A Plat for Mariners, Sermon 6
Jonah 3. 7. And the Lot fell upon Jonah.
WE have already heard of a Controverſie, and of the means that was uſed to decide that Controverſie, viz. by caſting Lots; now we are come to the deciſion of the Controverſie, viz. The diſcovery of the guilty perſon who had cauſed this ſtorm; And the Lot fell upon Jonah.
The Obſervation is this, God will certainly find out the Jonah that cauſeth the ſtorm.
This Lot that found out Jonah, was the determination of God, the finger of God; The diſpoſing of the Lot is of the Lord, ſays the Wiſe-man; The guilty perſon ſhall not always go undiſcovered; though he was gone down into the ſides of the Ship, and was faſt aſleep, yet he is found out.
But it is neceſſary we ſhould premiſe ſomething before we come to follow the Obſervation, that all ſtumbling blocks may be taken out of the way.
1. Perſons under guilt may go a long time undiſcovered: Jonah for a time we ſee continues ſo; yea, though the ſtorm was upon the Veſſel where he was, yet he is not diſcovered. It may be ſaid of many a poor ſinner, as is ſaid of the wicked man, He flatters himſelf in his own eyes, until his iniquity Pſal. 36. 3.be found to be hateful. He goes on for the preſent, and thinks, all is well; but God diſcovers him ſooner or later, and makes his iniquity hateful. Some mens hidden works of darkneſs are ſooner brought to light than others. Judas goes a long time among the Diſciples, before he be diſcovered; Herod hears John, and for a time goes on ſmoothly before he be diſcovered; Demas goes hand in hand with Paul, a long time before he was diſcover'd to be ſuch a worldling as he proved; whether he did return again or not (as ſome think he did) yet his guilt by Act. 19. 33.his fall was diſcovered. Alexander as ſome think, that ſtood by Paul in that uproar at 1 Tim. 1. 20.Epheſus, yet afterwards apoſtatized, and 1 Tim. 3. 14.ſo was diſcovered, and did him much harm. O Sirs, you may cover and conceal your ſin for a time, yet a diſcovering day is coming, the day ſhall declare it.
2. Some perſons ſins are not diſcovered until they come to the great Reckoning, the great Audit-day. Some mens ſins (ſays the Apoſtle) 1 Tim. 5. 24.are open before hand to judgment, and ſome men they follow after. Then the hidden things of darkneſs that eſcape diſcovery now, will all be brought to light; and what if you be hid here, this will but harden you; whereas a diſcovery might be a means to awaken you, and bring you to Repentance: Sometimes poor ſinners by ſhame are brought to true Humiliation for ſin, when they are diſcovered; they are aſhamed as a Thief is aſhamed, and ſo are led from the ſight of their ſhame unto the ſight of their ſin; but aſſure your ſelves, if you be not found out now, yet the day of the Lord will make a diſcovery of all your hidden ſins, at Sea, or at Land, when the Lord comes, He will bring to light the hidden things 1 Cor. 4. 4.of darkneſs, and will make manifeſt the counſels of the hearts, and then ſhall every man have praiſe of God. Not only the ſecret ſins of mens lives, but the ſecret ſins of mens Rom. 2. 16.hearts; therefore it is called, a Day in which God will judg the ſecrets of men.
3. Some ſinners guilt comes under more dreadful aggravations than others, and ordinarily the more aggravations that mens ſins are clothed with, the ſooner God will lay them open to a diſcovery: This was Jonahs caſe, his guilt was not ordinary guilt; the aggravations of it you have heard: As Hypocrits their ſins are more aggravated than other mens, therefore uſually diſcovered; he often unvailes them, as he did Judas, as he did Demas, as he did Herod, and others; and backſliders, perſons that once have taſted of the good word of God, and ſweetneſs in the ways of God, and fall back, theſe mens ſins though ſometimes hidden, God makes open diſcovery of, rips up their ſins they never thought ſhould come to light. Theſe mens ſins are under great aggravations, and ſo lie nearer to a diſcovery; and ſo poor Seamen that are men of ſo many mercies, and their Relations, Perſons under ſuch tyes and bonds of mercy, if they will break all theſe, and ſin in an hidden and ſecret way againſt God. Oh this aggravates their ſin exceedingly, and God will ſooner or later make a diſcovery of it.
4. Ʋſually if God diſcover guilty perſons, it is in a more than ordinary way; their guilt is not ordinary, and ſo the way that God takes for their diſcovery is not ordinary. God we ſee ſent an extraordinary ſtorm after Jonah, and finds him out by Lots, which was the moſt extraordinary way of diſcovery that was uſed; they are not ordinary Convictions, nor ordinary Afflictions, that uſually God diſcovers ſuch guilty perſons by.
5. Ʋpon their diſcovery they either grow worſe, and are hardned; or they are deeply humbled. Jonah he now upon his diſcovery, acknowledges and accepts the Puniſhment of his iniquity. For my ſake is this evil come upon you; which was an expreſſion ſetting out his Repentance and Humiliation. Herod upon his diſcovery grew worſe, and added to all, taking John's liberty and life away, under whoſe Miniſtry he did once ſit. Thus we ſee Hypocrites after diſcovery, often prove profane; and Backſliders often prove perſecuters; theſe Revolters are profound to make ſlaughter.
Theſe things premiſed, the Query for us to look into, will be this, in opening this Doctrine, What ways and means uſually doth God take for the diſcovery of guilty perſons? This will contribute very much to the clearing of the Point.
