Sermons on Jonah, Lecture 8
THE VIII. LECTVRE.
The chiefe poynts. 2. Reuerence to the Prophet euen in his death. 4. Such reuerēce is not borne to our Preachers. 8. Gods creatures are all at his becke. 9. The magistrate punishing sinne turneth away Gods plagues. 10. Christs death appeaseth the Fathers wrath. 11. Cō fort to vsus by Christs death 13. The punishment of others should make vsus tremble 16. The vowes of seamen. 17. The temporary faith of the mariners. 19. Hypocrites can make shew of religion. 20. We must perseuere in good things.
Ionah. 1.15.16.
So they tooke vp Ionah, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceassed from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and made vowes.
YOu hauehave oftentimes heard of our Prophet on the sea, now his turne is to be in the sea. Ionas flying is past, and now commeth Ionas dying, for in his drowning he could expect nothing else but death. He who would needes to the water, shall hauehave inough of the water, if he know what is inough. His disobedient negligence may not be slipped ouer, but God who was fled from, will find him: God offended will strike him: he must be made an example to all that come after him, to performe with faithfulnesse, what so euer the Lord shall commaund them. The poore mariners his ship-fellowes, will they, nill they, are the men that must do execution. Their humanity must yeeld to the purpose of the Deity, their good nature to necessitie, Eleazar an old Iewe, who liued about the time of our Sauiour Christ, doth say that these mariners, to shew their aduisednesse in proceeding to his death, before they drowned him, diued the Prophet vp to the chinne oftentimes in the water, and still the sea was quiet: but when they lifted him vp againe to take him out, it fell to his raging againe, so that being eueryevery way assured, that he must suffer, they resolue for his drowning. Howsoeuer this be true, or not, for I cannot aduouch it, it is a case vndoubted, that they had maine presumptions, & inducements inough, to throw him ouer shipboarde, and yet they most vnwillingly layd violent hands vponupon him. Besides all that which is gone before, the first words of my text including the manner of their deed, will make that plaine vntounto vsus. They tooke vp Ionas.
Hieronim. in Ion. 1. Non dixit arripuérunt non ait inuaserunt, sed tulorunt quasi cum obsequio & honore portantes.2 It is Hieromes obseruation in his Commentary on this text, that they did take vp Ionas, not hastily did snatch him, not rudely fal vponupon him, not offer outrage violētly vntounto him, but they lifted him vp with honor, which the word Nasa will well beare, being both to lift and to honour. They lifted him with an honor, they vsed reuerence to his person in the midst of that extremity, which was to befall him. Such was the strong impression of his calling in their minds, as if they had read that verse of the Psalmist, Touch not mine annointed, and do my Prophets no harme. Which opinion in all ages hath obtained that force,foreign Psal. 105.15. I say not with the Iewes onelyonly, nor I say not with the Christians, of whom a Leuite and a Priest hauehave bene accounted fathers; but with infidels and idolaters, as not only Church-men hauehave bene preserued from ill vsage, but hauehave also bene entertained in an honourable maner. Iezabel was an idolater, and a woman of much euil, yet she so plentifully extended her bounty to those,1. Reg. 18.19. whom she reputed as Prophets to her God, although it were but that blocke Baal, that foure hundred of them were maintained at her owne table.Numer. 22.5. Balaam had but a name to belong to the Lord, and how honorable an Embassage did king Balac send vntounto him? Our mariners in this lesson are not at all to seeke. How wold they hauehave esteemed Ionas leading an innocent life, who so highly did respect him, when he was ready for his sinne to endure a death? They touch him with a louelove, they handle him with a reuerence▪ they lift him vsus with an honor, and all these things in earnest.
