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.
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
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
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
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-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
of the Lord as Parents are commanded Eph. 6.4 It must not be onely civil education but religious So did Father Abraham and found it the way to obtain a blessing Gen. 18.19 That the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him So did David to Solomon So did Lois and Eunice to Timothy And so do thou to thine And when this is done be quiet commit them to God and his providence hope well of them even in dying his seed shall inherit the blessing Or if they miscarry it is their own fault who fell from their good education and forfeited your prayers and Gods blessing withall 3. We saw on Chap. 3. that even the least in Nineve Note 3 joyned in the Fast yea and the very Cattel Humbled ones shall be saved all cryed mightily unto God to be spared and now we see in the grant that is made how the little Children and Cattel are mentioned They that bear a part in dayes of humiliation and fasting shall find mercy with God in an evil time Fasts shall be turned into joyful Feasts for them Zach. 8.19 They that humble themselves under the mighty hand of God in due time shall be lifted up Jam. 4.9 10. They that mourn shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 They that sow in teares shall reap in joy Psal 126.5 Sorrow endures for a night but joy comes in the morning Psal 30.5 Observe here the Jews had a solemn Fast once every year wherein they were to afflict their souls for sin that they might find favour in the sight of God And of this day two things are affirmed Lev. 23.27 1. That it was a day of atonement that is they should have their sins pardoned namely in the blood of Christ who should come figured in the blood of the sacrifices Christ is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world Now this forgivenesse of sins is the blessednesse of a man as Paul saith out of David Rom. 4.6 So that the everlasting welfare of a sinful soul depends upon the due humiliation for sin 2. That in the evening of that day the Trumpet sounded for beginning the year of Jubilee wherein every servant became a free-man and every one returned to his land which he had any way alienated Lev. 25.8 and when the Church of the New Testament was to be shewed in vision to Ezekiel it was on the same day of the same moneth Chap. 40.1 Reas 1 And thus the Lord shews favour to them that humble themselves in fasting 1. Because of those promises not that there is merit in their humiliations though the body should be pined with fasting yet no merit bodily exercise profiteth little 2. Those that truly humble themselves are brought to Gods bent and are become such people as he would have them to be Believers new creatures reformed and walk with him in holinesse He knows we cannot be perfect but when he sees us rightly set it sufficeth and gives content 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 3.17 In Christ he is well-pleased and so with them Use 1 Those then wrong themselves who distaste our dayes of humiliation They share not in the atonement or the forgivenesse of their sins They miss of many temporal mercies which might be had And they smart with divers afflictions which to them are so many curses as also are all outward blessings Mal. 2.2 I have cursed your blessings And see Zach. 14.16 17 18 19. Use 2 And if so let all be willing to joyn in dayes and duties of humiliation prescribed by authority and do them in a right manner that is 1. With a broken heart cast down for sin Joel 2.12 13. 2. With forsaking those sins which are confest and lamented Pro. 28.13 He that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy 3. With doing the works of holinesse righteousnesse and mercy which are quite contrary Esa 58.5 6. Then follow large and precious promises vers 8. And all other are accounted but hypocrites when they fast never so much or never so often Zach. 7.5 6 7. Consider and remember the afflicting of the soul in fasting and what the Infants and Cattel could not do for want of understanding but meerly by force do you perform voluntarily and do it sincerely really effectually Such is the Fast which God hath chosen and this is the way to find favour with God After humiliation comes exaltation FINIS