Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A46743
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A practical exposition of the historical prophesie of Jonah delivering sundry brief notes in a cursory way concerning the mind of the Holy Ghost in the several passages. Imprimatur. June 5. 1665.
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Jemmat, William, 1596?-1678.
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1666
(1666)
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Wing J550B; ESTC R217032
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159,232
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228
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escape Be wise then and never go about to cover sin in an undue Use 2 way and manner Mark two things Away to hide sin Esa 30.1 1. Wo to them that cover with a covering but not of my Spirit that they may adde sin to sin namely by denying what they have done by excusing defending or putting it off to others or by close conveyance so did Adam in the Thicket and with his Fig-leaves A detestable sin as Job 31.33 If I covered my transgression as Adam by hiding my iniquity in my bosome 2. Blessed is the man whose sin is covered Psal 32.1 namely by justification under the mantle of Christs Righteousness when a soul takes warning and flees unto him for shelter and so the evil passeth away So the godly is said to hide himself from the Plague he fore-sees namely under the wings of the Almighty not from God but with God Psal 91.1 and Prov. 22.3 Ver. 8.9 10. Then said they unto him Tell us we pray thee for whose cause this evil is upon us what is thine Occupation and whence comest thou what is thy Country and of what people art thou And he said unto them I am an Hebrew and I fear the Lord the God of Heaven which hath made the Sea and the dry Land Then were the men exceedingly afraid and said unto him Why hast thou done this for the men knew that he had fled from the presence of the Lord because he had told them Parts In these three Verses we have three things to be considered and improved 1. The humanity of these Mariners toward guilty Jonah ver 8.2 The Confession of Jonah upon the examination of the Mariners ver 9.3 The Mariners reverent respect of God and chiding of Jonah ver 10. For the first of these though the Mariners saw Jonah was taken tardy by a token from God himself yet they do not rashly fall foul upon him to rail at him or throw him overboard as some now-a-days would do but first they question him in many things that they may find out the truth to the bottom and so proceed judiciously in what is to be done as the God of Heaven shall will and declare to be his mind Mot. Be gentle to all even offenders Hearken Christians and learn humanity of these Heathens Be not rash and head-long toward any whom ye conceive to be offenders Though ye think ye have reason on your side yet take heed and question the matter a little farther Conjectures and probabilities there be and it is very likely there is a fault made but conjectures are uncertain and sometimes deceive and though a thing be likely to be true yet it may prove otherwise If it be true it is well done to enquire and find out the whole truth If false we avoid he sin and danger of rash judgment namely to be judged of the Lord. However deliberation will do well Which serves greatly to reprove those that are rash in punishing Use Reproof to the rash or harsh or in passing their Verdict upon persons accused either through an hasty spirit which Salomon saith exalteth folly or through intemperate zeal which exceeds the bounds of discretion Zealous we ought to be and it is good to be alway zealously affected but first be sure it be in a good matter Gal. 4.18 And offenders ought to be reproved or punished according to the merit of their cause but first be sure both of the fact and of the manner of doing and in what degree of wickedness the offence standeth Jonah shall be punished sufficiently but first he shall be questioned in many things what who whence what occupation and of what Country And we all know how passion is apt to exceed the measure of Reason and Equity Fiâ— upon rash and harsh Christians Especially toward strangers who in their suspicions or upon odd informations shew no moderation to accused Brethren but break out suddainly both to condemn and execute all in a fury and not only Brethren but Strangers who should be more pitied In some there is an enmity to Forraigners and if they offend them never so little they use them Rigorously Unjustly Tyrannically Yet these Mariners used Jonah courteously and gently though unknown to every of them and now designed by God as guilty unto punishment A shame to violent and unreasonable Christians who profess acquaintance with God Mostly where the life is questioned But the greatest sin is to be rash and violent in the matter of Life and Death Judges Jury-men Witnesses Officers of every sort should be very tender in this case and not rush head-long toward a sentence Consider the matter consult and give sentence Judg. 19.30 consider of it take advice and speak your mind when God was going to destroy Sodom he told Abraham he would first go down and see whether they had done altogether according to the cry of their sins Now be followers of God as dear Children saith the Apostle as otherwise so in this For the second I observe a two-fold confession that Jonah makes Gâ—n 18.11 Eph 5.1 1. Of his Faith ver 9. I am an Hebrew and fear the Lord the God of heaven 2. Of his Fault ver 10. He told them how he had fled from the presence of the Lord. For the Confession of Faith which Jonah makes it is like that of Paul in the like danger of ship-wrack Act. 27.23 This night there stood by me the Angel of God whose I am and whom I serve The Note to be observed is this It is the property of a good heart to own God however Note Own God however things go 1. In the midst of all his guiltiness though he hath sinned greatly as here Jonah he had not carried himself as one that feared the God of Heaven but the contray and now he might well be ashamed to say he feared the Goâ— of heaven But a believing heart knows no sin breaks off the relation between him and his God Though it make a great gash yet the wound is not mortal and all the breach will shortly be made up again as between God and Jonah Renewing of Repentance makes all well again 2. In the visible tokens of Gods displeasure for sin which at this time lay heavy upon Jonah and upon Heman Psal 88.1 A Believer hath got his Lesson by heart Hab. 3.2 that in wrath the Lord remembers mercy and that his anger is but as the waters of Noah soon passing away Esa 54.7 8 9. And he concludes here is a dark hour but the Sun will break forth again Sorrow may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning why because of the Covenant and Promises made to Believers and will hold at the lowest 3. In grievous Scourges which the hand of God hath laid upon him as here this destroying Tempest upon Jonah whose stiff and disobedient spirit was hereby broken that now he began to relent and yield to his great