1. God doth often diſcover guilty perſons, by purſuing them with the Terrors of their own Conſciences. Conſcience, as Gods Avenger doth purſue the guilty ſinner, though for a time it may ſleep, as Jonah's here did; yet when God awakened him, you ſee what he ſays, Caſt me over-board, for my ſake is this evil come upon you. Though conſcience may be for the preſent ſeared, and inſenſible; yet when God once awakens it, Oh it will cauſe a poor guilty ſoul to cry out, Oh miſerable wretch that I am! O vile brute that I am to provoke ſuch a God! to hazard for ever and wound ſuch an Immortual Soul! to run a courſe directly head-long to my eternal ruin! That word is very conſiderable you have had hinted; when Moſes gave the Tribes good Counſel, that were to inherit on the other ſide Jordan, if they would not follow it, he tells them, Be ſure their ſin will find them out; their ſin, viz. their puniſhment Numb. 32 23.for ſin ſhould come upon them, as the blood-hound finds out the thief. We read David in great trouble and diſtreſs, he was not able to look up, his Heart failed, and was not this ſad? Looking up is the Believers laſt refuge. The caſe was this, Guilt lay upon him, Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me. Pſal. 40 12.As the Hue and Cry takes hold of the guilty Malefactor, and then he is diſcovered that was not known to be the guilty perſon before. Oh thus, Conſcience hath found out many a ſecret ſin, Oh how hath it dogged Sinners! many ſecret Murders, how Was not Savage's murder, Butler's thus?have they been diſcovered by the intolerable torment of their own accuſing Conſciences? Well then poor Seamen, and all poor Sinners, remember when under any temptation to ſin in another Country, where you think it will never be known, remember Conſcience looks on; and the day is coming that Conſcience will ſpeak home, and tell you of it; it is God's Regiſter; may be when you have forgotten, Conſcience will give you dreadful and awakening Memento's of it, when God ſhall open the Seals of this Book of Conſcience. Oh what diſcoveries will there be made! alas now it is a ſealed Book, a claſped Book, but yet a day is coming even in this life, in which God will read you many a lecture out of it, all your enditements here, and hereafter, ſinners will be taken out of this Book. Whither can guilty Malefactors fly to be hid from Gods finding out? If they hide themſelves▪ ſaith the Lord, in the top of Camel, I Amo. 9. 3, 4.will ſearch and take them out thence, viz. If they climb the higheſt mountain for hiding, God will diſcover them: O but it may be they will go to Sea; Though they be hid from my ſight in the bottom of the Sea. Will ſinners ever be found out there? Thence will I command the Serpent, and he ſhall bite them. Either we may underſtand it, of commanding Judgments, to find them out; as afterwards, I will command the Sword to ſlay them; Or, that the guilt of their own Conſciences ſhall bite them, and ſo torment them, that they ſhall be diſcovered by it. O when God commands Conſcience to bite, when God ſets it on; O how it doth dogg and haunt the guilty ſinner! it is Gods Officer; when he commands it, and gives it a warrant to make a ſearch for the guilty Malefactor you cannot deny it entrance.
2. God many times diſcovers guilty perſons by ſending Judgments, and Afflictions after them. Theſe are Gods ſearchers, Break thou the arm of the wicked, and the evil man; ſeek Pſal. 10. 15.out his wickedneſs until thou find none; viz. by thy Judgments puniſhing them for it. Until this Judgment, this great ſtorm came upon Jonah, he lay undiſcovered. We read of the Lords people crying out of their ſins; they teſtified againſt them, they gave in Teſtimony againſt them in the Court of Conſcience. And as for our iniquities, we know them; Oh now they are plainly diſcovered Iſa. 59. 12.unto them; they were at this time under the ſad ſtrokes of God. If Conſcience be aſleep, and the calls of the Word cannot be heard, and the motions of the Spirit, the ſtill voice cannot be heard; then God will lift up his voice in ſome heavy Calamity, to try if that will do: may be a blow from Heaven will do more, than many a word from Heaven will do; it may be the poor guilty Seaman ſhall go into Slavery, and in his Captivity remember himſelf; and if they be bound in Fetters, and be holden in cords Job 36. 8, 9.of Affliction; what then? then God ſheweth them their work, and their Tranſgreſſions; now all is laid open, and diſcovered, and that they have exceeded; or it may be a breach may come upon mens Eſtates to diſcover mens ſins; when they are brought low, then they may ſee the fruit of their evil ways; Or it may be ſome Judgment of God upon their Bodies.
3. God uſually diſcovers guilty perſons, by ſuffering them to fall into ſome notorious ſin. Secret Hypocrites whoſe hearts have been rotten, though they have had fair outſides are many times thus diſcovered: Judas who was one of the Twelve, and carryed the Bag, was a cloſe Hypocrite all the while; and you ſee for a diſcovery of his ſecret guilt, what a ſin he falls into, viz. to betray his Lord and Maſter. Thus Herod a ſmooth Profeſſor, he reformed many things, heard John Baptiſt gladly, (who was no ſleepy Preacher) and we find what a dreadful piece of Guilt he falls into with his Brothers Wife, and thus is diſcovered; and then adds one ſin to another, in taking away the Miniſters life, that he uſed to hear gladly. And this alſo is obſervable, when poor Souls that have had taſtes of God, and ſome impreſſions and convictions upon them, do wear theſe off, and caſt all ſeriouſneſs from them; the Lord often ſuffers them to fall into ſome very groſs and ſcandalous evil, either to diſcover ſome former guilt, that lay hid, unrepented of; or elſe to awaken their Souls, that they may recover that which they have loſt; as a man that ſleeps on Horſe-back, may ſoon get a dangerous fall, ſo a poor ſleepy Profeſſor may, nay often doth catch, deſperate falls, to awaken him.
4. God diſcovers the guilty perſon by giving him up to ſome groſs and notorious error. We read of Hereſies being among the Corinthians, Cor. 11. 19.That they that are approved might be made manifeſt; and ſo God gives up often Tim. 1. …, 20.unſound hearts to unſound opinions; thus Tim. 3. 9.Alexander, who was an eminent Profeſſor; and God ſays of ſuch, They ſhall go no further, but be made manifeſt.
5. God many times diſcovers guilty perſons by cauſing the Power and Authority of the Word to ſeize upon them, and arreſt them. Thus God did by Nathan, diſcover Davids hidden …am. 12. … 13.ſin, Thou art the man: and as ſoon as this Arreſt was clapt upon him by the Prophet, David's Conſcience cry'd guilty, I have ſinned againſt the Lord; he doth not deny it, he doth not plead for it; nay, though it was done in ſecrecy, and covered over with a great deal of art, and induſtry, he doth not put the Prophet upon proof, For thou didſt it ſecretly, ſays Nathan; how did Nathan know? The Lord who ſees in ſecret, had informed Nathan. We read a ſtrange word of the Prophet Eliſha, that he told the Kings …ings 6. 12.of Iſrael the words that the King of Aſſyria ſpake in his Bed-Chamber; it was the Lord that informed the Prophet. Sometimes poor ſinners are ſo plainly told of their ſins in the Miniſtry of the Word, that they think ſome hath told the Preacher; Alas this is the ſecret convincing power that goes along with the Word, as the Miniſtry of Chriſt to the Woman of Samaria found out her guilt, Him thou haſt, is not thine Husband; and ſee how ſhe was ſmitten, and taken with it both, I have met with a Prophet that hath told me all that I have done. O poor ſinners when the Word thus meets with you, Oh then you ſhould ſay, Surely God hath a Deſign of love upon me to humble me, by finding of me out, and by ſo particular ſpeaking to my Soul; for when God hath a deſign to convert a Soul, he ſpeaks particularly to it; and when he hath a deſign to comfort a Soul, he ſpeaks particularly to it.
