Sermons on Jonah, Lecture 26
THE XXVI. LECTVRE.
The chiefe poynts. 1. Out of euill groweth euill. 3. God is Lord of life and death. 5. Man is to regard himselfe as an excellent creature. 6. No man should lay violent hands on himselfe, 8. nor do things tending thereto. 10. Christians are not excused who killed themselues to auoide their persecutours. 11. How a man may desire to be dead. 12. God in mercy doth not graunt all our wishes. 13. The Lords mildnesse in reproouing Ionas. 14. Which should be imitated by all, but especially by the Minister.
Ionah. 4.3.4
Therefore now, ô Lord, take I beseech thee, my life from me: for it is better for me to dye then to liue. Then sayd the Lord, Doest thou well to be angrie?
IT is a speech true, as well in Diuinitie as in Philosophy,Vno absurdo dato mille consequuntur. that graunt one absurditie, and a many will follow: which is more commonly seene in practise of life, then in holding opinions. For when we hauehave once gone aside from Gods law, and from the rule of vertue, one sinne draweth on another, as the linkes of a chaine mooue their fellowes, where the first plucketh on the second. And as a stone which is cast into a poole or standing water, maketh one circle where it falleth, and that circle breedeth another, and so forward successiuely, till it come to the banke; so euill groweth of euill, and the first begetteth one farther, and there it will not rest, but on in infinitum, vnlesse grace sent from heauen as a bridle of restraint,Genes. 3.6. do make stay in the soule. When Adam had once yeelded to hearken to the woman more indulgently then he should, credulity commeth on him: that hatcheth out ambition: thence floweth disobedience; after that commeth excusing, and posting all ouer to God.1. Sam. 15.9. When Saule by a foolish pity, had spared the king of Amalec, and by a greedy couetousnesse had saued the cattell aliue, he despaireth vponupon those threatnings, which were denounced against him by Samuel: then he grieueth to lose his kingdom: afterward hearing that Dauid was the man, who should succeed him, he seeketh eueryevery way to slay him. After his hatred toward him, he hated euerie man who in least sort entertained him,1. Sam. 22.18. he murthered the Lords Priests: and then to the end that he might procure that from hell, which would not come from heauen,Cap. 28.8. he consulteth with a witch: and at last for the vp-shot he slaughtereth himselfe.Cap. 31.4. Ionas is not so farre left to his owne disposition, as to marre all in the end: Gods grace is more vponupon him: yet to shew how farre weaknesse in his calling had surprized him, he maketh an ill gradation. Being in vp to the shooes, he will on to the shoulders, and it was more by grace then by nature, that he had not diued ouer head and all. For first he had vnaduisedly resolued on the destruction of the city, without any sparing: and in his longing for it, he was growne bloudy in mind; then seeing that God would pardon them, he is displeased at it, and he prooueth angrie with the Lord himselfe. His wrathfull mind breaketh foorth, and excusing himselfe for all, he layeth the fault on the Lord. Yet here he sitteth not downe, but furious as he is, in all hast he will be dead, to be rid of all the trouble. And although the Lord do interrupt him there, yet he will be dead the second time, as afterward it doth follow.
2 In this place I am to handle the conclusion of his prayer; wherein after that he had tendered his owne iustification, as it is in the former verse, and had vexed himselfe that he could not see that which he intended, he requesteth that he might dye, accounting his peeuish anguish to be a thing so intollerable, as that a liuing man might not beare it. Wherein he still continueth an example of humane frailtie, which being led by aff…ction, and fancy-full opinion of some present incombrance, forgetteth the rules of piety, and very grounds of reason, and speaketh it knoweth not what. For how vnfit was that motion, because other men must liue, Ionas himselfe will dye. Because he might not hauehave reuenge on those who hurt him not (for their faults were against the Highest) he would be reuenged on himselfe. Thus dealt he at that time; when as a man whose heart had bene seasoned with vnderstanding, should hauehave taken such contentation, at the conuersion of so many sinners, that his ioy should hauehave bene the greater, and his life should hauehave bene the sweeter, to see such a metamorphosis, that vnrepentant sinners should be now crying out for pardon. But my text leadeth me to speake, not what a one he should be, but what a one he was, and therein these two verses offer to vsus seuerall matters: the one, the desire of Ionas that his life should be taken from him: the other the increpation or rebuke, which the Lord bestoweth on him. And these two are the maine drift. But the former doth braunch it selfe into a second sort of instructions, as first that the Lord is he, who taketh away life from man, secondly that therefore to depriue our selues of our breath, is against his holy ordinance: and thirdly in what cases we may wish our selues to be dead, and in what it is vnlawfull. These three things being handled, as Gods spirit shall enable me, I wil come to Lords reproofe.
Life and death is from God.
