Christ Revealed, Scriptural typology · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
II. Jonah a type of Christ: in 4. respects.
IOnah was a type of Christ, Foure things delivered in which Jena… was a type.as Mat. 12. 39, No signe shalbe given them, but the signe of the Prophet Jonah.
I. In his name and office. Both Ionahs, both doves, one in name, the other in nature. Both mournefull, one in a sea of sorrowes shut in the whales belly, the other a man of sorrows,Name and office. and such as no man ever sustained and overcame. Both Prophets, Ionah sent to preach repentance to Niniveh: Christ the true Ionah, the great Prophet of the Church was sent to preach the same doctrine to the world Mat. 4. 17. Then Iesus beganne to preach and say, Amend your lives &c. Both of them in expresse words must signifie to their hearers, that without repentance they were in state of perdition.
II. In respect of his death and suffering. In the 1. kind,Kind of death. 2. manner, 3. fruit. 1. The kinde; it was a willing death, a free will offring. For as Ionah when the tempest was raysed, freely offered himselfe to death when the Mariners would faine have saved him, Ion. 1. 12. take me, and cast me into the sea that the tempest may cease: So, when the storme of Gods wrath was boistrous against the sinnes of mankind, Jesus Christ our Ionah offered himselfe to the death; for he had power either to lay downe his life, or to retaine it, Ioh. 10. 18. No man taketh away my life from me, but I lay it downe of my selfe. Ioh. 18. 5,Egosum. Manner. I am he. 2. The terrible and dreadful manner. For as Ionah was swallowed up of the Whale who made but one morsell of him: So Christ was swallowed up of death, and seemed wholly devoured of the curse of God. And as the one cryed in the Whales belly, & out of the belly of hell, Ion. 2. 2, and vers. 4. I am cast away out of thy sight: So the other cries upon the Crosse, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Both of them were in so extraordinary death, as in their sense they were in the deepest Hell.And fruit. 3. The fruit of it. 1. The appeasing of the wrath of God his Father. For, as Ionah once cast into the Sea, the windes were stilled, the sea ceased from her raging, Chap. 1. 15. and there was a great calme: So Christ by his death pacified his Fathers wrath, stilled the rage of Satan, abolished the horror of death, which otherwise had never beene still and calme towards us. 2. To save his fellowes. For as Ionah must be cast into the sea to save his fellows from drowning, Chap. 1. 12: So must Christ bee overwhelmed with the waves of his Fathers displeasure, and (as Ionah) bee put to death by those that should have preserved him: but not for any desert of his owne, but to save his companions and brethren in the same ship with him from death and drowning: For so was the signification of his name, Jesus; so himselfe affirmed, Matt. 20. 28. The Sonne of man came to give his life a ran some for many. So also Caiaphas prophecied: It is fit that one man die for the people, and that the whole Nation perish not, Ioh 11. 50.
III. In Ionah wee have a type of Christs buriall, noted by Christ himselfe.Buriall. For as Ionah was in the belly of the fish,Matt. 12. 40. three dayes and three nights: So must Christ bee detained in the grave, and lie under buriall three dayes and three nights, (parts put for the whole, as perhaps also in Ionah) till the case seemed desperate in both; not onelyonly in their owne apprehensions (as I have before shewed) but in the disciples apprehension. Luk. 24. 21. Wee thought this should have beene hee that should have delivered Israel, and behold this is the third day.
IV. Ionah was a manifest type of Christ in his resurrection. For,Resurrection. 1. As Ionah was taken into the belly of the Whale whole, and passed through the ranges and armies of teeth as sharpe as speares, without breaking or crushing one bone of him, or the least limb of his body: So Jesus Christ passed through the strait gate of death, but as one bone of him was not broken; the speciall and extraordinary providence of God in both of them watching the whole businesse. 2. As the Lord spake unto the fish, and the fish against his will must cast up Ionah on dry ground: So the belly of the earth can keepe Christ no longer then the third day (no more then the belly of the Whale could keepe Ionah) his blessed body must see no corruption. 3. As Ionah returned from his grave with a song of praise and thankesgiving, Chap. 2: So Jesus Christ returned to life from his grave with a song of triumph and victory, fore-prophecied, Hos. 13. 14. and accomplished, 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting! O grave where is thy victory! 4. As Ionah an Hebrew goes not to preach to the Ninivites, being Gentiles, till after his resurrection out of the belly of the Whale: So Jesus Christ an Hebrew, not till after his resurrection, leaves the obstinate Jewes; and by his Apostles ministery and preaching turnes himselfe to the Gentiles, Act. 13. 46. 5. As Ionah after this delivery, went and preached the doctrine of repentance with great fruit and successe, to the conversion of all Niniveh, and preventing the fearefull wrath denounced to come within fourty dayes: So our Lord Jesus after his resurrection and ascension, sending out his Apostles to preach repentance and remission of sinnes, mightily prevailed, and suddenly converted many nations of the Heathen, and brought them to faith and repentance.
