Moses and Aaron, Treatise · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
11. Jonah a type of Christ in 4. respects.
IOnah was a type of Christ, as Matth. 12. 39. No signe Four things delivered in which Jonah was a type. 1. Name and office.shall be given them, but the signe of the Prophet Jonah.
I. In his name and office. Both Jonahs, both doves, one in name, the other in nature. Both mournfull, one in a sea of sorrowes shut in the whales belly, the other a man of sorrowes, and such as no man ever sustained and overcame: Both Prophets, Jonah sent to preach repentance to Niniveh: Christ the true Jonah, the great Prophet of the Church was sent to preach the same doctrine to the world, Mat. 4. 17: Then Jesus began to preach and say, Amend your lives, &c. Both of them in expresse words must signifie to their hearers, that without repentance they were in state of perdition.
II. In respect of his death and suffering. In the 1. kind, 2. Kind of death.2. manner, 3. fruit. 1. The kinde, it was a willing death, a free will offering. For as Jonah, when the tempest was raised, freely offered himselfe to death when the Marriners would faine have saved him, Ion. 1. 12. take me, and cast me into the sea that the tempest may cease: So, when the storm of Gods wrath was boystrous against the sinnes of mankind, Jesus Christ our Jonah offered himselfe to the death, for he had power either to lay down his life, or to retaine it, Joh. 10. 18. No man taketh away my life from me, but I lay it down of my selfe. Joh. 18. 5. I am he. 2. The terrible and dreadfull Egosum. Manner.manner. For as Jonah was swallowed up of the Whale who made but one morsel of him: So Christ was swallowed up of death, and seemed wholy devoured of the curse of God. As the one cryed in the Whales belly, and out of the belly of hell, Ion. 2. 2. and vers. 4. I am cast away out of thy sight: So the other cries upon the Crosse, My God my God why hast thou forsaken me? Both of them were in so extraordinary death, as in their sence they were in the deepest hell. 3. The fruit of it. 1. The appeasing of the wrath of God his And fruit.Father. For, as Jonah once cast into the Sea, the windes were stilled, the sea ceased from h…r raging, Chap. 15. 1. and there was a great calme: So Christ by his death pacified his Fathers wrath, stilled the rage of Satan, abolished the horror of death, which otherwise had never been still and calme towards us. 2. To save his fellowes. For as Jonah must be cast into the sea to save his fellowes from drowning, Chap. 1. 12. So must Christ be overwhelmed with the waves of his Fathers displeasure, and (as Jonah) be put to death by those that should have preserved him: but not for any desert of his owne, but to save his companions and brethren in the same ship with him from death and drowning: For so was the signification of his name, Jesus; so himself affirmed, Matt. 20. 28. The Sonne of man came to give his life a ransome for many. So also Caiaphas prophecies: It is fit that one man die for the people, and that the whole Nation perish not, Joh. 11. 50.
III. In Jonah we have a type of Christs buriall, noted by 3. Buriall.Christ himself. For as Jonah was in the belly of the fish, three days and three nights: Matth. 12. 40. So must Christ be detained in the grave, and lie under buriall three dayes and three nights, parts put for the whole, as perhaps also in Jonah) till the case seemed desperate in both; not onelyonly in their own apprehensions (as … have before shewed) but in the disciples apprehension. Luke 24. 21. We thought this should have been he that should have delivered Israel, and behold this is the third day.
IV. Jonah was a manifest, type of Christ in his resurrection 4. Resurrection.For, 1. As Jonah was taken into the belly of the Whale whole, & passed through the ranges & armies of teeth as sharpe as speares, without breaking or crushing one bone of him, or the least limb of his body: So Jesus Christ passed through the straight gate of death, but as one bone of him was not broken; the special and extraordinary providence of God in both of them watching the whole businesse. 2. As the Lord spake unto the fish, and the fish against his will must cast up Jonah on dry ground: So the belly of the earth can keep Christ no longer than the third day (no more than the belly of the Whale could keep Jonah) his blessed body must see no corruption. 3. As Jonah returned from his grave with a song of praise and thanksg…ving, Chap. 2. So Jesus Christ returned to life from his grave with a song of triumph and victory, fore-prophecyed, Hos. 13. 14. and accomplished, 1 Cor 15. 55. O death where … thy sting! O grave where is thy victory! 4. As Jonah an Hebrew goes not to preach to the Ninivites, being Gentiles, till after his resurrection out of the belly of the Whale: So Jesus Christ an Hebrew, not till after his resurrection, leaves the obstinate Jewes; and by his Apostles Ministery and preaching turnes himselfe to the Gentiles, Act. 13. 46. 5. As Jonah after his delivery, went and preached the doctrine of repentance with great fruit and successe, to the conversion of all Niniveh, and preventing the fearfull wrath denounced to come within forty dayes: So our Lord Jesus after his resurrection and ascension, sending out his Apostles to preach repentance and remission of sinnes, mightily prevailed, and suddenly converted many nations of the heathen, and brought them to faith and repentance.