3 Caligula that infamous Emperour of Rome, as Philo Iudaeus writeth of him,Philo Iudaeus de legatione ad Ca…ū. had a nephew of Tiberius his prodecessour, appointed by the same Tiberius, to raigne ioyntly with him. The incompatible nature of Caligula, could endure no such companion. Therefore as tyrants vse to do, this young Prince must needes dye. But marke the manner of it, how cleanly it was caried. He must do the murther vponupon himselfe, with his owne hands. Although there were diuerse Nobles, and great Captaines, which stood by and looked on, yet they might not helpe to rid the poore creature out of his paine, because that was a most vnlawfull deed: yea a thing wicked and vnseemely, that the posterity of great Emperours, should dye by the hands of other.Nolebat iuris videri oblitus, in patranda summa iniuria & sanctitatis in scelere meminerat. Whereupon Philo concludeth of him, that in committing a high iniury, he would seeme to remember an equity, and to professe a sanctity and solemnity in his villany. Such vntoward hypocrisie is not in these men here, but in truth and iust dealing, they would not spill his bloud: and since that he must by their hands receiue a doome, they performe what they are enforced with honour vntounto him, but with honour in themselues.Solinus cap. 66. They rather may be compared to the men of Taprobana, of whom Solinus telleth, that they did vse to choose their kings by election, and not to deriue them downe by an hereditary line, from the father to the sonne. When they had made choise of their king, they honoured and obeyed him in all good sort, while he remained iust and carefull ouer them. But if once he grew intollerable in his regiment by iniustice and tyrannie, they tooke away from him, both his kingdome and his life. Herein (as I must confesse) they tooke no pleasure, but cleane contrariwise, they did it with a reuerence, and regard to his person. Not any one layd hands vponupon his sacred body, but by a common consent, the vse of all necessary things, was interdicted to him, yea verie speech with his nearest friends, and in that sort he died. So the verie heathens did beare respect to some sorts of men, for the dignity of their calling; but to none more then to their Priests, to none more then to their Prophets.
4 They had euermore an opinion, that the persons of such men, were acceptable to God, that they were such as were singled out, from the common condition of other: that they were richly adorned with good gifts frō aboue, & those to whom the supreme power was accustomed to impart his will, by inspiration or secret reuelation. And in briefe they thought these the Oracles of his voyce, and remembrancers to other, of such things as were to be done or auoided. Then in tumults and seditions, although otherwise tempestuous furie did rage, yet the lewdest sort of tumultuous people did hold their hands from these, as may be shewed in Antiquitie, no lesse quaking to touch them, then did Iether the sonne of Gedeon, in the eight of the booke of Iudges,Iudic. 8.20. to slay Zeba and Zalmana, a boy two mightie warriours. Of this our Ionas had good experience euen to the full, who did find that speciall fauour, among men inhumane and barbarous in comparison, that although the sea did descry him, and the wind made strongly after him; although the lo…cast had discouered him, nay his owne mouth had condemned him; although his desire was to dye, so to appease the fury conceiued by the Lord, yet notwithstanding they refuse to destroy him, and when they cannot auoid it, with no despite to his person, but with reuerence… th…y performe it.
5 When I looke into the world, and this age wherein wee liue, and compare with these heathen men, the vsage of our Christians, toward those who in their places, do beare the … of Ionas, nay in very deede do bring a message, farre better and farre sweeter then euer Ionas did, because his word was wrath, but theirs is reconcilement in the bloud of Christ our Sauiour, I find a very great difference. I speake it with some grief, euen for the Gospels sake, which by this meanes is reproched, I find a very great difference. For in the countries abroad, it is a matter not straunge, that painefull and carefull pastours, who labour in the word and doctrine, and therefore by the testimony of Saint Paule,1. Tim. 5.17. are worthy of double honour: who studie to frame themselues to the rule of the Apostle, to shew themselues examples of patience,Cap 6.11. Tit. 2.7. of long suffering, of mildnesse, of sound doctrine, of industrie in Gods businesse are vilefied and conteinned, are sl…ndered and reproched▪ being made as the filth of the world,1 Cor 4.13. the of scouring of all things. Whereof there needeth no farther witnesse, then the libellings which in some places hauehave bene made against the Preachers, for rebuking of sinne, the rimes and meeters which elsewhere hauehave bene song and resounded out: the manifold cauillations, and false exceptions taken to that which they teach, yea sometimes reports most constantly auouched, of this or that point of doctrine deliuered openly, which is both absurd and monstrous. These things partly arise by ignorance, & want of iudgement in discerning causes aright: but the truest and most ordinary cause, is the lacke of zeale to God, and of charity toward man, and of dutifull regard to those who should not be wilfully grieued, but esteemed as such who waite for mens soules,Heb. 13.17. and must giuegive an account, which they would be glad to do with ioy. Hereunto may be ioyned, the pulling and renting away of the maintenance of the minister: that whereas Ethnicke people, yea and our forefathers too in the dayes of superstition, did thinke that they could neuer be too prodigall, in heaping much of their substance, on those who were no better then blind guides, now cleane contrarie he is held the most wise and prudent man, who either by cunning deuise, can steale something secretly from the portion of the Leuite, or with strong hand will maintaine, his open and grosse oppression.