6. God many times diſcovers ſecret guilt by wonderful Providences. We read of a Bird of the air, telling the voice of the thoughts, and that which hath wings, telling the matter, even the hidden matters of the Bed-Chamber. The Bed-Chamber is the ſecret place, and a thought is the moſt ſecret act; A Bird of the air ſhall carry the voice; Viz. Eccleſ. ult.It ſhall be revealed by ſome unexpected means, as little ſuſpected for the doing ſuch a thing as a Bird is; and alſo it ſhall be diſcovered ſpeedily: God doth it ſometimes in both ſenſes, That which hath wings ſhall tell the matter, (in the Hebrew it is) that which is Maſter of wing ſhall carry it abroad; Viz. God will work a miracle to diſcover it, rather than it ſhall be hid: By what ſtrange Providences have ſome ſecret Murders come out, Hiſtory is full of; nay, many of your own Obſervations may be full of; as ſometimes in the very places where ſecret ſins, or open ſins have been committed, thoſe are the places where Judgments overtakes the ſinner; it is a good conſideration for Seamen, If thou ſin in this place, what if thou ſuffer in this place? and if thou think no body that knows thee, can know of it; O but that which hath wings ſhall tell the matter, rather than thou paſs on undiſcovered, or unpuniſhed.
7. God diſcovers guilt, or guilty perſons, many times by bringing them to Heart, and Conſcience-Examination. Jonah notwithſtanding the Lot fell upon him, confeſſes not, diſcovers not himſelf; they are glad to fall to examination, Tell us we pray thee …r. 8.for whoſe cauſe this evil is come upon us? what is thine occupation? and whence comeſt thou? what is thy Country? and of what people art thou? and then he confeſſes preſently, (as Solomon ſays in that caſe) Counſel in the …ov. 20. 5.heart of man is like deep water, but a man of underſtanding will draw it out. So we may ſay of guilt, it lies deep, but by examination it may be fetched out. As often before a Magiſtrate when the Conſcience of a Malefactor is put to it by a cloſe and judicious examination, much guilt hath been diſcovered this way.
1. Reaſon. Why God will diſcover guilty perſons. Why the Lot will fall upon Jonah? becauſe God hereby gets himſelf a Name; God by ſuch diſcoveries brings a revenue of Glory to himſelf, yea, in the Conſciences of poor Heathens; thus it was in this caſe of Jonah, Then theſe poor Marriners feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered Ver. 16.Sacrifice to the Lord, and vowed vows. Then (viz.) not only when they ſee they were delivered, but ſaw the Lord ſo righteouſly deciding the Controverſie by the Lot, and diſcovering the Delinquent. This did commend God to their Conſciences: What a name did God get by the diſcovering of Achan, who had ſecretly ſinned, and the execution of the offender was commemorated; And they raiſed over him a great Joſh 7 ult.heap of ſtones unto this day, and the ſierce anger of the Lord was turned away; wherefore the name of the place was called the Valley of Achor unto this day.
1. In the diſcovery of guilt, God gets his Juſtice a name. God will be juſt, and every man a lyer: How was God's Juſtice glorified in the Lot falling upon the grand Delinquent here? He as a righteous Judg paſſes ſentence upon the guilty Malefactor, and the Sentence is juſtified in Jonah's own Conſcience, For I know that for my ſake is Ver. 12.this great tempeſt come upon you. Thus David after he had ſo hid and covered his ſin, you know he did it ſecretly, and deliberately, endeavoured to conceal it, by his irregular uſage of Ʋriah; but when God fetched all …ſal. 51. 3. King. 21 10.out by the confeſſion of his Conſcience, then he clears God's righteouſneſs, For I acknowledg my ſin, and it is ever before me. It is a cuſtom for the Accuſer to ſtand before the Guilty perſon; ſo David here alludes, My ſin is ever before me; he was now haunted …al. 51. 5.with it, he ſaw guilt walk in his Conſcience; but Oh how doth he clear God in the caſe! That thou mighteſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, and be clear when thou judgeſt; Viz. Lord, I have ſo ſinned, that thou mayſt …. Anſ…orth.moſt righteouſly perform againſt me all the things thou haſt threatned; That thou be righteous in thy ſpeaking, and pure in thy judging; Viz. in what God ſaid to him by Nathan, (ſo the Dutch read it) or that thou mayſt overcome, (ſo one reads it), and ſo the …om. 3.Greek Verſion takes notice by the Apoſtle. O now the Soul is overcome, the Lord gets the victory of the ſinner; and he crys out Lord, thou art righteous in all that is come upon me; how ſecretly and covertly ſoever men commit ſin, either at Sea or Land, God is ſo juſt a God, he will bring it out to light ſooner or later; What you do in ſecret ſhall be revealed upon the houſe-top; as is ſaid in that caſe of the Diſciples. Oh then how good a Check is this to Seamens Temptations! Oh but God is a juſt God, and he will find me out. Gods eye which is a righteous eye, looks on; I think you have ſomething about your Ships, called the *A Bloc… in the Ship wherein the Launcers go that ma… faſt the ſhrowds to the Chains.Dead-mans eye; but here I am ſure you may ſay the Living God's eye is upon your Ships, upon your Souls, upon your Sins, yea, upon your ſecret ſins: for even they are ſet in the light of God's Countenance.
2: By diſcovering of hidden Guilt, God gets his Wiſdom a name; Oh the Lot is diſpoſed of by the Lord: Here was the wiſdom of God in the diſpoſing of the Lot upon Jonah; a God of wiſdom draws it out: You may ſay here of the wiſdom of God, as the wiſdom of Solomon got a name in the 1 King. … 28▪deciſion of the Controverſie about the two Harlots, and the living child; he gave there ſuch excellent Judgment: So doth God get his Wiſdom a name in diſcovering ſecret guilt.
3. The Omniſcience of God gets a name, by diſcovering hidden guilt. Nothing is hidden from him; you do not conſider, when at Sea, who looks on; what if Relations-eyes be not upon you, or Fathers eyes, or Friends eyes be not upon you, nor Miniſters eyes, who dearly love your Souls, and cannot ceaſe to pray for you? yet I will tell you whoſe eye looks on, Gods eye always is upon you. Oh this melted the heart of the poor Prodigal, when he firſt repented, and returned to his Father, Father, I have ſinned Luk. 15. 18.againſt Heaven and before thee: This was the conſideration that gave check to Joſephs Temptation, which might have been yielded mighty ſecretly, How can I do this wickedneſs Gen. 39. 11.and ſin againſt God? The ſecrecy of the Temptation ſhe thought would have brought him over; There was (ſaith the Text) none of the men within: Oh, but Joſeph knew there was an all-ſeeing God within, and this graciouſly awed his Soul. What though you Seamen go to the ends of the earth, Gods eyes run to and fro from one end of the earth to another.
