Sermons on Jonah, Lecture 7
THE VII. LECTVRE.
The chiefe points. 1 The vnwillingnesse of the mariners to put Ionas to death. 4 Great slownesse should be vsed in taking away life. 6. Against killing of men to offer to Idols, 7. and other cruell massacrings: 9. As that of the Anabaptistes. 14. The force of the sea. 16. It is some sinne that maketh many not to prosper. 20. God reuengeth innocent bloud. 22. Enforcement doth not excuse euill. 23. We must yeeld to Gods will.
Ionah. 1.13.14.
Neuerthelesse the mē rowed to bring it to the land, but they could not, for the sea wrought and was troublous against thē. Wherefore they cried vntounto the Lord, & said, We beseech thee, ô Lord, vve beseech thee, let vsus not perish for this mans life, and lay not vponupon vsus innocent bloud, for thou ô Lord hast done as it pleased thee.
IOnas being of a Prophet become a sinner, of a sinner a prisoner, as oft times you hauehave heard, is examined by his companie, but condēned by himselfe, as a grieuous malefactour, worthy to be drowned in the sea. So much did his sinne crie for vengeance; so vehemently did his God make after him. But the miserie of his miserie is, that since he must needes suffer, for otherwise the fault which his owne mouth hath acknowledged, cannot be satisfied for, he wanteth some man that may do the deed. The place is ready, and the person, who thinketh euerie thought of time to be verie long, before the matter be dispatched: but there wanteth an executioner. He might not do as Saule did,1 Sam. 31.4. fall on his owne sword point himselfe, when his harnesse-bearer would not depriue him of his life. This had argued too great dispaire. But he might wish with Nero, that in the course of iustice,Aurelius Victor in Nerone. he might hauehave some friend or enemie, to helpe him vntounto his end. But among these blustering mariners, he could not finde that fauour. Although himselfe accuse himselfe, and lay his fault plaine before them; although windes and waues did confirme it, although the lot throwne did assure it, although in wordes he did desire to be cast into the water, yet those who should hauehave done it, do so ill like of the matter, that if sayles or oares can serue, they will backe againe to the land, rather leaue their intended iourney, then vse any violence toward him.
They rowed to bring the ship backe vntounto the land.
foreign2 The word which is vsed here, comming of Chathar in the Hebrew, doth signifie they did digge, either because men do thrust into the water with oares, as in digging they do, with other instruments on the land,Seneca in Agamemn▪ Suicata vibrāt aequora & lacera incropant. Virgil. Aeneid. 3. Nullum maris aequor arandū. like as in Latin Poetry the bottome of the ship is sayd to plow the water, sulcare, to make things like furrows in it: or because as men in digging, do turn this way, and that way, & stir & moue the ground, so they stirred vp their wits, & did beate their brayns and thoughts, to free him from the danger. For his sake, they vsed all such helpes as they had at sea. We know that they be not many: either sayling by the wind, or rowing by the oare: tall ships do know the one, the galleys goe with the other. But as it may be iudged out of the monuments of antiquitie, and partly may be seene in some at this day, euerie ship in old time, had both the one & the other. When the wind wanted for their sayling, their armes did vse to fall a rowing. In this place I doubt not, but that the storme had so ouerlayd them, that their tackling in generall did serue them to little purpose. The shift which then remained, was to see if by cleane strength, against both wind and water, they might winne the land, by their rowing backward. Forward they could not get, & therfore they wil retire, rather then drown the Prophet. Their businesse is forgotten: their hast shall stay a while, rather then destroy his life.
3 When aduisedly I consider, how many things here should vrge those mariners, to hasten him vntounto death, their disturbance in their iourney, the casting foorth of their wares, which goeth against the soule of a wordly minded creature, the indangering of their liues, the discouery by a lot, the confession of himself, & his willingnes to dy, besides such stubburne qualities, as of likelyhood were fast rooted in mariners and idolaters, and yet how by no meanes they would take his life away from him, I cannot but obserue their maruellous of-wardnesse, and vnwillingnesse in very high sort, to the shedding of bloud, which affection of theirs is amplifyed in all my text. Because he should not dy, they wold go back to land: and when they see that there must be no nay, but God would hauehave them to throw him into the sea, they cry forth with great vehemency, that in as much as it was the Lords owne doing, and not any desire of theirs, (they were but as his instruments, & ministers of his iustice) the bloud of this dying passenger, might not be imputed to thē. Although I be not before Iudges and lurours, who hauehave to do with mens deaths, nor before any Martiall warriours, whose speare sometimes eateth flesh, and whose sword oftentimes drinketh bloud: yet because I speake to men, whome this cannot but concerne, (for life belongeth vntounto all) & because my text doth inforce it, giuegive me leaue, men & brethren, to discourse this argument vntounto you in the first place, that afterward I may go forward to some other doctrine.
