman Thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt-offering nor sacrifice unto other gods but unto the Lord 2. King 5.17 2. A true Convert improves and grows both by the word and works of God as these by the preaching of Jonah and by the dangerous tempest that lay upon them Grace turns all into the nourishment of it self Ordinances Providences Mercies Afflictions yea sins too to be more humble and stand better upon the guard and turn unto God that smites them 3. A true Convert presently falls upon a course of prayer so to get more strength wisdom and hold of the love of God so did Paul presently upon his conversion Act. 9.11 behold he prayeth These mariners pray to Jehovah that the blood of Jonah may not be laid to their charge and that with earnestness We beseech thee we beseech thee 4. A true Convert studies the point of thankfulness for the great mercy of God in saving his soul as these for saving their lives ver 16. they offered a sacrifice unto the â—ord and we must come before God with our spiritual sacrifices thinking what may be done for his honor What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me and stirring up all that is within us not to forget any of his benefits Temporal mercies bind not firmly but spiritual do 5 A true Convert binds himself to God by honest and faithful purposes even after a mercy received as these when the calm had taken them off from their danger ver 16.
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
the Hebrews how is he to be feared above all other Gods who can do as he alone therefore him alone will we fear and serve all our dayes So say we at the end of a great Plague or of a great fit of sicknesse or escaping a danger by Land or Water Fire War other terrible matters Oh feare the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him Psal 34.9 Use It serves to reprove all gracelesse people who never fear God that afflicteth neither in the danger nor after the danger to be the better for any of their afflictions Possibly they are afraid while the danger lasteth for the pain or the losse they may sustain and especially the losse of their lives it may be it is Magor-Missabib fear round about Jer. 20 3. they are ready to dye for fear before the evil comes near them sometimes more afraid then hurt but for God in whose power their breath is and who can cast both Body and Soul into Hell Signes of not fearing God him they fear not though that be the only gracious fear commanded in Luk. 12.4 5. 1. For departing from evil as did Job Joseph and the Midwives of Egypt what fear of God is in those that live in the constant practice of one sin or other drunkennesse or what ever it be sin is the greatest enemy that God hath and yet numbers make a trade of is according to the humor of each walk in the way of the wicked or sit in the seat of the scornfull though they have been in great danger of life or estate yet on they go in a tract of sinning The danger is past and they make account they live to do all their abominations 2. For the beginning of wisdome Numbers have no signe of the fear of God in them Sapientia dicitur quasi sapida scientia but Numbers have no savor of God and Religion Mercies Afflictions Ordinances all passages of Providence have no more savor then the white of an Egg no heart to Prayer or other duty or to accept a good motion that is made for edification These Mariners that feared the Lord offered him sacrifice but where are these mens sacrifices great and precious mercies are received but what return do they make in way of thankfulnesse 3. For perfecting holinesse in the fear of the Lord how doth this agree to those who fall back from the good way of God either into Heresie or Profanesse or Worldly-mindednesse or those that stand at a stay in Religion A round of dutyes there is and that is all the space of many years makes no difference in their profession unlesse it be for the worse they would be troubled if they thrived no better in their outward estate but for the estate of their Souls they minde no thriving 4. For fearing the Lord exceedingly as did these Mariners Numbers profess to fear God but they fear men more Losses Troubles Dangers Persecutions excessive fear surpriseth them that they are taken off from duty Prov. 29.25 and the way of God the fear of man is a snare and catcheth many unto Atheism Or they fear the Lord and the gods of the Land as did the mungrel Samaritans 2. King 17.33 5. The fear of God hath a dash of holy joy with it as Psal 2.11 rejoyce unto him with trembling fear him as a glorious God but rejoyce in him as a loving Father reconciled and tenderly affected in Christ So the Childe fears his Father and the wife her Husband But numbers mind no such relation between God and them or care not to have it or presume to have it but get no comfort by it in a dark houre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their fear is an heavy passion of unbesâ—efe Adde outward worship to inward 1 Cor. 6.20 For the Second They offered a sacrifice unto the Lord. Outward worship must be added unto inward As we must glorifie God with the Spirit so also with the body for both are God's and both are bought with a price And the same God made both Soul and body and deserves to be served with both commands and expects it What kinde of sacrifice these Mariners offered to the Lord we read not nor is it materiall to know Only this they had Learned by tradition of their neighbours and by the neighbourhood of the Jews that thank-offerings would do well in way of gratitude for deliverance and so did all the Gentiles round about therefore so do they Note Express thankfulness in good actions Our lesson is In way of thankfulnesse for mercies received we must use holy expressions of Loyalty and duty to our good God not only fear him with other internal vertues as before but with outward worship and service Christians also have their sacrifices of righteousnesse appointed for them as was prophesied Deut. 33.19 But what are they Answ 1. A mans whole self with all powers of Soul and Body Rom. 12.1 Present your selves a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service 2. Holy and hearty prayers Pro. 15.8 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight 3. Hearty praises with voice and life Heb. 13.15 By Christ let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually 4. Works of love to the poor members of Jesus Christ Ver. 16. With such sacrifices God is well-pleased 5. Releif and comfort to good Ministers who need assistance Phil. 4.18 An odor of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God 6. Suffering in the cause of God Ch. 2.17 If I be offered upon the sacrifice of your faith I joy and rejoyce with you all 7. All parts of the publick or private worship of God 1 Pet. 2.5 A spiritual Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 8. All dealings with men carried in a loving and righteous manner Psal 4.4 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord. Whereby we see that none hath cause to say he wants Use 1 a way and means to shew his thankfulness to God for great mercies and deliverances he hath received None but may so express Levitical sacrifices are ended in Christ and he is loth to offer sacrifice in a blind manner as these Mariners did and I desire to testifie my thankfulness for escaping such a danger or receiving such a mercy but what should I offer Answ He hath shewed thee O man what he requireth and what he will accept as a gratuity Mic. 6.8 and the Map now delivered shews a great Bed-roll of Christian sacrifices Peruse and see if one way or other thou canst not offer a sacrifice to the Lord only find the Altar of an holy heart and a sacrifice will quickly he had Out of the abundance of the heart will come forth much good A man possibly hath not wealth to distribute among the poor or is not called to
