Exposition of Jonah, Chapter 1 · Verse 5
Ver. 5. Then the Mariners were afraid, and cryed every man unto his god; and caſt forth the Wares that were in the Ship into the Sea, to lighten it of them: But Jonah was gone down into the ſide of the Ship, and he lay, and was faſt aſleep.
Here be two things. 1. The Prophet by divers circumſtances ſets forth the greatneſs of the danger whereinto they were brought. 2. He tells of his own deep ſecurity in the mean time. True grace ever notes and confeſſes its own Imperfections.
There needs little or no Expoſition: But we have four points to be briefly handled.
Doctr. 1 1. God hath terrible works to do, which ſometime affright the ſtouteſt and rudeſt ſinners that are.Stout ſinners, how to be overawed. Sea-faring men who converſe much in Dangers and Commotions in the Air, uſe to be Fearleſs men, and altogether deſperate in their way; yet at this time we ſee how they are afraid, and fall to their Prayers; ſo ſtill, ſome are deſperate enough and care for nothing; but in ſome great judgment of God their ſpirit fails them, and they melt away into effeminate paſſions; ſo Belſhazzar, Dan. 5.5. ſo Caligula at the hearing of Thunder, ſo in 2 King. 7.6. A noiſe in the Air chaſed away an Army of the Syrians.
Reaſ. 1 The Reaſon is, ſome things are terrible above man; that is,foreign. Ariſt. beyond the Power and Wiſdom of man to withſtand them, eſpecially in the concurrence of thoſe three things; Grievous Judgments, an Awakened Conſcience, and Sin ſet in order before the guilty Soul: Theſe meeting together make foul work ſometimes with a very ſtout ſinner. Art thou come to call my ſin to remembrance this day, 1 King. 17.18. Act. 24.25.and to ſlay my Son? and while Paul diſcourſed of Temperance, Righteouſneſs, and Judgment to come, Judge Felix trembled.
True, ſome under much guilt, and in the midſt of terrible Judgments fear nothing; why? becauſe Conſcience is not yet awakened; A ſleeping Lion troubles not: But when this begins to wamble, then the Sea waxeth turbulent and dangerous, Eſa. 57.20, 21. The wicked are like the troubled Sea, when it cannot reſt, whoſe waters caſt up mire and dirt; there is no peace (ſaith my God) to the wicked. Sometime the trouble enters in a Plague year, ſometime in the loſs of a Dear Friend, ſometime in the approach of Death, and ſometime in other amazing occaſions. When ever God begins to reckon with a ſinner, or any way hides comfort from him on which he preſumed; now begins the Tempeſt to be black indeed. A wounded ſpirit who can bear?
Let none therefore truſt to the hardneſs or bigneſs of his ſpirit, but learn to fear in a right and holy manner. Uſe. In vain to be hardned againſt God.There is a falſe valour wherewith ſome ſet up their ſails, and ſwell above all reaſon againſt God, his word and works; It may be it laſteth for a long time, till Death, or in Death through ſelf-deluſion: But this is not the way to proſper as to God, and for ſafety to the Soul; At fartheſt,Job 9.4. Jer. 20.3. in the day of judgment he ſhall be Magor-Miſſabib, fear round about, aſtonied and ſwallowed up of deſpair.
The only ſafe way is, to turn all Natural and worldly fear into Spiritual; that is, to fear God whom by ſin we offended; To take ſin off the ſcore by getting into Jeſus Chriſt; To follow the doggings of a guilty Conſcience far enough, namely to get waſhed in the Fountains of Iſrael. By temporal judgments to take warning concerning eternal, and prevent that great miſchief; Otherwiſe, it is not a little tempeſt that will ſerve the turn, or Peſtilence, or Pleuriſie, or the like; but in Hell there will be ſeven times more vengeance, yea ſeventy times ſeven; All preſent Evils are nothing to this, when God ſhall caſt both Body and Soul into Hell; therefore ſay I, Fear him, Luke 12.4, 5.
And if it be the right fear of God, it will teach to depart from evil, as Job, Joſeph, and the Midwives of Egypt, Job 28.28. It will introduce a real holineſs, Pſal. 111.10. It is the beginning of wiſd…m; And it will lead the man along in an holy way toward Perfection, 2 Cor. 7.1. To perfect holineſs in the fear of God.
Doctr. 2 2. Note how in great diſtreſs great ſinners will pray after their faſhion;The worſt will pray in great danger. as theſe Heatheniſh Idolaters, they knew there is a God, and that he is to be called upon, but let him alone till they be brought into this extremity of danger. Notions of God, and Prayer, and Duty lie aſleep in a natural man, till rouſed by ſome extraordinary trouble and amazement, Hoſ. 5.15. In their affliction they will ſeek me early. And here we ſee, that when they miſs of the true God, they will betake themſelves to gods of their own making; Every one to his god, they will have many gods rather then no god, when reduced into ſtraights.