6 And if the iniuried person taking knowledge of the wrong, which is smartingly done vntounto him, seeme but to thinke how he may procure due satisfaction, although it be by intreaty, his actions are straight pryed into, his fame is called in question, he is generally reproched for a hard man, and a couetous, for a peace-breaker and contentious. Now see whether this be the regardfull cariage, which should for his maisters sake be borne to him, who standeth betweene God and the people, whose handes do reach foorth that sacrament, which is the representation, not only of the Communion of the Saints each with other, but of the vnion also of them with Christ their head. For the office which he beareth, for the message which he bringeth, let him hauehave that immunity, that if thou wilt not honour him, and regard him as thou oughtest, yet do no ill vntounto him, nay say to him nothing euill.Cyprian. Epist. lib. 3.9. When Saint Cyprian once was enformed, that a Deacon had giuen ill and railing speeches, against Rogatianus who was of eminent place in the Church, his spirite could not endure it, but he writeth back againe, that the Deacon should be enforced to do some penance for that his foule abuse. And yet this man was by vocation a kind of spirituall person, who therefore had some more prerogatiue then a common body, to rebuke sharply if he saw any thing amisse. But in these daies men go farther, then to vse vnseemely speeches, when they are ready in bitternesse of heart, not to stay till occasion be offered, but to waite opportunity, and spie, nay seeke meanes true or false, of turning the Prophets of the Lord out of their liuings and houses. As Ionas might not rest and be harboured in the ship, so they shall be remoued: as he was throwne into the sea, where in the reason of man nothing was to be expected, but that he should drowne & perish, so these shall be cast out into the wide world, as men without a place, wherein to rest their heade, so that for ought which their aduersaries intend, they may famish for want of foode. But whereas all was done to Ionas vnwillingly and forced, and at the last cast, they honoured him; men of our age do take their victories ouer their Pastours, as things to be triumphed on: they hold those acts as their crowne, their glorie and commendation much to be boasted of. When in truth there is no one thing, more infamous in the eyes of all good men, or more to be shamed at, then for sheepe to arise against the carefull shepheard, the children and congregation, against their spirituall Father.
1. Sam. 22.177 We do find in the booke of God, that an euerlasting blot is layd on wicked Doeg, for one part which he played, although he were an Edomite and no Israelite, and therefore the more likely to commit any such outrage. When Saul in his malicious humour, picked a quarrell against Ahimelech and the Priestes, for giuing foode to Dauid in his necessitie, and commaunded such as attended vponupon him, to run on them and slay them, not one man of all the Israelites, dared to lay hands vponupon them, but Doeg the Edomite was he, who spilt their innocent bloud. This as an euerlasting spot, is registred of him to all posterities. It is for infidels and Edomites to do such deedes as these. But Christian men should submit them selues, with patience and mildnesse, to the moderate reproofs of their wise & carefull Pastors, and not to be offended with them, who labor to do them good, by the word and by their prayers. It is a good memorandum, which Saint Cyprian hath in this case:Cyprian. Serm. de Lapsis. Irasceris ei qui abs te auertera iram Dei nititur, ei minaris qui pro te Dei misericordiam deprecatur. Thou art angry with that man who laboureth to turne away the wrath of God from thee, he speaketh of the Minister, thou threatnest him who desireth the merciemercy of God vponupon thee: who feeleth that wound of thine which thou thy selfe doest not feele, who sheddeth those teares for thee, which thou thy selfe doest not shed. And God knoweth that the good Pastor doth most diligently perfourme these duties, that is, grieue to see ought amisse, and pray that all may be well, & take pleasure in the true and spirituall welfare of his charge, as well as in his owne▪ Let him therefore be esteemed as a friend, and reuerenced as a father: I will presse this note no farther.
They cast him into the sea, and the sea ceassed from her raging.
8 Saint Chrysostome in that one Homily,Chrysost. Homil. in Ionam. which he hath vponupon this Prophet, doth note that by the curtesie which these mariners shewed to Ionas, and their very great vnwillingnesse, that he should come to destruction, God would teach the Prophet to hauehave merciemercy vpō the Niniuites, as these men had on him: that he should by his preaching, reclaime them from their sins, & so saue them frō ruine: which because God more at large laieth downe in the fourth chapter,Ionah. 4.6. in the parable of the gourd, I do deferre it thither. But the merciemercy of these men here, is enforced to turne to iustice. They are compelled to leaue him whome they willingly would keepe. Ionas goeth ouer shipboord, where behold appeareth a miracle, the sea ceasseth from her furie. That which roared so before, & was so disquieted with winds, which wrought and was so troublous, which so becalmed them with a storm, that forward they might not get, & backward they could not go, that ceasseth vponupon the sudden. The disturbance was not naturall, nor the quieting is not naturall, because it commeth in a moment. It was not by degrees, not one step after another, as in tempests which are ordinarie, but in that very instant when he was throwne into the water. So miraculous is Gods power, to hauehave the mightiest creatures, to mooue and rest at his becke. If he commaund the world to be drowned with water,Genes 7.11. the Ocean shall breake foorth, the fresh springs shall gush out, the very floud-gates of heauen, shall be opened with a word, and so all the earth shall perish. If he bid his seruant Moses but stretchfoorth his hand,Exod. 14.16. the red sea shall part in two, and stand vp as a wall on the right side, and as a wall on the left. This is a great comfort to the faithfull, that they serue such a maister, who so commaundeth all the frame of heauenly and earthly bodies, that he turneth them and windeth them, as with a hooke in their nostrels, and leadeth them so vp and downe, that nothing shall assault them without Gods speciall pleasure. It is he that made the sea here to cease from her raging, and boyling with such violence.