4. God by diſcovering Guilt, gets his Omnipreſence a name; If I go, ſaith David, to the bottom of the Sea, thou art there. Can you go whither you ſail from under the reach of Gods eye? or from under the reach of his hand? Can you go out of Gods Dominion? The Kings of the Earth, one hath one part of the Earth, and another hath another; but the Lord is Univerſal Monarch, his Dominion reaches to the ends of the Earth. And as the Egyptians in their Hieroglyphicks, give for Magiſtracy a Scepter full of Eyes: So indeed the Scepter of this Univerſal Monarch is full of Eyes; He is Omnipreſent to behold all things done in the Earth: Is not the Eaſt-Indies, Guiny, the Weſt-Indies all God's Teritories? Is not he preſent there? Alas, poor Jonah would fly to Tarſhiſh from the Preſence of the Lord, but the Lord met him at Sea.
5. God by diſcovering hidden Guilt gets his Word and Truth a Name, he magnifies his Word in it. The word of his Threatnings againſt ſin though never ſo occultly committed; not one of his Threatnings, no more than one of his Promiſes ſhall fall to the ground: [as ſhe ſaid of John Knox's Threatnings, when he had denounced the wrath of God againſt a Scoffer at the people of God.] Oh then, how true will all God's Threatnings prove! Hath God ſaid, your Sin ſhall find you out, and will he not be as good as his word?
2. Reaſ. Why the Lord will diſcover Guilt? To bring poor Souls to ſhame, and ſo to Repentance, and all this while he hath a deſign of Love to the Soul in this diſcovery; other poor ſinners go on in ſecret ways of ſin, and their iniquities are concealed, upon which they are hardned in their ſinful ſecret haunts, untill they be arreſted, and ſummoned to appear before God's righteous Tribunal. It is ſaid of the guilty Children of Iſrael, As a Thief is aſhamed when he is Jer. 3. 26.found, ſo is the Houſe of Iſrael aſhamed. Now how is that? We read of ſome in Job that are cryed after, As a Thief (or as ſome reads Job 30. 5.it) they hooted over him as over a Thief. This ſets out the ſhame of diſcovered guilt; and now what will the ſinner do in this caſe when his ſhame appears? he many times by it is brought upon his knees, and to ſay with poor penitent Ephraim, After that I was inſtructed I ſmote upon my Thigh and was aſhamed, and confounded, becauſe I did bear the Reproach of my Youth. Therefore Repentance is thus expreſſed in many places of Scripture, We lie down in our ſhame, and Jer. 3. ult.our confuſion covereth us, for we have ſinned againſt the Lord our God, &c. And being impenitent, as it is expreſſed by being impudent, and ſhameleſs. Oh poor ſinner, had not you be better aſhamed than damned; bear your ſhame here, than carry it into Hell upon you.
3. Reaſ. Why God diſcovers Guilt. Why the Lot falls upon Jonah? Becauſe he will have ſome perſons made cautions and examples, and Sea-marks to others. Jonah was now ſet up as a Sea-mark to others. David as I have already ſhewed you, was diſcovered, that he might be a caution unto following Ages. So ſinners ſhould ſay, The ſecret guilt of ſuch an one is come out, God hath laid open all, although he thought himſelf ſafe enough; and Oh now ſhall not I hear and fear falling into the ſame; leaſt my ſin ſhould be aggravated, having ſuch fair warning? Therefore we read of them that made their iniquity to be remembred, Ezek. 21. 24.in that their Tranſgreſſions were diſcovered; i. e. that in all their doings, their ſins did appear. This was to warn others they ſinned not in the like kind.
4. God diſcovers guilt, ſecret guilt. That that the world may know that he will teſtifie his diſpleaſure againſt ſin, here the Heathen Marriners had a clear Teſtimony againſt the ſin of Jonah. When God doth wink at the ſins of men, they themſelves and others begin to think that he ſees not, or that he is like themſelves; according to that of the Pſalmiſt, Theſe things haſt thou Pſ. 50. 51.done, and I kept ſilence; thou thoughteſt that I was altogether like thy ſelf; but I will reprove thee, and ſet them in order before thine eyes. You think becauſe I do not manifeſt your guilt for the preſent, but ſuffer you to go on, that I am not diſpleaſed with your ſin: it is ſpoken of ſecret ſins, as Theft and Adultery, both which uſed to be carryed on and managed covertly and hiddenly; but ſays God, I will now diſcover them, and bring you to account for them, ſet them in order before you. And thus God gives in the Teſtimony of diſpleaſure againſt Sin; and what follows? Conſider this all you that forget God. So here it is, that others might take notice of it. God we ſee is impartial too in his Teſtimony againſt Sin, though it be in a Jonah, one that is dear to him, yet he will diſcover his diſpleaſure againſt it; if it be in a David, one after God's own heart, yet he will diſcover it, and bear an impartial Teſtimony againſt it; he will not let it go undiſcovered in his own Children.
5. God diſcovers ſecret guilt, or guilty perſons, that the rottenneſs of many hearts may appear, and may no longer go on to deceive others. Sinners are prone to walk in their diſguiſes and masks; now God will put theſe off, that men may appear in their proper colours what they are: The word Hypocrite ſignifies a Stage-player, one that acts in a Comedy, and they you know, are clothed to the part they Act; they may act the part of a Prince, and attired in ſuch a Garbe; and when this Garbe is put off, they are pitiful contemptible wretches. Oh, God will unclothe ſinners, although they go in the garbe of Saints and Believers; yet the Lord will in his time let the world ſee what filthy Ulcers, and what rotten hearts they have under their goodly out-ſides; thus he did by Judas, though it was a great while firſt; as God ſays of them, They ſhall preceed 2 Tim. 3. 9.no further, for their folly ſhall be made manifeſt unto all men. Here is an ample and an open diſcovery made of them; they ſhall proceed and deceive no more. We read of a terrible threatning of God, that God in this caſe often fulfills in this preſent life, They that turn aſide to their own crooked Pſal. 25. 5.ways; viz. of Hypocriſie as well as Idolatry, ſhall be led forth, or walk forth (as the Hebrew reads it) with the workers of iniquity; viz. ſhall be diſcovered to be in no better a condition than the very profane perſons are, they ſhall be led forth to puniſhment, or execution with them; for it ſeems to hint at ſuch a leading forth as when Priſoners go to condign Puniſhment. Oh, perſons may go on, as we have heard, ſmoothly a great while, but the ſhame of their nakedneſs ſhall appear, and God will turn mens inſides outmoſt; and then, happy is he that proves upright in the ſight of God, and in the ſight of others.