4 Then I feare not to say, that the lawes of God and men, of nature and of nations, of Gentiles and of Iewes, of ciuill men and Barbarians, hauehave commaunded that a great regard should be borne to the life of a man, the most excellent of all Gods creatures that go vponupon the ground, the beauty of the world, the glory of the workman, the cōfluence of all honor which mortality can afford, the resemblāce of the Sauiour, while he liued vpō the earth, the image of God himselfe, vntill that time that Adam lost it: to whose absolute frame nothing wanteth, but onelyonly a consideration, that God hath so graced him, as that nothing is wanting to him. I neede not speake to all these, but vrge that which is the greatest. The Lord hath said, I wil require your bloud wherein your liues are, Genes. 9.5.6.at the hand of eueryevery beast will I require it, and at the hand of man, euen at the hand of a mans brother, will I require the life of man. Who so sheadeth mans bloud, by man shall his bloud be shed: for in the image of God hath he made man. The often ingemination of requiring and requiring, doth inforce the greater charge.Exod. 21.12. Genes. 4.10. 2. Sam. 12.9. Habac. 2.17. He that smiteth a mā & he dye, shal dye the death. Doth not the bloud of Abell cry for vengeance vntounto the Lord? How doth God take the shedding of Vriah his bloud at Dauids hand? How doth he threaten a punishment, and that in bitter sort vntounto the men of Babylon, for their murthering of many persons? The killing of a mā, the murthering of thy neighbor, is such a matter, as for the which can be made no satisfaction. A kingdome can make no ransome for it, the whole world cannot make a recompence, if we will take things aright. It is in one to marre it, but it is not in all Gods creatures, to make the life of a man. The Creatour himselfe doth giuegive it; he willeth vsus to preserue it, that none should dare to destroy it, either in our selues or other.
5 How doth he seeme to tender it, when he expressely commandeth the Israelies,Deuter. 22.8. to set battelmēts vponupon the roofes of their houses (whereupon they vsed oftentimes to walke, because they were flat) least if any should fall downe from thence,2 Sam. 11.1. bloud should lye vponupon the house? In like sort, when he giueth charge else-where,Exod. 21.32. that the beast which killeth any, should be stoned to death with stones? How doth he detest bloud-spilling in wilfull sort,Iohan. 8.44. when Christ giueth to the diuell, the title of a murtherer, as being most fit for him? So that they who are killers and manquellers, do seeme to fight vnderunder the diuels banner; to hauehave put off humane nature, which should excell for mildnesse, and to be turned into beasts, nay to grow into the quality of foule and loathsome spirites. The impression of this thought, both that it is vnseemely among men, and odious before God, as it hath possessed the heart of Scythians, and Barbarians, of Egyptians, Greekes and Romanes, so these ship-men doubt not of it, but with all their power they do flye from it, as frō the gates of hell. They row, they cry, they pray: rather any thing then be guilty of the sheading of Ionas his bloud. Nay the more they see him yeeld, the more their heart doth melt, their affection giueth vponupon him. They know it to be naturall, to spare the life of a suppliant, to saue the life of a man. No custome against that ground: no prescription against that principle. Life should be deare if any thing: It neuer can be recouered.
6 They then are monsters in nature, and not only irreligious, and impious toward God, but verily inhumane, who do cut off the life of other, either in superstition, or in any bloud-thirsty humour. Be they the Carthaginians, who did vse to offer men in sacrifice to their Gods.Oros. Histor. lib. 4.6. 2 Reg. 3.27. Annotatio Geneuensis in cum Iocum in Biblijs Anglicae. Tremelius habet de filio regis Edom. Or be it the king of Moab, who being distressed in battell, did take his eldest son, who should hauehave raigned in his stead, and made a burnt offering of him, vponupon the top of the wal, before the face of the Israelites, by that meanes thinking to appease the wrath of his idols. For thus some vnderstand it, although there be that take it, of the son of the king of Edom: which is also bad inough. Or be they among other, or aboue other if you will, the people of God himselfe, who as Dauid doth say of them, if that be Dauids Psalme, were so besotted on their follies,Psal. 106.36. and so doated on their idolatry, that they offered vp their sonnes and daughters vntounto diuels. This was it, which the Scripture calleth the making of their children to go through the f…re,2. Reg. 16.3. as did Ahaz the king of Israel. VntoUnto this the story of Iosias alludeth,Cap. 23.10. where he speaketh of the valley of Hinnom, in which their little ones were enforced, as the Hebrewes themselues do write, to walke betweene great fires, vntil that they sunke down dead with the heate: their parents, or the consecrators looking on, but not hearing the pitifull skreeches, and squealings of their children, by reason of the great noyse of tabrets, and other instruments of musicke, which did dull their eares, that they might not heare the sound. Blind men, who supposed that they had done great seruice to the Lord, when in truth they did that, which was execrable and abhominable in his eyes. So farre off they were, from the rules of religion, that they also slipped from the very grounds of common reason.