9 But the reason why it then stayed, was because it had effected the thing which it desired. The fugitiue being taken, the pursuer is now quiet. It is punishment inflicted on the sinner, which in temporall causes allayeth the Lords anger. When Achan had his hire,Iosua. 7.25. & 8.1. 2. Sam. 21.14 the Israelites did proceede in their conquest as before. Saules crueltie to the Gibeonites, did procure three yeares of dearth, to be sent vponupon the land, in the time of Dauid: but when once the posteritie of the offending sinner, was hanged vp by the wronged parties, Gods indignation toward the land was appeased. Princes and Iudges hauehave here a pathway laid out readie to them, wherein they ought to walke. If God do awaken a land, with a rod of his displeasure, be it famine, or be it pestilence, or be it the sword of the enemie, after a view taken of the actions, and ouersights of their people, let thē purge their land from iniquitie, by cutting off malefactors, and breaking the backe of sinne, and wilfull transgression. There is no sacrifice more pleasing in the eyes of the Lord of hostes, then that those who dishonour him, should be suppressed by iustice.1593 He did whippe vsus not long since with a rod of pestilent sickenesse: this yeare he threateneth otherwise, with some feare of a pinching famine.1594 Very likely it is, that if grosse faultes were remooued from amongst our nation, his wrath would cease with the cleansing, as the sea did with receiuing our Ionas. If the vserie of the citie, the oppression of the Landlord, the symonie of the Cleargie, the extortion of the Patrone, the idlenesse in the Minister, the want of louelove in the Communaltie, and securitie in all sortes, did but so much decay, or so fast diminish, as it hath increased lately, Gods wrath would turne to fauour, and we shold more feele his blessings.
10 But here in the ceassing of the tempest, by the drowning of the Prophet, we are notably put in mind of him, of whome our Ionas is a figure in this case. It hath bene mentioned before,Matth. 12.40 out of the twelfth of Mathew, that his lying in the whales belly, was a signe of the death of Christ, by the witnesse of Christ himselfe; as his casting vp againe, was a signe of his resurrection. The dying of Ionas alone for all, doth signifie the same thing, as was taught out of the twelfth verse, of this present chapter which I now handle.Ionah. 1.12. But nothing in plainer sorte doth expresse vntounto vsus, the force of the suffering of our Sauiour, then rhe ceassing of the storme, at the drowning of the Prophet: euen as Gods wrath was appeased, by the death of the vnspotted lambe. By the fall of our first parents, wee all were fallen from grace. Wee had chaunged not a Niniue for a Tharsus, but a Paradise for a torment, and a heauen for a hell. The coldnesse of our disobedience, was followed with heate of iustice; not windes and waues did make after vsus, to take vengeance on our bodies, but a waight of angry furie, of purpose to destroy our soules. Not one shippe but a world was endaungered in this hazard. The Gentile and the Iewe, the ciuill man and Barbarian, were euerie moment readie to be drowned in desperation. In this state of extremitie, God pitieth forlorne man, and sendeth a better ghest then Ionas was, among those who are passengers thorough this vale of miserie. And although this ghest was clothed with humanity, like an ordinarie passenger, yet in this he differed from Ionas, that our Prophet alone had sinned, when all his fellowes were free, but Christ alone was innocent, when all his fellowes pleaded guiltie.