suffer for the truth and way of God cannot entertain Ministers cannot build and endow Hospitals repair Bridges do other works of bounty as our fore-fathers were wont to do Shall he therefore be wholly excused of offering to the Lord No the poorest and meanest Christian that is out of a gracious heart is able to pray praise God live holily deal righteously converse to the Edification one of another Calves of the lips spiritual sacrifice a body prepared and fitted to do service and a mind with meditations and affections Use 2 Offer these and it shall suffice The Jew that was not able to bring a Bullock must bring a pair of â—urtle-doves or two young Pigeons so the Christian let him do his best and it will go for currant Only with this Caution he that is able to offer a great sacrifice shall not be excused by a less Cursed be the deceiver who hath a male in his flock and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Mal. 1.14 or offers the torn the lame or the sick shells of outward service or old age that is now able to do nothing for God or meerly good meaning without doing what might and ought to be done as some do flatter themselves all such are deceivers and draw a curse upon themselves instead of a blessing These Mariners offered what they could but so do not these For the third they made vows Not only in the present did these Mariners worship the Lord but meant to worship him for time to come and thereunto bound themselves by vows 2 King 5 17. so Naaman the Syrian Hereafter I will serve no God but the God of Israel Note This is the right use of afflictions and of escaping out of them not only be Religious for a time but for ever Many can seem to be Religiously affected while they are under Gods rods or when they are newly got out of his hands but in a little space grow as bad as ever it may be more hardened as iron that hath been heated and cold again Take heed of dodging with the God of Heaven Use He looks for plain and honest dealing of those he delivers or to whom he vouchsafes mercy It is a condition upon deliverance from enemies To serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life Luke 1.74 75. The mercy lasteth alway and so must the duty and no reason can be alledged for ceasing from that duty Go then and learn what means to hear for the time to come to pray continually Esa 42 23. to receive Sacraments often even untill Christ come They made vows What we read not nor matters it Vows of Christians what they are But to our purpose 1. The main matter of Christian Vows is that we bind our selves to the Lord in a Covenant that shall never be broken as Presper said Seipsum voveas seipsum reddat he that will vow to the Lord let him devote himself and render himself to his Majesty and David said Ps 119.106 I have sworn that I will keep thy Commandments not Counsels but Precepts are the grounds and bounds of a Christians vows Therefore not Monkish nor any other will-worship 2. The entrance into a lawful vow is at our Baptism where we promised to be the Lords to believe to obey to renounce all his and our enemies implyed in that phrase Baptized in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost that is dedicated devoted set apart for his service and glory relinquishing all others as a good Wife to cleave to her Husband alone 3. The vow of Baptism is renewed many times afterward either at a Sacrament of the Lords Supper or in the time of danger and it ought to be Religiously remembred and observed as Psal 66.13 14. I will pay that my vows which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble Whether these Mariners kept their vows we know not but are sure that we ought to keep ours Use Remember and make Conscience of performing these vows be as faithful in keeping them as thou seemdst Religious in making them Remember the fears and pains and cares of those sad hours and what religious affections were then stirring mind all those passages and now reduce all into act Now is the time now and ever Take heed it will be no safe mocking of God Gal. 6.7 Be not deceived God is not mocked All the mocking would return upon thine own soul to thy eternal damnation Where for better performance remember that clause not to put off the paying of vows Eccl. 5.4 When thou hast vowed a vow to God defer not to pay This delay is it which marres abundance of good purposes and resolutions while we think there is time enough the motion dies and no good effect follows A deceitful heart a subtle Devil a flattering or encumbring world vain or wicked Companions draw quite another way Ver. 17. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights Our Saviour calls it a Whale Mat. 12.40 Jonah was so long in the belly of the Whale Whales and other great fishes Possibly it is the Leviathan described in Job 41. Or it may be the Crocodile Histories tell of fishes of incredible bigness and our people have seen the Grampos the Sturgeon the Man-fish the Mermaide and other and Navigators have seen the Sea-Horse the Sea-Bull and other strange Monsters and of strange greatness All made by God and are at his beck and serve to set forth his praise see Psal 104.24 25 26. At the Text it is said that God prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah Here is in wrath mercy Though God will have his servant cast into the Sea yet he will not have him drowned in the Sea No he loves him better then so and hath more work for him to do which though he declined at first yet afterward he shall be willing to do Note how the providence of God reacheth to the bottom of the Sea and swayeth among the fishes Note God rules ever fishes He that sent a wind and thereby a storm and afterward caused the Sea to cease from her raging now sets a fish in readiness to take Jonah to custody and then restore him to land again So he sent the fish to Peters hook Mat. 17.27 and a multitude of fishes to the Apostles nets Luke 5.4 9. and John 21.3 8. Now bless the Lord O my soul Psal 103.12 in all places of his dominions Use 1 Sea Land Fire Air Clouds all made by him and disposed of by him and all for the good of his Chosen as those wondred at the huge draught of fishes and saith the Text they knew it was the Lord none but the Lord could gather those fishes together And it follows Christ gathered them together therefore Christ is God and accordingly he is to be feared loved honored
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
used among his Children We need the witness of his Spirit together with our spirits to let us know we are his Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that our Consciences bear us witness in the holy Ghost Rom. 8.16 and chap. 9.1 But what then Despair two-fold do godly men fall into despair sometimes Answ Despair is either total and final as in Cain and Judas or only partial and temporary as in Heman and some other godly men And godly men in their greatest despair can pray for mercy as here Jonah out of the Whales belly which he calls the belly of hell and they shall find mercy as he delivered out of all yea more they had some mixture of comfort while they were in the belly of hell Jonah remembred God when his soul fainted in him verse 7. and even then he would look again toward his holy Temple ver 4. All for the instruction of godly men who see by this Use 1 how strictly and circumspectly they need to walk lest the terrors of God fall upon them and if they be not cast into hell yet shall be made to believe so God sometimes holds them by one leg to hang over hell as if he meant to throw them in when they grow loose or idle in their course and especially if they grow scandalous Take heed Heb. 10.31 1 Pet. 4.17 it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God and judgment begins at the house of God who never meant to make fondlings of his own children And if it be so what will become of the sinner and the wicked Use 2 where shall they appear how shall they be cast into the belly of hell for ever for all their impenitency and infidelity what other can be the fruit of all that security and hardness of heart which possesseth many of our people It is an horror to think what their end will be He that thinks deeply would think it an horrible mischief to be three days and three nights with Jonah â—n a Whales belly with weeds and noysomness But what misery will ye think it to be for ever with devils in the place where the worm dyes not and the fire goes not out I said I am cast out of thy sight and my soul fainted within me He that before made nothing of it to flee