7 The like may be said of such, who not for any superstitious deuotion, or idolatrous opinion, but in a wooluish rauennousnesse, would see the bloud of many shed. Be it Haman, who to ease his stomacke vponupon Mardocheus,Est. 3.8. did cast plots and deuises how to hauehave the whole people of the Iewes murthered vponupon one day.Dion. lib. 59. Or be it Caligula that foule and foolish tyrant, who wished that all the people of Rome had but one necke, that whensoeuer it should stand with his good liking, he might cut it off at one blow. A man worthy to be branded, with a perpetuall note of infamie, and to be registred for such a villaine, as scant euer had any fellowe. His heart was soaked thorough: his bowels were steeped in bloud, when he caryed so vile a mind to his owne citizens and subiects. Good God, how far is sence, and all humanitie extinguished in men, when thou withdrawest thy grace? How doth beast-like rage preuaile? This maketh me to remember, the cruell and bloudie speech of her, who being resolued vponupon that fearefull slaughter, which Fraunce saw and felt at Bartlemewtide,Anno. 1572. Comment. Religi. & Reip. in Gallia. lib. 10. in the yeare seuentie and two, did vse to say of the Protestants, and Papists in that land, that there was no way, but one of the sides must dye for it, else the other could not stand safe. The thousands which were on either side, the young innocents and the children, who by her accompt must dye, did not moue her flintie heart. She had her will afterward, and now although she be in her graue, yet the obloquie and cō tumelious reproch of that action, remayneth for euer on her.
8 Shall not those auncient Romanes, who appointed by speciall lawes, rewards of honour and glorie, to such as did rescue the liues, of any of their citizens, stand vp in the day of iudgement, and condemne such bloudie Christians? Shall not these sily mariners here conuince them in that day, who wrought as many meanes to saue the life of one, and of that one a stranger, and of that one an offender, as the other did to destroy the liues of many thousands, and those of their owne countreymen, and many of them questionlesse innocents▪ poore harmelesse hurtlesse soules. Eternized be the infamy of Sathans and Antichrists practise in it, that bloudie harlot of Babylon; for it sauoured not of Christ the Sauiour. It is for cruell wolues, and not for tender and simple lambes, to hauehave their teeth in that manner defiled. No priuiledge or dispensation from any Pope, no warrant from the Councell of Constance, that faith giuen or promise made to heretikes, may be broken at pleasure, can excuse that horrible act. All humanity hath disclaimed it: Diuinity doth condemne it. We giuegive the like sentence also, although somewhat in a milder sort, against the murthering hand of them, who for their rebaptizing were iustly called Anabaptists.
9 A little more then seuenty yeares agone,Anno. 1522. these did arise in Germany, professing that by the Spirite, they had such illuminations, and reuelations from aboue, that they freely might performe whatsoeuer came in their minds, as a matter suggested from heauen. Their opinions did quickely multiply, and so did their followers also: for it was a very pleasing doctrine, to a licentious Libertine-like mind, vntill it grew too farre. Besides that all things were in common among them, and their wiues were not very priuate, when some of them had three or foure, besides also their rebaptizing of such, as had receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme before, besides their plucking downe of magistrates, and many other things which I ouerpasse, they had the gift of killing as many as they would.Sleidan. cō mentar. lib. 10. lib. 6. Surius in commentar. Anno 1527. Iohn of Leyden their vsurping king at Munster, did fetch off the heads of diuerse, with a very great facility. At Sangallum a towne in Switzerland, one of this gentle crew, did cut off the head of his owne naturall brother, the father to them both standing by, and the mother looking on. And the reason which he had for the doing of it, was because it was so commaunded to him from God aboue. This sect could say that it was the spirite, which moued them to such deedes, and they were aduertised from him by secret inspiration; but indeede it was the Spirite which vrged them, some infernall vgly fiend. For the holy Ghost, that sacred, immaculate and vndefiled being, doth not stir men against the law of God, or to breake the bonds of nature, so, as to defile mens selues with such crimes,Sleidan. lib. 10. as were odious to the very heathen. Luther liuing at that time, did set pen to paper, to discouer & discountenance too, those proceedings. He imputed all that stirre to Sathan, and the immediate worke of the diuell. And as he was a man, eueryevery way of most inuincible courage in Gods businesse, so he feared not to say,Est haec rudis etiamnum cacodaemonis techna. Inuenustus Gemus. that it was but a blockish spirit, a grosse diuell and a rude, who did broach such vntoward heresies, as the Anabaptistes held. Yet in the Popish spirit, was more close and fine conueyance.