11 We can neuer sufficiently admire the effectuall force of him,Iohan. 11.50 who quieted this great rage. Iustice called for a death, take my death quoth the Sauiour: let one dye for the peop…e, the head for all his members.Iust. lib. 2. An Oracle had once answered, that either the king of the Atheniens, or else their army must perish. Codrus who was then king, neuer stoode or staggered at it, but gaue his life for his citizens, to saue them from destruction. The king of men and Angels, had this choise put vntounto him, that either himselfe or his, the mysticall head or bodie, should vndergo a death. He tooke the turne on himselfe, & so wrought a reconcilement, from his Father toward his Church. So, by his stripes we are healed. Isa. 53.5.The chastisement of our peace was vponupon him. So he being the Lambe of God, hath taken away the sinnes of the world. Iohan. 1.29.He hath freed vsus and deliuered vsus from the wrath to come. His bloud speaketh better things, then that crying bloud of Abell, that cryed vengeance from the earth: this from the crosse cryeth redemption, reconcilement and atonement. So he hath by his bloud bought a spouse vntounto himselfe, whome else he had not had. By the dying of Christ, the Church is made, as Eue was made by Adams sleeping,August. in Ioh. Tract. 9. Dormit Adam vt fiat Eua: moritur Chrisiu… vt fiat Ecclsia. Leuit. 16.8. which is Saint Austens comparison. The Adamant is so hard a stone, that it can be softened with nothing, but the bloud of a goate. Mans heart was grown so hard, mans case was growne so hard, that it could be lenified by nothing, but by the bloud of him, whome the skape-goate in Leuiticus, so liuely did represent.
12 But to procure our peace, he plucked warres on himselfe; and what we should hauehave borne, his humanity did sustain with a louely chaunge of our parts. For the vnrighteous sinneth, and the righteous man is punished:Augustin. in Meditationibus. Pe…cat iniquus & punitur iustus: d…linquit reus, & vapulat innocens. the guiltie man did offend, and the innocent one is beaten, the vngodly had transgressed, and the godly was condemned: what the wicked man had deserued, that did the good one suffer, what the seruant had endomaged, that did the maister pay: and what man had committed, that he a God tooke vponupon him. This bringeth a way to the wandring, this bringeth life to the dying, and safetie to the perishing. For his losse was our gaine,Ambros. in Psalm. 36. Christi mo…s vita est: ipsius vulnus vita est ipsius sanguis vita est: ipsius sepultura vita est. his impouerishing our enriching. The worst which was on Christ, was the best helpe vntounto vsus: for his death was our life, his wounding was our life, his bleeding was our life, his burying was our life, his rising againe our life, as Saint Ambrose truely noteth. This is the assured comfort, which the wounded conscience hath: although he be fallen in Adam, yet he is risen in Christ: although the lawe do condemne him, yet the Gospell doth acquite him: although generation doth kill him, yet regeneration saueth him: although the tempest of Gods wrath be ready to swallow him, yet notwithstanding the casting in of this Ionas, procureth a calme vntounto him. And so hauing Satan maistered, and hell gates shut against him, he dareth to present himselfe before the throne of grace, with chearefulnesse and boldnesse, in the confidence of his passion, who hath entred into the heauen, and made way to his father. This is it which holdeth vsus when we are liuing: this is it which helpeth vsus, when we are dying. A God become a man: the celestiall made terrestriall: our iudge become our Iesus, to cease the rage of the sea, to stoppe the wrath of the Father. We find this accomplished in our Iesus: but we may learne it in Ionas, whose mariners found their best ease, by putting him to paine. For the casting foorth of him, did put them from their perill: when the sea once had him for whome it looked, that immediatly was quiet. And now let vsus see what effects all this wrought in the beholders.
Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, &c.
13 No maruell if this miracle did make them quake: for what flesh can choose but tremble, to see and feele his hand, who shaketh the mightie ceders?Psal. 29.5. It is written of the Israelites, that when they saw Gods power, which he shewed in drowning the Egyptians,Exod. 14.31. and their king Pharao, in the midst of the sea, they began to feare the Lord, & beleeue his seruant Moses. They saw that God could serue them, as he had serued their pursuers, that all power is his owne, that vengeance and protection, are in eueryevery place at his pleasure. So these mariners had experience, how grieuous in Gods sight iniquity was, euen in thē who did peculiarly belong vntounto him: how he could follow one to the sea: deprehend him with a tempest: discouer him with a lot: and would not rest, till his life had made amends for his folly. How must their heart needes quake? how must their conscience tremble, to think on their own transgressions? their commissions and omissions, the number whereof was great, the hugenesse whereof was horrible?Luc 23.31. If it were thus with the greene wood, how should it be with the drie? If an Israelite had such measure measured vntounto him, how should a Gentile escape? If a Prophet were so punished, how should such a profane man as all they were, beare that burthen? Signes and wonders and straunge punishments, are of force and power, to make men looke backward into their own soules, and make application to their owne consciences.