3 This vnpatient Prophet mingling good and bad together, layeth it downe in his extasie, that it belongeth to God, to take away life from man. Not I will dye for anger, or I will destroy my selfe, but Lord take away my life. And in their greatest sobrietie, the holiest Saints hauehave and must acknowledge that Iehoua was he who in the first creation, breathed into the clay a liuing moouing soule.Genes. 2.7. Act. 17.28. In him sayth Saint Paule, we liue and mooue, and hauehave our being. And whose it is to build, his it is to destroy: whose the making is, his is the marring. This caused Moses speaking plainely in Gods owne person, to ioyne them both together.Deut. 32.39. Behold novv for I am he, and there are no Gods with me: I kill and I giuegive life, I wound and I make whole, neither is there any who can deliuer out of my hands. So Iob that holy man:Iob. 12.10. In Gods hand is the soule of eueryevery liuing thing, and the breath of all mankind. If in his hand, then to giuegive it where he pleaseth to giuegive it, and where he listeth to deny it. Salomon the wise doth apparantly aime at this,Eccles. 8.8. where he sayth: Man is not Lord ouer his breath, to retaine his spirit, neither hath power in the day of death, nor deliuerance in the battell. Where by an Antithesis it must needs be vnderstood, that God thē is Lord ouer it, and he doth dispose of it. And he hath learned little in the schoole of Christ Iesus, who perfectly knoweth not this, that his breath in his body as a tenant at will, is put into a house, whereinto it may not enter, but by the good will of the landlord, and being once in, there it must keepe and hold the building vpright, till it hauehave his discharge to remooue some whither else. It must not stay longer, then the terme set by the owner, neither must it depart till that moment come. In the beginning of our being, it is God who giueth the barren a power to conceiue, who quickeneth that within, sometimes sooner, sometimes later, which he meaneth shall see the Sunne: who bringeth it into the world: thou art he sayth the Prophet Dauid,Psal. 71.5. who tooke me out of my mothers wombe: who preserueth from the cradle, by thee hauehave I bene holden vp euer since I was borne: and leading vsus along, he lengtheneth or he shorteneth the race which we shall runne, and when we come to the period of the time decreed by himselfe, there he biddeth vsus stay and fall. Our glasse being runne, we returne to the earth from whence we were taken.
4 And that it might appeare, to be onelyonly his prerogatiue, to begin and end life, howsoeuer he giueth the entrance vntounto it but by one way,Seneca. lib. 7.1. Controuersiarum. that is by generation (as a heathen man noteth) yet arbitrarily, by innumerable meanes he dissolueth it and destroyeth it. And this he doth not at hap-hazard, but he ordaineth it before with an immutable decree, so that it may not be changed.Ierem. 43.11. Ieremy the Prophet vseth these words: The king of Babel vvhen he commeth shall strike the land of Egypt, such as befor death vntounto death, and such as be appointed for captiuity to captiuity, and such as be for the sword to the sword. This intimateth that by the prouidence of the Lord, who did set that king on worke, seuerall persons in their times are determined to their seuerall ends, some to the sword, some to famine, some to the pestilence,Ezech. 14.21. and some other to the teeth of wild beasts (which are the Lords foure great plagues) and some other to other deaths. The execution of this decree is so various and so manifold, that there is no one mans toung which possibly can describe it.Genes. 4.8. Iudic. 9.53. Abel he is slaine by his brother. Abimilechs braines are beaten out by the hand of a woman, throwing a peece a mil-stone from a wal. Agag is hewed in peeces.1. Sam. 15.33. 2. Reg. 9.24. Epiphan de vitis Prophetarum. Luc. 13.1.4. Plin. Natur. Hist. lib 7 7. Hier. Epist. 19. Tom. 9. Iehoram slaine with an arrow. Esay cut with a woodden saw. Amos slaine with a dore-barre: the bloud of other was mingled with the bloud of their owne sacrifices. Some there were on whom the towre of Siloah did fall, Anacreon the Poet as Pliny telleth, was choaked with the kernell of a raisin, and Fabius the Senatour was serued so with a haire. Pope Adrian the fourth as Cremonensis writeth, was choaked with a flye. Valentinian the Emperour came to his end,Sozom. Hist. Eccles. lib. 6.6. by straining himselfe with crying too loud. Iouian another Emperour was found dead in his bed. And to recite no more of auncient time, now in our dayes, many come to their graues by Apoplexies and Lethargies, and dead palseyes, some by falling, some by drowning, some other as a wasted candle go out naturally. What the Lord hath appointed ouer them, that eueryevery one partaketh. So that it is a thing peculiar to his owne pleasure, to withdraw breath from mankind, which if at any time he be not pleased to do, no deuise of man can bring about the destruction of the least person: snares and ambushes layd as against Elizeus,2. Reg. 6.14. Dan. 6.22. Cap. 3.27. shall be frustrated and escaped. Lions teeth shall stand still as they did at Daniel: fire shall not burne, as it was in that ouen, where the three children were. All policy shall sinke, and all complots shall be dissolued, as the Lord hath manifestly testified in his annointed handmaid, who raigneth ouer vsus: whom he hath kept hitherto amidst most strange conspiracies, because his purpose is, that yet longer he will honour her.