10 The condemning of such deedes, by the sentence of God and man, and the generall doctrine which hath bene taught, concerning sauing of life in all, by the example of these seamen, may be a good remembrance to Magistrates and Iudges, that they proceed to punishment of offenders, as men with leaden or woolly, that is slow feete, not reioycing in that sentence, which themselues giuegive, of purpose to send other men to death: not as persons without remorse, but in heart heauy to see, that reasonable men should be so retchlesse, as to bring themselues to their end. Although iustice must be done, and clemency to some few may be cruelty vntounto many, yet it is but an inhumane part, to delight in spilling bloud. Volesus who vnderunder the Emperour Augustus,Seneca de Ira. 2.5. was one Proconsul of Asia, is recorded for a famous tyrant, in that when he had beheaded three hundred in one day, with a proud and lofty countenance he walked amongst the dead carcasses, as if he had done some deed worthy the looking on:O rem regiam. and then at last out he cried, Oh an act fit for a king. Another might well hauehave answered him: No, this doth not beseeme a king, who being the head of his people, shoud greeue that any of them should grow to that extremity, euen as the head in the naturall body should be sory, that the least ioynt of the hand, or foote should so rot, that it must needs be cut off. And as in such a case, the surgeon is neuer admitted but with aduise, so should hasty iudgement neuer depriue men of their breath. The fault of Theodosius, otherwise a good Christian Emperour,Theodoret. Eccles. Histor. lib. 5.17. was the more grieuous the while, when so rashly he gaue leaue to a garrison of his souldiers, to ouer-runne the City of Thessalonica, where old and young were slaine, to the number of seauen thousands; and all this done, to take vengeance on that people, for abusing some of his officers: as Ambrose very plainly did tell him, when he stepped betweene the Emperour and the Church, being most vnwilling that he should come in that sacred place, till he had made some satisfaction: A Christian Prince should neuer hauehave spoken such a bloudy word, to giuegive so cruell and hard a sentence, against so many thousands of his owne subiects, as well innocent as nocent. He afterward grieued for it vnfainedly, and in earnest, but his griefe should hauehave bene before. Yet better late then neuer: but the best sorrow which men can hauehave, is that they grieue to do euill.
11 There should be a fellow-feeling, and sympathy in mens minds, a compassion in a ruler, wishing that there were no cause of punishment to be suffered. And this not for a fashion, and because they are words of course, but in sincerity and simplicity; not with the tea…es of a Crocodile, or with the sighs of an hypocrite,Iohan. 18.38. but truly and in heart. Else it is but a Pontius Pilates tricke; who pronounced that Christ was innocent, and that he was loath to giuegive sentence, but yet he did condemne him. Although the Iewes were not Iudges,28. yet they had learned that lesson, when they would not come into the iudgement hall, least they should be defiled with bloud: and yet they neuer ceased to cry out, that Christ might be crucified. The Euangelistes do all declare, that Annas and Cayphas who were the Priestes, had a finger also in that worke. As it seemeth they left a patterne, for Popish Bishops their successours, to follow when they were dead. For they are not behind their old maisters, in hypocriticall carying of things, as they do most liuely shew in their Degradations of heretikes, as they call them. For when the Ordinary or Deputy of the Bishop,Sleidan. cō mentar. lib. 4. doth take off such attire, as Priestes or Bishops or men of degree in schooles were clothed with, in their formality, and committeth them to the secular power as they tearme it, they seeme to make an earnest request, that no violence may be offered to their bodies or liues, when their full purpose and intent is no otherwise, but that they shold be burnt at a stake. This is filthy dissimulation, and not vnfit for them, who being wolues and foxes, yet will shrowd themselues in sheepes cloathing. Bloud thirstinesse would gladly couer it selfe with mildnesse: but it is but a rotten cloake.
If I should adde any thing farther, by occasion of this desire to saue Ionahs life, it might be to warriours, who should not be preassing into the field for eueryevery light cause. The old Heathen men had that care, that their warres should be iust, as the lawes and orders of the Feciales,Liuius. lib. 1. those Romane Heralds shew. Christians should be more carefull that they offer not to draw the sword in battell, vnlesse it be for God, or for religion, or in their owne defence, or for some important reason. And when the Lord shall send a victory in the iustest cause, mercy beseemeth a man, and the sparing of all that may be spared. It carieth some meaning with it, that God would not giuegive Dauid leaue, to build a Temple vntounto him,1 Chr. 28.3. although he fought not but the Lords battels, and earnestly did desire to accomplish that worke himselfe. The reason thereof is assigned to be, because he was a warriour, and consequently had shed much bloud. Which conceipt, or the like as it should seeme, was in the mind of Constantine that blessed Emperour, who being enforced to fight against infidels,Euseb. de vita Constantini. lib. 2.13. August. de ciuitate Dei 5.21. Ieseph. de bello Iudaic. lib. 6.14. and idolaters, the enemies of his God, yet gaue charge, that as few as might be should be slaine in the warres; nay did propose rewards to those that tooke men aliue. His predecessor Titus the Romane Emperour, was so gentle of disposition, that Saint Austen thinketh it not vnfit, to call him a most sweete Prince, and Iosephus doth acknowledge, that he sorowed most bitterly, when he saw the great store of dead carcasses which perished at Hierusalem. It is therefore likely, that he would hauehave caried a milder hand vponupon the Iewes his prisoners, after the sacking of that City,Lib. 7.20. then to cast so many thousands of them to the Lions,2500. in die natali Domitiani. and other beasts to be deuoured, as he did on the birthday of his brother Domitian, and some other times besides: but that the heauy curse of God, which boyled against the nation, did vrge his gentle and calme nature, to bring them to destruction. But this is no example for other men: they hauehave no such commission. It is not in our time▪ as it was in the dayes of Ieremy,Ierem. 48.10. Vt iugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones. that Cursed is he that keepeth backe his sword from bloud, but blessed is he that spareth, and blessed is he that saueth.