14 In which respect, the dulnesse of our age is much to be deplored. We behold as in a glasse, the almightie power of Gods iustice. We reade it, and heare it read out of the booke of the Lord, which to those who are faithfull, is as present, as if their very eyes did behold it. For where faith maketh a doubt, there the sence is neuer satisfied; and those will not beleeue, no not if one should come from the dead,Luk. 16.31. who hauehave Moyses & the Prophets, and giuegive no credit to them. The case was tryed in the Iewes of Chorazin and Bethsaida,Matth. 11.21 who saw many of Christs miracles, and yet remained vnbeleeuers. Out of the holy Scriptures we hauehave heard of straunge examples, of Gods punishment toward sin,Genes. 7.21. Cap. 19.24. Numer. 21.6 Leuit. 10.2. 2. Sam. 6.7. a whole world drowned for security: cities more then one, for their lusts sake, consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen: the Israelites stung with serpents, for their murmuring in the wildernesse. Nadab and Abihu blasted to death, for offering with strange fire. Vzzah stricken that he dyed, for touching of the Arke,Ionah. 1.15. which did not belong vntounto him. Ionas drowned for refusing, to go and denounce Gods iudgements: a whole land cursed in the prophecie of Malachi,Malach. 3.8.9. for sacriledge, and detaining the portion of the Leuite. These things are written for our example: for vsus I say, on whome the ends of the world are come.
15 These and the like things, are often sounded into our eares: but do we learne thereby to feare the Lord exceedingly? do we apply this plaister, by remembrance of our owne waies, that in such or such a deede, I and I hauehave sinned more then these; I transgressed in wilfulnesse, with such a prouocation, and with such a one in infirmitie. I were best to withdrawe my foote, from doubling of such leud crimes. I may preasse vponupon God too farre, and ouerlay his patience, with mine incroching boldnesse. Who is he that maketh such vse, of the fearefull and terrible workes of God? Who taketh these things to heart? The deede declareth the mind, as the fruite maketh the tree knowne. Doth the wanton leaue his wantonnesse, and the adulterer hate his lust? Doth the swearer of our age, remember that his blasphemies are written vp in a booke, and sealed vntill the day of vengeance? Doth Ionas go to Niniue, and rebuke the great and small, with that spirite wherewith he should? No: but either we will say nothing, like men who cannot speake; and so leauing it to younger persons, wee our selues growe to a desuetude, which afterward we peraduenture would be willing to leaue and cannot: or if we speake at all, it is but a bare and cold narration, neither ayming to teach for faith, nor to infourme for manners. Wee doe not cut at the roote of sinne: we seeke not to warme the conscience. Where is our feare of the Lord? our reuerence to his sanctitie? our submission to his maiestie? Yet well fare these silly mariners: one example could worke with them, to mooue them exceedingly for the time, and to cause them to sacrifice to the Lord.
16 In opening of which words, and by a consequent of this whole verse, I must professe vntounto you, that here I find among the interpreters, more difference in opinions, then in any thing yet in this Prophecie of Ionas. The text saith, that they offered sacrifice,Gualther. in hunc locum. but what or where, it speaketh not. Some thinke not at Hierusalem, the place then onelyonly appointed for sacrifice to the true God: but wheresoeuer they first landed. Arias Montanus thinketh that they offered it at Hierusalem,Ar. Montanus in hunc locum. Act. 8.27. which thing was sometimes done by the Gentiles, as by the Chamberlaine to Candace the Queene of Aethiopia. The Chaldee Paraphrase hath, that they said they would offer sacrifice. Hierome thinketh that what they did,Hieron in hunc locum. was at sea and not at land. They made such spirituall sacrifice, as the inner man could affoord: thankes giuing, and supplication, and repentance and such like.Osee. 14.3. Psal. 51.17. The Prophet Osee doth call these the calues of our lippes. And Dauid he speaketh of them saying, the sacrifice of God is a troubled spirite. Howsoeuer it is not much to the historie, whether it were the one or the other. The holy Ghost doth let vsus know, that the motiue which they saw in this action, was so mightie, that it wrong from them a remorse, and so possessed them for the time, that compunction and deuotion was within them, and without them, & as men throughly mortified, they refused to do nothing, which was any way religious. They either fell to their praiers, which is a spirituall sacrifice, or offered something else, when they came to the land, or at least they professed that they would do it. But it is a case without controuersie, that they made vowes to the Lord. A thing common among mariners, and passengers at the sea, when they feare any shipwracke. If they can ouer-stand that iourney, and escape well from that daunger, they will fast, or giuegive almes, or dedicate some great thing to the Lord. They spare not to speake in the fit, although they neuer meane it. Yea and it may be, that in the extremitie they resolue to perfourme their vow, but the daunger being once past and gone, if they should be vrged to accomplish it, they would thinke themselues as il vsed, as those two were by Caligula;Dion. Hist. lib. 59. of whome Dion reporteth, that when the said Caligula was sicke, they thinking to get much mony, as a reward for their great louelove to the Emperour, vowed that on condition he might liue, they themselues would dye to excuse him. When indeede he was recouered afterward, he tooke them at their word, and put them to death, least they should breake their vowe, and prooue periured persons. Of likelyhood, these thought themselues to be vsed but vnkindly, and so would these vowing shipmen, if they should be forced to performance. But he that will see more of this, let him reade Erasmus his Dialogue, which he calleth by the title of Naufragium. Erasmus in Colloquio.What the Scripture thinketh of vowes, and what our Church maintaineth, which is a better argument, to be handled against our Popish Votaries, I may touch hereafter, when I come to the ninth verse of the second Chapter. For at this time my meaning is to discourse another matter.