For Application:
I. Let us acknowledge a greater then Ionah here, Vse. 1.Matth. 12. 41. Lest as the Ninivits shall rise up against the Jewes,Repent at the Ministery of his servants. they rise also against us if wee convert not, nor repent at Christs doctrine as they did at Ionahs. For 1. Who are they to us?Motives. They barbarous Heathens, and Gentiles, never instructed before: wee have beene trained in the Scriptures from childhood. 2. What were their meanes to ours? Ionah preached but three dayes to them: Christ hath preached, not three dayes as he, nor three yeeres as to the Iewes; but aboue threescore yeares.Christ a farre more excellent Preacher. He preached one sermon: Christ a thousand. 3. What was their Preacher to ours? 1. Ionah was a weake man: Christ is God and man. 2. Ionah a sinful man, cast into the sea for his owne sinne: Christ an innocent man, cast into the sea for our sinne. 3. Ionah a Prophet, a servant: Christ the Lord of all the holy Prophets, therefore of Ionah. 4. Ionah a stranger to them: Christ of our owne kindred and family. 5. Ionah preached unwillingly: Christ preached freely, and spent himselfe for us. 6. Ionah preached nothing but destruction of them and their City: Christ a sweet doctrine of grace, salvation, and the promise of a kingdome of heaven. 7. Ionah came indeed out of the belly of the Whale, but did no miracle for confirmation of his doctrine: Christ came both from the bosome of the Father, and from the heart of the earth, and did innumerable signes and miracles in which wee see his glory. 8. Ionah a most angry and impatient man, would faine die because the Ninevits did not: Christ a mirrour of patience will die least his hearers should. 9. To Ionah no Prophet gave witnesse, or foretold of him: To Christ all the Prophets gaue witnesse, Act. 10. 43. and spake before of him. Shall now Nineveh repent in sackcloth and ashes by Ionahs Ministery of three dayes; and shall not wee by Christs constant Ministery of threefore yeares? Shall Nineveh condemne Judea for not acknowledging a greater then Ionah; and shall it not condemne us not repenting? whose sinne shall bee farre greater then that of the Jews, who rejected Christ in his abasement and humiliation; but we reject the Lord of glory, now exalted.
II. In the type and truth the freedome of Gods favour in the calling of the Gentiles.Vse. 2. Ionah was a preacher of grace to the Gentiles:Vocation of the Gentiles. and Christ was a preacher of grace not to Jews onelyonly,Rom. 9. 6. but the Gentiles also: being given for a light to the Gentiles, that he might be the salvation of Gentiles to the farthest parts of the earth. For 1. God is not the God of Iews onelyonly, but of Gentiles also. Rom. 3. 29. 2. Christ was the promised seed in whom all nations must be blessed. Gen. 22. 18. Hence comes in our title to grace, and not from any desert of ours. For what is amiable in the wilde Olive? It is onelyonly Gods free calling, who calls her that was not beloved, to bee beloved.
Object. If we bee grafted into Christ, and received into grace, all is well, we are in state good enough.
Sol. Some are grafted into the Church by profession of mouth onelyonly, as all were not Israel that were of Israel: and some planted into it by the faith of the heart. The former are not altered from their wilde nature: the other are renewed to the Image of Christ. Therefore let none content themselves with externall profession, joyning in the word, sacraments, and prayer; but labour for soundnesse of faith and grace, by which onelyonly wee become branches of the true Olive; whereas to be hanged as a scien, by a thred of profession, will not keep it from withering.