13 If the curse now light on any, it is on the murthering hand, which I would that they in our dayes, would remember out of warre, who either as wicked robbers destroy life for a pray, or else as brauing minds (for so they esteeme themselues) do make no kind of conscience, to destroy the liues of others, vnderunder pretence of reuengement of indignities, & disgraces offered to them. Is hell prepared for murtherers, and is it sayd that such shall be without, Apoc. 22.15.that is, secluded from heauen, and from the new Hierusalem, and wilt thou for shewing of thy manhood, thrust thy selfe into this hell? The reuenge which is taken, is more vponupon thy soule, then on the body of thine enemy. Let not piety be so dead, nor nature so extinguished, nor thy conscience be so seared, and burnt eueryevery whit away, as to kill any wilfully. Rather learne of these mariners, to beare losse, and suffer danger, to spare where might be spilling, then to spill where should be sparing. Ionas had done them wrong, by comming into their ship, & putting them to that trouble, and a verdict was gone out frō God against him, that he must be drowned; & yet notwithstāding, if it were in their power to do it, they wold returne him good for euill: they euen quake and tremble at it, that they were wished to drowne him. And thus hauehave you their auersenesse, and vnwillingnesse to shed bloud. Now let vsus go a little farther.
They rowed to bring it to the land, but they could not.
14 Since they may not be at sea, they striue and they labor, to returne to the land: but this may not be neither. Here is more against them, then if all the world were for them. Man will, but God will not: man roweth and God bloweth, the armes go for the one, but the winds go for the other. Whether of these is like to speed? God would not hauehave the Prophet escape away so with the shot. Since his fault is so great, it shall not be vnpunished, least the creature should learne to insult ouer the Creator, and flesh and bloud should counterpoise his will against the Almighty. Therefore to teach obedience, and that nothing on earth, must be ballanced with his ordinance, for the execution of iustice, he stirreth vp the sea, to resist the rowing of these silly men. The sea vvrought and vvas troublous. How much is here against how little? The Ocean with his fury, against one woodden vessell. Great waues against small strokes. This is it, whereof Dauid can say, that they who make triall of it, do see the workes of the Lord, Psal. 107.24.and his wonders in the deepe. This is it which if it were not restrained, would returne to couer the face of the earth,Psal. 104.9. whose waues do roare lowder then all the Lions of the forrest, whose gulfes do sup vp some, whose sandes do sinke downe other, whose rockes hauehave splitted in peeces the hugest mightiest Carickes, that euer came on the water. Here is Scylla and Charybdis, and those Symplegades which are so much feared. This is it, in which one short tempest, hath dashed whole fleetes and nauies, the one ship against the other: which sometimes by inundation hath ouer-runne whole countreyes, as might be shewed at large. This is one of those two vnbridled elements, with whom there is no mercy: for so we say of fire and water.
15 This worketh against our Prophet, and what helpe can there be against the fury of it? If the multitudes of mankind were assembled vponupon the land, if the whole world were put together, yet these are not able to abate this violence. If Pharao and all the horsemen which belong vntounto him, although he be the great king of Egypt,Exod. 14.28. come but into a corner of it (for so the red sea may well be named) they are licked vp, as if they had beene no better then the grashoppers, and throwne dead on the shore. Xerxes the king of Persia, was a man of passing wit in the meane while,Herodot. in Polymnia. lib. 7. who, as Herodotus writeth of him, vnderstanding that the bridge which he had made ouer the Hellespont, was broken by the great violence of the waues and water, caused three hundred stripes to be giuen to the Ocean sea, in reuengement of the wrong done vntounto him, and to teach it a better lesson, against another time. There is no wrastling for sober men, with the sea, and for drunken men much lesse. If he with all his army, had bene close at hand to helpe the poore Prophet, now in this storme, he must hauehave bene contented, to hauehave left him in that case as he found him. Gods charge was vponupon the waues, not to giuegive ouer from pursuing, vntill they had drowned him. And he who could plague all Egypt, with flies and frogges and lice, the basest kinde of vermine,Exod. 8.1.17.24. could easily giuegive ability, to the sea to drench on Ionas.