Reaſon. Self-love can do all this. Nature is willing to eſcape out of great dangers, or get out of great troubles, or obtain his own ends; Fruits of the Earth, Peace, Liberty, other good things of the world. Hoſ. 7.14. They have not cryed unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds; they aſſemble themſelves for Corn and Wine, and they rebell againſt me; ſo that, not God is ſought for Gods ſake, but meerly to ſerve ones own turn; which when it is done, God ſhall be let alone till they have more need of him.
Uſe. Not the right kind of prayer.Yet this is uſually eſteemed Prayer, in death or deadly troubles call upon God, and it is abundant Devotion, though neither before not afterward; live a ſinner, and die a ſinner, yet with a few good words he is ſure to go to heaven; Though he learn not righteouſneſs, nor the Laws and conditions of prayer, Eſa. 26.10, 11.
There be numbers that make not one good prayer all their long life; Know not what it is to ask according to the will of God, which they mind not; Ordinarily quench and grieve the Spirit, and ſo cannot pray in the Spirit; Jude …0.Never take care to get into Chriſt, and ſo cannot pray in the Name of Chriſt; Never mind the main matters of Prayer, as about Holineſs, Temptation, doing Duty holily and ſpiritually, living profitably in their places, advancing Gods glory and the good of ſouls: All for a preſent ſhift, and to get out of a ſtorm as well as they can.
Object. What, would you not have us to call upon God in our trouble? is it not commanded? Anſw. 1. It is commanded, and ſo are many other conditions too Pſal. 50.14. Call upon me in the day of trouble; but it follows, ver. 16. Unto the wicked God ſaith, What haſt thou to do to declare my ſtatutes? 2. There be many places of Scripture that diſcard the prayers of the wicked,Prov. 15 8. John 9 31. they are abomination to the Lord; God heareth not ſinners, Incenſe is abomination. 3. There be many adjuncts of acceptable prayer; v. c. to uſe the means of obtaining, to uſe no indirect means, to ſtand in a way of capacity for receiving ſuch and ſuch favours, to uſe them well afterward, and the like; which numbers little think of, and ſo their prayers are not accepted. 4. There be many dayes of trouble beſide theſe outward and worldly afflictions; and if ye will pray ever when ye are in trouble, ye muſt pray every day, and ſeveral times in the day: why? a godly man every day finds himſelf troubled with Temptations, and is never out of danger of the great Tempeſt, nor of his own corrupt heart. Paul beſought the Lord thrice againſt the thorn of the fleſh, and approved himſelf on both ſides by the armour of Rigteouſneſs: No part of our life is void of theſe dangers; therefore every part of our life muſt be fenced with prayers. And one condition of prayer is, it muſt be conſtant,Eph. 6.18. Col. 4.2. we muſt pray with all perſeverance, we muſt continue inſtant in prayer, &c.
To the third point; There be caſes wherein a mans Doctr. 3 worldly wealth will be nothing ſet by; as here, in caſe of Shipwrack, and Act. 27.19. They lightened the ſhip, and with their own hands they cast out the tackling of it; When the life comes into queſtion, let it all go; or in times of war, a man fares the worſe becauſe he hath ſomething to loſe, Ezek. 7.19. They ſhall caſt their Silver into the ſtreets, and their Gold ſhall be removed: Or in a great fit of ſickneſs, all the wealth is lookt on with an heavy eye. And in death, what is all the wealth of the world to a man? It is but the more vexation in parting.
Uſe 1 Yet this is the folly of many, immoderately and inordinately to affect the wealth of the world. They ſeek it, and take pains for it, though it be with the loſs of their Souls; and yet when they have it, it is in much danger to be ſtollen, or maſtered by Fire, or forfeited, or to be caſt away with ones own hands; and, Oh that I had never know peny of this ill-gotten Goods!Mat. 16.26. what profit? what recompence? beſide thoſe caſes of meeting a murderous Theef; Take my Goods and ſave my Life. And mark how expreſly the way of worldlings is called folly, Pſal. 49.13. This their way is their folly, with Jer. 17.11. He that getteth riches and not by right, ſhall leave them in the midſt of his days, and at his end ſhall be a fool.
Uſe 2 Take heed, Chriſtians, and adventure not Souls for Goods; It were no reaſonable exchange. 1. Mark theſe Heathens; if they prefer their Lives before their Goods, let not Chriſtians who know better and higher things, caſt away their precious and Immortal Souls for a little Commodity; no not if it were never ſo great. Certainly there is no proportion between a Soul and the whole world. 2. We read of ſome Philoſophers, that they caſt away their wealth and worldly buſineſs, that they might the better attend the getting of Learning and Wiſdom; ſo did Crates, and Thales by buying up the Vineyards in the Country, when he fore-ſaw a Scarcity, by Philoſophy, and made good advantage of it, ſhewed how eaſily a Philoſopher might get wealth if he minded it. And if ſuch mind it not, why ſhould Chriſtians mind it ſo much?