APPLICATION.
Is it ſo that the Lord will certainly diſcover guilt, the Lot ſhall fall upon Jonah? then it is a word of Information. 1. It informs us that God is an all-ſeeing God. Gods eye was upon Jonah when he lay faſt aſleep, as well as when he fled from his Preſence at firſt Gods eye followed him at Sea. So I ſay to you poor Seamen, Gods eye is upon you at Land, at Sea, at the beginning of your Voyage, and the progreſs of your Voyage, and the finiſhing of your Voyage. Behold the eyes of the Lord are upon the ſinful Kingdom. So I ſay the eyes of the Lord are upon all ſinful Kingdomes where ever you come; you cannot go from under his eye, you cannot ſail out of his obſervation. There is no Doctrine more proper, nay, of choiſer Advantage to Sea-faring men, than the Doctrine of Gods Omniſcience; therefore I will a little make bold to enlarge upon it; nay indeed it is an uſeful Doctrine for all ſorts of people whatſoever.
1. The Omniſcience of God lays an Awe of God upon Spirits. Can thou ſay or think that God looks on and venture to ſin? what to ſin in the Preſence of God? as he ſaid, Will he force the Queen in the Preſence of the King? Oh what a height of impudence in ſin is it for a perſon to ſteal before the face of the Judg! What poor Seaman, when thou art in a foreign Country, though the eye of Friends, Relations, godly Acquaintance do not look on, yet that eye looks on which ſhould ten thouſand times more awe thee, than the eye of all the Relations thou haſt in the world; the eye of God. The eye 1. of an holy God looks on, who cannot behold iniquity but with abhorrency; and dareſt thou ſin under ſuch an Eye? 2. The eye of a righteous God, will not this awe the Soul? The eye of a righteous Judg, Oh poor ſinner, is upon thee. 3. The eye of the great God, who hath power not only to ſtrike thee dead, but damned in every act of ſin: What not the greatneſs of God awe thee poor ſinner? how will the greatneſs of Perſons awe a mans Spirits, and make them very cautious of their deportments, and ſhall not the greatneſs of God ſtrike ſinners with an holy awe of his Majeſty? to awe mens Spirits in his Worſhip, we read this reaſon, given why they ſhould look carefully what they offer'd up to God, For I am a great King, and my Mal. 1. ult.Name is dreadful among the Heathen. 4. The eye of that God looks on, before whom thou muſt ſolemnly appear. O did poor ſinners but think, ſhortly they muſt give an account of theſe actions of theirs to that God that now is a Spectator; would it not awe their ſpirits? He ſees thee now that muſt judg thee ere long. Now thou art running on in ſin, there is no ſtopping thee; thou art Sermon-proof, and caſts the Word of the Lord behind thy back, and hateſt to be reformed; Well poor ſinner, it will but be a little while and thou ſhalt ſtand trembling before Gods Tribunal, receiving thy Sentence for theſe ſins that thou thought were ſecret, and hidden. 5. The eye of that God looks on that hath been a God of many preſervations and ſalvations to thee; who is it that gives thee thy Life every ſtorm, every Voyage, nay every moment? who hath been thy old friend to carry thee out, and bring thee home again? to reſcue and redeem thee ſo many times from the very brink of the Pit? Was it not God? may not you call him the God of your Salvations? How often hath he given you large Commentaries upon the Word, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. Pſal. 3. 8.And this God looks on, and dare you ven-venture to ſin under the eye of ſuch a God?
2. The Omniſcience of God truly ſtudied and obſerved is an argument of ſincerity, and integrity of Soul. Hypocrites act from the eye of men, both as to their ſins, as well as ſervices; they did all, it is ſaid of the Phariſees to be ſeen of men: So if the eye of man be over an unſound heart, it may be he is awed. O but the eye of God hath an awful influence upon a ſincere gracious Soul; O ſays this poor ſoul as Joſeph did, How can I do this and ſin againſt God; although the temptation was advantaged with ſo much privacy and ſecrecy. Therefore we read of that word of God's to Abraham, Walk before me, and be perfect; (viz.) be upright: The eye of God is much conſidered of by an upright Soul.
3. The ſenſe of Gods Omniſcience uſually makes the Soul conſcientious as to thoughts. What thoughts poor ſouls take in; Oh that is a wicked Proverb, Thoughts are free. Oh no, ſaith a poor gracious ſoul; Gods eye is upon every thought of the heart; as ſoon as it ſprings up in a conception in the ſoul, is falls under his cogniſance: That which is ſaid of the Word, much more may be ſaid of God, It is a diſcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart; diſcerns it as a Critick that paſſes cenſure what is to be approved, and what refuſed, (ſo the word is) he doth not only diſcern the thoughts, Heb. 4. 1…but critically diſcern them; he paſſes his obſervations upon them. It ſpeaks a great deal of Spirituality in the heart, to be careful of our thoughts: It may be poor Sea-men may at Sea be plotting ſin, what they will do when they come to their Port; Oh the Lord knows this. God ſaw that the Gen. 6.wickedneſs of man was great upon the earth, and that every thought of the imagination of his heart were evil continually. Figment of the thought; viz. what the mind faſhioneth within it ſelf by thinking.
4. The ſenſe of Gods Omniſcience will raiſe a ſpirit of watchfulneſs in the Soul againſt all ſin, but eſpecially againſt the right hand-ſin. Who are ſo watchful over their own hearts as thoſe that live under the ſenſe of Gods all-ſeeing Eye, being upon them? But there is one ſin above all we ſhould be very watchful againſt, and that is the ſin of our Complexions that we are ſo very prone to fall into: Oh the eye of God awes the Soul as to this; if it be drunkenneſs; if it be that ordinary ſin of poor Seamen, Swearing.
5. The ſenſe of Gods Omniſcience will preſerve your Souls againſt Atheiſm. This is an Age that never more abounded with Atheiſts than at this day: What is the language of them? How doth God know? can he judg through the dark Cloud? thick Clouds are a covering to him, that he ſeeth …b 22. 14not. This is true of wicked men, though it was not true of Job. The Pſalmiſt tells us of them, That they ſay in their heart, God …. 10. 11.hath forgotten, he hides his face, he will never ſee it: And if you forget Gods Omniſcience, you preſently may be brought to a denial of his Being; you had need have cautions againſt Atheiſm at Sea, even where you ſee ſo many of the Wonders of the Lord.