from the presence of the Lord now complains that he is cast out of his sight and he that before was so hardy as to go directly against the word of the Lord now tells how his soul fainted within him No courage will hold out with a man which is not well founded in dependance on God Note and in obedience to him Self-will and self-confidence will sooner or later leave a man in the suds and in the mire Peter who relied too much on his own strength had cause afterward to weep bittely I said I am cast out of thy sight Note A good soul is sometime jealous of Gods love to it Oh I have rejected God and God hath rejected me I doubt he will be no more greaâ—ous but hath shut up his loving kindness in everlasting displeasure and Job said He counteth me for his enemy Reas Which comes to pass partly by the weakness of faith which is in a Believer I believe Lord help my unbelief Partly by the guiltiness of some sin hitherto not repented nor pardoned or the sense of pardon not yet come to his understanding Partly by the tenderness of his Conscience loth to part with so great a good as the favour of God is reckoning and saying In thy presence is fulness of joy and the loving kindness of God is better then life Psal 16.11 and 63 3. Use 1 For want of which tenderness of spirit it is that vain and carnal Christians never doubt of the love of God toward them They conclude it upon weak and insufficient grounds and in the same presumption go on confidently without fear or care to make sure their Election brag how they are assured of Gods love to them wonder at them that are of a troubled or distressed spirit cry out upon the Ministery that hath been a means to wound them or courses that have made them so melancholick So the fool rageth and is confident Prov. 14.16 Idle and formal Christians get more assurance such as it is then they that take most pains for it A tender-hearted Christian comes drugling after almost out of breath and much ado to keep up his spirit when the other went before fearlesly and holds on in a flaunting fashion too fine to last alway Our rule is to work out our salvation with fear and trembling Take heed Phil. 2.12 there have been those who have puffed or raged in prosperity and yet have fainted in adversity Let the exhortation be to good and discreet Christians Use 2 2 Pet. 1.10 Heb. 10. carefully follow the great business of making sure your Calling and Election grow up more and more to the full assurance of faith as in things indifferent so about the love of God let every one be fully perswaded in his own mind Rom. 14 6. what is wanting to a weak faith get it supplyed by a conscionable use of the means of grace such as the Word Sacraments Prayer Covenant Promises all the grounds of confidence which God hath given to work us to strong consolation Heb. 6.18 Especially take heed of a scandalous sin which gasheth conscience deeply and of casting thy self out of Gods sight by relinquishing duty as here Jonah did such may thank themselves for their desertions sad eclipses and jealousies that arise in them how should it be otherwise My soul fainted within me Note A good soul sometimes hath his fainting fits in respect of faith and comfort so had Baruch Jer. 45.3 I fainted in my sighing so the Church Lam. 5.17 for this our heart is faint And not only for corporal wants and dangers as those that fainted for thirst or for the sword but for spiritual considerations Psal 84.2 my soul longeth Amos 8 1â— Ezek. 21.7 15. yea even fainteth for the living God and 119.81 my soul fainteth for thy salvation The reason is 1. The greatness or tediousness of an Reason 1 affliction is apt to tire out the spirits of Gods children who can bear no more or no longer and if God come not timely to help he would fail utterly Esa 57.16 Jonah was almost spent by lying so long in the Whales belly 2. Where the guilt of sin and the wrath of God meet together in a soul usually it makes foul weather that it comes so far as to fainting Pro. 18.14 A wounded spirit who can bear And this is Jonahs case at this time we may hear afterward that he fainted for the heat of the Sun Jâ—n 4 8. but that was nothing to this where sin intervenes and makes the sorrow far more intolerable Use 1 Teaching us wisely and mercifully to consider them
estate 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whâ—m I have believed the desire of our heart is to the remembâ—ance of thy name Oh but David remembred God and was troubled Ob. Sol. Psal 77.3 Answ David was now under a temptation as appears by ver 10. I said it is my infirmity But I say more there is something in God which may trouble even a good soul namely his justice his displeasure at sin his revence for sin sometimes upon his own children and these arm his other Attributes against the soul of a sinner viz. his holiness his power his wisdom his soveraignty his providence and government all terrible where the guilt of sin lies upon the soul which possibly might be Davids case at this time mine or thine But let weak believers take this instruction Use when ye find these fainting fits coming or already come upon you remember the Lord and stay your hearts on him remember him in that form in those relations as he stands to a Believer Remember him as the Lord in covenant as the Lord thy righteousness as the Lord merciful and gracious as the Lord pardoning iniquity transgression and sin as the Lord that bears a most watchful eye of care and providence over thy person and estate that remembers his covenant and thy frailty and knows when a deliverance will be most seasonable Though a Mother forget her Child yet will not I forget thee saith the Lord yea though we forget duty as Jonah did at this time yet will he remember to be gracious And though we know not what to do for our own deliverance in any kind yet he knows well enough and will do it for us he knows to deliver the righteous out of trouble My prayer came in unto thee into thine holy Temple Note Good prayers use to come up before God and get a merciful consideration as Jonahs Salomons Hezekiahs Cornelius others The reason is Christ takes the prayers and presents them to his and our Father Rev. 8.3 4. It is one chief part of his Priestly Office intercession as well as satisfaction and he will be sure to do it to the uttermost he appears for us and makes requests in our behalf Use 1 An encouragement to be much and often in prayer Is it not a speedy way Every good husband will insist in the way wherein he may thrive apace and so should a Christian in the way of praying Audience in prayer is one of the priviledges which belong to a Believer and one of Gods Attributes is that he is a God hearing prayer Use 2 And it teacheth a Believer when he hath made his prayer to the God of his life and mercy to rest assured he shall prevail one way or other as here My prayer came into thy Temple and elsewhere We know we have the Petitions we ask of him and he will speak peace to his people For why it is his promise Ask and ye shall receive seek and ye shall find c. Ver. 6.8 10. Thou hast brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving c. Here the Prophet amplifies his prayer by the effect it had namely his deliverance out of that great danger Parts Thou hast brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God And this is farther illustrated 1. By the contray in Idolaters who misse of mercy because they seek not to the true God v 8. 2. By the thankfulnesse he means to shew for the deliverance v. 9. 