A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 1
Jonah CHAP. I.
REmark the Firſt; Junius, Piſcator and Grotius affirm unanimouſly, That the ſame Jonah whom God ſent to Nineveh, Jon. 1.1, 2. was he that is mentioned, 2 Kings 14.25. though Maſius and Menochius ſay otherwiſe; but ſeeing in both places this Prophet is called [The Son of Amittai,] which, Hebr. ſignifies, Truth or Veracity (denoting, ſaith D'Dieu, that he was a veracious and truth-telling Prophet) 'tis therefore the concurrent Opinion of learned Authors, that both were one and the ſame Prophet: Mr. Lively relateth, that this Jonah was the firſt of all the Prophets whoſe Prophecies are Recorded, and is named next to the Prophet Eliſha, 2 Kings 13.14, 20. and 14.25. Jonah lived before the Battle of Joaſh King of Iſrael with the Syrians, about the end of Eliſha's Life; and he propheſied among the Ten Tribes (ſay Paraeus. Cluverius, &c.) concerning the Proſperity of Jeroboam the Second, who was more proſperous than pious, and when he had ſpent much time with ſmall ſucceſs among the irreclaimable Iſraelites (whoſe Sermons to them are not come to us upon Record, ſaith Calvin) then did God ſend him to the Gentiles, ſaith Mercerus, that they might provoke them to Repentance, or at leaſt leave them inexcuſable; therefore 'tis ſaid [God alſo ſent him to Nineveh,] Jon. 1.1, 2.
Remark the Second; Though Jehoaaz in his Trouble beſought the Lord, 2 Kings 13.3, 4, 5, 6, 7. and the Lord heard him out of his matchleſs Mercy, and made uſe of Jeroboam the Second to be Iſrael's Saviour (though a ſorry ſinner) from the ſavage Syrians, and ſent Jonah to foretel his Victories over their Oppreſſors, becauſe God had not ſtill writ Lo-ammi upon them, 2 Kings 14.25, 26, 27, &c. Yet, becauſe the Houſe of Iſrael made a miſimprovement of this Divine Mercy, therefore God ſent Hoſea, Amos, Iſaiah, &c. to foretel their Calamity and Captivity, yea of Judah as well as of Iſrael: Dr. Lightfoot excellently obſerveth, that when Joel and the other Prophets had ſhewed the Rejection and Ruine of all the Twelve Tribes, and when Obadiah had foretold the Deſolation of Eſau, the next Kinſman to Jacob's Seed, then God ſaw it ſeaſonable to ſend out Jonah to fetch in the Gentiles, &c.
Remark the Third; Jonah at the firſt declined his divine Embaſſage unto that great City Nineveh, Jon. 1.3. Rabbi Kimchi ſaith, his Reaſon for his refuſal was, becauſe he murmured, that Mercy and Peace ſhould be carried away from the Jews, and now be preached by him (a Jew) to the Gentiles, upon condition of their Repentance. He was loth to leave his own People whom he loved, and would not have them caſt off by the coming in of the Gentiles; he thought (ſaith Calvin) it would be acting contrary to God's Covenant to reject Iſrael, &c. and the like miſtake made Peter (call'd alſo Simon Bar-Jonah, John 1.42.) with his name-ſake Jonah, who accounted the Gentiles as common and unclean. He narrow'd the Beams of divine Grace likewiſe, Acts 10.11, 12, 15. until better informed by Christ, and then he acknowledged his Error, ver. 34, 35. both thoſe two Jonahs might have learnt the Myſtery of Naaman's carrying Jewiſh Earth into Syria, 2 Kings 5.17. which ſignified ſome favour was to be tranſported from the Jews to the Gentiles, &c.