2. Branch of Information. Is it ſo that God will diſcover the guilty perſon ſooner or later, then it informs us what a folly it is for poor ſinners either at Sea or Land, to think to hide and cover their ſin from the eye of God! are there not many poor ſinners run into guilt at Land, and then to cover it and conceal it, they will go to Sea as Jonah did, who fled from the preſence of the Lord, and he would hide all by going to Tarſhiſh, but you have heard how God followed him. It is true, The heart of man is deceitful above all things; and will be covering and hiding its fin from God: But ſays he, I the Lord ſearch the heart, and try the reins, even to give every man according Jer. 17. … 10▪to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. We read a ſad ſtory of a profeſſing people, even the Ancients of the Houſe of Iſrael; Son of man ſeeſt thou what they do in the dark; every man in the Chambers Ezek. 1of his Imagery, for they ſay the Lord ſeeth us not, the Lord hath forſaken the Earth. And yet you ſee Gods eye was upon them all this while. Theſe Chambers were the ſecret places, where they had Idolatrous Pictures, and did there privately worſhip them, (as moſt conclude upon the place): though Achan's wedg of Gold was hid in the Tent, as hath been hinted, God diſcovered him.
3. It informs us then, If God will diſcover the guilty perſon, of the wretchedneſs of our ſinful deceitful hearts, and in what doth their wretchedneſs and deceitfulneſs appear more than in this thing, viz. to go about to hide ſin, when we have committed ſin: Oh then the next ſtep that Satan treads in towards us, is to excuſe ſin; this is as natural to us as it is to ſin, this hiding of ſin we derive from Adam, he excuſed the matter of his eating the forbidden fruit, and put it in a ſenſe upon God, The Woman thou gaveſt me, &c. Is not this to add ſin unto ſin? Oh ſee the wretchedneſs of hiding or going about to hide our ſin by way of excuſe, in theſe Particulars.
1. This is a continuance and perſiſting in ſin, and this always greatens guilt. It is dangerous to ſtep into a ſinful way; but it is more dangerous to continue on, and walk on in it; We read of a dreadful threatning unto him that walks on in his Treſpaſſes; God will wound the hairy ſcalp of ſuch. A godly man may ſtep into a way of ſin, but he is not hence denominated an ungodly man, becauſe it is not his courſe; and ſo an ungodly man may ſtep into a way of holineſs, but he is not for this called a godly man, becauſe it is not his courſe. Now every man is denominated from his courſe, but now when a poor ſinner doth go on in his ſin, this ſpeaks it his courſe.
2. Our ſin and wretchedneſs in excuſing our guilt, doth appear in this, it carries a face in it, as though we could mock God; nay, is it not an endeavouring to mock God? And hath not the Apoſtle cautioned ſinners againſt it? Be not deceived, God will not be Gal. 6. 7.mocked. What though you may deceive Relations, and mock them; and delude them; but thus you cannot do with God, God ſees you, and will find you out: If you will ſeek to mock God, I muſt tell you the day is coming that he will mock at you; He will laugh at you when your deſolation comes as a whirlwind; yea, he will mock when your fear comes.
3. A wo is written upon the head of this ſin; Wo unto them that cover, but not with a Iſa. 30. 1.Covering of my Spirit; that they may add ſin unto ſin. And ſure they are no ſmall ſins that God writes his woes upon the head of: Though it is true the literal ſenſe of it is, The Covering of the Kings's of Egypts Protection; yet it holds true in this ſenſe. For he hath ſaid, He that hideth his ſin ſhall not proſper. Jer. 2. ul…You may be confident in this Covering and the other, but in ſuch confidences you Souls ſhall not proſper, for God will lay open all.
4. Our ſin and wretchedneſs appears in this, When we go about to hide our ſin, it argues a great meaſure of Judicial obduracy, and hardneſs of heart, to be upon us; is not this a hard heart, that yields not to the Teſtimony of Conſcience? and ſtands it out againſt inward checks and convictions, nay it may be againſt terrors, and horrors of Conſcience: It may be when the Soul looks within it ſelf, is a Magor-miſſabib, a terror to it ſelf, yet it falls not down in Confeſſion before the Lord. Oh poor Soul what if God ſhould leave thee ſealed under this hard heart, and ſay of thee as of Ephraim, He is joined to Idols, let him alone. And he that is filthy, let him be ſo ſtill; and he that is unclean, let him be ſo ſtill?
5. Our hiding of ſin doth lead into great Temptations: Thus David's hiding his ſin did; you ſee what Temptations to cover ſin was he led into; one ſin brings in and brings on another; ſeldom doth one ſin go alone; Davids Adultery muſt be hid with making Ʋriah drunk, and ſending a Letter to Joab to put him in the Front of the Battel; how often is committing ſins covered with lying, And then I know not the man, with ſtanding in it, and then clapping an Oath upon the back of a lye; and thus one ſin clapt for a cover upon the back of another; We ſee how Adam ſeeking to hide his ſin, brought him into further guilt.
4. It informes us then, what a dangerous condition Hypocrites are in if God will diſcover the guilty perſon, many perſons go on ſmoothly, and carry the fair ſide forward, and yet the Lord ſees, within is rottenneſs; Oh poor ſouls, a day is coming that will diſcover the thoughts of many hearts; when God will turn mens inſide outward, & cauſe them to wear their hearts in their faces; O then will the Soul approved in the ſight of God, be a bleſſed Soul! alas, he is not a Jew that is one outwardly, but he is a Jew that is one inwardly, whoſe Rev: 2. 23praiſe is of God, and not of man. Therefore it is we read God telling the Church of Ver. 13.Thyatira, He will make all the Churches to know that he is a God that ſearches the reins, and heart. He will find out all the hollow hearted, rotten Hypocrites that creep into Churches: For Jeſus Chriſt is there deſcribed to have Eyes like a flame of fire; viz. to make exact diſcoveries, both of things and perſons: Oh what diſcovering days and diſpenſations hath God already brought upon us of late years, and yet greater diſcoveries are behind!
