am and without the grace of God assisting the perfectest that ever were among the sonnes of men Christ only excepted had not power of themselves one houre to subsist In this then let mee cheere vp my heart that if I fall into drunkennesse I have a Noah to raise me when I am truly grieved if into adultery I haue a David to support mee when my heart is truly affected with his penitentiall Psalme if into pride of heart I have an Hezekiah to restore mee when the same heart is with godly sorrow truly humbled If I fall into plaine impaciencie murmure and repining I have a Moses a Iob a Ieremy a Ionah to direct mee when vnto a more sober and setled spirit with them I am returned Let this vse be made of the Saints faylings to comfort vs in our infirmities not to animate vs in any wilfull impieties Children they are not of God but of Belial who doe this latter Thirdly In the third place since it is a Prophet that here complaineth and we have observed the like complaints of sundry the Prophets in the examination of this doctrine more then of any other kinds and professions of men whatsoever Let the Prophets and Ministers of God from hence learne somewhat to their instruction at least-wise a right iudgement of the calling and businesse they take in hand Qui desiderat Episcopatum c. saith the Apostle he that desires the office of Bishop or of some inferiour Pastor and Teacher in the Church he desires a good worke But now worke hath painfulnesse and this by few I am sure is desired and if the calling may bee honourable yet sure it is not easefull Cursed is that man especially in this high and holy function that divideth what God hath ioyned together honour and labour or that ioyneth what God hath separated ease and honour The Angels of God the higher in nature the more quicke and diligent are they in their service to God and to his Church and the Prophets of God are called Angels and the Angels Ministers and fellow-servants with them Hee that shall with Atlas vnder-proppe the heavens or with David who was a Prophet beare vp the pillars of the earth no marveile if he groane sometimes And thinke not that it was not for nothing that Ionah here was thus besides himselfe and so iudge of the former complaints of those good Prophets mentioned that they did proceede from the grievous pressures and waight of those burdens which in the waightie charge of their callings they have sustained The names wherewith I finde the calling named may partly instruct vs herein Seers are they called and o how long wilt thou cause mee to behold or see grievance saith one of them Hab. 1. Shepheards they are called and well may say with Iacob Thus was it with mee in the day time the heate consumed mee and the frost by night and my sleepe departed from mine eyes Gen. 31. Are they not also called Watch-men and to them the voyce calleth Watch-man what of the night Watch-man what of the night A Lyon my Lord a Lyon the roaring Lyon that goes about seeking whom hee may devoure Watch yee stand yee fast quit your selves like men I stand I stand continually vpon the Watch-tower saith the Prophet Isaiah in the day time and I am set in my Ward whole nights you know to what end to fore-see dangers Lastly they are called Fishers Matth. 4. and here they must resolve to grapple with many an hideous storme If Peter and Andrew will follow Christ they shall catch soules but withall must looke to finde a sea of trouble of it when once they have launched out into the deepe O that this were considered of at Naioth in Ramah and in the Schooles of the Prophets The Lacedaemonians had their Palastram or place of exercise for the youth that afterwards they might make choice of tryed souldiers against the times of needfull warre What are those houses before named in the right intendment but improovements vnto noble fortitude that with the Priests of God who sounded the trumpets of old the Priests of these dayes may proove incouragers to the Lords people in the Lords battels against sinne and wickednesse Diogenes vpon a time comming into the tent of Philip King of Macedon was askt by him if he came as a spye yea quoth he for I come to spye out thy folly and madnesse who being not constrained by any necessitie doest set as it were vpon the dicing board both thy life and kingdome Are not we according to the best acception in as high honour as ever was the Macedonian Philip doth not the neglect of our office draw with it as great danger as his folly How is it then that we who should bee leaders to the Lords people have cloathed our selves with the fashions and humours of the times in stead of the compleate Armour commended by Saint Paul to the Ephesians have put on the sword of infidelitie the girdle of licentiousnesse the breast-plate of vnrighteousnesse the shield of infidelitie Whooredome and wine and new wine take away the heart was the complaint of old We have not lessoned but added to the account chambering and wantonnesse Tobacco too and drunkennesse are the sins of these dayes and which is worst of all I would not speake it the Prophets doe eate vp the sins of the people O that my head were a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the sinnes of the Prophets For the leaders of my people cause them to erre saith the