17 It is a great controuersie, whether this exceeding feare, do intend a true conuersion from Gentilisme to the Lord, from idolatrie to true pietie; and in this also, the best Expositors do very much dissent. Some thinke them to be become earnest Proselites,Ar. Montan. and men turned to the Iewish faith: that their feare was sincere from the heart, and perseuerant in them vntounto the end, and that their sacrifices were accepted, and all this so much the rather, because the text doth say, that they feared the Lord Iehouah:Caluinus. not an idole, but the true God. Some other put a condition, that if the heart were iustified with a purifying faith, then their vowes and sacrifices, were acceptable and pleasing to the Lord. If otherwise, then it was but a vizard, put on for a little time,Danaeus. and so throwne off afterward. A third sort are of opinion, that their repentance was onelyonly temporary, like the seed which is mentioned in the parable of Christ,Matth. 13.5. to be sowen on the stony ground, which tooke roote for a little time, and afterward did wither away. I do approue this last sentence, thinking that although they feared, and tooke vponupon them some religion, yet this was not sufficient to apprehend true grace: for they had not heard by the Prophet, of the Messias Christ, in whom is all remission and washing away of sinne.Act. 4.12. OnelyOnly the wrath of God in punishing, is made knowne vntounto them, which is inough to put the vnbeleeuer, into a trembling feare, as we know that Felix did quake,Cap. 24.26. to heare Saint Paule speake of righteousnesse, of temperance, and of the iudgement to come: and yet Felix was an hypocrite. Neither is this opinion crossed by that, where it is said that they feared Iehouah, for the reprobates do quake at the true God, with a kind of seruility, as the diuels of hell do likewise. The awe wherein Pharao stood,Iacob. 2.19. 1. Reg. 21.27. when he let the people go, was to the God of Moses. Ahab hearing the threatning of Elias, did humble himselfe to the Lord, but it was not with due continuance.Dan. 3.32. The feare of the God of Sidrach, of Misach and Abednego, was fallen on Nabuchodonosor, when beholding the deliuerance of those three children, out of the fiery fornace, he gaue forth a proclamation for the seruice of their Lord. And yet it is not to be doubted, but these men were reprobates.
18 These sea-people in like sort, might well thinke of the Lord, and yet not leaue their idolatry. The people placed in Samaria,2. Reg. 17.3…. were by the Lions which destroied them, enforced to serue the Lord: yea the text doth say that they did feare him: but they worshipped their idols also, and so it had bene as good not at all,Tertullian. in Apologet. as to be neuer the neerer to him. The Romanes would hauehave had Christ, to be in the number of their Gods, placed in their Pantheon: but they cannot away to leaue their old Gods, whom they had before. Such halfe-seruice could not profit these mariners in this place. This was an insufficient comprehension of the Lord, without sound application in particular, by a true faith, which teacheth, that God alone is to be adored by his creatures, and that with a single heart, and an vnderstanding knowledge, and perseuerance vntounto the ende. Which because the wicked do want, howsoeuer vponupon occasions of afflictions, and strange wonders, they seeme humbled for the time, yet afterward with the dogge they returne to their vomit,2. Pet. 2.22. and with the sow which was washed, to their wallowing in the mire. And this recidiuation is more dangerous then the sicknesse: this relapse then the first fall. For those to whom this happeneth, are they whom Iude calleth trees twise dead and rotten,Iud. 12. and good for nothing else, but to be plucked vp by the rootes. The knowledge which such men hauehave, doth make against themselues: their thoughts against themselues: the motions of their owne mind, when they hauehave thought vponupon goodnesse, shall witnesse hardly against them.
