Exposition of Jonah, Chapter 1 · Verse 4
Ver. 4. But the Lord ſent out a great Wind into the Sea, and there was a mighty Tempeſt in the Sea, ſo that the Ship was like to be broken.
Oppoſition b… tween God and ſinners.But note theſe Adverſative Particles; Jonah was ſent to Nineve, but fled to Tarſus; Jonah went by Sea to Tarſus, but the Lord ſent a Wind and Tempeſt after him, to tell him of his offending. There is much thwarting between God and a ſinner; God commands one thing, and the ſinner doth another; and therefore no marvel if God proceed contrary to the welfare and comfort of the ſinner; and the ſooner the better; Jonah was the dear Child and Miniſter of God; and in the end muſt be ſaved, notwithſtanding his great Imperfections; therefore preſently the Lord ſent upon him a great Wind and Tempeſt, that he was like to be drowned; and this great danger was the means of putting him into his way again, that in Concluſion he might be ſaved; ſo ſtill, 1 Cor. 11.31, 32. If we would judge our ſelves, we ſhould not be judged; but when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we ſhould not be condemned with the world.
As for them that amend not by their afflictions, they ſhall know it ſhall be the worſe for them; God will not in vain wear out his Rods upon them;John 5.14. Hoſ. 4.1. The worſe thing is coming toward them: The Controverſie for ſin continues, and will ſurely burn to the nethermoſt hell.
More, if a ſinner find none of theſe croſs proceedings of God toward him, ſo much the worſe;Prov. 1.32. even proſperity undoes ſuch ſimple ones: Better a great deal that they had been purſued with Winds and Tempeſts, and drowned in the bottom of the Sea.
The Hiſtory of our Text is plain, and needs no Expoſition.
Two Points may be obſerved.
1. How the Providence of God reacheth unto all particulars that are done in the world; Nothing more common Doctr. 1 then great Winds to ariſe at Sea,Gods providence extends to all. and mighty tempeſts thereby, and Ships to be broken: Yet all this is here aſcribed unto God, The Lord ſent a great Wind, ſo in ver. 17. The Lord prepared a great fiſh to ſwallow up Jonah, and Chap. 2.10. The Lord ſpake to the fiſh, and it Vomited out Jonah upon the dry Land, and Chap. 4.6 The Lord prepared a gourd, and ver. 7. God prepared a worm to ſmite and wither the gourd.
So in the Plagues of Egypt, The Lord ſent the Frogs, Flies, Lice, Locuſt…, Thunder, Darkneſs, and all the reſt. And generally, Amos 3.6. Shall there be any evil in the City, and the Lord hath not done it?
And we ſaw heretofore in the Doctrine of Gods Providence. 1. How it intermedles in the ſmalleſt matters, as the Feeding of Beaſts and Ravens, Pſalm 147.9. and the falling of Sparrows to the ground, or the hairs of our head, Mat. 10.29, 30. yea and the colour of the hair, Chap. 5.36. 2. How it orders contingent things; that is, where in mans reaſon there is no connexion between the cauſe and the effect; yet ordered by God, and fall out infallibly as Lots, Prov. 16.33. The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole diſpoſing thereof is of the Lord: And the killing of a man by an Axe, no hatred, only the head ſlippeth from the helve; it is ſaid, That God delivers him into the hand of his Neighbour, Exod. 21.13. The like of fore-telling things, whereof there was no ſign among the Creatures.
Uſe 1 Which ſerves to reprove Heatheniſh Chriſtians, who look not up to God in theſe Affairs of the world to give him glory,Reproof. or carry themſelves as thoſe that live under a Providence; but Rage, and Chafe, and cry out of Fortune, ill Luck, croſs Times, I know not what Planets and miſchiefs. Yet the Heathen aſcribed the ſtirring of Winds and Seas to their Idol-Gods, Aeolus and Neptune; and theſe Heathens in the Text looked up, every one to his God, to be ſaved and delivered from this great danger; and Jonah who is the Writer, ſaith expreſly, The Lord ſent out a great wind into the Sea. And thoſe now-a-days who read ſuch Writings, might thereby be enured to better Thoughts and Language concerning Winds, Tempeſts, and other ſad Accidents.
Uſe 2 More, if Providence work in all theſe, it follows that our God is a wonderful God every way, and accordingly to be admired. He ſends forth the Winds at his pleaſure, he holds the Winds in the hollow of his Fiſt, he ruleth the Raging of the Seas, and ſitteth upon many Waters; Fiſhes, Worms, Gourds, all Creatures are at his diſpoſal, to be or not to be, to do us good or not to do us good. None ſo great, but he over-rules it; None ſo ſmall, but he acts it; therefore, O Lord, our Lord, how Excellent is thy Name in all the Earth!