What then, may ſome ſay, Object. Anſw. would you have me caſt my wealth into the River? I ſee no ſuch need, Sir. Anſw. 1. There is need to make reſtitution of Goods that have been ill-gotten, as did Zacheus. 2 There is need to be free for pious and charitable uſes according to ability, 1 Cor. 16.2. as God hath proſpered a man. 3. There is need while we hold theſe temporals, to hold them with a moderate mind and affection; not to mind Earthly things, but to have the converſation in Heaven, Phil. 3.19, 20. not to ſet the affections on things below, but things above, Col. 3.1, 2. and our rule is, not to Treaſure in Earth, but in Heaven; Mat. 6.20.and when we have any riches, to refer them to the right ends they were given for; as is ſaid, Honour God with thy ſubſtance: Prov. 3.9And ſtill they ſhould be uſed as encouragements in his ſervice.Ver. 15. 4. There is need above all our getting to labour for the better and enduring ſubſtance, Heb. 10.34. to be rich in faith and good works, to get ſaving wiſdom which is better then Rubies and Diamonds; to have a ſtock of prayer going in Heaven; without all queſtion great is the gain of godlineſs, 1 Tim. 6.6.though worldlings eſteem it not.
Where note, theſe two Loves do much hinder and waſte one another. If a man earneſtly, and as he ought, ſhall mind the ſpiritual wealth, it will in great part take him off from his mudling in the world. Is he not in the proſecution of better things? A Prince that ſeeks a Kingdom, will purchaſe no Cottage. On the other ſide, he that eagerly purſues the world, ſhall either neglect Religion altogether, or purſue it very indifferently; worldly-mindedneſs hath been the ma…ring of many an hopeful Profeſſor. Demas embraced the world, 2 Tim. 4.10.and left the Apoſtle.
To the fourth point; We are apt to be very ſecure even Doctr. 4 in the greateſt danger.
1. Good men, as Jonah, In great danger apt to be ſecure.who was very ſhortly to be caſt into the Sea, and yet faſt aſleep in the ſide of the Ship; and David who after his ſin with Batſheba lay ſecurely for awhile, without renewing peace with God, till the Sword was threatned to come againſt his houſe, and never go from it. Only with this difference, the ſecurity of a godly man is neither total nor final: At the worſt he hath ſome motions of God in his heart, and at laſt he runs to him with full ſpeed, Cant. 5.2 I ſleep, but my heart waketh; And oil is ready in his Lamp, to go forth and meet the Bridegroom.
2. Carnal and worldly men, Theſe ſay, Peace and Safety, when ſuddain deſtruction comes upon them unawares, 1 Theſ. 5.3. And the man with gall of bitterneſs ſaith he ſhal have peace, when the ſmoak of Gods wrath is ariſing againſt him, Deut. 29. So ſaid they of the old world, till the flood came and drowned them all; and the men of Sodom, till the fire fell from Heaven and conſumed them. Every natural man ſleeps the ſleep of death, and he never awakes till he be dropping into Hell.
Uſe. 1 Whereby note a curſed and dangerous effect of ſin; as it brings a man into extreme danger of loſing God and all happineſs,A fruit of ſin. and of falling into the everlaſting torments of Hell, ſo it is ready to make and keep him ſecure, and altogether inſenſible of his danger till he know not what to do w…th himſelf.Eſa 6.10. He hath a groſs heart, eyes to ſee and not perceive, ears to hear and not underſtand; and he hath an impenitent heart, Rom. 2.5.whom all the goodneſs and patience of God cannot lead to repentance; ſo little cauſe there is to be in love with ſin as many are, or to refuſe the Exhortations of zealous Miniſters.
Uſe 2 2. Note and admire the wonderful mercy of God, who watcheth over us for good,The mercy of God. and in due time awakenes us out of our deep and deadly ſleep, by giving faith and repentance. O the rich and invaluable grace of Converſion! how are we bound unto God, that now we ſtand up from the dead, Eph. 5.14.and live for ever! We were aſleep ſometimes; yea, dead in ſins and treſpaſſes; but now Chriſt hath given us the light of Life. It is onelyonly of his diſcriminating grace, for which we muſt ever remember to be thankful.
3. Awake unto duty. Chriſtian watchfulneſs is a duty Uſe 3 often commanded in Scripture. Be ſober, be vigilant, watch, 1 Pet. 5.1.for ye know not the hour when the Son of man cometh; Mat. 25.13.and ſaith Chriſt, what I ſay unto you, I ſay unto all, watch, Mar. 13.37. For Motives, conſider how it is made a Note of wiſdom, to watch till the Bridegrome comes, as did the wiſe Virgins. How the wiſe as well as the fooliſh are apt to ſlumber and ſleep. How the Bridegrome comes in a time when he is leaſt expected; at mid-night. Ver. 5.6.10.12.13.14.19.How the wiſe Virgins enter with him into the glorious Bride-Chamber. How others are excluded, though they knock and call for admiſſion. And how hereupon our Saviour inferreth the Exhortation, Watch therefore, together with another Parable to the ſame purpoſe; There will be a day of reckoning with the Servants about their Talents and Employments, therefore watch and do duty.