5 Here it shall be no ill aduise, to intersert this word: that since the Lord himselfe, who forgetteth not his other creatures, is notedly & especially so carefull ouer man, to let his life in into him, and to let it out by decree, to measure out his sufferings, and to moderate his endurings, to deliuer when he listeth, and to saue when he thinketh good (the remembrance of all which, and the like benefits,Psal. 8.4. made Dauid cry out, Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him, and the sonne of man that thou doest so visite him?) we should esteeme of our selues as of Gods speciall workmanship, in a degree beyond ordinary. My intent is not to puffe vp our hearts with any pride, or to thrust into a self-liking (for the Lord doth hate pride:Prou. 16.5.18. Matth. 11.29. it goeth before a fall: and the humble men are those, on whom Christs yoake is layd) but to rowze vsus vp from that neglect, which commonly is in all carnall men, I meane a careless estimation, and drowsie consideration of the graces of God vponupon vsus. For do we not see many, as if they were onelyonly borne to be somewhat in the world, and that so small a somewhat, as if it were but nothing, go on as forlorne people, who make no account of their being, and onelyonly eate and drinke and sleepe, and walke on idly, as if they cared not much, whether this or that did fall out, to themselues or other men, and they were but a sort of things, which be they or be they not, it maketh not any matter. A conceipt which is very earthie, and dull as is the clay, and in no sort beseeming a reasonable soule, who should carry his face vpright to God, and to the heauens, and thinke himselfe to be made for somewhat: to glorifie the Almightie, to be a part of the Church, to helpe to adorne the world, to be doing honest actions, while he is here in this life, and not to go poring forward, as a beast which looketh onelyonly downeward. Is it nothing, that he hath giuen thee speech and reason, which he denieth to eueryevery thing but man? Is it nothing, that his sonne redeemed thee with his bloud, and payd such a raunsome for thee? Or, to note what my text doth note, is it nothing that thy life is dayed and houred, and inched out, by a fearefull God and a terrible? who among so many motions, and directions, and disposings, and altering transmutations, of heauen and earth and water, yet hath thee so in his reckening,Psal. 139.1. and beareth such an eye vponupon thee, on thy in-going and thy out-going, of thy lying owne & thy rising, of thy sicknesse and thy health, of thy liuing and thy dying, as if onelyonly he did intend vntounto thy selfe in speciall. Do not thou esteeme that to be vile, which he reckeneth of so much worth: let that soule be precious to thee, which he accounteth of so great price: do not hang downe thy head, but with industrie adorne thy soule, and with diligence in his seruice, thinking it a shame to see that actiue, nimble and stirring substance, to be ouergrowne with mossinesse, and rust of such neglect, as hitherto hath possessed it.
6 Now as it is not vnproper, to obserue this in glauncing sort, because the Prophet giueth that attribute to the Lord, that it is his prerogatiue to take away life; so from this, there euidently ariseth as a doctrine, to be thought of in the next place, that it is a great fault and a transgression not excusable, to thrust our selues into that which belongeth vntounto our maker, and so by an vsurpation to depriue God of that singular priuiledge, which is proper to himselfe, of taking away life from man. I do not here speake of the Magistrates, who carry the sword as from God, and are bound not to acquit or excuse the guiltie. To them the charge is giuen, against murtherers and manquellers, that he vvho sheddeth mans bloud, by man shall his bloud be shed. Genes▪ 9.6. Leu. 24.10. Ios. 7.25. 1. Reg. 2 31.Moses stoned the blasphemer: Iosuah did so by Achan, and Salomon in his vprightnesse tooke away the life of Ioab. But I speake here of that case, which might touch our Prophet nearer: that is, that although he did pretend, that he willingly would be dead, yet he doth not take a course, violently to lay hands on himselfe and his owne bodie, but prayeth the Lord to dissolue him. Wherein it appeareth, that although he were peruerse and discontent; yet he was not come to that height of iniquity and impietie, as to destroy himselfe. A sinne of the most straunge nature, that any is in the world, that whereas all other sinnes are to preserue the body, indeed, or in a fancie, in circumstance or in substance, this is to ouerthrow it. Yea to ouerthrow it with God, and ouerthrow it with man, in this world and the next, without hope and all recouerie, vnlesse the Lords merciemercy which cannot be limited, do that whereof is no warrant. His commandement is in generall, Thou shalt commit no murther. If no murther vponupon other,Exod. 20.13. then much lesse on thy selfe. For thou must louelove thy neighbour, but as thou louest thy selfe; and the patterne of all dutie to be extended in him,Matth. 22.39. is taken from thine owne person. Then when the Lord hath created thee, and put thee into the world, and bid thee there to keepe, as in a standing place, as in a watch or ward, from whence thou mayest not mooue till he come to discharge thee, wilt thou dare to leaue thy ground, and forsake that which he hath enioyned thee? When thy soule shall come before his iust and fearefulll countenance, how must it needes be dismayed, when that speech shall come from his mouth, what doest thou in this place? who sent for thee? who dismissed thee? As thou with violence hast cut thy selfe from thy bodie, so with violence I do cut thee from all hope of participation in my glorie.