2. Ʋſe. Is it ſo that God will diſcover the guilty perſon? then it is a word of Caution, Then take heed you do not hide your ſin; Oh, poor Seamen of all men in the world ſhould ſtand clear here! ſhould be cautioned here as well as others; Therefore Joſhua ſpeaks thus to Achan, Confeſs and give glory to God, tell me what thou haſt done, and hide it not Joſh. 7. 19.from me. This we are very prone to, as hath been already hinted. We read of ſome that are ſaid, To hide it like a ſweet morſel under Job 20. 12 13.their Tongue. Though he ſpare it, and forſake it not, but keep it still within his mouth: What then? Yet his meat in his Bowels is turned, it is the gall of Aſps within him. Though they be mightily taken with it, and ſo as Children keep it as a ſweet bit under their Tongues, and there hide it, yet it is bitter when down, like the poyſon of Aſpes, that kills ſuddenly. Oh poor Seamen take heed of hiding your ſweets bits.
1. If you go about to hide ſin, God will reveal it in his anger, he will ſpeak to you in his wrath, and vex you in his ſore diſpleaſure; Gods anger reveals Jonah's guilt: What was the matter the ſtorms and winds were ſo high? Oh God was angry! What was the matter the Veſſel had like to have been broken in pieces? Oh God was angry with one aboard, that was hiding of his ſin! If once Gods anger be up, and be upon ſearching work for guilt, he will find it out, he hath ſtrange ways to do it in. The Sea ſhall riſe up againſt poor Sinners one while, and the Earth another: We read an obſervable word of the wicked; Terrors Job 20. 26, 27.are upon him, all darkneſs ſhall be hid in his ſecret places; which ſome underſtand, his hiding places, where he thought to keep himſelf cloſe, and covered in the dark, ſhall be light and diſcovered; by hiding places, (are meant) private corners, and ſecret places, or means of retiring, or ſheltring, which the wicked endeavour to find out, for the avoiding and eſcaping of the Judgments of God: The meaning of it then, is this, that they ſhall be ſo far from finding any help, and ſhelter in thoſe hiding places, that they ſhall be diſcovered, and meet with nothing but miſery and calamity; and this ſeems to be the ſenſe of the place, by what follows, A fire unblown ſhall conſume him; viz. The wrath of God here is compared to fire. But ſhall his ſin go hid now, the Lords anger is up againſt him, and his Family for it? ſhall it go ill with him, that is left in his Tabernacle? now it is like to go ill with the Houſe-Company, or Ships-Company? Why what is the matter? Oh God is about diſcovering work; The Heaven ſhall reveal his iniquity, and the Earth ſhall raiſe up her ſelf againſt him. Some underſtand it, That all the Creatures, Coeleſtial and Terreſtrial, animate and inanimate, ſhall be ready to miniſter and ſerve God in the executing of his righteous Decrees and Judgments againſt wicked men. As the Stars fought againſt Siſera, ſo God can cauſe the Stars in their influence to fight againſt poor Seamen; the Stars that ſo much befriend you. God raiſes up the Sea againſt you, the Winds againſt you to diſcover the very guilt that you go about to hide.
2. Poor Seamen take heed of concealing and hiding your ſin, when God ſhall ſet it home upon you, you will then cry out ſo much the more of it. It is like poyſon; if it be not vomited up, the perſon dies for it; as is ſaid of ſome wicked men, They have ſwallowed down Riches, and they Job 20. 15.ſhall vomit them up again, God ſhall caſt them out of his belly. Thus may it be ſaid of poor ſinners, that hide their ſin from God, when Conſcience ſhall come and cauſe the ſecret poyſon to work; Oh then what Confeſſions will there be to the Lord! as David, I have ſinned: I ſaid I would confeſs my ſin, &c. He did not go about now to hide it as formerly he had done. He had layn three quarters of a year in that fit of the Lethargy, the ſleepy diſeaſe; but now when God awakened him, Oh what Prayers and Confeſſions, and Tears doth he pour out to God! Thus Achan, though he had contrived Joſh. 7.to hide all, God you have heard brought out all, and then he confeſſes. So Jonah, here now God hath found him out, confeſſes all; it may be in a ſtorm at Sea, ſo will you do, or on a ſick bed in a ſtrange Country; ſo will you do it may be going down into the bottom; Oh then why ſhould you now go about to hide it?
3. Let poor Seamen take heed of hiding their ſin; for they think to make the Sea a hiding place to them; yet Gods right hand can reach them where ever they ſail; they cannot ſail beyond the reach of Gods right hand. Oh God will make a long arm after you, but he will find you out: Gods right hand can reach beyond the Line. Thine Pſal. 21. 8.hand ſhall find out all thine Enemies, where ever they are; at Sea, or at land, ſecret, or publick Enemies: Thy right hand ſhall find out thoſe that hate thee. Some carry it, Thy hand ſhall find vengeance for thy Enemies, for all thine Enemies. Thine hand, (one obſerves Mr. Ainſworth.that the Chaldee reads it) the ſtroke of thine hand. Oh cannot this hand find you at the Eaſt-Indies, or the Weſt-Indies? or where ever you go? O poor ſinner, thou that at preſent doſt not feel the weight of thy own guilt, it may be ere long wilt feel the weight of Gods ſtroke.
4. Oh let poor Seamen take heed of hiding their ſin, for this doth aggravate their ſin: this is to add ſin unto ſin. When men do ſin, and confeſs, and preſently are brought upon their knees for it, before the Lord; he is ready to forgive ſin. I ſaid I would confeſs my ſin, and thou forgaveſt me the iniquity of my ſin: But when men conceal and deny, Oh this aggravates and greatens it exceedingly.
5. O let poor Seamen take heed of hiding ſin; for God hath ſaid, ſuch ſhall not proſper, whether they be Landmen, or Seamen, the word of the Lord ſtands ſure, They Prov. 28. 13.ſhall not proſper. They may proſper for a while as the wicked, which the Pſalmiſt ſays, flouriſhes like the green Bay-tree; But however he proſper in the world, he ſhall not proſper in his deſign of covering his ſins; for they ſhall be laid open and diſcovered to his ſhame; but he that confeſſes and forſakes▪ ſhall find mercy. You ſee Jonah had ſucceſs, and things hit with him for a while, as in finding a Ship ready to ſet ſail when he came to Joppa; yet, we ſee, he did not proſper in his deſign.
6. Oh let poor Seamen take heed of hiding guilt, for this will bring terrible and dreadful ſtorms. Guilt uſually is a ſtormbreeder; it was ſo here with Jonah; it was Jonah's ſecret guilt that did raiſe this ſtorm; and Oh then poor Souls, what will you do, when ready to ſink, and your hidden unpardoned guilt looks you in the face! will not the Mariners then be afraid, the ſtout hearted Mariners? will not they then be terrors to themſelves? and terrors to all round about them? Oh what terrible Lectures will Conſcience read poor guilty Seamen, when they are in their diſtreſſes?
