Twelve Sermons, Sermon 1
THE FIRST SERMON OF THE PVNISHMENT OF IONAH.
Ionah. 1. 4. 5. 6.
4 But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mightie tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to bee broken.
5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cryed eueryevery man vntounto his God, and cast the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them: but Ionah was gone dovvne into the sides of the ship, and layd dovvne, and vvas fast asleepe.
6 So the shipmaister came to him, and said vntounto him, vvhat meanest thou, ô sleeper? Arise, and call vponupon thy God, if so be that God vvill thinke vponupon vsus, that vve perish not.
THE sinne is past, but punishment is to come. For after disobedience followeth wrath, the heauie companiō of wickednesse. For although she louelove not sin, yet she will be alwaies where wickednesse is, yea also full of strength like a Lion, which will not be tamed.
He that made the winds, commanded them, and they obay his voice, the windes and the waters obay him, but man will not obay him. He sayth not that a winde arose, but saith the Lord sent a great winde. Therefore we see the cause of this tempest, and so of Ionahs punishmēt. The iust iudge of the whole world, may not suffer sin vnpunished, therfore he sends the Lord sēt out a mighty wind. Thē it was not by chāce, nor yet by witchcraft: for the mariners (notwithstāding they were infidels) were not so grosse as toascribe it to any such cause, but rather thought it to be sēt frō some reuenging power, being prouoked to indignation by some particular person among them, that had committed some hainous fact: else why did they cast lots to know him and finde him out that had sinned, and whose sins did procure this tempest to bee sent? Though this winde had almost drowned Ionah, yet hee said, the Psal. 107. 25. to. 31.Lord sent it, so the Lord sendeth winde to bring ships to land in safety, and the same Lord sendeth wind to drowne, and breake, and sincke other ships. Therefore Iob said when he was bereft of Iob. 1. 21.all his substance at once, and left as poore as might bee, that the Lord had taken them from him, who had first giuen all to him, adding also thanksgiuing euen for the persecuting hand of God, which did so molest him. If some had so much losse by tempest as Iob, and such danger as Ionah, they would surely say with Iob: Blessed be the name of the Lord for it: But moe (it is to be feared) Iob. 2. 9.would say with Iobs wife, Curse God and die.
And there vvas a great tempest in the sea.
First God spake gently to him, Arise Ionah, go to Niniuie: then he would not goe, but seeing words would not serue, the Lord would take another way, and trie whether that could make him obedient to his voice. So the Lord caused a mightie tempest to arise in the sea, like the messengers that were sent to cōpell folkes to come to the banquet, that seeing the commaundement could not, the tempest might beare rule. For vnlesse it be an imperious crosse, we will not yeeld: so head strong is sin.
Therfore it is said, that God sent out a great wind, so that there was a mighty tempest, that sin might hauehave the foile, and God the victorie.
He that sailes to Tarshish, or whither he is forbidden to goe, would hauehave as good wind as he that sailes to Niniuie, or whither he is commanded to go. But he that doth one thing for another, shall receaue one thing for another, as Achab did, who hoped according to the saying of 400. false Prophets, to go vp and prosper, but he went vp and perished. As surely as Ionah thought to ariue at Tarshish, so surely the Spaniards thought to ariue in England. But as Ionahs companie wondered at this tempest, so at these Spaniards destruction, their fellows at home wondered, yea were astonied, how their inuincible power could be destroyed. But God is strong inough for them that kicke against him, and disdaineth to be crossed of dust and Ashes.
And there vvas a great tempest in the sea.
The ship went on roundly for a time, the Prophet sleeping, the Mariners sporting, their sailes flaunting, the waters calming, the windes guiding, so merily sin goes on before the tempest comes. The wind blowes not yet, therefore go on yet a litle, and yet a litle more, but suddenly the tempest rushes vponupon them before they beware of it, and tumbles them vp and downe, and suddenly all is like to be vndone. He came to the hauen, and paid the fare, and entred the ship, and hoist vp sailes, and went on forward, and all to flie from God, but now it appeares hee fled not from him but to him. Therefore Dauid saith, if I take the morning wings and slie aloft, loe thou art there, If I go into the nethermost depth, thy hand will find me out: therefore whither shall I flie from thee? So that when we thinke that we flie from God, in running out of one place into another, we do but run from one hand to the other; for there is no place where Gods hand is not, and whither soeuer a rebellious sinner doth run, the hand of God will meete with him to crosse him, and hinder his hoped for good successe, although he securely prophecieth neuer so much good vntounto himselfe in his iourney. What had he offended the winds, or the waters that they bare him such enmity? The windes and the waters, and all Gods creatures are to take Gods part against Ionah, or any rebellious sinner: for though God in the beginning gaue power to man ouer all his creatures to rule them, yet when man sinneth, God giueth power and strength to his creatures to rule and bridle man. Therefore he that euen now was Lord ouer the waters, now the waters are Lord ouer him.