Remark the Fourth; Jonah's Sin of Diſobedience to God's Call and Command, ver. 2, 3. N. B. This whole History is a marvelous diſpute betwixt paſſionate, peeviſh Jonah, and the patient and omnipotent Jehovah; a ſorry Creature with the moſt ſovereign Creator, in both Jonah's Meſſages, &c. to Nineveh, &c. God gave him his firſt Commiſſion to go preach at Nineveh, the Metropolis of the Aſſyrian Monarchy, and very Antient, Gen. 10.11. and exceeding Ample as well as Antient, containing 50 Miles in compaſs, ſaith Diodorus Siculus, and was a City of three days journey in Jonah's days, Jon 3.3. and beſides this vaſt compaſs of Ground, it had the like ſtately Walls about it, the height whereof was an 100 Foot, and their breadth ſo ſpacious, as capable to receive three Carts to paſs together in a breaſt or row, and theſe Walls were adorn'd with fifteen hundred Towers, ſays Munſter. This famous Fabrick (the then none-ſuch in the World) was ſo frightful to Jonah's timorous Temper, that he durſt not face it, eſpecially with ſo diſmal a Meſſage of proclaiming its utter Ruine in a little time: Hereupon Jonah flees, &c. acting contrary to bleſſed Paul, who conſulted not with Fleſh and Blood, Gal. 1.16. nor daring to be diſobedient to the heavenly Viſion, Acts 26.19. but Jonah plays the run-away from the Preſence of the Lord, that is, from the ſpecial and ſpiritual Preſence of God, wherein he had hitherto ſtood and miniſtred; for from God's general Preſence Jonah knew he could not flee, Pſalm 139.7, 8. Acts 17.27. Some run before they be ſent, as uncalled Preachers, contrary to Rom. 10.14, 15. but Jonah, though he runs not before ſent, yet when ſent, he runs not the right way, for fear of the Ninevites, for love to his Iſraelites; and he conceited his Task was to no purpoſe in preaching to Pagans, ſeeing he prevailed ſo little at home with his own People, &c. therefore fled he to Tarſhiſh, making more haſte than good ſpeed from Joppa thither. N. B. When once got out of God's way, we may turn we know not whither, and return we know not when: He led himſelf into Tentation, but God left him not in it, but led him out of it. He was happy that no evil happened to him, Prov. 12.21.
Remark the Fifth; God puniſhes this run-away Jonah, ver. 4. ſo far evil did happen to him, that the Ship wherein he imbarked himſelf was ſtop'd by a Storm, which the Lord ſent out of his Treaſures, Pſalm 135.7. and out of his Fiſt, Prov. 30.4. The Diſciples met with a Tempeſt when they went in the way Chriſt compelled them to go, Matth. 14.24, 25, &c. Luke 8.23, &c. but this Storm meets Jonah when out of God's way; and for his running from God, this Runagate is at laſt cast into the Sea.
The Lord was the Author of this Puniſhment, wherein he uſed three Inſtruments; 1. A great Wind, which God holdeth in his fist, Prov. 30.4. weighs Winds in his hand, Job 28.25. and ſends them out as his Poſts, appointing them their Motions and Meſſages, making them ſometimes Meſſengers of mercy, as Gen. 8.1. Exod. 14.21. Numb. 11.13. and at other times Executioners of his Juſtice, hurting Mens Houſes, Perſons, Corn and Cattle, &c. as Exod. 10.13. Job 1.29. yea hurrying and hurling the wicked out of their Houſes into Hell at laſt, Job 27.21, &c.
The Second Inſtrument was the deep Sea, which is a reſtleſs, rowling, a tumbling, troubleſom thing of it ſelf in its own Ebbings and flowings; 'tis never ſtill, tho' ſometimes it may ſeem ſo; how much more when it is toſſed to and fro with a mighty Tempeſt, as here, ver. 4. a foreign, Luke 8.23. a foreign, Matth. 14.24. an Euroclydon, Acts 27.14. that beats upon all the Points of the Compaſs; an Hurricane, which Pliny calls Navigantium peſtem, the Mariners miſery; ſuch boiſterous and Bluſtering Winds muſt needs make the Sea beyond meaſure troubleſom, Pſalm 107.23, 24, 25. &c. Iſa. 57.20. 1 Kings 22.48. and this no…doubt was no ordinary Tempeſt (ſaith Calvin) that ſo frighted the Mariners (ſtout Fellows accuſtomed to Storms, &c.) inſomuch as they look upon themſelves as loſt; they reckon the Ship muſt be broken, &c.