3 Ʋſe. Is it ſo that God will find out the guilty perſon; then it is a word of Exhortation to all Seamen, and other poor ſinners, that they would confeſs their ſin to the Lord. I beſpeak you, and beſeech you in the language of Joſhua to Achan, My Son confeſs, and give glory to the Lord. You have heard it is in vain to hide it from him: Oh therefore come to the Lord with that humble confeſſion of the Church in Ezra's days. O Lord God of Iſrael, thou art rightoous, for Ezra 9. 15we remain yet eſcaped, as it is this day; behold we are before thee in our Treſpaſſes, for we cannot ſtand before thee, becauſe of this. O how many poor Seamen may ſay we are yet eſcaped; eſcaped ſuch a ſtorm, ſuch a fatal tempeſt unto others, and yet we are before thee in our Treſpaſſes, and cannot ſtand with comfort and confidence before the Lord, becauſe they have again broken his Commandments after their eminent deliverances and ſalvations: And that you may fall down before the Lord in humble confeſſion, conſider theſe following Motives.
1. This is uſually the beginning of a kindly effectual touch of grace upon the heart: The poor Prodigal upon his firſt return unto his Father, ſays, Father, I have Luk. 15. Act. 19. 18ſinned againſt Heaven, and before thee; his firſt work upon his return is Confeſſion. We read of a great ſucceſs the Goſpel had in Paul's day, and many believed; and as ſoon as the Goſpel touched kindly their Souls, they confeſſed, and ſhewed their deeds, (ſaith the Text) viz. laying their hainous ſins by way of humble confeſſion, as Ephraim did, ſo it will be with a poor ſinner, As a Bullock unaccuſtomed to the yoke, he confeſſed he had been. Lord, will the poor Soul ſay, what a vile wretch have I been; with Paul, of ſinners I am chief; a Blaſphemer, a Perſecuter, an injurious perſon. When Paul was humbled, Oh how he confeſſes then, what a wretch he had been!
2. This puts poor Souls under a promiſe. O now upon thy knees poor ſinner, while thou art confeſſing thy ſin, thou mayeſt put into plea and ſuit Gods promiſe; and Oh what an excellent way is this of dealing with God, to be bewailing your ſin, and at the ſame time be pleading Gods promiſe for pardon; this is right Evangelical repentance to have one eye upon ſin to humble you; and another eye upon the promiſe to quicken you up to believe your pardon: uſually legal ſorrow keeps an eye upon guilt, but forgets to keep an eye upon the Promiſe. Now poor Soul it is thy only way to confeſs under a Promiſe, If we confeſs 1 Joh. 1. 9.our ſins, he is faithful and juſt to forgive us our ſins, and to cleanſe us from all unrighteouſneſs. Oh now he is engaged as a faithful God, to pardon poor ſouls: Oh Faithfulneſs is his name, and he will not, nay, cannot deny his name; and now he can be juſt in the pardoning, as well as in the puniſhing of ſin.
3. Motive to Confeſſion of ſins: you have comfortable preſidents upon record, of great ſins, and ſinners pardoned upon confeſſion, nay, upon the ſerious purpoſe of humble confeſſion: We read of Gods readineſs to pardon, even in a caſe of great guilt; this we have in David, I ſaid I would confeſs my ſin, and thou forgaveſt me the iniquity of my ſin; which was a piece of guilt highly aggravated, and circumſtantiated. Mary that was ſuch a poor Penitent that we Luk. 7. 4. 47.read, ſhe waſhed the feet of Chriſt with her Tears; (and muſt not here be moſt eminent Confeſſions poured out with theſe Tears?) And it is ſaid of her, Her ſins that are many are forgiven her, for ſhe loved much.
4. Motive to Confeſſion of ſin; if you deny it, it will be proved againſt you; and Oh what a folly is it for a Priſoner to deny the fact before the Judg, when he knows it will be proved againſt him. Thou haſt ſet our iniquities before thee, our ſecret ſins in the light Pſal. 90. 8.of thy Countenance. As it is the comfort of Gods people that he keeps a Book of Remembrance of their Sufferings: So it is the terror of wicked men that he keeps a Book of Remembrance of their ſins. There is the Conſcience of the poor ſinner will be called in as Gods witneſs againſt the guilty Malefactor at the Barr; that is an obſervable place in the Prophet, We roar all like Bears, and mourn ſore like Doves; we look Iſa. 59. 11, 12.for Judgment, but there is none; for Salvation, but it is far off from us: For our Tranſgreſſions are multiplied before thee, and our ſins teſtifie againſt us. They did bear Teſtimony againſt them. Oh poor Seamen, have not you many times in your extremities and diſtreſſes at Sea, felt the terror of this Teſtimony? have not the iniquities of your heels compaſſed you about?
5. Motive to Confeſſion of ſin. The King of Iſrael is a merciful King; It is this merciful King tha… the Soul preſents it ſelf before in humble Confeſſion. This was the motive to the Servants of Benadad, We have heard that the King of Iſrael is a merciful King; and they came with Ropes about their necks. Oh poor Souls, if you come to this merciful King with ropes about your necks, Confeſſing you deſerve to be turned off the Ladder, and to have a righteous ſentence executed upon you, he will meet you with a Pardon in his hand. This King ſits upon a Throne of Grace upon the Mercy-ſeat, giving out his Pardons daily to humble Penitents. Now we read that the Book of the Law, which contains all in it, all poor ſinners Enditements, it was put into the Ark, and the Mercy-ſeat covering it was above it. Oh this was ſhadowed out by it. Mercy triumphs over Juſtice in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Oh then poor ſinners bring your Confeſſions to the Mercy-ſeat.
Oh let all poor guilty Seamen, and all other poor guilty ſinners confeſs their ſins over the head of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. The Prieſt was to confeſs all the iniquities of Exod. 25▪ 20▪the people over the head of the Scape-Goat; noting to us, that we muſt take Chriſt into our Confeſſions; all poor ſinners Confeſſions, ſhould fall upon the head of Chriſt. Now poor ſinners, and poor guilty Seamen, ask your own Conſciences, Whether you had not better carry your Guilt before the Lord in humble Confeſſions, than have the Lords juſt and righteous lot find it out, either to the confuſion, or condemnation of your immortal precious Souls. O let this Text never be forgotten by you when you come under Sea-temptations, or Land-temptations. Oh, but the Lot fell upon Jonah.
FINIS.