But if Ionah had thought that God would hauehave brought things thus to passe, he durst not hauehave bin so bold in this enterprise. Therfore wee may see that sinne hath no eyes while it is on going. Tush (saith the foole) it is faire weather yet, while he goeth to the stockes.
So that the ship was like to be broken.
We hauehave heard of the causes and greatnesse of this tempest, the effects follow, wherby the greatnesse of it is the better exprest. First in the ship, then in the mariners.
The ship was like to be broken.
The ship was faire and goodly, so strong that it might hauehave encountred with instruments of war, and so sure made, that it might hauehave endured great tempests, and made many voyages. Yet now with one tempest, and at one voyage, it was so deformed, so weakened, in such a taking, that it was like to be shiuered in peeces: & all because Ionah was in it. Such strife is alwayes betwixt Gods Prou. 7. 22wrath, and mans disobedience. When Gods word will not turne vsus, Gods winds, and other instruments of his wrath must threaten to ouerturne vsus.
Then the Mariners were afraid, and cried euerie man to his God, and cast the wares out that were in the ship, to lighten it thereof.
The effects of this tempest in the Mariners were two. First they were afraid, then vsed meanes to appcase the tempest, and saue themselues.
Then the Mariners were afraid.
Mariners liuing in the sea, almost as fishes, hauing the waters as their necessariest element, are commonly men voide of feare, venterous, and contemners of danger. Yet now seeing the tempest so vehement on a sudden, that their goodly and tall ship was tost almost as a cock-bote, and crackt so, that it was like to bee torne all to peeces, and thereby were fully perswaded it was no common or ordinarie storme, but a reuenging tempest, for some extraordinarie cause, sent out vponupon them by some great power prouoked: now they are afraide, they tremble for feare, like women which shrike at eueryevery stirre in the whirrie, and like little children when they are frighted, least their ship breake, or leake, and so sincke, and they loose their goods, their ship, their liues and all.
Now these nought fearing fellowes, these high stomacked men, which defied daunger, are brought downe by danger, feare and quake like a young souldier which starteth at the sound of a gunne.
And cried euerie man vntounto his God, and cast forth their wares into the sea, &c.
The meanes which the mariners vse to saue themselues are diuerse. First they crie to their gods, then when that appeased not the tempest, they cast out their wares, They prayed. This is then a manifest signe, that the heathen acknowledge there is a diuine power, seeing and gouerning the whole world: for they wold not hauehave prayed at all, but that they were conuinced, there was a God, who beheld the affaires of men, and could in extreamest daunger deliuer whom he would. Nature conuinced them, the workes of God made them to acknowledge it. For in man though the lampes be wasted since Adam consulted with the Diuell to be a God: yet there is some little light left, which dwelleth in darkenesse like a sparke hid in the ashes: whereby the stately and most glorious frame of the world, withall the wonderfull varietie of the singular effects of all the excellent creatures therein considered, man cannot but acknowledge there is a God. Yea, his mighty power the blinded Gentiles saw so expresly in all the creatures, that they imagined it to be impossible for one God to worke thē all: therefore they thought that there were diuerse gods as there were diuerse seasons, diuerse nations, diuerse trades, diuerse languages, diuerse and sundrie kindes of all things: and so diuerse nations worshipped diuers gods. When the wicked see that all their inuentions will not bring their enterprises to passe according to their mind, but they are in extremitie and like to be cast away for want of succor, then they flie vntounto God, being driuen by compulsion as a beare vntounto a stake, and they crouch and kneele and make great shewes outwardly, of humiliation and pietie, all in hope of helpe from God, and as it were thinking to deceiue him by their hypocrisie.
EueryEvery one vntounto his God.