The Third Inſtrument was the Seamen, or Mariners, which brings in
Remark the Sixth; Thoſe fearleſs Men now fear Shipwrak, ver. 5. Death, the King of Terrors, Job 18.14. is a terror to Kings, and to thoſe bold, daring, hardy Men, making them deſire to eſcape the danger.
Mark 1ſt, They prayed to their Pagan Gods; they had ſeveral Deities according to their ſeveral Countries; and though Seamen for the moſt part ſavour ſmall of Sanctity, yet this was a leſſon of Dame Nature's teaching, namely, that, 1. there is a God, 2. this God muſt be called upon, and, 3. eſpecially in Diſtreſs, Pſalm 107.27, 28. ſuch Fools as ſay in their Hearts there is no God, Pſalm 14.1. in a Calm, will cry to God for help in a Storm.
Mark 2dly, They unburden the Ship of her Cargo or Lading to lighten her; that ſhe might the better ride out the Storm: Skin for Skin, and all a Man hath will he give for his life, Job 2.4. there the old Lyar ſpake a great Truth. Theſe Heathens handed over board their Goods for the ſaving of their Lives. N. B. Oh that we could loſe any thing for eternal Life, and let all go, but not our Bleſſing Chriſt go, as Jacob, Gen. 32 20.
Mark 3dly, The Ship-Maſter rouzeth up Jonah (who was gone down into the ſides of the Ship, and was there fallen faſt aſleep) that in caſe they had all miſtaken the true God, Jonah is awakened to call upon his God: Alas, ſuch a ſad uncertainty attendeth Pagan Idolatry, that it cauſed the Pagans generally to cloſe up their Prayers (ſuch as they were) with that general Clauſe [Dii, Deaeque omnes] ye Gods and Godeſſes all, becauſe they were ignorant who was the true Jehovah. Their own Dunghil-Deities could do nothing for them when cryed unto in this diſmal Diſtreſs; they had mouths and ſpake not, &c. Pſal. 115.4. but Jehovah hath help for ſuch as hope in him, ver. 9. therefore they call Jonah to cry to Jehovah, ver. 6. for none like him, Jer. 10.6. Deut. 32.31. even in the Judgment of Enemies, &c.
Remark the Seventh; When the Mariners ſaw their firſt Means ineffectual, that neither their own Gods would do any thing for them at their Prayers, nor Jonah's God at his (for his Sin was too ſtrong for his Prayer, Pſalm 66.18. John 9.31.) they reſolve to try another Trick for ſaving their lives, namely, caſting of Lots, ver. 7. perceiving ſome extraordinary Cauſe there was of this extraordinary Danger, and ſo they put the Matter into God's hands, who diſpoſeth of Lots, Prov. 16.33. when rightly in a way of truſting, not raſhly in a way of tempting God, they are undertaken. Calvin noteth here, Theſe Seamen ſeem'd in their own ſight to be no Sinners, or at leaſt their ſins were light ſins, and no way deſerving ſuch heavy Judgments, therefore they inquire after the cauſe thereof, as if themſelves had all been innocent, and though theſe poor Pagans did ſuperſtitiouſly caſt Lots, but not without a cogent Cauſe and Neceſſity (ſaith Mercerus) yet the Lord▪ ordered the Lot to fall upon Jonah (who was the beſt Man, and the only Saint in the Ship) as the principal cauſe, and chief procurer of their preſent deſperate danger.