God nor Hell nor Curse of the â—aw nor Pestilence nor any of the Judgments which befall others and may befall them they know not how soon Such should consider that as stout men as they have feared exceedingly in seeing the fearful signs of Gods displeasure for sin witness these Mariners stout and sturdy men as that kind useth to be but in this grâ—at Tempest ye see how they buckle Dan 5.6 and ye read in Daniel How at the sight of the hand writing Belshazzars countenance was changed and his thoughts troublod him so that the joynts of his loyns were loosed and his knees smote one against another And all the Sons of Pride the Lord knows to abase c. 4. 37. Consider as stout as thou art upon a great fit of sickness or some other stinging cross thou mayest be brought to fear exceedingly in spite of thy heart as Pashur in Captivity Jer. 20 4. He became a terror to himself and to all his Friends even he that was so lusty to put Jeremy into the stocks An hard-hearted sinner thou art but hast not the strength of Steel or of Stones Beware when Conscience once awakes and sin is set in order before thee Psal 50.21 all thy hardiness will prove but as Stubble when it is put to the Fire And think of the terrors of the day of Judgment a day of darkness and of gloominess when men shall be at their wits ends even the greatest of sinners Rev. 6.16 Better to take thy part of fear here where it may be improved to Conversion Hereafter there will be nothing but torment in thy fear as 1 John 4.18 fear hath torment Then comes the great mischief which never was feared but now shall be felt for ever and ever Lastly for these mens chiding of Jonah Note Why hast thou done this and before ver 6. What meanest thou O sleeper arise and call upon thy God Most justly do they fall under the lashes of mens tongues who slip their necks from the obedience they owe to God Not only Ministers fall foul upon them but rude and barbarous men Jeerers Mockers Slanderers injurious men wrongly perhaps Use but it is just with God whose yoke formerly by you was rejected If ye had kept in with him better ye might better have escaped their Viperous and base tongues Ye wonder at mens unreasonableness but look upward and there ye will find some just occasion given who had Shimei to Curse Ver. 11.12 Then said they unto him What shall we do unto thee that the Sea may be calm unto us for the Sea wrought and was Tempestuous And he said unto them Take me up and cast me forth into the Sea so shall the Sea be calm unto you for I know that for my sake this great Tempest is upon you Parts Two things here meet us 1. How the Mariners advise with Jonah what is to be done in this extremity ver 11.2 What course Jonah adviseth them to take for avoiding the danger ver 12. He gives faithful counsel though it be against himself as we also ought to do For the former of these The Mariners had consulted with God before Consult with God and the godlyâ— inquiring his mind by casting of lots and now they consult with Jonah whom they perceive to be the servant of God though at this time a bad servant wonderful pity and charity and discretion in both Oh for care and Conscience in Christians to take up this example of honest heathens What made these men so gentle But whence this their gentleness in treating with Jonah Answ 1. No question but it was of Gods over-awing and over-ruling their spirits that they should not mischief no hurt his servant Jonah He that restrained Esau and Laban from speaking or doing evil to Jacob did restrain these men also Moral Vertues are of Gods implanting in the heart Prudence Meekness Quietness of spirit judiciousness in proceedings and even fierce spirits use to be tamed by storms and other hideous worke of God 2. They take notice of the God of the Hebrews who had made himself of a long time famous in all those adjoyning Countries how he is now pursuing his fugitive servant and doâ—h not spare him but send wind and tempest after him It is time to be moved with fear and take a wise course for escaping his wrath Heb. 11 7. Noah moved with fear prepared an Ark for saving himself and his Family 3. As they were moved with Reverence toward the Master so with some Reverence toward the Servant who had told them the plain truth how he was a Prophet and ministred unto the Lord but at this time had basely declined the service imposed so in Gen. 20 7. Abimelech must restore Abraham his Wife why For he is a Prophet and he shall pray for thee Respect is to be had to every one according to his Place and Degree most to Gods Messengers Note hence Note Treat genâ—ly with offâ—nders with what Gentleness and Humanity we ought to treat with our Christian Brethren even when they acknowledge themselves offenders as these with Jonah Titus 3.2 speak evil of no man no brawlers but gen la shewing all meekness unto all men 2 Tim. 2.24 The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men not only to the good and kind but to the froward and faulty 1. That in the quietness of our spirits we may the better Reason 1 find out the way wherein God would have us to go which is not discerned in Passion He that is of an â—asty spirit exalteth folly and He is as a City without Walls anâ— Gates 2. That a due mean may be observed in the punishment that is to be inflicted We ought not to fly upon offenders rashly and furiously but with deliberation and it may be with prayer that we may be moderate and that the punishment may be sanctified 3. The Delinquents have precious and Immortal souls which should be tenderly regarded instructed wrought to Repentance fitted to receive the intended punishment and so saved not die before they be fit to die if it be possible Oh the price of souls not to be redeemed but by the blood of Jesus Christ Use 1 Put on gentleness Now be perswaded to this Humanity and Gentleness A man may learn good of any whoever they be of the Crane and Swallow to know and improve the seasons of grace of the Mariners not to be rash or harsh to offenders yea of the Devil himself who bestirs him the more because he hath but a short time and he trembles at the judgment to come which sundry of ours do not Ob. Sol. Say some This man deserves exemplary punishment it is a plain case there is no doubt to be made To whom I answer Jonahs case was plain enough not only by the tokens of Gods wrath but by his own confession he told them how he had fled from the presence of