This sheweth, that they were of diuerse nations, for among the Gentiles eueryevery nation had a seuerall God to worship. Chamos was the God of the Moabites, and Beelzebub the God of the Ekronits, Dagon the God of the Philistines, and the Ephesians worshipped Diana. In our necessitie we flie euerie one vntounto his 1. Sam. 5. 5. Act. 19. 35.God: that is, in the time of necessitie eueryevery one doth flie for helpe and ease vntounto that which most feedeth his owne humor, or best pleaseth him, that wherein he reposeth most confidence, perswading themselues of sufficient reliefe from that: some run to their coffers, thinking that there it is that is able to procure ease from any troubles: other some run to their delights and wanton sports, supposing that there is no trouble so great, but they will cause them to forget it: some to their glorious attires and costly iewels, imagining they will now as well reioyce their hearts, remedying their griefe, as at other times they hauehave delighted others eyes, pleasing their sight: some to their daintie meates, and some to their soft beds, and easie standings, hoping by those to feele reliefe. In sickenesse we crie, come Phisicke helpe me: in heauinesse we call, come Musicke cheare me: in warre, we sound, come souldiers succour me: in quarrels we say, come law defend me. Euermore leauing the Creator, which is all goodnesse, and powerfull in himself, running to the creatures, which hauehave no goodnesse nor power, saue that they receiue from him: neither by their goodnesse, can do vsus good, but by his blessing.
And cried eueryevery man vntounto his God.
They did well in that they prayed, but they prayed not well, for they prayed euerie man vntounto his God, that is, vntounto fained gods, gods in name, but not in nature, and gods they were that could not helpe so much as themselues.
EueryEvery one to his God.
Euerie of these mariners did now in their extremitie call vponupon his God, euerie one vponupon that God which he thought most highlie of, & whom he had in his prosperitie reposed most confidence in. Now while none could helpe but one, they cried to manie, and by this meanes while they sought to lay the tempest, they stirred it more: for their prayers being Idolatrous, were so wicked, that the Lord had vtterlie destroyed them, if his merciemercy had not bene Psal. 144. 15.wonderfull ouer all his workes. They prayed much like the Papistes, which in extremitie crie out, some to one Saint, some to an other, some to Saints of this place, others to Saints of that place, thinking as these mariners did, if one will not helpe another will.
They cryed, &c.
They prayed, and their prayers did beat the skie, though they could not lay the tempest. They were not as manie of vsus be when we pray vntounto God, without a sence of their daunger, or without great desire to obtaine their requestes. What an hypocrisie is this that is common among vsus, to hauehave vehement speeches, and loud cries, and long prayers without liuelie affection within.
They cryed.
Here is a distinction of crying to be obserued: The righteous crie and as well when they are in prosperitie, as when they be in calamitie, though manie nothing so feruentlic: but the vngodlie then onelyonly, when the hand of God is vponupon them, and then also like beares without their pray, alwayes much doubting, sometimes dispayring of helpe although they crie for it. And therefore blessed is hee that hath the Lord for his God: and let them know that crie without faith, without confidence in God, Iam. 2. 7.they doe but crie in vaine. Let not the wauering minded man thinke to receiue any good of the Lord.
And cast the wares that were in the ship into the sea.
Here is the second meanes which they vsed to helpe thēselues. Now the mariners are content to cast their wares into the sea, in hope of some furtherance to saue their liues thereby. For though many will vēter their liues for riches, yet they rather part with all their riches, thē with their liues. But they cast thē out to appease the tempest, or lighten their ship, but it was sinne that procured daunger: and being cast away, would hauehave saued all. Which being retained the tempestabated not, the ship is nothing the safer though it be lighter. If I regard wickednesse in my heart, saith Psal. 66. 18 1. Cor. 13. 3 Cast away sinne, or thou castest away all.Dauid, the Lord will not heare me. And Paul saith, though I cast my life into the fire, if I hauehave no charitie, if I retaine malice in my heart, it profiteth me nothing, if I cast not away sinne, I cast away all. Some will giuegive the poore & yet vse extortion & vsurie to get money by: but God saith to such, that if they regard wickednesse in their hearts it profiteth nothing, though they part with all that they hauehave, & bestow it vponupon neuer so good actions, they do but as the mariners did, cast all away their desire nothing satisfied. For though they thinke thēselues beneficiall to the poore thereby, & hope for a reward therfore, yet God will accept of thē but as hypocrites, he will none of their oblations, hee abhorreth their verie prayers. Prou. 15. 8. vntill they hauehave hūbled themselues & reformed their owne hearts before him from such vncleannesse.
They cast out the wares into the sea.
They would faine hauehave laid the tempest, that thus readilie leese the wares, and cast out their verie tackling into the sea, but the sea will not be satisfied the waters must wash the sinner, or there is no safetie, nay the daunger is greater, the sea continuallie more and more troublesome, vexing them. But Ionah was no Ionah. 1. 11 15sooner cast into the sea but all was quiet, the windes are calme, and sea ceasseth from her raging: ô that iustice were executed, & he that troubled the ship were in the sea. He that troubleth, not he that against all reason is thought to trouble. Then should all be safe, yea peraduenture Ionah to.