Lord leading them into blinde pathes and crooked waies and they shall stumble and fall together and none shall raise them vp saith the Lord. The case indeede must needs proove desperate when they who should support doe stand in neede of supportation and they who should be raisers vnto others are themselves down Awake for shame oh yee of the stocke and stemme of Levi and let Aarons rod flourish in your hands or else resolve to burne eternally Breake forth into thunder o yee sonnes of thunder and let the trumpet yet sound louder Are not we the men who are now even now to prepare a people against our Masters second comming and is the spirit of Eliah thinke you sufficient for vs now is the time to be zealous or never or never O let the people of God pray for the Priests of God O let the Priests of God whose office calles for more zeale now then did the former dayes looke well into their office if not so farre as to distast the same with Ionah yet to have a more considerate regard and to be more sensible of so sacred and Angelicall a function and not to prepare thereto as the most doe with myrth and Ioviality Neither is my speech wholly to these a word of exhortation would not doe amisse to the Prophets of God in earnest who having in sinceritie vndertaken the calling doe finde truly the burden of it Let them not
embers of all his former discontents how to carry our selves in tryals of this nature to prevent or defeate Satans wiles and policies herein For we have to deale with a subtill adversary who workes vpon the advantage of our distempered weakenesse He perceived Ionah much out of pacience before and now he doth vse the helpes of the Gourd to worke him quite besides himselfe so if he at any time finde vs to have delivered vp the hold of reason or to be vpon the tyde of our impotent passions he plyes the advantage with diligence and though we sayle too fast of our selves he will not sticke to adde both winde and water to our Ships Hee saith to the angry man besides the present occasion of his anger remember wrongs of old done vnto thee hee hath trespassed against me seuen times yea though his brother come and humble himselfe in presence hee will not admit of the counsell of our Saviour the power of temptation doeth prevaile more strongly and flesh and blood cannot withstand To the furious man hee likewise saith strike him the second time strike him to the ground the third time strike him sure for revenge is a sweete thing there is glory in the killing of a man and to put on the girdle of blood vpon thy loynes it is sure an act of generositie To the adulterer when he perceives him inclining to that sinne hee insinuates himselfe by many goodly reasons and saith the good man is gone from home the darkenesse shall cover thee none eye shall see thee stolne waters are sweete and bread of deceite eaten in secret is pleasant but hee telles him not that his mouth in the end shall bee filled with gravell To the woman and lascivious person hee presenteth besides the obiect which for the present pleaseth the eye the pleasure of actuall inioying shee hath costly and gay hangings whom I make the mistris of my delight I have decked my bed speaketh shee with coverings of Tapistrie with carved workes with fine linnen of Egypt I have perfumed my bed with Myrrhe Aloes and Cinamon Yea shee is a religious Strumpet too this day have I paid my vowes she goes to Church but more to intangle simple ones in her eye-lids then to heare a Sermon Oh shee rides in her Coach like a Queene of beautie Thus the wanton is taken with these and many the like with ditties and daunces with rose-beds and garlands and crownes of roses Thus also doeth our tempter deale with vs by temptations on the left hand If hee perceive our mindes doubtfull and wavering from God-ward he calles to our remembrance how many good deedes of ours have passed vnregarded how oft wee have prayed and have returned without successe in our prayers that it is in vaine to serue God and thus hee tempts to infidelitie When hee sees vs troubled with some present mishap hee calles to minde all the crosses wee have borne heretofore that God doeth still loade vs with dayly aflictions without reliefe without release and thus he tempts vs to impaciencie even as he deales with Ionah here finding him troubled about the gourd he awakens also his former discontents the molestations of his calling his travels by Land and tempests by Sea and makes him in the end to fall out and be at plaine difference with God Wherefore happie is that man that can prudently discerne and discerning hold out the shield of Faith to quench all the fierie darts of Satan The ayre is not oftner visited with windes of all qualities gentle or rough bringing or chasing away raine blasting or blessing the fruits of the earth then is the minde of man with the contrary blasts or breathings from two contrary spirits from above and from below Happie is that man who is wise to discerne the times and seasons of spirituall moovings who though he know not whence the winde ariseth doth open the windowes and doores of his soules garden to let in those heavenly inspirations and breathings from above the spices of his garden shall flow out or if he set to sea he shall arrive vnto pleasant