III. In both we have a certaine Embleme,Vse. 3. and proof of our resurrection.Our resurrection assured to us. Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Ionah and Jesus be in us, he shall also quicken our mortall bodies, and if the head be risen the members must rise also. For as God spake to the fish, and the fish gave up Ionah as from the dead: so shall God speake to the earth and sea and all creatures, and they shall give up their dead. Isa. 26. 19. he shall say to the earth give, and to the sea restore my sonnes and daughters, and they that are as seed under clods shall awake and sing: And these dry bones shall be againe covered with sinews, flesh, and skin, as Ezek. 37. 6. For as it was impossible for Christ to be held ever under death, Acts 2. 24. as impossible is it for his members. Let us comfort our selves in the approach of death to our selves, or our friends, and by rising before hand from the grave of our sinnes, provide for a blessed and joyfull resurrection. 2 King. 13. 21. a dead body, cast into Elishaes grave, quickned: so our soules and bodies.
IV. The wonderfull power and wisdome of God,Vse. 4. Power and wisdome of God to bee admired. that can draw light out of darknesse. Ionahs casting over board into the sea was the occasion of converting the Mariners: Even so Christs death converted many of them that were causes and authors of it. Acts 2. 36. 41. And as the Mariners lives were saved by casting Ionah into the sea: so all beleevers by the death of Iesus Christ. 1. Let us not measure Gods workes by carnall senses. This made the two disciples going to Emaus, Luke 24. to make but a bad argument: Hee is crucified, and behold this is the third day; therefore though we thought he should have redeemed Israel, wee are deceived. Whereas faith would have made a cleane contrary conclusion: He is crucified, and this is the third day; therefore he is the Redeemer. The Iewes, not knowing the Scriptures, and power of God, are hardned against Iesus Christ, expecting a great Emperour, as Iulius Caesar, or some great Monarch; not able to see that by so base a death, life could be procured. The carnall protestants are held off from the true imbracing of Christ, because they see the truth and sincerity of Christ every where so resisted and hated by great Rulers and Doctors; as if it had not been so in Christs owne person and Ministery; or as if Christ was not set as a sign or butt of contradiction, whereas, therefore it must needs be he. 2. Let us admire Gods power and wisdome, and patiently with Ionah expect after darknesse light. And seeing God can turne the greatest evill into the greatest good of his Church; let us labour to make benefit of all evills hapning to our selves and others. 1. Even of our sinnes themselves, to make us more humble and watchfull for time to come. 2. Of our sufferings, as Ionah and Christ learned obedience by the things they suffered.
V. In the type and truth we have,Vse 5. Terror of sin, even in Gods owne children. first terror on the one hand, secondly comfort on the other. 1. Wee see the waight of sinne committed pressed Ionah into the deepest sea of evils; and sinne imputed thrust Christ into a deeper sea, even the deepest hell. Both seem left of God in the hands of death; both cry out as left in the depth of hell. 1. Doe thou run from God and duty, and though thou beest Gods childe, thou maist finde God pursuing thee, as if he were an utter and irreconcileable enemy. 2. Make as light a reckoning of sinne as thou canst, the least of them shuts us or Christ out of heaven. Doth Christ undertake thy sinne, he sees not heaven till he die for it? Sinne imputed will not let Christ enter into heaven, but by his owne blood, yea through Hell. Thy sinne repented of held Christ, an innocent, out of heaven till he dyed for it: but where shall ungodly and impenitent sinners appeare? 2. This same collation affords us sundry grounds of comfort.And comfort. 1. Both seeme forsaken, neither of them was so; but both of them goe to his God. There is no time nor place wherein the childe of God may not boldly goe to God, and pray to his God, and say: My God, my God. 2. No deepe is so deepe but Gods hand can reach help into it, even into the Whales belly,Vhiputabatur interitus, ibi custodia. and heart of the earth. 3. The extreamest misery and death it selfe worke to good to the godly. See it in Ionah: Where was feared p…rdition, there was found preservation. The Whales belly was a prison indeed, but to preserve him alive; a deep gulfe and a sea, but to save him frō drowning. Can any man save a man from drowning by casting him into the sea? but God can. 4. When the case seemes most desperate, then the Lord steps in to help; when no helpe can bee expected any other way, after three dayes and three nights Ionah must be cast up, and Christ raised up. Never feare extremities, but then exercise thy faith most, for then is God the nearest: however, trust in him though he kill thee, Iob 13. 15. 5. The deepest sorrowes of Gods children end in greatest joy. God hath a dry ground for Ionah after a sea of misery: a glorious ascending for Christ after his lowest descent. Whatsoever the sorrowfull songs be that Gods people sing here in Aegypt or Babel, they shall end in songs of joy and victory, and be changed into the songs of Moses and the Lambe. Rev. 15. 3.