Remark the Eight; The Mariners judicial proceſs againſt Jonah, when his ſecret ſin was by the All-ſeeing God diſcovered, in ordering the Lot to fall upon him, ver. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
Mark 1ſt, They interrogate him, 1. concerning his ſin, when thus ſignally ſingled out by the Lord the diſpoſer of Lots (ſaith Mercerus) as if themſelves, had been Innocent: Jonah confeſs'd not▪ his ſin until forced; Sin had gagg'd him, and Satan had muzzl'd his Mouth from that ſpiritual Vomit of making a free Confeſſion unurg'd. N. B. That old Man-ſlayer well knows, that there is no way to purge the Soul of Sin but upward, therefore holds he our lips cloſe, and makes us hide our Sin as Adam, &c. Job 31.33. until God, being put to his proof, doth preſs it out of us, Jer. 2.35.
Mark 2dly, They ask him, 2. His Occupation, taking it for granted, that every Man muſt maintain himſelf by ſome honeſt Employ: Tarnovius tells us here, that thoſe Seamen ſuſpected Jonah's ſin was that he was ſome Idle Fellow following no lawful Calling, or that he was ſome fraudulent Cheat, or ſome filthy Extortioner, therefore they asked him how he lived (ſaith Grotius) and whether he laboured the thing that was good, Eph. 4.28. God will avenge, 1 Theſ. 4.6. upon ſuch diſorderly Doers.
Mark 3dly, They inquire, 3. If he were not of ſome accurſed Country (ſaith Mercerus) and one of the People of God's wrath, as the Jews are at this day: And Tarnovius adds, That they were afraid he had committed ſome heinous Crime, for which he fled his Country; yet the harden'd Villain could ſleep ſoundly, when the Ship was ready to ſink, ver. 6. The Philoſopher ſaid in the like Caſe, [foreign;] Are we all in danger of Death, and doſt thou play the Fool? This he ſaid to one that was trifling (as was Jonah ſleeping) as if making light of Shipwrack, &c.
Mark 4thly, Jonah's anſwer, ver. 9. wherein now his hard Heart was broken, and his muzzl'd Mouth was unmuzzel'd, and now he not only confeſſeth his ſin (ſaith Calvin) but aggravateth it, ſaying [I am not only an Hebrew of the Hebrews (and ſo a Member of God's Church and a true Believer, as Heber, Gen. 10.21. and Abraham, Gen. 14.13. were) but alſo I am a Prophet in God's Church, a Doctor in Iſrael, yet have I done perverſly, and dealt perfidiouſly with the great Jehovah, who made this troubleſom Sea (that now troubleth you ſo ſore) and the dry Land likewiſe which you would ſo gladly recover; and as he created them by his power, ſo he governs them by his providence, and will unmake all again, rather than his ſhould want help in due ſeaſon, &c.] Thus like a Priſoner upon the Rack, he not only tells all with Aggravations, but alſo thruſts himſelf into the hand of Juſtice, yet not without Hope of Mercy.
Mark 5thly, When Jonah had told them, not that he was of Judah, for that was falſe (ſaith Tarnovius) nor of Iſrael, leſt they ſhould think him a Worſhipper of Jeroboam's Calves, but an Hebrew, taught from a Child to know the true God, yet had now baſely Diſobliged him, relating his Meſſage to Nineveh, and his Miſcarriage in turning his back, &c. to them; they were ſore afraid, ver. 10. being conſcious to themſelves of their greater ſins than this of Jonah, and preceiving (ſaith Calvin) that Jonah's God was a juſt Judge, ſo ſeverely purſuing him with a Storm for his Diſobedience; how much more might the ſame God puniſh them for their greater Rebellions, as Idolatry, &c. Yet whatever they thought concerning themſelves and their ſins againſt God (ſaith Daneus) they ſay, [Why haſt thou done this?] as if he had been the only Miſdoer among them all, &c.
Mark 6thly, The Sentence paſſed upon Jonah; wherein, 1. They make Jonah to be his own Judge, ſaying, What ſhall we do unto thee?] ver. 11. meaning (ſaith Mercerus) thou art a Prophet of the Lord, and knoweſt beſt how he may be pacified, ſeeing alſo thou art the Party whom he purſueth: They feared to execute Jonah, looking now upon him as a Saint of God and as a Prophet, and ſo durſt not offend Jonah's God: And in this great grief they appeal to him, that they might not periſh with him: Hereupon, 2. Jonah denounceth his own Doom againſt himſelf, [Caſt me forth into the Sea, &c.] ver. 12. wherein we have, as before, his real Repentance, ſo here his famous Faith triumphing over Death, offering himſelf to it with great Courage; and his illuſtrious Love likewiſe in chuſing rather to die as a piacular perſon, than to cauſe ſo many Men die for his Crime.