3 By the particularizing of the deliverance and how it was effected v. 10. Thou hast brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God There be many in this company that may truly say Note God hath brought up my life from corruption at such a time I was very likely to die I had one foot in the grave I had made my Will and bid farwel to all the world yet it pleased God to add more time to my days I am yet in the land of the living among old friends and neighbours and the time that remains in the flesh I ought and partly have promised to spend in the service of God better then formerly But Whether do I speak those words in way of hearty and Use 1 real thankfulnesse or only in form Examine whether delivered in mercy have I serious purposes indeed to improve this life of mine for the service and glory of God or do I now think of those vows and purposes to perform them effectuaâ—ly If I do do I put forth my best and truest endeavours to bring them into act when Jonah had escaped his great danger he went and did the message though to as great a danger When Hezekiah had been sick and recovered he set to praise the Lord all the days of his life Now these examples are written for our instruction to do the like as bad examples are to be avoided so good examples are to be followed Whether by general mercy or special And if we do not the deliverance out of danger will prove only a common mercy that comes of the general providence of God whereby he saves man and beast and his Sun shines and rain falls on good and bad True Jehovah raised thee out of thy great fit of sickness or some other mischief but thou canst not yet say the Lord my God and yet that is the only right receiving of mercies when one is able to say Thou hast brought up my life from corruption O Lord my God There is a vast difference between these two Saved by the true God and saved by the Lord my God Consider the word especially in 1 Tim 4.10 he is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe And let all fall closely upon this point to make it sure Use 2 to our own souls The Lord my God My Lord and my God said Thomas my Redeemer said Job he loved me and gave himself for me I pray what think ye is it not great difference to say A good summe of Gold and Silver and This is my Gold and Silver even so is it here A man may be poor enough though he see heaps and treasures of money so in spiritual treasure Know the only happiness stands in the appropriation my God Blessed are the people that have the Lord for their God Psal 144.15 In these Ordinances therefore the main design of Christians should be to make Christ sure to their souls and so be able to say my God my Saviour my Redeemer Him we preach as the chief matter of our pains-taking and in his Name we make offers of the favour of God to be thy God and thine 2 Cor. 6.1 and thine Now receive not the grace of God in vaiâ— be sure to do this business which is the main business to be done Heb. 12.29 and if it be not done this thy God will
one day prove a consuming fire who though he hath brought up thy life from corporal corruption yet not from eternal But come we now to the illustration from the contrary Idolaters miss of mercy because they seek not the true God They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy Jehovah brought up Jonahs life from corruption Jehovah heard his prayer and delivered him of Jehovah is salvation the true God did all but the idol-gods can do none of these things they are vanities and teachers of lies Hab. 2 18. and will deceive all those that trust in them and call upon them But I comprehend under the name of lying vanities Lying vanities what 1. The idols of the Gentiles which the Mariners prayed unto every one to his god Had not Jonahs God delivered them they had been all drowed in the sea none could save as the God of Jonah and of the Hebrews who is also the God of us Christians 2. Those carnal reasonings wherewith Jonah was swayed to leave Nineve and flee to Tarsus whereof he tells us in chap. 4 2. and now he recants all professing to adhere to the true God only Such carnal reasonings we all have and are to exalt high thoughts against the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 Religion with many is measured by meer policy credit multitude thriving in the world and the like lying vanities all of them as to the soul and in Gods matters Yet farther all superstitions are lying vanities that is humane inventions put for Gods worship Psal 40.4 They turn aside to lyes And all Astrological predictions in Moon-prophets who tell of lucky and unlucky dayes Jer. 10.2 And all forms of Religion in hypocrites they compass God about with lyes Hos 11.12 And all good things of this life in worldlings who pursue them immoderately and inordinately Vanity of vanities all is vanity Eccl. 1.2 And all lusts in profane persons called deceitful lusts Eph. 4.22 and we read of deceivablness of unrighteousness in them that perish 2 Thes 2.10 Now accordingly as these vanities are observed more or less what the observing of them so mercy is forsaken Profane and impenitent persons observe these lying vanities totally and finally and so they altogether lose the mercy of God having their portion in this life Psal 17.14 but godly Christians who observe them but a little and only for a while do miss of some mercy they might enjoy as we see in this terrible balk which Jonah made Why their own mercy But why is it called their own mercy Answ Because it belonged to them it was tendered to them they might have had it they should have taken it and not let it go for the best advantage in the world So the Jews are called the children of the Kingdom Mat. 8.12 that is those that belonged primarily to the Church and favour of God But see the like opposition in Luke 16.10 11 12. The words are a doctrine They that observe lying vanities Doctr. Reas forsake their own mercy The reason is mercy is basely undervalued and vanities preferred before it Though it be a precious mercy a soul saving Mercy undeserved free rich the fountain of all good in earth and heaven though it be renewed in a costly way of Christs bloud which is more then the creation of man and the world though it be published and offered in the ministery Take it it is your own be reconciled to God and all shall do well though God be very patient after many of your refusals yet still vanities shall be observed and pursued as the chief good A just forfeit the Lord will not endure the disparagement of his mercy Luke â—4 21 the King was angry when the Guests would not come to his Supper saying Not one of them that were bidden shall taste of my Supper Use 1 Terror to sâ—nd Professors Which may serve for great terror to many Oh that they might be convinced of their great folly and humbled and work wisely hereafter for the welfare of their poor soul 1. Here is extream folly shewed thus Mercy is magnified in general but forsaken when it comes to particulars in the practice and when the main stroke is to be struck it is left as no good bargain as if the salvation of a soul were not indeed a thing to be stood upon never is it weighed well till the day of judgment when it will be too late Christ and his salvation are liked well and presumed on but lost for trifles and lost with a kind of wilfulness it is not said here that they lose mercy but forsake it 2. These vanities will one day be seen to be altogether unprofitable that they cannot profit nor deliver because they are vain 1 Sam. 12 21. Vain to have had pleasure in this life or scraped wealth together or climbed up to honors or to have so drudged about the world as if Religion were no calling for a Christian Then they will say What hath pride profited us or any of the other when the soul is lost and the shame and misery comes Rom. 6.21 Rev. 6 16. they will call the mountains to fall upon them and the hills to cover them Oh hide us from the presence of the Lamb. 3. What a confounding lye will it appear when these vanities appear in their own colours when the man finds himself disappointed of his hopes and mercy lost too no full contentment by his lusts and pleasures when most fully enjoyed no solidity in all his cavils and carnal reasonings mercy pleaded to the losing of mercy as here by Jonah At that day mercy will be found to be the portion of good souls only who love and fear God and at that day it will appear to have been limited wiâ—h certain conditions which at present are overlooked and altogether neglected These conditions for receiving mercy were delivered warily by good Preachers though others could daube and skin them over And they were told what a mortal variance there is between mercy and these lying vanities but would not lay it to heart Oh that now men and women were ashamed as one day they must be now it would be to some purpose they might be converted and saved as the Prophesie went of Converts in the latter days Ezek. 16.63 they shall be ashamed of their doings but in that great day it will be too late it should have been done before-hand Use 2 Christians be exhorted to be tender and chary of the mercy of God toward you Work wisely to find mercy one day and do not exchange it for vanities Ye see it may be forgone and forsaken and the way how it comes about beware of lying vanities no wise man will let go his Land for points and counters and consider withall 1. This mercy is such a thing as the worst among us Mot. 1 do seem to crave and magnifie Oh they hope God will be merciful to them and if