7 What a trembling may this sentence procure vponupon this soule? what mountaines may it not cry to, or what hils to fall vponupon it,Apoc. 6.16. to be freed from such a doome? It is good therefore that euerie Christian, who desireth to hauehave his part in the holie resurrection, should flie from this, as the way to euerlasting damnation.1. Sam. 31.4. 2. Sam. 17.23. Matth. 27.5. This is a pranke for such as despairing Saule was, to fall vponupon his owne sword: or of cursed craftie Ahitophell, to go home and hang himselfe: or of Iudas, to go foorth, and worke himselfe to his end. How many are the miseries and vexations, which a Christian should suffer all his life time here, before that he should once thinke of this? With what earnestnesse of prayer, should he resist this tentation?Ioseph. de bello Iudaico. 3.14. Should I say that Iosephus a Iew, with full reasons refuted that, which was vrged for this vngodly fact, at such time as he was pressed vntounto it, by his bloudy minded fellowes? Yea heathen men hauehave taught this, as Plato in Phaedone,Mocrob. in Somn. Scipion. 1.13. Tull. in Somnio Scipionis. from whom we find, that Macrobius hath collected seauen reasons, why we should not dare to attempt this. But the speech of Tully is excellent, in that Somnium Scipionis, whereupon Macrobius there commenteth. For when Scipio had said, If true life be onelyonly in heauen, vvhy stay I then vponupon earth? vvhy hast I not, to come to you? No it is not so, sayth his father, for vnlesse that God vvhose Temple all this is that thou seest, free thee from the fetters of thy body, thou canst not hauehave an entrance thither. For men are begotten, and bred vponupon that condition, that they should maintaine that round thing, vvhichwhich thou seest in the middest of that Temple, and vvhichwhich is called the earth. And there is giuen vntounto them a soule, of those euerlasting fires, vvhichwhich you call starres and planets. Wherefore ô Publius, both thy soule and the soules of all good men, is to be kept by them, in the safe custodie of thy body, neither vvithout his commandement by vvhom it is giuen vntounto you, are you to leaue this life, lest you should seeme to flye this duty assigned by God. If a heathen man by the light of nature could go so farre, it were a thing very admirable, that bare reason should be able to teach so much. But we may very well imagine, that this came from the Diuinitie of the lewes. For Tully in that place deriueth his position from Plato,Macrob. vt suprà. which Macrobius plainely noteth, and Platoes diuine Philosophy, was by hearing or reading, sucked from the bookes of Moses, which thing Eusebius in his booke De Praeparatione Euangelica, Euseb. de▪ Praeparat. Euangelic. lib 9.3.doth manifestly lay downe, citing there Numenius the Pythagorian, who writeth that Plato was nothing else, but Moses speaking Greeke, or in the Attike language. But be this so, or be it otherwise, the doctrine is most true.
8 First then in this are condemned those, who yeelding themselues too much vntounto Satans suggestions, wilfully destroy their owne bodies: frō whom as I dare not generally withdraw the hope of saluation, and euerlasting life (for Gods mercy may giuegive grace, and a sudden hastie repentance, betweene the bridge and the water, betweene the deed & the dying, so that then they could wish all were well, and no violence offered) so on the other side, I cannot but pronounce that the case is very daungerous, and in the highest sort to be suspected and feared, vnlesse the Lord do giuegive apparant tokens of penitencie. Do not first take strong poyson, and then afterward seeke some such remedie, as may be offered in an instant, whereunto to trust thou hast no warrant, but almost all to the contrarie. Secondly they are here taxed, who wilfully and without cause, aduenture vppon such things, as are the wayes of death, by that meanes tempting God, to see whether he will preserue them: for so it must needs be,Matt. 4.6.7. if they thinke of him at all. Remember how Christ discountenanced all leaping off from the Temple, which in nature had bene a meanes, to dash himselfe to peeces. Some dangerous tumbling trickes, and walking vponupon ropes not without danger of life, and other sports of that qualitie, are very neare to this. Here let me acknowledge one thing to you, wherof I hauehave oftē times thought in my selfe by occasion of that text, which was cited to our Sauiour, by Satan the great tempter in the story last mentioned. When he would hauehave Christ throw himselfe from the pinnacle of the Temple, he incouraged him by that place of the Psalme:Psal. 91.11.12. He shall giuegive his Angels charge ouer thee, and with their hands they shall lift thee vp, that thou dash not thy foote against a stone. Where, as euerie man may see, he