A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 4
Jonah CHAP. IV.
THIS Chapter relateth a marvelous Tryal at Law (as it were) betwixt Jonah the Plaintiff, and Jehovah the Defendant.
Remark the Firſt, Upon the Plaintiff, in the firſt part of the Tryal. Though Jehovah was well pleaſed, as above, yet Jonah was ill diſpleaſed, ver. 1, 2, 3, 5. David had once been Diſpleaſed with an Act of God's Severity againſt Ʋzzah, 2 Sam. 6.8. becauſe the General Joy of that Day was daſhed and damped with ſuch a ſad and ſuddain Diſaſter. Therefore David gives a good Caution [Ceaſe from Anger, and fret not thy ſelf in any wiſe to do Evil, &c.] Pſalm 37.1, 7▪ 8. but Jonah did here far worſe than David, who in a pet and pang of prepoſterous Paſſion, was deeply diſcontented with an Act of God's Lenity and tender Compaſſion to the Penitent Ninevites. God bids [Be angry, but Sin not] Eph. 4.26. This is the eaſieſt Charge under the hardeſt Condition and Terms that can be, 'tis aſſuredly a difficult Task to kindle and keep quick (ſaith one) this Fire of Anger without any Smoak of Sin: Therefore the Greeks give this good Rule [foreign] in Anger, either ſay nothing, or ſay that which is better than nothing, leſt thou Sin, &c.
Remark the Second, Jonah expreſſeth his Anger in a Speech, call'd a Prayer, ver. 2. with ſuch a turbulent and tumultuating Mind (ſaith Tarnovius) that it ſeems rather a Brawl than a Prayer. Calvin ſaith, N.B. That his Pious Principle put him upon Praying down his own preſent Paſſions, knowing himſelf to be naturally Hot and Haſty, and feeling himſelf feeble in giving place to Paſſion, Eph. 4.27. He though to cure it by Praying, but the Fleſh of his treacherous Heart prevail'd againſt the Spirit in him under Divine Deſertion, ſo that whereas he ſhould have wraſtl'd with God, as Jacob did, Gen. 32.24, 26. behold, Jonah downright wrangl'd with God, and juſtified himſelf for his declining the employ, as foreſeeing the Iſſue [Therefore I fled before to Tarſhiſh] ſo ſoon forgetting how he had ſo ſorely ſmarted for his flight, yet God had ſo graciouſly granted him Deliverance, &c.
Remark the Third, Jonah doth not only juſtifie himſelf, but he accuſeth God of too much Mercy to the Damage of his Truth, and the Danger of his Honour, yea, and to the Diſparagement of his Prophet, all which he thought would be prejudiced by the many Miſconstructions the Adverſary will make upon the ſparing of Nineveh, which God foretold by him, ſhould be deſtroyed: Thus Jonah quarrell'd with that great Attribute of God's Mercy, the chiefeſt flower in God's glorious Crown, Exod 34.6, 7. and even with that goodneſs of God, which had ſo lately preſerved himſelf from periſhing in the Sea, and whereby he ſtill ſubſiſted; thus is he doing enough to undo himſelf for ever, had not God's Mercy triumphed over his Juſtice, James 2.13.
Remark the Fourth; The Epilogue of Jonah's pitiful, peeviſh Prayer, ver. 3. Take my Soul out of my Body, Hebr. [Kack na eth naphſhi mimeni] whence Grotius gathers this good Argument, plainly proving from hence, that the Soul is a diſtinct Subſtance from the Body, and periſhes not with it: ['Tis better for me to Dye (ſaith he) than to Live] namely, in Diſgrace of being a falſe Prophet, never more to be believed: Jerome doth excuſe Jonah herein; As if he were more Zealous for God's Glory, and the Weal of the Jews (whom he conceived would be Damag'd by the Converſion of the Gentiles) than for his own perſonal Reputation: But others do better obſerve, that this prepoſterous Prayer was a zeal without Knowledge, and that he added one Sin to another therein: For 1. He puts a Fallacy upon God (call'd non cauſa pro cauſâ) alledging, that God's being too merciful was the cauſe of his former flight from his Meſſage to Nineveh, whereas other truer Cauſes are forementioned. 2. He ought to have been thankful to God for making his ſingle Miniſtry ſo marvelouſly ſucceſsful, as to bring ſo great a City to Repentance. 3. He ſhould have rejoiced at this increaſe of God's Church, by thoſe many Myriads of new Penitents. And 4. He ſhould have pray'd for eſtabliſhing this great Work of God, Pſalm 90.17. whereas more like a Maſtiff in a Chafe he barks at his own Maſter, reproaches God's preſent Fact of Folly, envies the Ninevites Penitency and Mercy, and inſtead of Praying, he is upbraiding God for that which is his greateſt Glory, Exod. 33.18, 19. and falling foul upon God for lending Life to him, which is the chiefeſt of God's temporal Gifts. Yea and wiſhing God would kill him with his own Hands (ſaith Vatablus) merely becauſe he thought (forſooth) that his Credit was now Crack'd, and he ſhould henceforward be look'd upon as a Lyar, ſeeing he had foretold what came not to paſs. N.B. Thus the beſt of Men are but Men at the beſt, when God leaves them to themſelves: God's beſt Children, though ingrafted into the true Vine, yet carry they about them ſome reliſh of the old Stock ſtill, as Jonah did here of a Cholerick Conſtitution, ſoon kindled.