he should not be merciful at last they were in a sad case Oh mercy is all in all what should a sinner do without mercy it is our life it is our salvation it is our all The more shame if poor creatures let it go so slightly as 't is to be feared many do Mot. 2 2. Consider the qualities of this mercy It is infinite it is tender it is free it is rich and abundant and every way worth the keeping The mercy of the most loving man or woman is cruelty in comparison Gods mercy is the only saving way to raise up sinners Luke 1.77 78 He gives knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins through his tender mercy or the bowels of his mercy Now who of us would lose a dear friend for a few pins or points Beware of this extream foolery Mot. 3 3. Mercy cost the Lord dear before he could make it your mercy or you could call it your own mercy Though it be free in respect of his love so ordering a way of reconciliation yet it is not free in respect of Christ and his sufferings It cost him great drops of bloud scourges fears sorrows manifold indignities he found it no easie matter to procure mercy for sinners And should it now be prodigally squandred away and all for trifles what maâ—e a great purchase by expending a great summe of money and idly forfeit it again Mot. 4 4 What a terror one day will it be to have it as your own mercy and let it go to have it merited offered sealed applyed rejoyced in yet lost when all is done Heb. 6.5 to taste of the powers of the world to come and yet fall away and lose all for a little ease or wealth or other vanity what Boy hath a bird in his hand and lets him fly away in hope to catch him again Oh who can pity or help that soul which thrusts away his own mercy 5. Worldly comforts are not our own in comparison Mot. 5 nor worthy to be owned they are but clouts and accidentals to speak off they are easily and quickly put off forfeited lost consumed remembred with bitterness when they are gone Riches take them wings and fly toward heaven Prov. 23.5 Pleasures many time end in pain Honors go out with a snuff And at best these things give not contentment as they promised There is a lye in my right hand saith the Idolater Esa 44.20 in my eye sath the wanton in my heart saith the covetous in my course of life saith the profane or the hypocrite 6. If good things be such lying vanities what shall we Mot. 6 say of lusts of will-worships star-gazings and the like how will these lye and deceive and do a mischief what will be the end of gross and staring sins in many shall they find mercy at the hands of God it is impossible God reserves mercy for them that make a better use of it for vessels of mercy in this life vessels of his praise and by grace fitted for glory Lastly for carnal reasonings let all godly men take Mot. 7 heed by Jonahs example who was almost drowned in Gods mercy when it was perverted to declining of duty Ye see how he fared beware of halting a little or for a while Ver. 9.10 I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving I will pay that that I have vowed salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land Of sacrificing to the Lord we spake on chap. 1.16 as also of making vows And on v. 17. we spake of the powerful and present providence of God how it reacheth to all the creatures even the fishes of the sea Therefore the less is to be spoken now Note Difference of godly and ungodly But for farther edification note thus There is much difference between the purposes of the godly and the wicked in regard of afflictions 1. The wicked purpose well while under the rod and in great danger the godly when they have now escaped viz. Jonah was now got out of shipwrack and saith he will sacrifice and pay vows but of the Mariners we hear no more A man hereby may guess something of the frame of his heart 2. The wicked make vows but the godly say they will pay their vows In case of revenge perhaps or of some wickedness a wicked man will do it because he hath vowed it as he saith but in case of religiousness he will take more leisure and think of it ten times or an hundred times before he will do it once There is another tryal of your hearts I will sacrifice with the voice of thanksgiving So David sometimes I will offer unto thâ—e bullocks and lambâ— and tell of all thy wondrous works Come children I will tell you what he hath done for my soul I will not hide his righteousness and his doings from the great Congregation I will praise the Lord among the faithful and in the assembly Note â—se expressions of thankfulness A godly man ought to be thankful for mercies and to use expressions of his thankfulness Indeed the marrow of thankfulness lies in the heart and they are hypocrites who are all in good words but where the heart is right and inditing a good matter the tongue may well be allowed to be the pen of a ready writer yea must interpret the mind in way of thankfulness Of this see something in Psal 37.30 31. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgement The law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide Eph. 4 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers Col. 4.6 Let your speech be alwayes with grace seasoned with salt that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man Which serves to reprove the barrenness of good speech that appears in some of the godly Use Reproof thankful for â—he mercies of God prize them meditate on them magnifie the love from which they come and mean to follow on in a way of real thankfulness according to their calling but fail in this that they utter not the voice of thanksgiving when and where it concerns them sometime to testifie their gratitude or speak to the edification of others Mat. 12.35 A fault and should be mended A good man out of the treasure of his heart should bring forth good things not only actions but speeches How else shall the lips of the righteous feed many or how shall Idolaters be confronted profane persons brow-beaten or religious friends edified excited unto the like thankfulness provoked to be active as well as our selves but a meer dulness must lie upon our spirits to be very little serviceable in our generation or in the place of our abode I confess there is too much tattle
of the word Neh. 8.8 They read the book of the Law and gave the sense A thing needful to be done because of some obscuritie Act. 8. as the Eunuch said How can I understand without an interpreter and Paul was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light Act. 26.18 3. Application for the several uses of instruction exhortation reprehension consolation confutation and other occasions of Gods people as their case doth require 1 Cor. 14.3 2 Tim. 3.16 Mercy to whom mercy belongeth and judgment to whom judgment A steward in a great mans house giveth every one his portion and so doth the Minister in the house of God Use 1 Now if this be so appointed of God away with all those cavils and exceptions which are brought against preaching as in the preachers plea. The world is no changeling but still accounts it the foolishnesse of preaching even the wise part of the world where grace is wanting Oh a dry barren ordinance to be so much attended Use 2 and none but simple soules do so regard it Make much of good preaching Take heed Christians and duly stoop to this Ordinance of God Remember it is his Ordinance and therefore ought to be embraced with reverence and affection and improved to the ends and purposes which he hath appointed to get sound knowledge to get faith to be wrought to repentance and conversion to be able to pray acceptably to walk in faith and obedience and so be accepted of God and saved Rom. 10 13 17. Thence the need of preparation before ye come to preaching Eccles. 