cited the Scripture falsly, leauing out that which is very materiall, to keepe thee in all thy wayes. He shall giuegive his Angels charge ouer thee, to keepe thee in all thy wayes. I hauehave heard that a reuerend mā, preaching on a time in our sister Vniuersity, at the buriall of one or two gentlemen, who came to an vntimely end by swimming, enforced out of that place of Mathew, that it is the pollicy of the tempter, to draw men from their owne wayes, to the waies of other creatures. And therin (as I hauehave heard) he obserued, that a mās way was to go, a birds way was to flie, as fishes way was to swimme: and if we would leaue our owne pathes, dangerously and without cause, to do as fishes or birds do, we tempt God in that case, and suppresse as much of the Psalme to our selues, as Satan did to Christ. For God will keepe thee in all thy wayes, not in the wayes of a bird, not in the wayes of a fish. I cannot say that at that time, by collection from that text, or by the dolefull example which was then before his eyes, that reuerend learned man vtterly forbad that exercise, as impious & vnlawfull; neither dare I do so: for fishermen hauehave vse of it: and Peter in the presence of our Sauiour,Ioh 21.7. girded his linnnen garment to him, and threw himselfe into the sea: and the meanes that some escaped from the ship-wracke,Act. 27.43. in the company of Saint Paule, was their swimming: and souldiers in passing waters, are oftentimes constrained to betake them to this exercise. So that vtterly to condemne it, or dislike it, I thinke it not conuenient, or warrantable; but certainely in that sort as many vse it, and too many in great cities, and perhaps some in this place, that is to say, young ones, & in the deepe, and without company or good helpe, yea and vponupon the Sabaoth day, which the Lord hath notedly punished, as some of vsus may remember, doth fall within iust reproofe, of being too much accessarie of shortening mens owne liues. Let the elder and the younger lay this to their owne consciences, and make the vse to themselues. OnelyOnly vppon occasion of this sommer time of the yeare, I do briefly mention it.
9 Within this compasse, there come plainely our chalenges, and defendances for combats in the fields, for eueryevery trifling braule; where not for God and their countrey, or for their Princes safetie, but vponupon euerie brauling disgrace, the life is thrust into danger. How vncomfortable a thing is it, in a mortall deadly wound, which may very well be thy share, to thinke that thou hast sought the dissolution of thy soule from thy body, and to hauehave rather stood on thy manhood, and fame with other men, then vponupon thy Christian dutie? How many lawes did Moses make, but none for the duellum, or combat betweene two?Deut. 19.5. Nay, he who layd it downe, that if the head of an axe flie off, as a man is cutting wood, and slay his neighbour being neare vntounto him, with whom he had no quarrell, if the pursuer should take his person, before he came to the city of refuge, it was lawfull to kill him; what would he hauehave thought of these men, who will thrust themselues into this straigth, to slay or to be slaine? What the Emperour Honorius, sonne to that good Theodosius, thought of this, appeareth hereby, that as Theodoret writeth,Theodor. Hist. Eccl. lib. 5.26. he tooke away all sword-playings and gladiatorie fights, which so long had bene vsed in Rome, because they were the meanes of many slaughters. The very Turkes in this case are worthie of commendation, of whom I find in the Epistles of Augerius Busbequius,Augerius Busbequius Epist. 3. Embassadour sometimes among them, for Ferdinandus the Emperour, that while he was in the countrey, when one of the Turkish Captaines had reported before the Bassas, that he had challenged into the field, another of the San-iacks or Lieutenants of the Turke, of whom he had receiued some grieuance, the Bassas that Graund Segnieur thrust him presently into prison, and vsed these words vntounto him: Didst thou dare to denounce the combat against thy fellow souldier? vvere there not Christians to fight vvith? You liue both by the bread of our Emperour, and would you trye for each others life? Knovv you not that vvhether soeuer of you had ben… slaine, it had bin a losse to our Soueraigne? he had lost a man? a souldier? This was but a worldly reason, which yet holdeth among vsus also. But for the auoiding of slaughter, vponupon other men or our selues, which point concerneth the Lords commandement, we should flie from these great occasions of murther, which is so horrible a sinne. But to returne to the maine cause, if these accessaries and helpes to bring our selues to the graue, be things not to be iustified, then what a great fault is man-slaughter, directly done vponupon our selues?
