Exposition of Jonah, To the reader
To the Practitioner in Religion.
GOod friend, here I preſent thee with a few plain and familiar Obſervations on the Book of Jonah. Learned and eloquent Diſcourſes, he that is willing, may find in thoſe great Maſters of our Iſrael,A. Abbot. B. King. who many yeares ago wrote on this Propheſie, which yet is rather an Hiſtory: And this preſent endeavour needed not, but to revive thoſe Notions which lie hid from the moſt: and plain people will beſt reliſh plain and ſhort Diſcourſes.
Yet if we conſider the matters herein contained, we ſhall find ſome of them lofty,Hieron. proem. in Jonam. and fit for deep meditations. Some Hebrew Doctors ſay, that this Jonah was ſon of the widow of Sarepta, whom Eliahs raiſed from the dead: which if it be true, we meet with a wonder, both ſtrange, and not exemplified in any other. Here are three reſurrectians for one Saint; firſt in that he was raiſed by the Prophet Eliah; next that he recovered out of the belly of the Whale (wherein he was a figure of our Saviours reſurrection) and last of all,Mat. 12.39.40. that in the generall reſurrection he ſhall come again with his body, and for ever be with the Lord. It is alſo a wonder in this Book, that the providence of our God is ſo preſent with his people, and of ſo large extent among the creatures, both ſmall and great. It is a wonder that Jonah ſhould ſo long ſubſiſt in the Whales belly, and at three dayes end be ſet on land again, and do the meſſage which formerly he had ſo ſtifly refuſed to do. It is a wonder, that in a little time he reaped more fruit of his Miniſtry among heatheniſh Ninevites, then in a long time he had reaped among Gods own people. It is a wonder, that after his miraculous deliverance out of the Fiſh, and after his holy reſolutions to be wholly for the Lord, yet he ſhould be ſtout and ſturdy about the ſparing of Nineve, the Lord beſpeaking him very mildely, and he replying upon the Lord very peeviſhly.
Chriſtian, there is ſomething to be pickt out of theſe and other paſſages for thy edification. Let the brevity of the Notes occaſion thee to fall into large meditations, and applications to thine own ſoul. And let the plainneſſe of them, which ſaves the labour of farther inquiry, occaſion thee to deal the more ſeriouſly with thy conſcience, that thou mayeſt be brought to an entire eſtate of faith and obedience. Certainly,Rom. 15.4. as all Scripture is written for our inſtruction, ſo this concerning Jonah.
His example gives us fair warning, not to leave known duties, whatever carnal reaſonings may ſuggeſt for the neglect of them: Not to ſleep or reſt ſecure after any ſin committed, leſt a storm from God fall upon us, and endanger our comfort in God, if not our ſalvation: Not to be eager for the deſtruction of any, though bad enough, and they deſerve to be deſtroyed: Not to favour that cholerick diſpoſition, which we know to reſt in ſome of our breaſts, but be very watchful, and mortifie this corruption more and more: Nor to mutter againſt any of Gods dealings, either with our ſelves or others, how croſſe ſoever they ſeem to be.
On the other ſide, Jonah's example warns us to ſhame our ſelves for errors we have made, as he here doth in writing theſe things of himſelf: To ſubmit patiently (as he doth) to thoſe fatherly chaſtiſements, which it pleaſeth God to afflict us withall: To retain faith in God, even in the depth of our afflictions, as doth he: To vent our faith and faithful deſires by hearty and earneſt prayers, and that without ceaſing, as did he till he was delivered: To gather holy vows and purpoſes, that upon recovery out of any evils we will (by the aſſiſtance of grace) ſhew our ſelves really thankful for mercies received: And after all our fooliſh ſtrivings with his ſad diſpenſations,1 Sam. 3.18. we will reſolve all into the good pleaſure of our God: It is the Lord, let him do what ſeemeth good in his eyes.
Then out of the example of the Ninevites all ſhould learn to believe the threats of God, and be humbled, and crave the peace with God, and walk with him ever afterward more obediently and carefully:Rab. in Seder, Olam. Theodorer. & alii. Where mark thoſe words (ever afterward) and beware of relapſes, or returning to folly. Hiſtories tell us, how forty yeares after this ſparing of Nineve, yet the people falling back to their old ſins again, were fearfully deſtroyed by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, and their City utterly overthrown, according to the Propheſie of Nahum, who aroſe after our Jonah. Beware (Chriſtians) by their example. Be not as the Dog that returns to his vomit, or as the Sow that was waſhed, to the wallowing in the mire. The firſt eſtate of Apoſtates was bad enough, but their laſt eſtate is worſe by far.
The Lord uphold us in theſe ſifting and ſhaking times, wherein many have turned aſide after Satan, that we may hold on conſtantly in the way of faith and obedience, not warping aſide to the right hand or the left: no nor abating a whit of our firſt love, through heavineſſe of fleſh, or deadneſſe of ſpirit, or any incumbrances of the world: With which prayer I reſt in preſent,
Thine in our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, WILLIAM JEMMAT.
THE PROPHESIE OF JONAH.
JOnah in Hebrew ſignifies a Dove:Hieron. foreign, Mar. 1.10. and the Lord ſend upon us the good Spirit which deſcended on Chriſt as a Dove, that we may rightly and fruitfully treat of this Propheſie, which was written as all other Scripture, for our Inſtruction and conſolation.