For Application:
I. Let us acknowledge a greater than Jonah here, Matth. Use. 1. Repent at the Ministery of his servants. Motives.12. 41. Least as the Ninivites shall rise up against the Jewes, they rise also against us if we convert not, nor repentat Christs doctrine as they did at Jonahs. For, 1. Who are they to us? They barbarous Heathens, and Gentiles, never instructed before: we have been trained in the Scriptures from childhood. 2. What were their meanes to ours? Jonah preached but three dayes to them: Christ hath preached, not three Christ a far more excellent Preacher.days as he, nor three yeares as to the Jewes; but above threescore yeares: He preached one Sermon: Christ a thousand. 3. What was this Preacher to ours? 1. Jonah was a weak man: Christ is God and man. 2. Jonah a sinfull man, cast into the sea for his own sinne: Christ an innocent man, cast into the sea for our sinne. 3. Jonah a Prophet, a servant: Christ the Lord of all the holy Prophets, therefore of Jonah. 4. Jonah a stranger to them: Christ of our own kindred and family. 5. Jonah preached unwillingly: Christ preached freely, and spent himself for us. 6. Jonah preached nothing but destruction of them and their City: Christ a sweet doctrine of grace, salvation, and the promise of a kingdome of heaven. 7. Jonah came indeed out of the belly of the Whale, but did no miracle for confirmation of his doctrine: Christ came both from the bosome of the Father, and from the heart of the earth, and did innumerable signes and miracles in which we see his glory. 8. Jonah a most angry & impatient man, would faine die because he Ninivits did not: Christ a mirrour of patience will die least his hearers should. 9. To Jonah no prophet gave witnesse, or foretold of him: To Christ all the Prophets gave witnesse, Act. 10 43. and spake before of him. Shall now Niniveh repent in sackcloth and ashes by Jonahs Ministery of three days; and shall not we by Christs constant Ministery of threescore yeares? Shall Niniveh condemne Judea for not acknowledging a greater than Jonah; and shall it not condemne us not repenting? whose sinne shall be farre greater than that of the Jewes, who rejected Christ in his abasement and humiliation; but we reject the Lord of glory, now exalted.
II. In the type and truth the freedome of Gods favour Use. 2. Vocation of the Gentiles. Rom. 9. 6.in the calling of the Gentiles. Jonah was a preacher of grace to the Gentiles: and Christ was a preacher of grace, not to Jewes onelyonly, but the Gentiles also: being given for a light to the Gentiles, that he might be the salvation of Gentiles to the farthest parts of the earth. For 1. God is not the God of Jewes onelyonly, but of Gentiles also. Rom. 3. 29. 2. Christ was the promised seed in whom all nations must be blessed. Gen. 22. 18, Hence comes in our title to grace, and not from any desert of ours. For what is amiable in the wilde olive? It is onelyonly Gods free calling, who calls her that was not beloved, to be beloved.
Object. If we be grafted into Christ, and received into grace, all is well, we are in state good enough.
Sol. Some are grafted into the Church by profession of mouth onelyonly, as all were not Israel that were of Israel: and some planted into it by the faith of the heart. The former are not altered from their wilde nature: the other are renewed to the Image of Christ. Therefore let none content themselves with externall profession, joyning in the word, sacraments, and prayer; but labour for soundnesse of faith and grace, by which onelyonly we become branches of the true Olive; whereas to be hanged as a scien, by a thred of profession, will not keep it from withering.