5.1 Act. 10.33 1 Pet. â— 1 2. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God Be all present before God to hear the things that shall be spoken Lay aside all naughtinesse and as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word to grow thereby And thence the taxing of those that behave not themselves well at preaching Ezek. 33.30 31 32. And a blessing on those that hear Luke 11.28 so as to believe and obey Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it And God esteemes it a great mercy that he sends Preachers among a people therefore so should they esteem it or if they want the mercy pray for it Amos 2.11 and Mat. 19.38 The preaching that I bid thee All of us are bound up within certain laws and conditions in preaching that we may not preach at adventure Note Preachers limited in preaching or what seemes good to our selves and They that are faithful hold themselves close to what the Lord appoints them to preach I have received of the Lord that which I have delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11.23 Faithful Ministers dare not deliver for doctrins the commandements of men dare not make sad the heart of the righteous nor make glad the heart of the wicked dare not keep back any of the counsel of God dare not corrupt or adulterate the Ordinances dare not seek their own things but the things of Jesus Christ and generally they preach as those that must give an account and think with themselves What good would it do souls to be comforted unlesse indeed they repent and believe the Gospel 1. A tryal of preachers who are true and who are false Use 1 If they speak not according to this word Esa 8.20 it is because there is no light in them Though they pretend visions and revelations they are not right Though they come in a mortified garb and with a great show of sanctity beware of them Though they urge the authority of Fathers and other Ancients yet look to your selves They are deceivers take heed of them The Lord now tryes you whether ye will cleave fast to the Lord your God Still your course must be to the law and to the testimony Use 2 2. If the Lord bid us preach thus and thus then your faith stands not in the authority of man but of God True ye have such and such lessons by the hands of men to direct you what to beleeve and obey but first and chiefly ye have them from God who sets the men on worke Ye have them from God at the second hand The Prophets were Preachers of old time but the word of the Lord came to Jonah and to the rest of them Afterwards the Apostles preached but taught the nations ta observe and do what God commanded them Mat. 28.20 2 Tim. 1.13 After them the Evangelists and other good Teachers held fast the forme of wholsom words as they had received them from God And now adayes whoever beleeve and obey according to this word do follow God himself speaking by his Ministers as when an Embassador follows his instructions the King his Master is regarded or neglected Comfort by a sacrament is Sound comfort because we deliver what God delivered to us or comfort by promises applyed because God promised and in Christ all the promises are yea and amen Use 3 3 If it be so see how ye ought to entertain the preachers and preaching of the word namely as messages and messengers sent from God So to do was the commendation of the Galatians and Thessalonians Gal. 4.14 1. Thes 2 13. and would be your commendation People make an ill account when they go to hear a Sermon and look no higher then the Preacher thence they receive so litle good as they do still remaining secure impenitent unbeleeving unreformed The only way to get good by all your hearing were to hear as from the great God of heaven The preaching is by man but he delivers what God bids him to deliver Therefore fear attend believe obey be afraid to forget or neglect the instructions if ye do ye despise not man but God and who are we that ye murmure against us your murmurings are not against us but against the Lord. Ver. 3.4 So Jonah arose and went unto Nineve according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineve was an exceeding great City of three days journey And Jonah began to enter into the City a days journey and he cryed and said Yet forty days and Nineve shall be overthrown Here is Jonahs obedience the last and truest note of his repentance Before we had his confession his faith his prayer his thanksâ—iving and vowing but now we have the perfection of all his obedience Now what he promised freely he performeth faithfully now he lays aside all his carnal reasonings and sets to do according to the word of the Lord. So still Note Obedience the highest act of repentance without obedience all other are but shews of repentance Ahab and Judas are said to have repented but no obedience followed nor others who are hypocrites Approve thou thy sincerity by bringing forth fruits meet for repentance not leaves but fruits Mat. 3 8. not shows but substance Jonah arose and went unto Nineve This is that which he said chap. 2.9 I will pay
that that I have voâ—ed He had vowed it seems in the Whales belly that if he might be delivered he would do the message at Nineve whatever it cost him and now he doth the message indeed Though the danger were the same by displeasing a mighty people though God were very merciful and likely to spare Nineve Note Do as well as vow though thereby he should be accounted a false Prophet Yet up he ariseth and hies him to Nineve Thus he pays what he had vowed Remember and do thou likewise it is written for thy instruction and imitation In Baptism thou renouncedst the Devil the World and the Flesh and wast devoted to the service of the true God who is Father Son and Holy Ghost Now at years of discretion do as thou hast said pay that that thou hast vowed especially one that hath been dangerously sick and now recovered or in other great affliction remember the vows which thy lips then uttered as Psal 66.13 14. I will pay thee my vows which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble Shew whether thou hast indeed profited in the School of affliction whether as Christ thou hast learned obedience by the things thou sufferedst or as David It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Do the duty though it be difficult costly or dangerous as this to Jonah Godly sorrow useth to work abundance of gracious effects 2 Cor. 7.11 Carefulness Fear vehement Desire Zeal c. Doctr. Penitents work for God And note how it is said here Jonah did according to the word of the Lord. A truly-penitent Christian sets himself to work for God according to his word However he have declined the service and turned aside to crooked wayes yet upon his better bethinking himself especially upon his smart in one kind or other he gets up and falls to his work again so Jonah David Peter other Saints whose falls were great but so was their amendment too and the obedience they performed afterward Why 1. He hears and acknowledges the voice of God commanding Reason 1 his obedience as here Arise and go to Nineve When young Samuel once knew the voice of the Lord he presently said Speak Lord for thy servant heareth and he did all the message to the uttermost So did Paul at his conversion Lord 1 Sam 3.10 12. what wilt thou have me to do where think why should not a Convert obey the word of God as well as a Whale or a wind should man be more sensless then they Reason 2 2. There is a principle of grace and obedience in the heart of the truly-penitent as for example Jonah was a godly man before this time though now he failed foully and fearfully therefore is awakened to his work and sets presently to do it In every true Christian there abides a seed of God 1 John 3.9 which will not suffer him to sin as the wicked doth And such will say We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth and We cannot but speak the things we have heard and seen 3. The word of the Lord carries Authority with it that the good soul holds it self bound to observe and do it Though others are fast and loose ye such will hold it as David My heart standeth in