Remark the Firſt, Upon the Defendant, the ſecond Part of the Tryal: Jehovah reproves Jonah, firſt by Words, ver. 4, 9. at the firſt time, ver. 4. A man may well wonder how God could forbear from killing Jonah (according to his own deſperate deſire, ver. 3.) for ſuch an unſufferable affront from a poor Potſherd, that durſt contend with his Maker, and a worthleſs Worm upbraiding the moſt Wiſe his Creator with Folly, Iſa. 45.9. This is a plain Pattern of the upſhot of Carnal Wiſdom in Man: God had like to have kill'd Moſes for a far leſſer fault, Exod. 4.24. When he met him in the Inn, &c. yet behold here God meets Jonah not ſo much with a ſharp cutting rebuke, Tit. 1.13. but rather with a Mild, Cool, and Gentle Expoſtulation [Doſt thou do well to be angry?] N.B. Would to God we could ſuppreſs our impetuous Paſſions by asking our Hearts this ſame Queſtion, Whether our Indignation be rightly regulated for Principle, Object, Meaſure and End; and not juſtifie it when immoderate, as Jonah doth here: And the ſecond Time, when Jonah committed the ſame fault again, being angry for the withering of his Gourd, ver. 9. N.B. Jonah ſignifies a Dove, yet had he more of the Waſp than of the Dove in him, as appears by his double Anger, and both irrational, Chap. 4.1, and 9. Plenus fuit effraenatis motibus, as paſſionate a Man of a good Man, as we have hardly heard of, ſo that ſome ſuppoſe him the Mad Fellow mentioned, 2 Kings 9.11. yet was he a Servant of the Lord, 2 Kings 14.25. and a Type of Chriſt, Matth. 12.40. and ſaved Nineveh by one Sermon. 'Tis a wonder Jehovah proceeded not againſt Jonah for the ſame ſecond fault, from Words to Blows: No 'tis only Words ſtill, and thoſe Gentle ones as the former: Though before he had ſaid nothing when reproved for his raſh Anger, ver. 4. yet now runs he Riot in his Reply againſt God, that it was a juſt anger in Jonah, even unto Death; notwithſtanding, the Reaſon of it was the loſs of a thing of nothing, or but a ſorry ſomething at the beſt: Now might the Lord have roar'd upon Jonah, when he added greater Sins to leſſer, and thought he had good Reaſon to be madly unreaſonable, as well as preſumptuouſly Irreligious. God might now have ſaid, as he did to the muttering Mutineers in the Wilderneſs [As truly as I live, as ye have deſired Death, ſo will I do to you] Numb. 14.28. ſo Jehovah might have judged Jonah out of his own Mouth, and ſaid [Thou ſhalt ſurely Die, Jonah]; but Fury was not in God, Iſa. 27.4. as it was in Jonah: He is God and not Man, Hoſ. 11.8, 9. God graciouſly conſidered Jonah's Frailty, and gently convinceth him of his Folly, by comparing the ſilly Gourd to that Capital City, &c.
Remark the Second; Jehovah the Defendant reproves Jonah by an external Sign, as well as by expreſs Speech (as above) ver. 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11.
Mark 1. The occaſion of it was, Jonah changed the place of his abode, He went out of the City, ver. 5. retiring remote from it (ſaith Tarnovius) that he might not periſh with it which he expected, for he thought haply, that the Citizens were only Sermonſick, which would not laſt long, &c.