harbour But woefull is his mistake who hoyseth sayle when the Diuell keepes his quarter whether must he be carryed vnlesse into the vnfortunate Islands vnlesse before his tacklings rent his Ship doe split and his hopes be sinked into the bottome of the Ocean Wherefore I conclude againe observe the times and the first beginnings if they appeare inticements provocations temptations vnto evill vnto sinne For if we be once vpon the tyde of our head-strong affections a great measure of grace is required to stay vs and if once we begin to tumble the waight of our natures will not easily be letted from the bottome of the hill and we be mainely bruised or everlastingly perished And thus much for the cause of Ionahs anger which is not only the Gourd though it only by the Lord be mentioned in the text It was for this end not to make Ionah more impacient but an argument vsed by the Lord to confute his former great impaciencie as in the next words the conclusion of the booke is made plaine And thus farre on the Lords part the first generall part have we proceeded The next maine part now in order followeth The Answere of Ionah And he said yea I doe well to be angry even vnto death I should little have expected such an answere from the mouth of Ionah especially having beene so mainely schooled but a little before What to the third degree yea I am angry I doe well to be angry I doe well to be angry vnto death Ionah is now got out of the deepe vpon the firme land he no longer feares the wiudes the ratling tempest the Marriners nor the Whale But God is the same God both by sea and land thinke on this Ionah that hee is not as thou supposest But as hee hath the Leviathan and Whirle-poole of the deepe so hath his hand formed the crooked Serpent of the land yea he can make these contemptible vermine with whom thou daily conversest to bite thee as he made Balaams Asse to reproove the madnesse of the Prophet Whom doest thou provoke Ionah art thou able to contend Cloath now thy selfe with thunder and scatter lightnings over the face of the earth Gird vp thy loynes like a man and speake for God himselfe demandeth of thee where wast thou when I laide the foundations of the earth when I laide the measures thereof and stretcht the line vpon it when I laide the corner-stone the morning Starres then sang together and all the sonnes of God shouted for ioy Who shut vp the sea with doores and made the cloude a garment and thicke darknesse a swadling band for it Mightie Ionah powerfull Ionah dreadfull Jonah lift vp now thy voyce to the cloudes and cause abundance of waters to couer thee hast thou an arme like God or canst thou thunder with a voyce like him Decke thy selfe now with Maiestie and excellencie cast abroad the
these words from him viz. whereas he saith I doe well to bee angry even vnto death However it is a most intemperate speech and for the meaning thereof respecting either the intention or effect of Ionah's anger If we expound it of the intention it then importeth thus much that Ionah was exceeding angry so angry that he was full bigge with anger so bigge that he was ready to breake with anger And if so then fixe this Epitaph vpon his grave stone Here lyes the man who did both raging Sea and Whale disdaine His anger worse then Sea or Whale his anger hath him slaine And why yea why should not that anger which hath destroyed many in iustice turne the point sometimes vpon that breast which bred it Truly the anger of Ionah in this place conceived yea expressed against the Almighty must needs be very great For we are not angry with our superiours but for causes extraordinary suppressing commonly those motions provoking to this passion towards them which towards inferiours is presently exprest For example that is tolerable in an equall which is not to be borne with in a servant that in a Lord which not in a Knight that in a Prince which not in a Lord that in a King which not in a Prince and lastly that is to be borne with patience from God Almighty which is not to be brooked from any mortall creature besides O then when the heate of our anger ascendeth thus high as to be angry not with Kings and Princes and Potentates of the earth but with the God of heaven King of kings and Lord over all lords this is a fire that eates into the bones consuming the marrow and the moisture and must wee not either burne in our owne cinders or else daring to breake out bee incountred and consumed with that all devouring fire that flame of Gods displeasure of his vnquenchable anger Admire and wonder that Ionah is angry with the great God exceeding angry with the most puissant Lord he telles this God and Lord so to his face yet is not consumed admire and wonder But I doe rather vnderstand it for the effect of Ionah's anger the effect conceived in a manner and ready for the birth yet strangled in the wombe which had it beene brought forth would vnto Ionah have brought most certaine death In the old Law he that cursed father or mother was to be put to death much more he that should curse the Father of spirits and great Creator of mankinde this was expressely charged with present death Levit. 