19 We do here-out learne two lessons. First that hypocrites and dissemblers (besides their internall motions, which they hauehave oft times to goodnesse) in outward and externall points of religion, can go as farre as the faithfull, or the best child of God: as these here can offer sacrifice, and make vowes to the Lord.Act. 8.13. Matth. 26.25. Cap. 22.15. Luc. 18.12. So Simon Magus will be baptised, and Iudas come to the supper, and heretikes can preach Christ, and Herodians heare his word, and Pharisees pay their tith, and Iesuites fast and pray, so that ceremonies and the shew which is outward, do not euer import verity of religion.2. Cor. 11 14. Matth. 7.15.21.23. Sathan transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light. Wolues come forth in sheepes clothing: There be that cry Lord, Lord, and yet Christ doth not know them. Whereupon that speech is true, that we may more easily know who is an vngodly man, then who is truly godly. For hypocrisie may with a shadow, make a disguised shew of the one, but foule and wicked deeds will necessarily discouer the other. Where an irreligious life is lead, and grosse sinnes are committed, it is an euident proofe, that the true feare of God, is not yet resident in that person. Therefore it concerneth vsus to be wary, that we leane not on any one, but as he leaneth on Christ: for as we must take heed, that we iudge not other men, in particular without charity, so we must hold this in generall, that all is not gold that glistereth.
20 A second lesson is, that we all looke to our selues, that we satisfie not our soules, with any externall action, neither that we apprehend grace, by fits or feags, as we are vrged by any present thing, that hangeth on vsus: but that we labour euermore, to retaine the good which is offered to vsus; that we quench not the Spirite of God, but stirre it vp in our selues. It is a thing violent to our nature, to hauehave a minde vntounto holinesse, we saile as if it were against the streame. As then in a violent water, if the boate-men slacke a few strokes, in a moment he is caried more downeward, then in a good time before he hath gained by his labour; so we must know, that in loosing the hold which we hauehave of Gods Spirite, we may loose more in one yeare, nay perhaps more in one houre, then we hauehave gained in many. It is not inough to weepe, when we feele the rod vponupon vsus, to pray when we are in sicknesse: to cry when we are in danger: but in wel-fare and prosperity, God must be thought vponupon,Bernard. de 2. discipulis euntibus ad Emaus. Cuius oculi sunt sicut piscinae Hesbon prae multitudine lachrymarū. Hora compunctionis transacta ita superbus est sicut ante. as well as in aduersity. We must not hold our duty to be then discharged to the full, when in a moment of some great matter, we feare the Lord exceedingly, and sacrifice and vowe, and do all that we can deuise, and straight way prooue like a feuer, hauehave a cold bowte for a heate and so fall away from grace, but we must follow that veine, and pursue it to the end.
21 Saint Bernard in his time, found men rebukeable for this errour. For writing of the two Disciples, which went vntounto Emaus, he speaketh fitly to this purpose: You shall sometimes see a man verie deuout in his prayers, vvhose eyes vvill seeme to stand like the pooles of Hesbon, for the multitude of his teares, and yet this man refuseth to beare the yoake of obedience. He bewaileth his pride, while he is at his prayers, but the houre of compunction being once past and gone, he is as proud as before. I would that ourage were free from this vnstayed repentance. But I feare that it is otherwise. When we sit and heare a Sermon, a word or two well set on, doth bruise vsus much for a momēt. Vpō solemne dayes, as at our anniuersary thanksgiuing, for the louelove of God, so farre extended to vsus, in the enioying of her Maiesty, or vponupon other the like occasions, our hearts and eyes and all, shall testifie our great feeling. So when we come to the Sacrament, we are very repentant persons; but is it not true of vsus, that like vntounto the bul rush we hang downe our heads for a day: that drinking with the serpent,Isay. 58.5. we resume againe our poyson of malice and peruersenesse. When we are in the Church, we intend to leaue our bribe-taking: but with the Church we forget it: when our night-thoughts hauehave well troubled vsus, we vow to leaue our vncharitablenesse, and to plucke vp the roote of bitternesse; but rising we returne vntounto our ancient euill. In the fields we can protest, against our owne oppression, our slandering and reuiling, but when we come home, we yeeld our selues vntounto the tempting Angell. This is to dally with God, and to heape wrath on our selues. The most wicked men and idolaters, as Ionas his fellowes here, can thinke on goodnesse for a little, and feare the Lord exceedingly, and yet not be the better for it. Sincerity and simplicity, and perseuerance and performance, beseeme the child of God. I hauehave troubled you ouer long. Lord enrich vsus so with thy spirit, that as we hauehave begun, so we may end in thee, that thy true feare still possessing vsus, we may be brought to thy kingdome, there to raigne by the merite of thy Sonne, to whom with thee and thy Spirite be laud and praise for euer.