Mark 2. He made a Booth on the Eaſt-ſide of the City, 'twas a ſorry ſtructure of Boughs (ſaith Grotius) only for a Shade, ſaith Mercerus, expecting there, though not the Subverſion of the City, yet ſome Plague to fall upon it, ſaith Calvin, for he did not think his Prediction would altogether be fruſtrate, ſaith Menochius.
Mark 3. The end of his ſitting down in this ſlender Hutt was, where he might ſee ſome Event of his Prophecy from this place of a plain proſpect, ſaith Grotius, and yet not ſuffer with them, being quite out of the City's Precincts, ſaith Tarnovius. N.B. 1. Jonah did well and wiſely in withdrawing himſelf out of Nineveh, as Lot did out of Sodom; and Iſa. 48.20. and 52.11. 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. Rev. 18.4. Thus the Church of Jeruſalem packed away to Pella before its Deſtruction, ſaith Euſebius: But he did fooliſhly and uncharitably in wiſhing and waiting for the Ruine of penitent Nineveh. N.B. 2. Miniſters may learn from this ſorry Seat of this great Prophet: of God, not to ſeek great things for themſelves in this lower World, Jer. 45.5. but to be content with the meaneſt conditions that the moſt wiſe God carves out for us by his wiſdom and providence; for our heavenly Father knows what is better for us than we for our ſelves, Matth. 6.26, 32. When we cannot bring up our Means to our Minds, we muſt bring down our Minds to our Means, being aſſured of better Manſions, John 14.2, 3. 2 Cor. 5.1. Heb. 11.10, 13.
Remark the Third, upon the Defendant, is the external Sign applied by Diſcourſe, &c. which Rhetoricians call a Chreia.
Mark 1. About the end of the forty days, when the boughs of Jonah's Booth were withered (ſaith Rabbi Kimchi) God cauſed a Gourd by a Miracle to ſpring up (without ſeed, and ſo ſuddenly) and to become a covering Shade unto him, when all the other Leaves were gone, ver. 6.
Mark 2. I find the Criticks have various Conceptions concerning this Gourd, what Plant it was? Some ſay it was an Ivy-Buſh, Others, that we call the White Vine, of a great growth in a little time; Others, the Plant called Palma Chriſti, or Pentadactylon, becauſe it reſembleth a Man's Hand with five fingers; but whatever it was, Jonah was glad of it, ver. 6. becauſe it refreſh'd him, hiding him from heat, being more tender skinn'd by his late laying ſo long in the Whale's Belly.
Mark 3. God prepared a Worm to gnaw the Gourd at the Root, and to rob it of its moiſture ſticked out of the Earth, ſaith Grotius, &c. ſo that it ſoon withered away, ver. 7. N.B. Thus God ſported with Jonah (ſaith Mercer.) Tho' God told him of his fault, yet made he him glad again with this Gourd, and then ſends a Worm to blaſt it, as he oft doth earthly Bleſſings to his Saints, &c.
Mark 4. God alſo ſends a Wind, ver. 8. Here Nature, Fate or Fortune are not ſaid to do any thing, but all is aſcribed to God in preparing both the Gourd, the Worm, and the Wind; yea, ſuch a Wind as did not cool, but rather quicken the heat of the Sun upon Jonah's head, ſaith Junius, &c.
Mark 5. Tho' Jonah's head had naturally as many Coverings as had the Tabernacle in the Wilderneſs, both without and within, Exod. 26. yet the Sun did beat ſo violently (becauſe God would have it ſo) upon Jonah's head, that he was tortured ſo with Head-ach, as he wiſhed to die.
Remark the Fourth; The Concluſion of this Conteſt 'twixt Plaintiff and Defendant.
Mark 1. God heard what Jonah ſpake in his heart, when the fainting of his body did ſo diſcompoſe his mind, as to deſire Death, ver. 8. as if better than Life. Not ſo (ſaith God) ver. 9. unleſs you were in a better mind. God asked him before whether he did well to be angry that Nineveh was ſpared? ver. 4. but here, ver. 9. 'twas that his Gourd was not ſpared.
Mark 2. Tho' Jonah kept ſilent (which was the beſt) at the firſt Queſtion, ver. 4. yet now lays he the Reins upon the Neck of his unruly Paſſions, and lets flie in a fearful out-burſt, ver. 9. N.B. Hence Calvin obſerveth, what furious Beaſts are our unruly Paſſions, when not Reined in, that this Prophet ſhames not to ſpeak thus ſaucily to God's face; therefore ſhould we reſiſt this ſire at its firſt riſing up. 'Tis a Rule in Phyſick
[Principiis obſta, & venienti occurrito works.] meet a Diſeaſe in its firſt coming.