N. B. 1. Man is call'd, foreign, a Life-loving Animal: David asks, [What man is he that deſireth life, and loveth long days? &c.] Pſalm 34.12. and Auſtin anſwers, There is no Man but would be Maſter of ſuch a Felicity: Therefore Jonah did not raſhly offer himſelf to Death, his natural Reaſon would oppoſe it; but he did it by a ſupernatural Revelation, as a Prophet, whereby he propheſy'd of the Calm that would enſue when the raging Sea had got its prey. He only did freely ſubmit to the mind of God, that had mark'd him out by the Lot to Puniſhment.
N. B. 2. Jonah was a Type of Chriſt in this (ſaith Mercerus) that Chriſt offer'd himſelf to Death, without which the Tempeſt upon the World could never have been becalm'd and quieted; and who without Murmuring took the Sins of the World upon himſelf, as Jonah did of the Ships-Crew here; and in that much more, of his being in the Whale's Belly three days and nights, as will appear afterwards in its proper place.
Remark the Ninth; The Execution of that Sentence which Judge Jonah (being foreign, ſelf condemn'd, Tit. 3.11.) denounced againſt himſelf.
Mark 1. Its Antecedents, which are Two; Firſt, Their fear of executing the Innocent, made the Mariners row hard, ver. 13. to ſave Jonah's life if poſſible. N.B. The Trinity conſulted to make Man in God's Image, Gen. 1.26. therefore Magistrates may not raſhly marr it, but rather maintain it; if it may ſtand with Juſtice, they muſt ſhew Mercy, as the Mariners did here; however they ſhould ſweat to ſave their Souls. Man is like a Glaſs, once broken, cannot be made up again: Secondly, When they ſaw all their cordial Compaſſion, and utmoſt Endeavours (as the Sept. foreign, ſignifies) with all their might to bring the Ship to ſhore for ſaving Jonah, but could not, ſtriving only againſt the Stream, and the irreſiſtible Will of God (Voluntas Dei eſt neceſſitas Rei) Then they betake themſelves to Praying, when Rowing could not prevail: Ora, labora, is the Rule. And, 1. the Object of their Prayer was not Aeolus or Neptune (thoſe Pagan God's of Wind and Sea) but Jehovah, whom they name thrice, ver. 14. Thus much they had learn'd from Jonah to invocate the true Jehovah, and not their falſe Gods as they did, ver. 5. before this. 2. The ſubject of their Prayer was deprecating, both that they might not periſh for Jonah's ſake, and alſo that innocent Blood might not be imputed to them, for he had done them no harm. 3. Their Submiſſion in it, was an acquieſcing in God's good pleaſure, ſaying [Our Rowing in vain againſt a tempeſtuous Sea (that ſtill continues ſo) is God's revealing his Will; 'tis thy Will and Law, that thou haſt appointed him to be executed, tho' full ſore againſt our Wills, &c.]
Mark 2. Its Concomitants, ver. 15. where, 1. They took up Jonah, not againſt his will, for his own Sentence againſt himſelf had given his Conſent to it, ſo that he in a ſort offer'd his Carcaſs unto condign Puniſhment: Herein Jonah's Charity is very exemplary, who yielded to periſh alone, rather than to have others periſh with him and for him. 2. [They caſt him into the Sea;] this was their laſt Refuge, being forced to do it in their utmoſt Extremity: The Mariners had tried all means to ſave him. Now they ſaw 'twas God's Will (which no man can reſiſt, Rom. 9.19.) that they muſt either drown and deſtroy him, or be drown'd and deſtroy'd with him, then they caſt him over-board.