16 Then it is no maruell, if they could not bring him backe vntounto the land, since they had both windes and waues and God himselfe against them. And against them he will be, so long as that party, who is the offending sinner, shall rest with them. In mine opinion, a most excellent point of doctrine is here affoorded. Men oftentimes do striue and vehemently labour, with oares and sailes and eueryevery thing, euen with all the powers of their mind, and with all the strength of their bodie, to attaine to their desire, of riches and contentednesse, and the more they do beate their braines, the farther they are still from it. Early rising, faring hard, much deuising and contriuing, counsell and helpe from others: and yet it will not be. Some other with halfe the labour, do attaine to greater happinesse. But as these mariners striue, and cannot come at the land, they can neither get forward nor backward, so it is with the desires of the other.Agg. 1.6. O…nus torquet. God bloweth vponupon their money, it is put into a broken bagge, or as the Prouerbe is, Ocnus he wreatheth a rope, and an asse standeth by and croppeth it off. Their best meanes come to nothing: the good intent of their friends proueth, as if there were no such matter. Now what shall be sayd in this case? Surely we must not rashly censure this state of other men. For God many times doth crosse the actions of such as be deere vntounto him, either to trye their patience, or to confirme their faith, or to teach them obedience, or to make them loath the world, or for some other reason best knowne vntounto himselfe. So that we may not proudly or peremptorily iudge. Then the conscience of each man, who will not be wilfully blinded, is the best triall in this behalfe. Descend thou then into thy soule, and sift thy selfe throughly, what may be the reason of it.
17 If thou be not as other men, and very little do prosper with thee, yea although diligence be not wanting, see whether that some Ionas be not within thy house, some leud or vngodly man, some drunkard or some Atheist, that draweth a curse vponupon thee. See whether that some Ionas be not within thy heart, who lyeth heauy vponupon thee as the lead, that thou canst not arise. The Ionas of disobedience, the Ionas of discontentednesse, the Ionas of want of faith, or perhaps some more noted sinne. As long as he hath his abode with thee, do thou rowe and thy mariners, do thou striue and thy friends, but thou shalt not come to the land. But cast once this Ionas out, the Ionas of adultery, the Ionas of fornication, vponupon whom beggery waiteth many a time, the sinne of a wanton mind, the fault of a railing tongue, against God and his Ministers, the sinne of an enuious eye, against those whom the Lord blesseth, the roo…e of cruell bitternesse in inuenting lies and slaunders. Let the Ionas of these faults, be once throwne ouer ship-boord, and thy ship shall go like other: the Lord will blesse thy studies, he will prosper thy endeuors, and it shall appeare vntounto thee, how much he doth respect thee. Otherwise the sea shall be troublesome, and saile thou till thy heart do ake, thou shalt not come to the shore. Aulus Gellius in the third booke of his Noctes Atticae, doth tell of a goodly horse,Gellius. lib. 3.9. which belonged to one Seius, and thereof had his name to be called Equus Seianus. This horse was neuer possessed by any one, but both himselfe and his family did come to vtter ruine. So Seius his first maister did speede, and then Dolabella who bought the horse for much money, dranke of the selfe same cup. Then Cassius was his owner, and after that Antonius, and the end of both these was destruction. Vnderstand that sin and wickednesse, oftentimes doth carry this fortune with it, that it fretteth the goods of the owner, and maketh little or nothing to prooue. Therfore if it be as pleasant to the flesh, and to thy fancy, as the horse of Seius was comely to the eye, better it is to leaue it, then to hauehave it: he is best that is farthest from it. And so now I come to the second verse.
Wherefore they cried vntounto the Lord and sayd.
18 When these men see by al meanes, that the Prophet must go out, & that there was no striuing against so strong a streame, although it went against the haire, nay although heart, soule and all, did go against the deede, yet they resolue to do it: but it is with feare and trembling. It cannot be auoided: necessity hath no law: they must do it or do worse. Then since God ruled the rost, and all was at his pleasure, they runne poore soules to him. It is sayd they cried vntounto him, which noteth their earnest vehemency in vttering of their prayers. They whisper not, but so loud as their best breath can reach, they cry vntounto the Lord. They had seene the immediate power of the Israelites God vponupon them: that maketh them pray vntounto him, and that with doubled cries, We beseech thee, we beseech thee. So important is affliction, and sight of present danger, to stirre vp euen idolaters,Exod. 10.17. and wicked ones to deuotion. If Pharao once feele the smart of the rod vponupon him, he can be well content, if not himselfe, yet that Moses should pray vntounto his God, to free him from the plague.1. Reg. 21.27. If Ahab by the speech of Elias, do heare of desolation about to fall vponupon himselfe and his family, he will humble himselfe in sackcloth. This is an argument worth the handling, as be many other things in this verse: but because I hauehave still desired, to go forward without confusion, and if I be not deceiued, it is the distinctest teaching, to put eueryevery thing in his proper place, giuegive me leaue to touch that here, which is not handled else-where, and which hath most affinity with that, which already I hauehave sayd: and to referre other matters vntounto their peculiar places.Suprà versu 2. Then what crying is, I handled, when I opened the second verse. And for that matter, that here they make choise of Iehoua, the true God of the world, as also to dispute, whether they were conuerted vntounto the truth or no, iust occasion shall be offered, when I come to the sixteenth verse,Infrà ver. 16. where it is sayd that the men frared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice vntounto the Lord and made vowes. Moreouer what force affliction hath, to bring men vntounto piety and deuotion, I declared in the fifth verse, where these mariners by the violence of the tempest,Suprà vers. 5. were vrged vntounto their praiers. And againe, I shall hauehave reason to touch it farther, if God do send me ability to come to the second Chapter, where the Prophet lying in the belly of the whale, maketh his praier to the Lord.