10 I hauehave sayd more of these adiacents, then my purpose was to speake: but for the great point, which naturally ariseth from my text, I hauehave therein sayd lesse, because I debated this question at large,Ion. 1.1…. vponupon the twelfth verse of the first Chapter of this Prophecy: and in the opening of this booke, I hauehave euer aymed at that, not to repeate the same things oft, in manner or in matter. Yet one word more before I leaue this, and that is, that in the Primitiue Church, it was somewhat a strange kind of opinion, that men confessing Christ might make away themselues, to withdraw their bodies from torments, which their persecutours would offer to them; and they knew not certainely whether their strength were able to sustaine.Euseb. Hist. Eccles. 8.24. Eusebius in his historie telleth, that in the bloudie time of cruell Diocletian, there were diuerse, who for the reason named, did procure death to thēselues, by throwing their bodies from floores and lofts, & high places. And he addeth farther there, that a certaine Chistian mother & her two daughters being taken, and fearing lest she or they should be defloured, which of all things she detested, stepped aside from their keepers, & threw themselues into the riuer, and so perished in the water.Cap. 27. Afterward, the same Eusebius speaketh of another matrone, who going into her chamber, as it were to attire her selfe, while the officers of the Emperor expected her returne, thrust her selfe through with a sword. And these matters Eusebius doth not onelyonly historically relate, but by an insinuation, doth little lesse then commend them: but of certainty he euidently approoueth them. Now true diuinitie doth maintaine, that this praise is not good; but such deeds are very vnlawfull. God who simply forbiddeth all murther on our selues, doth also forbid this, because he giueth no exception in this point or case, either directly or indirectly. The Prophets and the Apostles, and our Sauiour Christ himselfe, did with humilitie expect, that the will of God should be wrought vponupon them by others: they did not make themselues guiltie, by laying violent hands on their owne flesh. That were not patience, but impatiencie, and breaking away from the crosse imposed on them.2. Mach. 14.42. Augustin. contra secundam Gaudentij Epistolam. Hieron. in Ion. 1. By occasion of the example of Razias, mentioned in the second booke of the Machabees, and there sayd to destroy himselfe. Saint Austen very excellentlie disputeth this against the Donatistes, whose treatise who so listeth to reade, shall see that he plainely and substantially prooueth that this is not to be liked in any Christian. Hierome vpō the first of Ionas, desirous as it seemeth to make excuse for such facts, giueth thus his iudgement on this matter: It is not our part to hasten death to our selues, but vvillingly to receiue it being layd vponupon vsus by other. Whereupon euen in persecutions, Absque hoc vbicastitas periclitatur.it is not lawfull for vsus to perish with our owne hands (vnlesse it be vvhere chastity is indangered) but to submit our selues vntounto the striker. In generall he condemneth it, and that particular exception where our chastity is indangered may verie well be left out: for violence which is offered to the bodie of man or woman, and cannot be resisted, doth not make the partie sinfull. It is consent which staineth vsus with transgression, and not that force which we cannot auoide, and which we approoue in no sort. He who liued in a deeper time of darknesse and superstition,Sarisbur. de nugis Curialium. lib. 5.17. that is Sarisburiensis in the fifth of his Policraticus, could see definitely and positiuely to determine all this doubt. His words are plaine and direct, and therefore I thinke good to cite them: None of them who hauehave layd hands on themselues, are sufficiently excused by me, although the Ecclesiasticall storie vvith great commendation, doth extoll some who hastened their owne death, because they had leyfer that their temporall life should be indangered, then their chastitie. His iudgement therein is sound, although the faults of those who were surprized, and deceiued with such an opinion, should be couered with silence, and left to Gods secret iudgement. Now to come to my third circumstance.
11 Ionas being full of errours, yet knoweth that it is the Lords part, to giuegive life and take it away: and he is not ignorant that to vse violence on himselfe, were a very grieuous sinne: but yet he goeth so farre, as to wish himselfe dead: he prayeth God to end his life, and concludeth it to be better for him, to dye then to liue. Here is a double fault in the Prophet; one, that the cause which did mooue him, to such vehemency of thoughts was a matter much vnbeseeming: for all his anger was, that the Lord would spare the Niniuites, which he thought was against his credit, and the esteeme of a Prophet; and Ionas by a consequent is in this case growne bloudy. But of this before in this Chapter. The second fault is, that in this his mad and raging anger, he doth wish himselfe dead. For this in him proceeded from a vexed vnquiet heart, possessed with impatiency, and not from a sanctified resolution. We deny not but in some cases, a man who is here on earth warfaring, and in a combat with his spirituall enemies, may wish himselfe out of life. As when there is a meere and feruent desire to be ioyned with his head, to be with the blessed Trinitie, and the Angels about the throne, as accoūting that glory to be the garland, for which we must sigh and grone. And this doth Saint Paule teach vsus by his euident example,Philip. 1.23. where he professeth of himselfe, that he longed to be dissolued, and to be with Christ. And this louelove hath filled the minds of many of the martyrs, who thought all to be dung, in comparison of that heauenly celestiall beatitude, which is aloft with God. And therefore they feared not to presse on to that marke, by fire, and sword, and racking. And is these dayes of the Gospell, that is one of the consolations, wherein we do abound, that we see many of our Christian brethren and sisters, when in the extremitie of their sicknesse, they lye vponupon their death-beds, to embrace our Sauiour Christ, and thirst for their dissolution, to thinke each houre a yeare, before they be in heauen. Againe, when there is truly in vsus a setled hate against sinne, which ariseth from a seruent louelove to the Lord, whom we grieue to displease, not for feare, but for kindnesse toward so gracious a father; then it it is a good desire, soberly and with ripe iudgement, to wish our selues out of this body, where dayly we prouoke him, whom we louelove so entirely. And in this also, we hauehave the steps of holy Paule to treade, and to walke in, who considering the great burthen of sinne, which was vponupon him, and how it did euermore disturbe him, doth cry out passionatly, O wretched man that I am, Roman. 7.24.who shall deliuer me from this body of death? Where certainely he intendeth so much, as that in this consideration, he could wish himselfe from this earth. But on the other side, if they be but froward thoughts, and werying perturbations, which distemper vsus too much; or if it be for some sorowes, and afflictions which fall on vsus; or because by one or other we are thwarted in our designements, then in wishing for death, we prooue plainely to be offenders, for want of submitting our will vntounto the Lords will, for lacke of waiting with patience, and attending the leysure of the Almightie. If Elias that powerfull Prophet, be ouertaken thus, to cry, novv it is enough, O Lord take away my soule, 1. Reg. 19.4.for I am no better then my fathers, because Iezabel pursued him, to destroy him if she could take him, he may not be excused.