And they cast the wares that were in the ship into the sea.
Obserue here that oftētimes many are punished for one mans Ios. 7. 5. 12 Many punished for ones sin, therefore suffer sin in none. Gen. 4. 9sin, as all the host of Israell were punished for the sin of Achan, & here al the mariners & owners of ship or wares for Ionahs sin, &c. To the end that men may learne thereby to admonish one another when they see them do amisse, with louelove: & not to say with Cain, am I the keeper of my brother? for he that is not carefull to keepe his brother frō sin, is not carefull to keepe himself either frō sin or frō sorrow: therefore let vsus take heed that a wicked one be not foūd amōgst vsus vnadmonished. I would there were not many worse then Ionah amōgst vsus. Will you know what I thinke of you? I thinke you are worse then Infidels, Turkes or Pagās that in this wonderfull yeare of wōderfull mercies, are not thankfull, beleeue not in God, trust not in him, glorifie not his name: but like Pharaos sorcerers, who seeing the great workes of God which Exod. 8. 19.Moses wrought passing their skill, confessed saying, Surely this is the finger of God: for you cōfesse that it is the great worke of God (as must needs,) but where are the fruits it hath brought forth in you? The Captaine saith, I hauehave done nothing, the souldier saith, I stirred not, but the Lord sent out a mightie tēpest vpō them, & after that they escaped our hāds, the Lord stretched out his mightie arme against thē, & Pharao is drowned in the sea, so that hee neuer attained the land of promise which he gaped for, and made Mans extremitie Gods oportunity.full accoūt to possesse. Further, herein we may note, that extremitie is Gods oportunitie: for whē the wind had almost ouerturned all, & the waters had almost drowned al, & destructiō had almost deuoured all, thē, & not afore, was Gods oportunitie, to set forth his glorie. First they vsed prayer vntounto the diuine powers for assistance: thē they vsed such ordinarie meanes as they knew best in such a time, by casting out their wares to lightē the ship of thē, which order is necessarie to bee vsed of all Christians in their necessitie: first, to seeke for aide & assistance at the hands of God, & thē to vse all such good meanes to help thēselues, as God shal enable them to, trusting that of his goodnesse he will blesse their endeuours, In necessitie, first pray, then vse lawfull meanes.or else may they go ouer all the world to seeke helpe & hauehave none, for there is no other way. God indeede is the last refuge, but he is also the first refuge which is to be sought vntounto. For he will hauehave vsus to acknowledge, that mā liueth not by bread only; & a horse is but a vaine thing to saue a mā, & except the Lord keepe the Citie, the watchman waketh but in vaine, no meanes can help without his blessing. But thē he will not hauehave vsus carelesse & negligent to vse lawfull meanes: for he neuer or verie seldome worketh without meanes, when the meanes may be vsed by vsus. Danger then we hauehave seene made them to feare, but feare astonished them not, but gathered their wits together, for they vsed meanes with wisedome to saue thēselues. But whē the Lord sendeth calamitie vponupon manie of the vngodlie, they hauehave so guiltie a cōsciēce, that whilst they feele the great hād of God, they are euē distracted of their wits, and made as it were sencelesse, that they know not what they do: yea when trouble comes, it makes them like a heedlesse bee, which buzzeth about she knowes not whither, or like the swallow, which by cōpulsion of the winde, flieth backward and forward till it fall into the sea: or like Cain whose Gene. 4.head was fraught with feares, so that he knew not whither to go, doubting to be slaine of eueryevery one whom he saw. But whatsoeuer befalleth the child of God, he hath euer matter of consolation, & some moderatiō of mind to beare it withall, expecting a ioyful issue of all. Therefore blessed is he that hath the Lord for his God.
But Ionah was gone downe into the sides of the shippe and layd downe, and was fast a sleepe.
They prayed vntounto their Gods, & their Gods were now deafe while they were tossed, & Ionah is gone to sleepe whē he should hauehave bene better occupied. We come hither to heare the word, and here we fall a sleepe, but it were far better we were away, for we sleepe when we should heare, and so we sleeping sin, & sleep in sin: therfore let them now giuegive eare that are a sleepe; for we are come to Ionahs sleeping, not that we should sleepe with him, but by his sleeping to be warned of our securitie, & we shall see him waked, that we may learne to wake with him. Ionahs fast sleeping is noted, to declare the occasion of the ship-maisters speech to Ionah: but chiefly to note the dead securitie of Ionah in his sinne, for as much as though the mariners cried for feare, and cast out their goods, nay the very sencelesse ship seemed to feele the anger of God, and to crie it to Ionah by rolling and cracking, yet Ionah was not once moued thereat, but lay still fast a sleepe. So by Ionah his sleeping we see the nature of all the sonnes of Adam, when they listen to the serpent, they are like changelings, they are cast into a dead sleepe. For when they forget God and his word, and bid conscience adiew, they sleepe in sinne, and that to death, like one sicke of the Lethargie.