Of Jonah we read in two other Scriptures, 2 King. 14.25. Mat. 12.39, 40. Gath-Hepher was the place of his Birth, and one of the Cities that fell to the lot of Zebulon: and was ſo called, to diſtinguſh it from Gath Rimmon, and Gath of the Philiſtines. Note. Malice blinds.Where note the falſeneſs of the blind and malicious Phariſee, who ſaid, Out of Galilee ariſeth no Prophet, Joh. 7.52. Yes, Jonah the Prophet who was of Gath-Hepher, which was in the Province of Galilee. Malice doth many times bl…nd the eyes, even of underſtanding men, as the Phariſees generally were. Beware of malice, as thou wouldeſt not be miſ-led into damning Errors, fatally and finally.
Jonah propheſied in the Reign of Jeroboam the ſecond, or of Joaſh his Father, it may be of both: Princes that came of Jehu, who rooted out the Family of Ahab; the Idolaters, but not the Idolatry: for which cauſe, Iſrael came into great affliction, which was very bitter, 2 King. 14.26, 27. There was not any ſhut up, nor any left, nor any Helper for Iſrael.
Note. Idolatry ruines.Idolatry ever brings miſchief to a State or Family, ſooner or later: ſee Chap. 10.31, 32 33. Beware of Idolatry and Idolaters, they are people of Gods Wrath and Curſe; what trials ye may have, ye do not know; Remember and keep your ſelves from idols, 1 Joh. 5.21.and from idolaters.
Now mark two things of Jonah, our Dove.
1. To afflicted Iſrael he comes with an Olive-branch of of Peace and Comfort, that the waſte ſhall be reſtored, which had been taken away, ibid. according to the word of the Lord God of Iſrael, Note. Some favour to the worſt. Uſe.which he ſpakes by the hand of his ſervant Jonah. God for a while is very gracious, and in temporals doth much for a wicked people; it may be, by wicked inſtruments as Jeroboam was. Admire the paſſages of his providence, and look from men to God who works for the good of his Choſen, as, in the ten Tribes there were ſome true worſhippers, and for their ſake ſome deliverance was granted.
2. To Nineve he is ſent with the mournful Voice of a Dove, proclaiming their deſtruction, Yet forty dayes and Nineve ſhall be deſtroyed; but with an intent in the Maſter that ſent him, to ſpare the City upon their Repentance and Amendment. The Lord in wrath remembers mercy,Note. In wrath, mercy. and ſometimes bluſters our judgments that ſinners may bethink themſelves, and repent, and be ſaved. Mark his divers diſpenſations, and attend the main, which is, that his patience and goodneſs ſhould lead you to repentance, Rom. 2.4.
Two Notes more. 1.Out of this Book of Jonah two things may be noted, by the expoſition of our Saviour himſelf. 1. That Jonah was a Type of Chriſt, in reſpect of his Death and Reſurrection; as Jonah was three days and three nights in the Whales belly, and then came to land again; ſo Chriſt was held in Death for a while, and the third day roſe again. 2. That the people of Nineve are ſet for an example of Repentance, to you of after-ages; which if it follow not, ye ſhall be the more deeply and ſeverely damned; and why? for a greater then Jonah is here.
Allegorical ſenſe of Scripture we ſhall ever admit, where warranted by ſome glimpſe of Scripture; as there are many ſuch to be found through the whole body of it,Ribera. foreign, Gal. 4.24. The Jeſuite needed not to have quarrelled about ſuch ſenſe of Scriptures: but, under pretence of Allegories, we muſt not run out into Fooleries as are many of their Allegories, much leſs into Errors as ſome of them are. Nor doth the ſimilitude of things among themſelves warrant us to take every Doctrine which the Fathers collected, but only where the Antecedents and Conſequents give occaſion, or ſome other Text of Scripture; ſo far the man ſpake rightly: And it is good againſt the Familiſts, who turn all (even plain Scriptures) into Allegories.
Come we now to the Book it ſelf;Contents of this Book. This Book of Jonah contains many chief points concerning the Knowledge of God, and the Salvation of man.
1. For God, we may here ſee and admire his goodneſs, in ſending to the Heathen Ninevites, that they might repent and be ſaved; even at that time, when generally he took Iſrael for his only, peculiar, choſen people: Poſſibly a ſign of the calling of the Gentiles, which ſhould follow afterward. And the justice of God, who ſo ſeverely revenged the diſobedience of his own Servant Jonah; after whom, all may learn to take heed of turning the grace of God into laſciviouſneſs. And the power of God, who hath all the Creatures, even the rudeſt, at his own beck and diſpoſal; the Winds, the Sea, the Fiſhes, the Herbs and Plants, and all the Creation. And his providence, who provides both for the puniſhment and for the relief of Jonah; and, by both of them, an wholſome inſtruction for him; to be ruled by him for time to come, better then before; and for us alſo, who need ſuch Diſcipline.
2. For Man and his Salvation, we ſee by this Book, how far we are fallen into Sin and Miſery; even ſo far, that without the mighty and merciful hand of God we cannot recover our ſelves, no more then Jonah could. And, to them that are troubled at the ſight of their ſin and danger, there is Mercy in ſtore by Jeſus Chriſt, as there was for Jonah. And the way is, to believe the Preaching of the word, and repent, and turn from our evil wayes, as did the Ninevites. Here we have alſo the force of Prayer, the nature of Fear, the wages of Diſobedience, the fruit of Repentance. Here we have Lots, Vows, ſinging of Pſalms, Hiſtory ſtrange and wonderful, and a new kind of Creation, in the Gourd that roſe up in a Night; with other profitable Documents, as God ſhall bring us to them in order.
Parts.In the Book we have a firſt and ſecond calling of Jonah to Preach to the Ninevites, with the things that followed upon both of them.