III. In both we have a certaine Emblem and proofe of our Use. 3. Our resurrection assured to us.resurrection. Rom. 8. 11. If the Spirit of him that raised up Jonah and Jesus be in us, he shall also quicken our mortall bodies, and if the head be risen the members must rise also. For as God spake to the Fish, and the fish gave up Jonah as from the dead: so shall God speak to the earth and Sea and all creatures, and they shall give up their dead. Isai. 26. 19. he shall say to the earth give, and to the sea restore my sonns and daughters, and they that are as seed under clods shall awake and sing: And these dry bones shall be againe covered with sinewes, flesh, and skin, a… Ezek. 37. 6. For as it was impossible for Christ to be held ever under death, Act. 2 24. as impossible is it for his members. Let us comfort our selves in the approach of death to our selves, or our friends, and by rising before hand from the grave of our sinnes, provided for a blessed and joyfull resurrection. 2. King. 13. 21. a dead body, cast into Elisha's grave, quickned: so our soules and bodies.
IV. The wonderful power and wisdome of God, that can Use. 4. Power and wisdom of God to be admired.draw light out of darknesse. Jonahs casting over board into the sea was the occasion of converting the Marriners: Even so Christs death converted many of them that were causes and authors of it. Act. 2. 36, 41. And as the Marriners lives were saved by casting Jonah into the sea: so all beleevers by the death of Jesus Christ. 1. Let us not measure Gods works by carnall senses. This made the two disciples going to Emaus, Luk. 24. to make but a bad argument: He is crucified, and behold this is the third day; therefore though we thought he should have redeemed Israel, we are deceived. Whereas faith would have made a clean contrary conclusion: He is crucified, and this is the third day; therefore he is the Redeemer. The Jewes not knowing the Scriptures, and power of God, are hardned against Jesus Christ, expecting a great Emperour, as Julius Caesar, or some great Monarch; not able to see that by so base a death life could be procured. The carnall protestants are held off from the true embracing of Christ, because they see the truth and sincerity of Christ every where so resisted and hated by great Rulers and Doctors; as if it had not been so in Christs own person and Ministery; or as if Christ was not set as a signe or butt of contradiction, whereas, therefore it must needs be he. 2. Let us admire Gods power and wisedome, and patiently with Jonah expect after darknesse light. And seeing God can turne the greatest evill into the greatest good of his Church; let us labour to make benefit of all evils hapning to our selves and others. 1. Even of our sinnes themselves, to make us more humble & watchful for time to come 2. Of our sufferings, as Jonah and Christ learned obedience by the things they suffered.
V. In the type and truth we have, first terror on the one Use 5. Terror of sin, even in Gods own children.hand, secondly comfort on the other. 1. We see the weight of sinne committed pressed Jonah into the deepest sea of evills; and sinne imputed thrust Christ into a deeper sea, even the deepest hell. Both seem left of God in the hands of death; both cry out as left in the depth of hell. 1. Do thou run from God and duty, and though thou beest Gods childe, thou maist find God pursuing thee, as if he were an utter and irreconcileable enemy. 2. Make as light a reckoning of sinne as thou canst, the least of them shuts us or Christ out of heaven. Doth Christ undertake thy sinne, he sees not heaven till he die for it? Sinne imputed will not let Christ enter into heaven, but by his own bloud, yea, through hell. Thy sinne repented of held Christ, an innocent, out of heaven till he died for it: but where shall ungodly and impenitent sinners appear? 2. This same collation affords us sundry grounds of comfort.
First, both seem forsaken, neither of them was so; but And comfort.both of them go to his God. There is no time nor place wherein the child of God may not boldly goe to God, and pray to his God and say: My God, my God.
Secondly, no deepe is so deepe but Gods hand can reach helpe into it, even into the Whales belly, and heart of the earth.
Thirdly, the extreamest misery and death it selfe work to good to the godly. See it in Jonah: Where was feared perdition, Ubi putab… batur interitus, ibi custodia.there was found preservation. The Whales belly was a prison indeed, but to preserve him alive; a deepe gulfe and a sea, but to save him from drowning. Can any man save a man from drowning by casting him into the Sea? but God can.
Fourthly, when the case seems most desperate, then the Lord steps in to help; When no helpe can be expected any other way, after three dayes and three nights Jonah must be cast up, and Christ raised up. Never feare extreamities, but then exercise thy faith most, for then is God the nearest: howsoever, trust in him though he kill thee, Job 13. 15.
Fifthly, the deepest sorrowes of Gods children end in greatest joy. God hath a dry ground for Jonah after a sea of misery: a glorious ascending for Christ after his lowest descent. Whatsoever the sorrowful songs be that Gods people sing here in Egypt or Babel, they shall end in songs of joy and victory, and be changed into the songs of Moses and the Lambe. Rev. 15. 3.