Ionah signifieth a doue, Ionah therefore was now indeede Ionah, I meane, like the doue which Noah sent forth of the Arke. For as the doue being gone out of the Arke, could finde no rest for the sole of her foote till she returned into the Arke againe: so when Ionah rose vp from the presence of the Lord, hee could finde no rest for his minde, neither by sea nor land, vntill he returned againe vntounto the Lord. For the cause of Ionahs going down to sleep was, it seemeth to ease his mind, for it was disquieted, he felt it grieuously troubled, the conscience of his sinne tormented it. Therfore now, ô that Ionah could sleep till the tempest were past, but it will not be, for the tempest is sent purposely to waken him.
And he was fast asleepe.
See how litle Ionah is ashamed of his sinne: all the world smarted for it, and yet he sleepes: as if he should say, neither the winds blowing, nor the waters roaring, nor the ships reeling, nor the Ionah sleepes whiles all else stirre.wares casting, nor the mariners crying, with all the stirre, could moue him, waken him from his sleepe, or raise him from his sin. Now Ionah might say, I was a sleepe, and all might hauehave perished for me, if one God had not helped more then all the rest, for Ionah slept, but God waked, & called to the winds & the waters, saying, tosse him, but you shall not drown him: feare him, but you shall not kill him: whip him, & whē you hauehave whipt him, send him to me, that I may send him to Niniuie. Ionah was fast a sleepe, whē the winds ouer him were blowing, the waters vnderunder him tossing duplicate page duplicate page the ship about him reeling, the mariners by him crying, the wares in ouerboord casting. In all their stir Ionah felt nothing, but slept, as if there were no stirring. Yet we go far beyōd Ionah in security, for the Lord causeth the tempest to blow down houses beside vsus, the heauens to thunder ouer vsus, the earth quake vnderunder vsus, the water to ouerflow the lād about vsus, the fire to cōsume all that we hauehave before vsus, the aire with cold readie to kill vsus, and all things in an vprore round about against vsus, thereby alwayes crossing vsus one way or other, & all to put vsus in mind of our dutie, the neglect whereof is the cause of all these troubles which the Lord doth send: vsus but we sleep more deadly then Ionah in our negligence, voyde of feeling, because we consider not what we hauehave done, we looke not backe on our sinne: yet eueryevery crosse should cause vsus to examine our selues throughly and leaue no sinne vnviewed, that we might liuely feele our wickednesse, and so duly repent it, and soone finde release of our miseries: therefore if we sleepe still, and will not be wakened, God will deale more roughly with vsus then he did with Ionah, for the Lord caused a whale to swallow him, & afterward to cast him vp again, but we shall be swallowed of that serpent which neuer restoreth againe.
He should hauehave bin their teacher if he had not bene a sleep, he shuld hauehave taught thē to pray aright, if he had had any good feeling in him. But all this while we read not that Ionah once cōdēned his thoughts, not so much as once said in himselfe, Ionah take heed what thou doest, thou knowest how God may handle thee vponupon the waters; though thou flie, hee can ouertake thee, though thou hide thy selfe, he will finde thee out, though thou giuegive thy self to sleepe, he will giuegive thee no rest, & awake thee to thy greater woe. How should we be strōg, if a Prophet, & such a Prophet as was the figure of Christ, could not withstand this one temptation, In Ionahs sleep, two things. 1. Most secure in greatest danger. Actes. 12. 21. 22. Dan. 4. 2…. 30.but suffered himselfe to be led away so farre, that when he should run, he lay still, and when he should crie, he held his peace, and when he should zealously bestirre himselfe he is fast a sleepe.
In Ionah his sleeping, we obserue two things: The first is, that when we thinke our selues most at rest, then we are in greatest daunger: when shipwracke is most likely then Ionah is asleepe, when Herod is vanting, then he is stricken: when Nabuchadnezzar is in his greatest pride, then he is turned out: whē Balthazar is banquetting, the hand writ his condemnation, when the richman Dan. 5. 4. 5. Luc. 12. 19. 20. Iudg. 16. 25. 30. Suddenly destroyed.saith vntounto his soule, thou hast enough, then his soule is taken from him, when the Philistines are sporting, then the roofe is falling: so destruction ouertaketh sinners when they least thinke of it, like a Leopard which is taken while he sleepeth or a bird when she singeth, therefore suspect thy pleasures like a bayt.