19 Then the matter which now remaineth for me, is the substance of their prayer: the scope at which they do aime: which is, that sith a necessity of drowning him lieth vponupon them, which they held as well to be vnnaturall, as inhumane and impious, they would gladly be excused for it, that his death and bloud which was innocent vntounto them, might not be layd vponupon them. They do professe themselues, to be but instruments of Gods good will, they had no quarrell to him. And they in plaine termes say, that his was innocent bloud, howsoeuer otherwise, whereunto they were not priuy, yet in respect of them. In their company he had not any way deserued to dye: his bloud therefore to them was innocent, and not gulity. See the abundant store of wisedome, which is in the word of God: how many notes do hence arise. First that the Lord doth take vengeance, on innocent bloud which is shed, for this is that which they feared; and this may rightly be ioyned with that which goeth before, that is mans fearefulnesse in the one place, and Gods iudgemēts in the other. Secondly, although they were inforced, yet they hold not that sufficient, to do a thing vnlawful, without Gods will expressely. Thirdly that Gods direction was their ful resolution. The multitude of these things shal not make me forget my selfe. I will touch them all very briefly.
20 It is very likely, that these men were afraid, that they might iustly perish, for spilling innocent bloud, for God hath threatned vengeance to that sinne, in some places that he will detect it and disclose it, and in some other, that he will seuerely recompence it.Esay. 26.21. By the Prophet Esay: Lo the Lord commeth out of his place, to visite the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth vponupon them: and the earth shall disclose her bloud, and shall no more hide her slaine. Numer. 35.33.By Moses: Bloud defileth the land, and the land cannot be cleansed, of the bloud that is shed therein, but by the bloud of him that shed it. The sentence which fell vponupon Ioab was,1. Reg 2.5. that his head should not go downe into his graue in peace, because he had spilled the bloud of two iust men, of two innocents. It is a great comfort to all men, that their liues are so farre within the Lords protection, that if any shall offer to take them away, God will require them of him. But there is a woe to the murtherer. All the righteous bloud which was shed vponupon the earth, from the bloud of righteous Abel,Math 23.35. to the bloud of Zacharias, the sonne of Barachias, who was slaine betweene the Temple and the Altar, shall come vponupon the Iewes, who were killers of the Prophets. And if any one thing, it was bloud that brought them to destructiō. For as when bloud touched bloud, the whole land was polluted, so if we will beleeue Iosephus, who liued in that time, the temple was razed downe, for the murthers which were committed in it. The strangling of young infants, begotten by fornication in our Abbeyes and Nunries, which since that time their bones hauehave discouered, in more places then one, may be very well supposed, among many other sinnes, to hauehave ouerturned those great buildings. Let the houses of piuate men take heede by their example.
21 The descryings of this fault, which are both by fame, and by bookes remembred to vsus, may be a good token, that in this behalfe vengeance doth not sleepe. As that the very birds of the ayre, and the very beastes of the field, hauehave helped to lay that open.Vide Andream Libauiū. De cruentatione cadauerum. But among Gods secret workes, shewed for the repressing of that sinne, there is none more straunge, then the bleeding of the person slaine at the presence of the murtherer. Which although it be not Scripture, yet that many times it falleth out, I feare not to beleeue, by reason of a good consent of nations, some later some more auncient, whom experience as it seemeth did teach that lesson. For besides a generall opinion in our own land, long deriued by descent from hand to hand, the low-countreymen do so hold it, as by Leuinus Lemnius in the second of his Naturall secrets,Leuinus Lē nius de occultis naturae miraculis 2.7. is made plaine, and that by a collection from the tryall of their magistrates: where accepting the thing, as vndoubtedly true, and without all kind of controuersie, he inquireth the reason of it. So doth Andreas Libauius another learned man, who hath also made a treatise vponupon that argumēt. In Buchanans Scottish storie,Buchanan. Hist. Scot. lib. 6. we find an example of this. When by the procurement of one Donaldus, king Duffus had bene slaine, the worker of the mischiefe, caused those who had done it, in no case to come in sight, least the doers should be disclosed by the bloud of the corse. That is a testification also, that this is an ancient conceit among the Scottish people. Howsoeuer that be, much experience hath taught, that this cruelty is very strangely detected, & many times reuenged too, by courses extraordinary. Sometimes where man forbeareth, there God doth shew his hand in a more immediate sort, as Procopius sayth that he did on Theodoricke king of the Gothes, who slue Boē tius and Symmachus,Procopius de bello Gothico. 1. two both noble and innocent persons. But afterward, the guilt of that sinne sticking fast in his conscience, he grew to an imagination, that the head of a certaine fish that was set vponupon his table, was the head of Symmachus, which gaped & yawned vponupon him. VponUpon which conceit he trembling and quaking, fell into a sharpe sicknesse, and quickly thereof dyed. Some other times it is deferred, but yet the punishment neuer resting, commeth tumbling on at last, as Euagrius in the fifth of his Ecclesiasticall storie,Euagrius Hist. Eccl. lib. 5.3. doth tell of one Addaeus, which in his time was reputed one of the speciall friends of the Emperour Iustinian. This man when he had escaped the law for one murther, yet was afterward put to death, for a fact wherewith he was charged, but in truth had neuer done it. So the Lord did change the matter, and the Lord did change the time, but the punishment was not changed. He escaped for that which he did, and dyed for that which he did not. Sometime God doth punish the fathers sinne vponupon the children, as he did Dauids murther vponupon Vriah, on his owne sonnes Absolon and Ammon. These mariners might heare of such examples among the Gentiles. For Gods finger is eueryevery where: he is Lord ouer all the earth; and therefore they might well feare, least that themselues should perish, for the bloud of this dying Prophet.
