The Songs of the Old Testament Translated into English Measures, Song 13
THE Prayer of IONAH. Ionah 2.
The Argument and Vſe.
AS Ionah fled from the preſence of the LORD, he was followed by a tempeſt, whoſe furie would not be allayed, vntil the offender was caſt into the Sea, where God had merciemercy on him, and ſent a Fiſh to preſerue him; Which in humane reaſon, ſeemed a more terrible danger, then that he was deliuered from. But the ſafetie which at his firſt entrance, hee found in ſo vnſafe a place, made him ſenſible of Gods fauour, and begat in him a firme beliefe that he ſhould be totally deliuered. And thereupon, (being yet in the Fiſhes belly) made this Prayer, to praiſe God for deliuering him in ſo great an extremity. (And he did it as ſpeaking of a thing already done, the better to ſhew vsus the ſoundneſſe of his faith. The things remarkeable are theſe: The place where he prayed, the terrible and vnauiodable danger that compaſſed him; the diſpaire he was nigh falling into, the timely application of Gods mercy, the comfort it infuſed into him, the occaſions which draw men into theſe perils, the vowe made vponupon this deliuerance, and laſtly the reaſon of that vowe.
Now, this buriall of Ionas in the fiſhes belly, and his deliuery from thence, was a ſigne of the buriall and reſurrection of our bleſſed Sauiour, Mat. 12.40. And therefore, we muſt not thinke he made this Prayer onelyonly in his owne perſon: but in the miſticall body of Ieſus Chriſt alſo. For, by contemplating the circumſtances of his danger and deliuerance, (and hauing the ſpirit of prophecie) he apprehended the miſteries of our Redemption. By the ſhip ready to be ſunke, through that tempeſt in which he was caſt away, he conceiued the wrath of God againſt the world for ſinne; and that it would not be appeaſed without ſatiſfaction. By his owne offence, he foreſaw, h…w Chriſt hauing taken our ſinne vponupon him, ſhould (to bring peace vntounto the world) be deliuered ouer vntounto the rage of Pilate and the Iewes. By his being receiued into the fiſhes belly, and there preſerued aliue; he foreſaw how Chriſt ſhould be ſwallowed vp of the graue, and yet remaine vncorrupted. And by the fore-ſight he had of his owne comming ſafe to the ſhore againe: he apprehended that ioyful reſurrection of our Redeemer: whoſe miſticall body (the Church) lay all that while, as it were in the very Jawes of death and hell. Theſe things Ionah apprehended through the ſpirit of prophecie, (and by the obiects aforeſaid) compoſed this Prayer, to ſet forth the mercies of God, and to expreſſe in what a fearefull eſtate mankinde was, vntill Chriſt was riſen againe in victory. And therefore, J thinke, as it will become vsus Chriſtians often to ſing it in memory thereof; ſo eſpecially vponupon that day which we celebrate in memoriall of our Sauiours Reſurrection.
The Song.
… IN my diſtreſſe I cry'd to thee oh Lord, And thou wert pleaſed my complaint to heare, Out from the bowels of the grau… I roar'…, and to my voyce thou didſt encline thine eare, For I amid the Sea was caſt, And to the bottome there thou plung'd me haſt. …
The flouds, about me rowling circles made,
Thy waues, and billowes, ouer-flow'd me quite,
Wherewith (alas) vntounto my ſelfe I ſaid,
I am for euer-more depriu'd thy ſight.
Yet once againe, aduance ſhall I,
VntoUnto thy holy Temple-ward mine eye.
Eu'n to my ſoule, the waters clos'd me had,
Or'e-ſwallow'd by the deepes I there was pent,
About my head the weedes a wreath had made,
VntoUnto the hils foundation downe I went.
And ſo, that forth I could not get,
The earth an euer-laſting barre had ſet.
Then thou oh LORD, my God, oh thou wert he.
That from corruption didſt my life defend,
For when my ſoule was like to faint in me,
Thou didſt oh LORD into my thoughts deſcend.
My prayer vntounto thee I ſent,
And to thy holy Temple vp it went.
Thoſe who giuegive truſt to vaine and fooliſh lies,
Deſpiſers of their owne good ſafetie be:
But I will offer vp a ſacrifice
Of ſinging praiſes, with my voice to thee;
And will performe what vow'd I hauehave:
For it belongs to thee, oh LORD to ſaue.