The second note is the nature of sinne, which is here expressed 2. Sin pleasāt whiles it is in doing. 2. Kings. 5. 27. 30. Gehezies briberie. Gen. 9. 21. Noahs wine▪ Dauids adulterie. 2▪ Sam. 11. 4. Pro. 10. 24 33.(while it is a doing) to be not bitter, but sweet, not painfull, but pleasant: like a harlot which sheweth nothing but her brauerie and beautie. Adam swallowed the forbidden fruite with pleasure, Gehezie lyed for gold with gladnesse, Noah dranke his wine with mirth, Dauid committed whoredome with delight: so sinners go on merily, till wrath ouertakes them at vnwares, like the foole, I will sit a litle longer, and fold my hands together a litle, yet a litle & a litle longer, till pouertie come as an armed man, & Gods iust iudgements as the whirle wind suddenly, vnresistably: thē though thou hast gottē gold with Gehezie, or honors with Hamā, or Naboths vineyard with Ahab, or all the delights of the world, if thou hauehave not an assurance of thine owne saluation, if sinne be still pleasant, if it be not bitter in thy belly, though it be sweet in thy mouth, deceiue not thy selfe, beleeue God: thy hope is but doubting, thy strongest confidence but a vaine trust.
Then the ship-maister came vntounto him and sayd, what meanest thou, ô sleeper? arise and call vponupon thy God.
Here Ionah is taken napping: sin hath brought him a sleepe, & now the shipmaister wakēs him. The mariners may do him more A prophet wakened by a pagā.good thē the tempest. Whom sin should waken, peril cannot wakē, the winds are not loud enough, nor the waters rough enough, therfore the shipmaister must wakē him, else all shall be endangered. If the winds will not waken him, let the waues waken him: if the waters will not waken him, let the mariners waken him, if hee will not be wakened, let him perish in his sleepe, & dye in his sin.
Now marke who is asleepe, and who wakens him, Ionah is a sleepe, and the mariners waken him, an Israelite an Infidell: what a thing is this, that he which is the sonne of Abraham, who is wiser So God often shames his seruants.then a thousand mariners, is now wakened and told his dutie by a mariner? this is a shame for Ionah, that he which had taught Princes, should now be taught his dutie by mariners; he that long hath and should still wake others, needes oftentimes to be wakened by others, and he that should reproue sinners, is often reproued of sinners. And thus the Lord sometimes shameth his seruants, and doth vexe them with a foolish nation, as hee reproued Abraham by Abimelech, and Balaam by an asse.Gen. 20. 9. Num. 22. 28.
Now one might aske Ionah, saying, why didst thou write that thou fledst frō God, or that when thou hadst most neede to pray, thou didst sleepe? If thou hadst not thus layed open thine owne shame; thou mightest hauehave bin reckened as one of the best Prophets, therfore why didst thou so? Ionah did it to this end, that in him we maie see the reward of disobedience, for as Paule saith, whatsoeuer is writtē, is written for our instructiō, & Ionah would neuer hauehave written it, had it not bin for our sakes. If he hauehave done thus much for vsus, which way shall we requite him? That which he would hauehave vsus do for him is this, to be warned by him, to suppresse all euill motiōs, not suffering them to take effect as he did.
What meanest thou ô sleeper? arise.
As if they should say, ô retchlesse, altogether carelesse, quite senselesse man, art thou dead, that thou wakest not, or benumd, that thou feelest not, or deafe that thou hearest nothing, or carest thou not whether thou liue or dye? hauehave not the winds nor waters raging, nor our loud cries so long thundring wakened thee? canst thou sleepe in all this stirre? doe not our troubles, nor labours, nor losses, nor the common daunger moue thee? what meanest thou? why doest thou not come and labour with vsus in this daungerous time? is this a time to sleepe in, when we are all in perill of our liues? shall we crie, and thou hold thy peace? shall we labour, and thou rest? shall we cast away all our goods, and thou lye sleeping, caring for nothing? this is no time to sleepe, it is a time to pray vntounto thy God for his assistāce, & to vse the meanes that may saue our liues: vp arise, helpe what thou canst. Ionah hearing this, did not snap like some currish dogges, and bite him that wakened him: neither did he, as in publike dangers most are wont, sit still deuising with himselfe, to shift for himselfe neglecting others, but he ariseth, he thanked him that waked him.