22 The second thing which I note is, that although they were enforced against their will to destroy him, yet because the deed it self was in his own quality vnlawful, they cannot satisfie themselues, but still make scruple of it. Althogh there were a kind of commandement from God, that it should be done (for they had signes to that purpose) yet they doubt at it, & grieue to do it. Oh how far doth the cōscience of these weake ones, exceed the mindes of many now, who thinke that they may do vnlawfull things, if they be enforced to it, by any temporall reason, not hauing for their warrant a notice from God, as these men here had, but all piety cleane against them. Such are they, who wil not refuse to go to the seruice of an idoll, if their Prince shold cōmand them. This was the great perswasiō, which was vsed by Magnus a noble man, toward diuerse Christiās;Theodoret. Hist. Eccl. 4.20. that they shold embrace the faith, & opinions of the Arrians, because Valens the Emperour, had made lawes to that purpose. Suppose saith he to them, that your religion be very good, yet if you be enforced to turne vntounto another your God will forgiue it to you. And much more of that matter. Such are they, who being vrged by nothing, but the concupiscence of their own affections, will do things most vngodly. Steale to maintaine their brauerie: they cannot else liue like men. Ly, for to match their enemie, they may reach him so in pollicie. In like sort, wrastle against their cōscience, in oppugning of the righteous, in slaundering of the innocent, because he is not for thē, he standeth somtimes in their light, although they know that they do amisse, & that they shall answer for it. This is a small necessity, my idlenesse or my wantonnesse, my engrocing of filthie gaine, to make me do that, which mine owne hart knoweth, that Gods booke daily forbiddeth to me. Although they were deepely persuaded, that it was the Lords determinatiō ▪ yet what doubting is in these seamen, to do a thing vnlawfull? for so it is in it self, but Gods wil doth make it lawful. To this wil they thē yeld
23 And this is the third point, which I obserued in them, thou hast done as it pleaseth thee. They do not accuse God here, and lay the fault on him, as men commonly vse to do. We all hauehave learned that of Adā, The woman which thou gauest me, she gaue me of the tree, and I did eat. Genes. 3.12. August. de Genesi contra Manicheos. lib. 2.Not the womā simply saith S. Austē, but the woman which thou didst giuegive me. For nothing is so familiar as for sinners to lay vponupon God, that whereof they be accused. These do not so in this place, but assume that to be righteous, which God will hauehave to be done, & because they see him will it, & that he will take no nay, therfore they know it is iust, & accordingly yeeld vntounto it. This is a sound direction, for man to submit his will, to the will of his maker, that as we are taught to pray, O Lord thy vvill be done, Matth. 6.10. cap. 26.39.so we yeeld vntounto it in mildnesse. He is wiser then wee be, and therefore let him leade. Not my vvill in my manhoode, but thy vvill in thy Godheade, be done saith Christ our Sauiour.1. Sam. 3.18. Let the Lord saith old Eli, doe as seemeth good in his owne eyes. Although therfore any thing be vnlawfull, & seem vntounto vsus to be vnnaturall, yet if God do cōmand it, we ought not to resist. It was vnlawfull for Abraham to kill, but more vnnaturall to kill his onelyonly sonne, and that with his owne hands, yet when the Lord commanded, he was ready to do thē both. Let other learne this lesson thence, that if their friends or children, be as deare to them, as Isaac was vntounto his father Abraham, yet if God take them hence, they say in all obedience, the will of the Lord be done, or with these shipmen here, thou hast done as it pleaseth thee. The like we shold say of sicknesse, banishment, losse of goods, or whatsoeuer else in this world. Although it go as much against vsus, as it did against these men, to drown the Prophet Ionas, yet if God do require it, let vsus do as it pleaseth him. And so let vsus pray vntounto him, first that he will keepe vsus alwaies from bloud-guiltinesse, and from murther; and then that he will giuegive vsus grace, to make conscience of such deedes, as are against his word; but that euermore we may learne, to submit our selues to his pleasure, that walking here as deare children, we may be brought along to the inheritance of his glorie. VntoUnto the which ô Father bring vsus, for thine owne sonne Christ his sake, to whome with thee and the holy Spirite, be laud and praise for euer.