12 But for our man, it is euident that he was in this bracke: it was no earnest motion to be with God which did stirre him; for now he was angrie with him: neither was it because he loathed sinne; for he heaped that as fast on him, as possibly he could: but because in a testie peeuishnesse, and vnbeseeming curstnesse, he could not see that effected, which he so hotely desired, that was, to see all Niniue brought to vtter desolation. And in this fury, the man would be nothing else but dead. He had neuer bin dead before, and therefore did not know, what it was to come vnprouided and vnfurnished, yea indeed clothed with frowardnesse, before so high a Iudge. If it then had bene remooued when it was in that fury, with what comfort could his soule approch before the tribunall? Whereby it appeareth, how mercifully the Eternall dealeth with vsus, who oftentimes in his louelove denieth to vsus those things, for which we wish; which if we should euermore enioy, we were better be without them. Theseus as Tully saith,Tullius Offic. lib 1. by obtaining the thing which he desired, gained this, that his only sonne Hippolytus was lost, and torne in peeces. The same which that fable reporteth, of those wishes which Neptune graunted to him, that they did hurt and not helpe Theseus, is true of Gods part toward vsus: if he should euermore graunt, that which we wish on our selues or other, it would ouerturne our bodies, and make our soules to perish. Do we not many times, vnaduisedly wish our selues in our graue, as Ionas did in this place, when I wis we little thinke it? And if then there should come any, who would take vsus at our word, should we not make twentie pauses, yea a hundred exceptions, before we would be readie? It is but Aesopsfable, but the morall thereof is true,Aesopus de Sene & Morte. that a poore and desolate old man, turning home from the wood with a burthen of stickes vponupon him, threw them downe, and in remembrance of the miserie which he sustained, called oftentimes for death to come to him, as if he would liue no longer. But when Death came to him in earnest, and asked what he should do, the old man presently chaunged his mind, and sayd that his request vntounto him was, that he would helpe him vp with his wood. This most commonly is our case: we would find some other businesse to set Death about, if he should come to vsus, when vainly we hauehave wished for him. And it is not much vnlikely, that our Prophet in this place, would hauehave played such a pranke, when he prayed to God with such vehemency to take away his soule. But be that as it will be; let this stand good betweene vsus, that with anger and with chasing at that which the Lord decreed, and with wishing death in his rage, the Prophet highly offended. Which being so largely discoursed, now come we in the second place, to see how the Lord taketh this, which I shall passe as briefly ouer, as I hauehave bene long in the former.
And the Lord sayd, Doest thou vvell to be angry?
13 That which Ionas had witnessed in the second verse of this Chapter, that the Lord is very mercifull and slow to anger, is in this place experimented: for when the pot-sheard so grossely had ouerseene it selfe, to grudge against the potter, the creature against his maker, the hote spirite of man would easily hauehave imagined, that he to whom the wrong was done, to the end that he might preserue his greatnesse entire, would hauehave let him knowne his owne, and receiued all roughnesse from him. How would a land-lord here hauehave ruffled vp his tenaunt? but the Prince would hauehave rung such a lesson to his subiect, that he should well hauehave remembred with whom he had to deale. Nay may we not iustly thinke, that the mighty Iehoua, who is couered with the thunder, and clothed with the lightening, who speaketh and the earth doth tremble, who mooueth and the heauen doth quake,Leuit. 10 2. 2. Sam. 6.7. 2. Reg. 5.27. 2. Chr. 26.19. who blasted Nadab and Abihu dead in the instant: who stroke Vzzah in a moment, that he neuer spake againe: who made the body of Gehazi, and the face of King Vzziah to be couered with a leaprosie: who so disgraced Herode,Act. 12 23. that in the ruffe of his maiestie he was eaten vp with wormes, would hauehave shaken vp Ionas so with tauntings and reproches, that he should neuer hauehave forgotten it? But the Lord to giuegive a token of his infinite moderation, and vnconceiuable softnesse, maketh no answer but this, Doest thou vvell to be angry? Wherein as he doth shew that Ionas was to blame (and therein ouerturneth the excuse of Saint Hierome,Hieron. in Ionae. 4. who most willingly would couer all, as if there were no fault, and therefore goeth not right, since the text is to the contrarie) so he beareth with the infirmity of the distracted Prophet, and doth rather warne him kindly, then intreate him very roughly. Doest thou vvell to be angry? as if he should hauehave sayd, Thou frettest when thou shouldest not: wilt thou be the Iudge Ionas, to decide what is most for my glorie? thou takest on thee to preiudice my wisedome, or my will: that either my discretion is not such as it should be; or when I know the best, yet I will follow the contrary. This is not aright Ionas: for if any hauehave occasiō to be angrie it is I, who must be ruled now and not rule, be directed and not gouerne. This mild increpation would hauehave mooued any man, but him who was steeped in anger, as Ionas was. I do not here any farther pursue Gods patience in his owne person, because I hauehave oftentimes touched it.