Many of you come to heare the word, and here you fall a sleep when you hauehave most neede to be waking, but I am glad I hauehave now gottē a text to wakē you, for now I cānot read my text but Against sleepers.I must say, what meanest thou ô sleeper? arise: but I pray you, hauehave not I wakened you, and yet you sleepe again? If you marke not what is said vntounto you, you are a sleepe though your eyes be open: but if you were as wise as Ionah, you would not sleep here in the sight of all the people, but would rather get you to sleepe in some corner, for Ionah went vnderunder the hatches to sleepe, and would not sleepe in the sight of the mariners. If you were as wise as Ionah, you would thanke him that wakened you, as no doubt Ionah did. Salomon saith, that hee which reproueth, shall Pro. 28. 23.hauehave more fauour of a wise mā thē he which flattereth. The Lord Iesus saith, wo be vntounto that seruant, that whē his maister cōmeth Luke. 12. 37. 45. 46. Mar. 14. 37.he shall find sleeping: canst thou not watch one houre, saith he to Peter? can you not wake while I speake to you? You would all be foūd in the Church whē the Lord cōmeth, but you would not be found sleeping in the Church: you are watched (I see you not below) and none of you can steale a nap & not be espied, but when your eyes be most shut & see least, then most eyes be vpō you, & I can aswell stand in the pulpit vnseene, as you can sit and sleepe there & not be espied. I maruell how you cā sleepe hauing so many eyes looking on you, so many clamours in your eares, & God himselfe speaking vntounto you. Shall I continue iogging till you be wakened? how lōg shall I preach afore I cā cōuert the vsurer, the extortioner, the drunkard, or the blasphemer, seeing I speake thus long, & cannot conuert you frō your sleeping? What would you do if I read some Homelies vntounto you, whereas you cannot wake while I preach vntounto you, & speake against you? If you should see a traitor sleep on the hurdle, or if you shuld see mē sleep with meat in their mouths, would you not maruell? yet euē so do you, while I denounce the great iudgemēts of God against you, and while I am feeding some of you, you fall a sleepe, & so I preach in vaine. There is a countrey whereof it is said, that it is night with them, when it is day with vsus. I thinke that countrey be here, for how many are here that hauehave lost their eyes and their eares since they came hither? If all of you were, as many of you bee (I meane a sleep) the strāgers which come hither to beare, would thinke that you were all dead, & that I preached your funerall Sermon, therfore for shame leaue your sleeping. What meanest thou ô sleeper? arise, sleepe no more, and I will waken you no more.
Arise, and call vponupon thy God, if so be he will thinke vponupon vsus, that we perish not.
This is another meanes which they vse: Ionah being wakened, to appease the tempest, now that they see they cannot thēselues allay the winds nor asswage the waters, they desire, they exhort Ionah, to trie what he can do by calling vponupon his God. Arise, call vponupon thy God, if so be he will thinke vponupon vsus that we perish not.
After that the ship-master had wakened Ionah, hee bids him call vponupon his God, as if he had said, watch & pray, he speaks like a Saint, yet he is an infidell, he said not, call vponupon our gods, but call vponupon thy God. The ship-master would not call him his God, but (saith he) call vponupon thy God, and it may be he will helpe vsus: but if he had said, call vpō our God, when he said, call vponupon thy God, & if he had said, he will helpe vsus, when he said, if so he will helpe vsus, thē he had shewed some sparke of faith. Because he wāted helpe & comfort, he bids him rise, and because he was fearefull, he bids him pray: it may be (saith he) he wil thinke vpō vsus, that we perish not, as if he had said, Ionah, we know that thou hast a God as wel as we, & therefore we say, call vpō thy God, for now eueryevery God is to be tried, therefore if euer thou didst pray in thy life, fall to it now. Thus Sathan leads men a blind way with zeale, in hope of some reliefe being in trouble. They called vpō thē for help, which were neither willing to assist thē, nor able to heare them: & when they perceiued by wofull experience, that there was no kinde of succour to be had that way, they flie to God, and then Sathan laboureth to vndermine that confidence and expectation of helpe, & to place in stead thereof doubtfulnesse & infidelitie. Thus Sathā will be sure to loose nothing by his bargaine any way. Ionah (say they) call vponupon thy God, for if hee cannot helpe vsus, we are all vndone and lost, for we hauehave called vponupon all our Gods, we hauehave laboured hard to mend our state, we hauehave castaway our goods to lighten the ship, but all in vaine, for we are no whit the better, like the woman which had spent all her substaunce about Phisicke, yet all could not helpe her till Christ came. So the Papistes Luke. 8. 43.while they are well, they pray vntounto euerie Saint and Angell for succour against the troublesome times, but in extremitie, or at the point of death none of them can helpe, so that then they are faine to flie vntounto God or be destitute, as like Idolaters as one flie is like another: they are like the heathen, which worship Iuno, Venus, Neptune, Pallas, Iupiter, and the rest, some hold on the one, and some on the other. Some say, if Iohn bee with me, I care not for all the pettie gods, because I hold him chiefe: so another saith, if Saint Gabriell be with me, I care not for the rest: and some raise great disputations, whether this Saint, or that Saint, this Angell, or that Angell be better, whether our Ladie of Bullen, or our Lady of Rome be surest; whether Saint Iames of Callis, or Saint Iames of Compostella be strongest: and so like beggers which runne from doore to doore, they run from one Saint to another. If one god will not helpe, another will thinke these: as though the gods were contrarie one to another, and where one bids, the other forbids. So some thought that Ʋenus was a friend to the Troians, and Pallas was not their friend, as fooles thinke of witches, one strikes another heales.