24. Therefore wee reade Naboth hath cursed God and the King let him be stoned therefore did Iobs wife tempt her husband to this sinne Curse God and dye saith shee This I conceive to be Ionah's case He is come almost to the actuall sinne of blasphemie against the second Person in the Trinitie the which in thought he hath committed already For he saith he hath iust cause to be angry and if he doe well to be angry then sure God hath done him great wrong and if so why should he not heare of it yea though I dye for it I will speake my minde saith Ionah For I doe well to be angry We may supply the fuller meaning of Ionah's minde partly out of Iob and partly out of Ieremy men subiect to the same passions and wrastling with the same assaults as here They were both carryed away with this mis-conceit that God did vse his power as a law exercising herein little better then a Tyrannicall government and therefore saith Iob in one place is it good for thee that thou should'st oppresse c and Ieremy saith plainely that the Lord by his great might or strength did overbeare him as is to be seene in the place before cited Thus thinkes Ionah and to this effect hee reasons in his over-cast imaginations My soule is even full of anxietie and I want vtterance of my complaint Thy hand is over powerfull for mee thy counsels are vnsearchable I know not what to say to it this is the summe I am weary of my life for I see no fruite no end of all my vexing labours O yet that God would grant mee this request before I open my lippes against the Holy one and reproach my Maker and by mans law deserve to be stoned that hee would cut mee off and destroy mee or hide mee in the grave For sure I have most iust cause to be offended yea sure I doe well to be angry angry even to death death to mee is better farre then life I have touched I suppose vpon the highest string of Saints impatiencie wherevnto the perfectest of men during yet their mortall condition are most subiect and beyond which is no remission but to fall into that sinne vnpardonable which holds no concord with Gods mercy Let vs now but make a cord to draw Ionah out of the pit and preserve all Ionasses from sinking in this mire and mudde and I will make the vses and generall conclusion of the whole matter specially this second generall part of Ionah's answer and herein the last specially in this generall the point yet in hand Ionah's anger vnto death The floods are risen O God the floods are risen might Ionah well here say and all else brought vnto the same brinke of despaire or desperate fury with Ionah here O God the floods are risen the floods O God have lift vp the waves And this not so much in regard of the tyde of vngodlines flowing from without as the violent streames of inraged anger from within Save me O God for the waters are come in even into my soule These these are the waters which drowne the soule to be feared more then those waters which swallow vp the bodies of men Now two things there be which support Ionah and the one implies the other one thing which the Lord doth overpasse the other which he doeth worke the one proceeding from his Mercy the other from his Loue. First His Mercy it is which doeth cover Ionah's imperfections which at this time were risen to a very great height For how if the Lord should have entred contention with thee Ionah and set his anger against thine what would have become of thee The like may we say to Iob to Ieremy what Iob doeth the Lord oppresse Is it without reason the Lords dealing so and so with thee Ieremy and doest thou well indeede to bee angry Jonah dare wee thus to challenge the Holy one of Israel O no Take Ionah in his right temper and he is of another minde so is Iob so is Jeremy I said I will no more make mention of thy name within my lippes said Ieremy in his heate he spake it but a contrary stronger heate expelled that by and by thy word was a fire shut vp within my bones and I was weary with forbearing immediately after saith he So Iob Chap. 40. once have I spoken yea twise but I will say no more I abhorre my selfe in
finde by the pulse of their affections a strong inclination to Ionah's disease they may vse these remedies to allay the fury and settle the tranquillitie of their owne soules First let them consider against whom they doe oppose in their anger is it not against the great and mighrie God The Thistle in Lebanon sent to the Cedar in Lebanon saying give thy daughter to my sonne to wife or take thou my daughter to thy sonne to wife and there passed by a wilde beast that was in Lebanon and trode downe the Thistle Thus said Joash King of Israel to Amaziah King of Iudah when he sent this message let vs looke one another in the face and this is the least of a thousand that I can say when we dare provoke the God of heaven to his face Can we throw downe mountaines by our might or dry vp the sea at our rebuke Can the Toade as the Fable hath it equall the Elephant in bignesse though shee swell and swell and swell againe and burst in swelling O then let vs remember that arrowes shotte vp into the ayre returne vpon the head of the shooters and pierce downewards Againe consider thine owne deserving for sure thou hast good cause to be angry with God and why thou hast from time to time so well deserved at his hands It is the mercy of the Lord that we are not all consumed saith Ieremy and truly wee are lesse