14 My lesson which I gather here, is rather for our selues, that when we hauehave to do with passionate persons, that is to say, brethren which are weake, but not desperately euill, and see them ouertaken with affections of anger, of sorrow, or displeasure, we by our mild behauiour, seeke to win them from that fault. When rage is repelled with rage, it increaseth farther fury, and so oyle is put to flame, and contention to strife. A soft answer appeaseth vvrath: Prou. 15.1.but grieuous vvords stirre vp anger. Although to equals this may fitly be applied, and to superiours, yet the saying is generall, and hath place toward inferiours also. The bending yeelding spirit is most likely to preuaile, with the most robustious persons; but a good man will hauehave an eye, that he yeeld not in things vnlawfull. The Apostle dealeth thus with the Corinthians:1. Cor. 4.14. I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloued children I do warne you. The Apostle would not of purpose shame those, whom he saw comming willingly inough to God, but the matter it selfe will shame (yet with a bashfulnesse to good purpose) the man who is intelligent, when he shall see another, who is greater then himselfe, to be calme when he is troubled, yea more & more to be calme, when he seeth another troubled: when himselfe is surprized with heate to behold his better to stand vnmoueable, no more but to heare him and be silent, or onelyonly to looke vponupon him, or to turne away, to be gone vntill the storme be past: or if there be a speaking, onelyonly to say as God sayth here, without further prouocation, Doest thou well to be angry? He who is wise and prudent, hath learned to pity those who are blind and deafe, or distracted in wit, and not to study to be like such: but those who are impatient, are for the time no better. Blind, in that they see not what is commodious: deafe from heating any reason: yea possessed with a frensie, to speake and do things vnlawfull. Where although flesh and bloud would suggest, that as one noyse is best of all beaten backe with another noyse, or one woodden pin with another, so violence with violence, and great words with great speeches, are soonest done downe and appeased, yet Christian imitation of the best, and patience fit for Saints, biddeth treade another path, of quietnesse and of softnesse.
15 I know not to whom this precept may rather be commended, then to the Ministers of the Gospell, who should not be ouer readie, to take knowledge of such censures as their people do passe vponupon them, for those things which they preach: when it is not of any malice, or pretended thought to disgrace, but of idle curiosity, and because men hauehave their fancies. Into what flames do these matters breake forth, whē heate cā hold no longer, but on the next Sabaoth day, to sound out of the pulpit, an inuectiue declaration against such carping iudges? when perhaps the words were mistaken, perhaps increased and aggrauated, by the carier of the tale. But the end is, that whereas before the party was a brother, and a hearer, now he prooueth to be an enemy, and forbeareth to heare the Sermons, from whence he onelyonly looketh to be galled: the congregation is disquieted, and in steed of one speaking before, now each mans mouth is open: and the pastour himselfe being now torne and rent on eueryevery side, is troubled in his mind, and discouraged in his calling. How much safer were it here, if it could not be auoided but knowledge must be taken, in priuate thus to appease the thing which is not right? Do you well to be angry, or do you well thus to say? But if it be a thing possible, the way were to heare and not to heare: to auoide all notice of it. There was neuer man wiser then Salomon,Prou. 19.11. Eccles. 7.23. and he taught much to that purpose, The glory of a man is to passe by an offence, And in his Ecclesiastes, Do not giuegive thy heart also to heare all vvords that men speake, lest thou heare thine owne seruant cursing thee. These precepts are true in all, therefore much more in the pastour, who should shine before other men, and should be more obseruant, because if it be not in the matter, yet in manner or circumstance, he possibly may erre.Prou. 28.14. And blessed is the man that feareth alway, sayth Salomon. To which sence may be applied, the beginning of ano-speech of his,Cap. 14.16. A vvise man feareth. Yea the first point of wisedome, is to distrust himselfe. And so much of Gods mild reproofe. Let vsus pray to him, so to guide vsus that we may walke aright, while we be here in this world, and acknowledging him the giuer and sender of life and death, submit our selues in both to his most holy will, vntounto whom with his Sonne Christ, and their most blessed Spirite, be glorie and praise for euer.