awe of thy word And it hath the nature of a rule to do as the word directeth so much and no more and in such manner as it requires Gal. 6.16 As many as walk according to this rule peace and mercy be upon them And so there is this force both in the commanding word of God and the forbidding word and threatning and promising and comforting in all there is an eternal obligation and equity and a believer will have a faithful respect to all as is injoyned Deut. 12.32 What thing soever I command you observe and do it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it It follows hence that numbers among us never yet Use 1 truly repented of their sins why to this day they set not to do Gods business according to his word some being grosly disobedient others partial in their obedience others slight others unsetled and unconstant others timerous and loth to appear where difficulty or danger appears Numbers flee from God with Jonah but few travel for God with Jonah yet will make themselves believe they have repented which is impossible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for true repentance is ever a fruitful and effectual repentance remember the fruits meet for repentance Mat. 3.8 and works meet for repentance Act. 21.20 And if others will not yet let true Christians justifie Use 2 and clear their repentance to be sound and sincere by falling upon the work which the Lord hath for them to do as ye have failed with Jonah so be quickned and active with Jonah Every one knows his fleeing and wherein he hath been faulty Now let every one be humbled for his failings and return unto God in the same way he went from him How to set to do Gods work Our Text imports three things which may set a collapsed Christian upon his legs again 1. Rowse up thy self out of that sluggishness which hath crept insensibly upon thee Arise and go to Nineve Up Sampson the Phlistines be upon thee Say not Yet a little sleep Augustine yet a little slumber yet a little folding of the hands to sleep This little and little will make a great deal at the last Thy case is bad enough already and such delay would make it far worse He that is not fit for God and duty to day will be less fit to morrow There is more need by double diligence â—o redeem the time that is lost and fetch after the work that should have been done 2. Take heed of carnal reasonings which swayed with Jonah to flee to Tarsus namely the great mercy of God to repenting sinners What of that ought not Jonah to have tryed therefore to bring the Ninevites to repentance If Christ be revealed in thee yet beware of consulting with flesh and bloud Gal. 1.16 and take heed of presuming on mercy as mercy is not to be straightned so neither is it to be enlarged beyond the bounds prescribed of God nor perverted to wrong ends but whereas he is very gracious he should be feared the more even vessels of mercy are not allowed to turn grace into lasciviousness Psâ—l 130.4 Jude 4. 1 Pet. 4.17 Consider what that means Judgment begins at the house of God and the righteous shall scarce be saved 3. Cast not difficulties and dangers that would follow upon doing of duty Jonah hath now unlearned that lesson and puts on to his work whatever comes of it Prov. 26.13 The fool or wicked man saith there is a Lyon in the way I shall be destroyed or damnified if I do this and this duty I know not what mischief will come of it But
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
who strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel Christians bring your anger to these rules Use or know ye do not well to be angry I confess it is hard to do but say withall it may be done therefore Watch Pray strive against all excess and irregularity in your anger And the better to express it suppress all the causes of disorderly anger as Pride Envy Self love Covetousness Curiosity Credulity and all the bellows that use to blow up anger into a flame and combustion Stop the cause and the effect will cease For Motives consider how the Lord here chides Jonah for his excess Doest thou well to be angry consider how it is forbidden in Scripture Eph. 5.31 Put away all Bitterness and Wrath and Anger The same again Col. 3.8 Consider how much sin this anger breedeth Jam. 1.20 It works not the righteousness of God Consider the danger that comes of unadvised anger Mat. 5.22 a man shall be culpable of judgment Consider thy own infirmities and how thy self would not be handled angrily Consider the Lord here useth Jonah withall the gentleness and moderation that can be and we ought to be followers of God as dear Children Eph. 5.1 Note For the latter note the wonderful strength of corruption though it be in part subdued by grace Though Jonah was a good man and but now reproved of God for his anger yet still he goes on in his way-wardness and nothing will content him but to see the ruine of Nineve Horrible stubbornness which even makes him worthy to perish instead of the City Use Hear ye that have the truth of grace and bend all your forces to the mortifying of Lusts more and more Fear by Jonahs example to be obstinate or stiff in any of your resolutions especially when the word gives some inkling to the contrary Natural corruption is a sturdy old man which will hardly be subdued He went out of the City and sate on the East-side of it One would have thought rather he should have stayed in the City to have given them more instructions now that they were upon the point of conversion If he had met with such a crop of Converts in Israel he would have been glad of the occasion and stayed among them with all his heart But thus it is Note Blind passions and Corrupt affections hinder us from doing the good which we might and ought to do Many a man might be very profitable in his place were it not for his carnal conceits and foolish reasonings He hath fair opportunity by the Office he is in or by his relation to beat down sin but build up grace to reform abuses of the Sabbath to do good service in his generation but by his self-conceitedness he sits still and doth no good at all Use Take heed and mortifie the remainders of thy corruption There be Canaanites yet abiding in the land take them in hand and subdue them more and more It was the fault of Israel that they sate still and rooted not out the Remnant of the Nations and therefore they proved pricks in their sides and thorns in their eyes to vex and trouble them from time to time so it is still Christians suffer by their corruptions because they take not pains to root them out And we see the contray how when Paul prayed thrice against the thorne in the flesh 2 Cor. 12.7.9 he found a grace sufficient for him He sate in the shadow of his Booth till he might see what would become of the City Calvin Jonah was too literal a Teacher and did not reach the whole mind of God who however he denounced destruction against Nineve yet still left place for repentance that if they humbled themselves they should be spared which Jonah understood well in preaching to Israel but here in his prejudicate opinions he cannot remember and so is justly kept doubtful of the Event with enduring of scorching heat and the losse of his Gourd Note Our corrupt humors do many times keep us in the dark that we cannot see duty or comfort as we ought and should do Every man is tempted when he is drawn aside with his own lust and enticed Jam 1.14 Use Take heed and subdue these odd humors and pray for the Spirit of truth who will both teach thee all saving truth and bring all to thy remembrance Had Jonah remembred the tenor of his former preaching he had not expected Nineves destruction so pertinaciously Ver. 6.7 And the Lord God prepared a Gourd and made it come up over Jonah that it might be a shadow over his head to deliver him from his grief So Jonah was exceeding glad of the Gourd But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day and it smote the Gourd that it withered Here the Lord seeks to correct Jonahs Errour by a real instruction namely of a gourd which Argument being comfortable to him Jonah would have spared but Nineve was far better then a gourd and therefore the Lord most righteously will have it to be spared The Simile is in five Verses the