then the least of all his mercies therefore the vse is soveraigne which the same Prophet maketh Lament 3. Wherefore doeth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes Let vs search and try our waies and turne againe to the Lord Let vs lift vp our heart with our hands vnto God in the heavens c. Thirdly to passe from this iudge not of Gods favour to thee or his righteous proceedings in thy cause or person from the sense of thy present suffrings but from the end and issue which commonly God makes of his Saints afflictions and therefore whereas now thou art vnder and thy feete sticke fast in myre and clay pray vnto God with David that he would advance thy head and set thee vpon the rocke which is higher then thou so shalt thou be able to looke about thee round and with comfort behold the hilles and dales spacious forrests and groves thou shalt then with correction of thy passed folly perceive plainely the causes the reasons the end issue of Gods wise and gracious proceeding with thee and perceiving shalt praise and magnifie his name for it The Warre-like Souldier while the heate of the battell lasteh heares and sees nothing but confused noise and garments rolled in blood the pransing of strong horses the ratling speares Bellonaes rage with the clashing armes and clanging trumpe doth astonne his sense for the present and hee hath no leisure so long to thinke of the countrey of Peace the Ensignes of Honour the Garlands of Victory Victorious when he doth returne from the spoyle of his enemies then he rides in the Chariot of Triumph Trophees are erected he doth with ioy recount his dangers passed glory in his wounds received when all tongurs doe sound his praises Saul hath slaine his thousand and David his ten thousand Even so when the Warre-fare appointed for vs is accomplished we shall stand vpon Mount Sion Victorious beholding the Aegyptians dead vpon the shoore and shall sing the song of Moses the Horse and his ryder are throwne into the Sea Principalities and Powers are vanquished and subdued and we shall raigne for evermore Secondly My second vse shall be also of exhortation but this to the troublers of Sions peace and Edoms children who insult vpon her desolations It is necessary saith our Saviour that offences come but woe be to them who are the causers and grieve the soules of Gods children for they doe not alwaies labour of their owne inward griefes and private distresses of their owne soules from within Eliah flyes from the face of Iezabel and growes weary of his life woe be to Iezabel therefore who is the cause of it In the meane time the Saints groane and cry out for the wrongs done vnto them and grow impatient of spirit because the Lord doeth not worke the deliverance shall we say howsoever their impatiencie is not to bee excused that the world who hath procured their vnrest shall escape vnpunished or that the soules shall not be heard who to this day cry from vnder the Altar how long o Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth Remember the parable of the widow and vniust Iudge avenge me of mine adversary saith shee avenge mee of mine adversary and still shee cryeth avenge mee of mine adversary he would not for the iustnesse of her cause heare her but her importunity prevailed What 's the vse our Saviour makes thereof the answere ariseth by a gradation shall not God much more Iudge and revenge who is a iust Iudge and in a most iust and rightfull cause and that in the behalfe of his children his children which doe not onely call but cry and cry day and night shall not God avenge his owne elect saith he which cry day and night vnto him though hee beare long with them As who would say there is no sense nor reason to the contrary and therefore he saith plainly I tell you he will avenge them speedily Luk. 18. Thirdly In the third place Let vs learne to bee advised of this one thing how wee spend our iudgements vpon any whom we yet see labouring vnder the crosse least prooving vncharitable in our censure it proove to be our turne next to vndergoe the same tryalls vnder which wee see our â—â—other with some bitternesse of spirit wrastling for the present Alas If we iudge onely from the outward behaviour and externall effects which for the present affect our senses Ionah then is already condemned by our doome and how hardly must it goe with all those famous Worthies before named Rather Let vs enter into this account with our selves and say good God if Ionah indued with a farre greater measure of holinesse then poore I did proove thus fretfull and impatient vnder the hand of God how lesse able should I have beene to have borne but halfe the burden he sustained If Eliah Moses Ieremy Iob had not the power to master their vnruly passions sure then if Ibe not conscious to my selfe of the like weakenesse I never came vnto the tryall or how weakely should I resist in the day of evill A man that lyes groveling on the ground and sends forth lamentable groanes wee know not well the anguish of his spirit yet this we know that he is terribly indisposed yet for all this though the sight of all men and in his owne thinking too he be as a man most desperately forlorne and miserable he may notwithstanding by the helpe of some cunning Physitian and Chirurgion be