N. B. 1. Thus dealeth God with his Servant Jonah, formerly faithful and able in his Office, and therefore ſent to Nineveh; All his foregoing Acts of Obedience could not preponderate this one Act of his Diſobedience, in refuſing to go thither when God commanded him.
N. B. 2. Our good Deeds are ſo far from outweighing our bad Deeds, that a leſſer fault laying unrepented of, may do us more miſchief than all our well-doing can poſſibly claw off, as may eaſily be inſtanced in Moſes, Miriam, David, &c. yet all this proceeds from diſpleaſed love of God.
Mark 3dly, The Conſequents thereof, which are twofold; Firſt, Reſpecting the Mariners, who were not only deliver'd from the danger of the Tempeſt, the Sea ceaſed from its raging when it got its prey, ver. 15. Nec maris Ira manet, Ovid. Metamorph. as Gen. 8.1. but alſo they were converted from their Idolatry to Worſhip Jehovah, ver. 16. when they ſaw the Winds and Waves obeyed him, as Matth. 8.23. Here God extorted from them, (ſaith Calvin) a plain Confeſſion; they had a natural fear before ver. 10 but now they feared Jehovah with a Religious fear; Demonſtrated, 1. By their offering Sacrifices to the true God, eſpecially themſelves as a ſpiritual Sacrifice, Rom. 12.1. ſaith Mercerus, and they reſolved to cover God's Altar in the Temple upon their ſafe Arrival, ſaith the Chaldee Paraphrast. And 2. By their Vowing that the Lord ſhould be their God, as Jacob (the Father of Vows) had done before them, Gen. 28.21. they vowed (ſaith Vatablus) that they would go to Jeruſalem when landed, and there Sacrifice to Jonah's Jehovah, and joyn themſelves to the Lord's People. Secondly, Reſpecting Jonah himſelf, ver. 17. as God brought good out of evil to the Mariners, as above; ſo he prepared a Fiſh to ſecure Jonah from being drowned in the Sea: Some ſay this Fiſh was a Shark, &c. but Christ himſelf calls it a Whale. Matth. 12.40. which is a great Fiſh indeed; though Pagan Authors transfer this Story of Jonah to Hercules, whom they mightily magnifie in all his Matters (ſaith Grotius) and whom they alſo feign to have leaped into a Whale's Mouth armed, and ſtuck faſt there three Days, and then crept out only loſing the Hair of his Head, by the heat of the Fiſh, as Scholiastes relates to Lycophron, who affirms, This was Triton's Dog, the Pagans ſtealing this Story from the Hebrews for the Greeks.
N B. 1. This great Fiſh was not at this Time created by God, but only prepared by his Providence for this very purpoſe to be preſent for ſaving Jonah; for all Creatures in Sea and on Land are the Lord's Servants, Pſalm 119.91. and muſt ſerve their Creator, when he commands them to ſave his Servants, as this Whale did Jonah.
N.B. 2. Whether this Whale were Male or Female, becauſe called both Dag and Dagah here, and Chap. 2.2. is uncertain; however this is certain, that this Fiſh ſhip'd Jonah, when caſt out of the Ship, and kept him unchewed or unchoaked for three Days, and on the third Day vomited him up to Shore, as the Grave did Chriſt, being no longer able to contain him, Matth. 12.40. Acts 2.24.
N.B. 3. Mercerus makes this Matter, not only a miraculous ſpecimen of God's Power and Providence, who will change the courſe of Nature rather than ſuffer his Servant to periſh here; but alſo ſpecifies many Miracles in it, as 1. That the Concoctive Faculty of the Fiſhe's Maw was ſo long reſtrained from conſuming Jonah. 2. That he in ſo cloſe a Priſon, could breath and live ſo long there without either Air or Light. 3. That he was not choaked with the intolerable ſtench of ſo loathſome a Jakes. And 4. That he enjoy'd his Reaſon there as well as Life, and made ſuch an excellent Prayer there, as in the next Chapter.