Application in the last For the former we have 1. Gods providence in ordering of such an help for Jonah against the heat of the Country he prepared a guard 2. Jonahs comforting with such a help he was exceeding glad of the gourd 3. The withering of it which was a great grief to him Of the gourd no such grow in these Northern Countries A gourd what Dioscorides but in the Eastern Countries a gourd is a shrub with broad black and smooth leaves and hath a Pod with seeds which resemble some creature of that Climate Such a shurb the Lord now provides for Jonah that he may be sheltered from the scorching of the Sun But here is something extraordinary in it namely that so tall and useful a creature should start up in a night and that it should grow just to Jonahs Booth and so strengthen the weak shelter he had provided for himself So it is a kind of miracle and miracles have seldom been done for a particular mans use and benefit though a dear Servant and Child of God The greater mercy is this to Jonah Observe here the providence of God reacheth to the Note 1 smallest things that are even to plants and Worms We have seen it formerly in the matter of Tempest Sea and Whale which are eminent works of God and now we see it in a base shrub which God prepares for Jonah and in a silly worm which he prepares to wither the shrub So of little sparrow and hairs of the head Mat. 10.29 30. All are numbred and not one falls to the ground without the will of our heavenly Father who also telleth the number of the Stars And upon Egypt he sent the Flies Lice Frogs Locusts other Plagues and took them away when he pleased Now bless the Lord who humbles himself to behold things Use 1 on earth Psal 147 5. Psal 113.6 We may well admire
and adore this glorious Lord God his understanding is infinite his Power Presence Wisdom Mercy care of his people preservation of the creatures even the meanest Jonah was much bound to be thankful that when the Ninevites yielded him no entertainment and he provided a simple one for himself the Lord prepared this gourd for him Which is also our case not seldom Use 2 Learn also in the smallest turns of providence to look upward and ascribe all to the right causes Whether it be for mercy as this gourd or for affliction as the worm it is all of God he prepared the one and the other and so he doth still It is not luck or meer chance or second causes but God provides and orders all these supplies with all the events and all the crosses It is the Lord be patient 1 Sam 3.18 Job 1 21. or be thankful The Lord gave and the Lord took away blessed be the Name of the Lord. It is not our own how or sword but the right hand of out God If it be a little drug or potion that doth me good an obscure friend a small accident a little help to stand me in stead it comes of God and he shall have the glory of the thing Dan. 11.34 They shall be holpen with a little help This would be of singular use in our whole course to live as Christians to acknowledge a dependance on heaven to see by faith the Soveraign Lord of the world to breed contentment in that little which is allotted to us to make us thankful for small favours shewed or patient when a small matter falls out and crosseth us The Lord prepares the gourd and the worm not only the Whale but the Worm We are apt in great matters to think God hath an hand but in small matters we scarce look so high take heed and look upward even in small matters Observe again how powerful the providence of God is Note 2 in these small matters 1. In erecting a gourd it came up in a night in the common course of Nature it should have been growing up a quarter of a year together to a just tallness and bigness but God makes it shoot up in a night The Lord sometimes on a suddain shews light and comfort to his people when and where they least expect it at the Red sea out of a Rock in the midst of Jordan He stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to send his people home to their own land He delivered them from Haman in a way which they least thought on 2. In taking the gourd away he prepared a worm which smote it and it withered He could have blasted it without a worm but pleased to use such a vile creature for our instruction Small things can cross us when God bids them Grashoppers Amos 7.1 Flies and Lice pestered Pharaoh exceedingly A small cut in the flesh hath gangrened and killed Little David slew the mighty Goliah Learn to see a powerful God in a weak creature Use 1 Cor. 1 27 21. Weak things of the world to confound the mighty By the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe To uphold a weak Christian against Principalities and powers 2 Cor. 12.9 My strength is made perfect in weakness Water in Baptism to set forth Christs blood and cleansing from sin Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper to set forth the body and blood of Christ and to nourish the believing soul to life eternal So of old the sword of the Lord and of Gideon his Barly-cake overthrew the Tents of the Midâ—anites Lamps and Pitchers confounded their mighty host Trumpets of Rams-horns demolished the walls of Jericho Moses his Rod divided the Sea All pointing at the wonderful power of God working by such silly means Where glorious means are used we are apt to doat on the means but where the means are so simple we are forced to look up unto God Note 3 Observe yet more God provides for his ill deserving servants God provides well for ill deservers as here for cholerick Jonah he lives whereas he desired to dye and beside hath a gourd prepared which affords him much comfort Though we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 Gods Children sometimes deserve full ill at his hands and are ready to draw down wrath upon themselves but in mercy he forbears and continues a gracious providence toward them Use Mark these footsteps of his goings with you and strive to be thankful In our passions sometimes we make faults enough and forfeitures and open a sluce to let in judgements but the Lord stops the Damme and we are not drowned Admire his goodness and be enlarged unto thankfulness He doth good to them that deserve it not yea to them that deserve ill at his hands more to them that are drawing mischief upon themselves Note Small matters sometimes very comfortable Come we now to see how Jonah comforteth himself with his gourd he was exceeding glad of the gourd Small matters sometimes are very comfortable to us a Cup of cold water water out of a Rock Manna out of a congeled dew Naamans washing seven times in Jordan A few Figs and Raisins to the fainting Amalekite A bunch of Figs to Hezekiahs Bile Barly-loaves to thousands of people And to an hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet Whereby we see what poor and weak creatures we are Use 1 and what a silly life the life of Nature is sustained and cherished by those small matters And if so be humble meek thankful heavenly-minded affected earnestly toward a spiritual and eternal life It is time to get Christ to be our life who said I am the way the truth and the life John 14.6 to get the Spirit of life to enter into the way of life to nourish an hope of life everlasting Life of the soul is infinitely better then the life of the body and so are all the means that maintain it Outward things commonly are prized according to their worth and what they will yield and so should the means of grace be mightily prized The wise-men were very glad of the Star that led them to Christ Mat. 2.10 teaching us to prize gracious means which first lead us to Christ and afterward confirm us in him And we learn in small matters to take notice of a great Use 2 love which affordeth them and much comfort by them Mercies commonly are best seen in the want but it were better to esteem them by the use and benefit of them it would argue more ingenuity it may be the truth of grace It were base not to discern the benefit of our Limbs and parts but only by the Tooth-ach loss of a Joynt breaking of Bones or the like Nature can do this but grace looks higher to a great God in a small favour Oh it is no small love nor small purchase nor small pledge Sleep digestion of Meat Sun-shine Seasons of the Year are ordinary