Mark 3. God replies, v. 10, 11. without Rage or Roaring upon him with a drawn Sword, as Job 15.26. but ſpake mildly to him for convincing him of his folly, both in his words and wiſhes, uſing an Argument drawn from the leſſer to the greater (ſaith Calvin) and confuting his Confidence by an undeniable and moſt confounding compariſon.
Remark the Fifth; The Artificial Application of this Rhetorical Compariſon, carried on in ſix ſeveral parts, to the Confutation of Jonah's Anger at God's Compaſſion to Nineveh.
Mark 1. Jonah and Jehovah are compared together. God aſſerts his Soveraignty as the great Creator over all his Creatures: Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is thy Eye evil becauſe I am good? Matth. 20.15. Wouldſt thou that art but Duſt and Aſhes, have all done at thy will; and not I, who am God, at mine?
Mark 2. In comparing the Gourd to Nineveh, God ſaith to Jonah [Thou takeſt delight in the ſhadow of a periſhing Plant, and ſhould not I be well pleaſed with this People, whoſe …itency is my pleaſure and joy?
Mark 3. Thou haſt pity on this ſorry Shrub, which I cauſed to ſpring up for thy uſe, and ſhould not I have pity upon ſo many penitent perſons, ſeeing not only all Plants, but the very Heavens and Earth were Created for Man's ſake?
Mark 4. Thou haſt Compaſſion upon this mean Muſhrome, none of thine neither, for thou didſt not plant it, nor watered it, and how canſt thou ſo paſſionately love what thou never laboured for? (all men naturally love their own labours, eſpecially Parents and Poets, ſaith Ariſtotle) but this was lent thee of the Lord; and thou mayeſt ſay, [Alas Maſter, is was but borrowed] 2 Kings 6.5. whereas Nineveh hath been the work of my Providence, (tho' without Tool or Toil, Iſa. 40.28.) to advance it to this vaſtneſs of extent, wealth, and numberleſs Inhabitants, ſo as to make it the moſt Imperial City in the World, &c. And ſhould I not much more ſhew compaſſion upon it? ſaith Mercerus.
Mark 5. Thou art ſorry for the periſhing of this ſorry Plant, which was the Son of a Night, Hebr. citò oriens & citò moriens, not without a Miracle; ſubitò crevit, & ſubitò decrevit; repentè prolatus, & repentè ſublatus, ſaith Tarnovius; it was quickly come, and as quickly gone, of a ſmall value and continuance, a fit Emblem of Earthly Happineſs, Pſal. 39.5. and ſhould not I ſpare Nineveh, whoſe greatneſs hath been the growth of many Ages, and is of ten thouſand times more worth than thy Gourd? Men be better than Muſhromes.
Mark 6. Thou canſt pity one ſingle pitiful Plant, the loſs of which redounds only to thy ſelf, &c. and ſhould not I (who am all bowels, a ſin-pardoning God, Neh. 9.31. none like me for that, Mich. 7.18. 2 Cor. 1.4. and 7.6. and ſo tranſcendently gracious, Exod. 22.27. that thou haſt upbraided me with it (ver. 2. here) be much more affected with the fall of penitent Nineveh, wherein beſide Millions of Men, Women and Cattel, (which have born their part, ſo far as they could, in the common Mourning, Chap. 3.7, 8.) there be twelve Myriads of Innocent Infants that cannot diſcern, &c. living a ſenſitive life only? and not yet grown up to Ratiocination.
Remark the Sixth; Jonah is now ſad and ſilenced, as Job was, ſaying, [Once have I ſpoken, but I will not anſwer, yea twice, but I will proceed no farther,] Job 40.5. And tho' we hear no more of Jonah, yet undoubtedly he repented of his raſh Reflections upon God, as Job did, whereof this is a good ſign that he ſo ſtudiouſly and diſtinctly Recordeth in his Prophecy all along, both his own Perſonal Paſſions, and God's Tender Compaſſions, that he might the more admire Divine Lenity, notwithſtanding his Humane Frailty. His Recording all thoſe paſſages of his Paſſion, and cloſing up his Book with Silence, is a ſhaming himſelf to all the World, and a doing Pennance in publick, as David did in his Penitential Pſalms, as it were in a ſheet of ſhame, &c.