When Chriſt had ſtilled that great ſtorm upon the Lake, The men marvelled, ſaying, What manner of man is this, that even the Winds and Sea obey him? And it is likely, that the men in the Ship with Jonah came by this Miracle to ſome knowledge of the God of Iſrael; So did Naaman the Syrian, 2 King. 5.15. Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the Earth, but in Iſrael. However, we that have the word to inſtruct us of God, and to Expound his Providences to us, ſhould be led by Winds, Seas, and other ſtrange workings of our God, to a due Admiration of him; that he is wonderful in his power, bidding them do this and they do it; and in his wiſdom ſo diſpoſing ordinarily ſo innumerable, and ſo rude things, and in his graciouſneſs, doing all for his Elect, though ſometime in ſeeming Contrarieties as here to Jonah.
Next, divers duties may be urged by this concurrence Uſe 3 of Gods Providence.Leſſons to be learned.
1. To be patient under croſs Providences; when Winde and Weather are againſt us, and we ſuffer exceedingly, we ſhould like all that he doth, becauſe he doth it; and ſay, It is the Lord, let him do what pleaſeth him, 1 Sam. 3.18. The creatures could not come if he did not ſend them: Shimei could not curſe, if he did not bid him curſe.
2. To wait with patience if he delay the help which we would fain have, Pſal. 40.1. I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry; when his appointed time is come which is the beſt time, we are ſure to be relieved. The Viſion is yet for an appointed; wait and at laſt it will ſpeak and ſatisfie. Remember the ſaying,Hab. 2 3. Eſa 28.16. He that belives, muſt not make haſte.
3. To pray for ſeaſonable and moderate Weather; Winds and Rains,Zech. 10.1. and all other things being at Gods diſpoſal. Ask and ye ſhall have; Ask the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain, ſo the Lord ſhall make bright clouds, and give them ſhowers of rain; to eve…y one graſs in the Field: But pray ſtill with reſignation to his Will and Wiſdom, becauſe he knows beſt what is fit to be done; and is able to alter the moſt ſetled Weather, that ſoon all may turn to the quite contrary. Stars and their Influences muſt go by his direction; if the Stars rule men, yet our God ruleth the Stars.
4. To pray for Sea-faring men, who are moſt ſubject to the injury of Winds and Tempeſts.Pſal 107.24. Theſe men ſee the wonders of God in the deep; up to Heaven, down to Hell, and ſometimes are at their wits end; therefore ſhould be remembred by us at Land, while our ſelves are in ſafety. Though we cannot help them, there is one that can, and him we muſt pray unto.
5. To praiſe God when our buſineſſes are fitted by Land or Water; he did it, and he muſt have the glory, he ſent ſweet gales of Winds, he cauſed that there were no Tempeſts upon the Sea, nor Blaſts upon the Land; by his goodneſs we eſcaped ſuch a Thunder and Lightning, and miſchiefs that fell upon others; therefore him we muſt glorifie and be really thankful, Pſal. 107.31. Oh that men would praiſe the Lord for his goodneſs, and for his wonderful works to the Children of men!
6. To keep the Lord ſure on our ſide, I mean in an holy way; becauſe he, and he alone can make all go well on our ſide. No wonder if Windes and Tempeſts be let looſe upon Jonah, when Jonah is fled from the Lord: We may thank our ſelves for ſundry terrible ſtorms, and unſeaſonable times that come upon us; our fooliſhneſs hath ſo armed the juſtice of God againſt us.
Satan can raiſe winds and tempeſts.And take this for a Motive; The Devil and his Inſtruments can raiſe turbulent Winds and Tempeſts to do us a diſpleaſure. If they have leave from God, we ſee in Jobs caſe what they are able to do: Not that he can create Winds and Tempeſts; but …f there be any in all the world, he can bring them together … and direct them to ſuch an Houſe, or to ſuch and ſuch …erſons. He is the Prince of the air, Eph. 2.2.and is perm…tted to do great miſchiefs againſt ſinners; yea, and againſt the Saints of God, Luke 13.18. Satan had bound a Daughter of Abraham eighteen years; Others were poſſeſſed of Devils, and ſuffered exceedingly; Others had their ſwine Choaked in the waters. Our Saviour himſelf was hurried of the Devil from place to place.
Books have been written De Praeſtigiis Daemonum. Wierus.But beſides theſe, there are real ſtorms and miſchiefs that are done by wicked Spirits; whereof two Notes are given. 1. That they are raiſed on a ſuddain, even in the faireſt and quieteſt weather that is. 2. That on a ſuddain all is huſht and gone; as if there had been no ſuch commotion at all, with other Diſcourſes not much to our purpoſe.
Take heed and fear, not theſe wicked ones whoſe power is limited, though their Malice be unlimited; but God who is the watch-man of Iſrael, Pſal. 121. Pſal. 91.11. Luke 12.4.and hath theſe Lions in Chains that they can hurt none but as he pleaſeth; I ſay unto you fear him. Remember the keeping of us in our way; and, The way of the Lord is ſtrength to the upright, Proverbs 10.29.
So of the former point.
2. Note how one ſinner brings a whole Company in danger; one Jonah, one Achan, one Colloquintid, mar…d Doctr. 2 all the good Herbs that were in the Pot.One ſinner endangers many. David numbred the people, and ſeventy thouſand of them dyed of the Plague.
But how can this ſtand with the Juſtice and Mercy of God? Anſw.How.
1. The Juſtice of God cannot lightly miſs of Objects to work upon; Iſrael had ſins enough by which God was offended, and might juſtly diminiſh them by the Peſtilence; So had theſe who Sailed with Jonah, though Jonah had not been among them. Divine Juſtice might righteouſly for ſin have laid them in the bottom of the Sea; Who can ſay he is righteous, or ſuffers at any time without ſin provoking Gods anger?
2. The Mercy of God appears in Affliction, as well as in Favours beſtowed: v. c. that both Jonah and his Companions eſcaped the danger of the Sea, and the Mariners came hereby to the Knowledge of the true God. It is good for me to be afflicted, that I may learn thy ſtatutes; Others are in Occulto Coronati, as Tertullian ſaid of ſome Confeſſors who died in Priſon; ſtill in good hands, when they are moſt judged according to the world.
Uſe. 1 Now if one ſinner can endanger many, into how great dangers do many ſinners caſt a poor Town or Nation? many ſorts of ſin, and many Offendors of each ſort, and many acts of every Offendor; as for example, in the ſin of Drunkenneſs, or Swearing; No marvel if we have had ſuch civil Tempeſts, Diviſions, Confuſions, Diſeaſes, other Evils. The greateſt marvel indeed is, that our Houſe and Kingdom is not already laid deſolate; This is only by the long-ſuffering of our moſt patient and loving Lord God.
Uſe. 2 2. If ſo, a ſinner is no ſuch good Neighbour as he may think he is; Though he be of a loving Nature, and do ſome good in his place,Num. 16.46. yet he hurts more another way: He provokes God to anger, and ſo the Plague begins in one kind or other. Jonah was an honeſt man, yea a godly man; he ſerved the God of the Hebrews, and he paid his Fare when he entred into the Ship; yet ſee what a burthen he becomes, and how he endangers both the Veſſel and the Goods, and all the Paſſengers together with himſelf. In Religion it is a meer Deluſion, to think a bad man can be a good Citizen as to God; he is a very Peſt to Church and State.
Uſe. 3 3. If ſo, ſee how ſtudiouſly and eagerly Magiſtrates ſhould ſet upon the work of Reformation;Zealous Reformers turn away wrath. to ſhame and puniſh ſinners and leſſen the number of them, that ſo wrath may be turned away. It was high time to caſt Jonah overboard, that ſo poſſibly there might be ſome hope. Iſrael could not ſtand before the men of Ai, till Achan was ſtoned; when a man is ſick of a Pleuriſie, there is no reſt to be expected till the corrupt blood be voided away; ſo here: And a wiſe Surgeon muſt come ſometimes with his Cauſticks, where remember the ſaying, Fooliſh pity marres the City; An idle Governour haſtens wrath.
4. If ſo, be not ſuch a ſinner as for thine own ſake; ſo for others to whom thou art related, and with whom thou art engaged in Society.
1. In Charity to others a man ſhould be Religious, fear and ſerve God, pray, keep Sabbaths, do all duty, not only in way of Piety and Charity; that ſo he may not hurt, but help his Brethren. This Caſe of Jonah tells us, that a ſinner though he be but one, yet may wrong many; and other Scriptures tell how one good man may profit many, and though he be a private man, yet he may be a publick good. Joſeph was a Bleſſing to all Potiphars houſe, and to all the Land of Egypt.
All this while we ſay nothing of Charity to a mans own Soul, which in an holy way might be ſaved; or of pleaſing God in the way of Holineſs, which ought chiefly to be minded; or of crediting our holy Profeſſion, to which every Chriſtian ought to be an Ornament. The only comfort is to put all theſe together, and carry our work cleaverly before us.
2. Let a Religious man take heed of ſtepping out of his way, which would endanger both himſelf and others, as Jonah here; and David in numbring the people. He that opens a ſluce, may drown many others as well as himſelf. Somewhat is the matter, that judgment begins at the Houſe of God, and that the Righteous ſhall ſcarce be ſaved; ſaved they ſhall be, but ſo as by Fire. And by this account ſcarce any ſtrictneſs can be eſteemed too much, I mean in the holy ways of God.