Call vponupon thy God.
They bid him call vponupon his God before they knew him, but Infidels desire the faithful to pray for them.the faithfull would not worship a false god though they may be helped by him. By the example of these mariners, if they thought that their god was the true god, (and why else did they worship him) we may learne the substance of euerie temptation that doth vndermine vsus, namely that it will bid vsus doe this euill, that good Sinne alwaies promiseth good.may come of it: marke whēsoeuer thou art motioned to euil, if it do not promise thee some goodnes to come of it. But the seruāts of God ought not to do that which is euill though they were sure to gaine all things that can be wished by so doing: for they hauehave learned their lesson, & how to answer Sathan at such times: why temptest thou me Sathan? for it is written, thou must not do euill that good may come of it; & this is the armour called Scriptū est, Rom. 3. 8.wherewith the Lord ouercame the deuill in the wildernesse.
Here also we may see the difference betweene the faithfull & The truly faithfull desire not infidels to pray for them.infidels. For call vponupon thy God, saith the ship-maister and the rest.
The mariners bid Ionah pray to his God in their behalfe: but Ionah saith not to the mariners, pray to your gods in my behalfe. And this is also manifest, that a Papist will say vntounto a Protestāt, & one that liues well, pray for me, but a Protestāt, if he be any thing zealous, will not say vntounto a Papist, pray thou for me, knowing that whē a Papist doth pray, he doth it to Idols, Saints or Angels, or at lest without faith, and therefore their prayers are abominable in the sight of God, and therefore they will not bid them doe it, because they will not do euill to the intēt that good may come of it. Whereby it is manifest that our Religion is the true Religiō, our aduersaries themselues being iudges. And so Pharao said to Exod. 88. 27. &c. Pharao desireth Moses, Moses not Pharao. 1. Sam▪ 15. 25.Moses, pray for me, but Moses said not to Pharao, pray for me. Saul said to Samuel, pray thou for me: but Samuel said not to Saul, pray thou for me: therefore the mariners had neede of Ionah to pray for them, but Ionah hath no neede of ignorant Idolaters to pray for him. And why should not all pray to Ionahs God, and Pharao pray to Moses God, seeing God hath said, call vponupon me in trouble & I will heare thee? Call vponupon thy God (say they.) Whē they had cried, and saw no helpe, they distrusted their gods, they thought they would not helpe, indeede they could not. Therefore they ran to another whom they knew not, hoping to be helped by him, because they thought som God there was that could do it: so the Papistes run from one god to another, from S. Dominicke to S. Francis, and why should they run from S. Dominick to S. Francis, but that they mistrusted Dominicke? they thinke hee will not heare them, and so they goe forward, but in the ende the vnknowen God is thought to be the best: yet the Lord taught not Peter one prayer and Iohn another, but taught them all one prayer vntounto one onelyonly God, and to wait still vponupon him praying still with assurance he will be a helpe in due time.
If peraduenture he will thinke vponupon vsus that we perish not.
This if, perhaps, and peraduenture, cost Adam paradise: God said to Adam, if thou doest eate of this tree, thou shalt surely dye, then Euah reported these wordes thus: lest peraduenture we dye, the serpent seeing her in such a minde, so carelesse or forgetfull of the cōmandement, he came & quite changed the matter, & said, you shall not dye. Thus sinne creeps vponupon vsus while doubtfulnesse remaineth in vsus, so God saith, you shall be saued, the trembling flesh saith, peraduenture I shall, &c. then commeth Sathan, & he saith, thou shalt die. So that if you will aske what is the faith The sinners faith.of sinners, or if you would hauehave it defined, it is this: peraduenture yea, peraduenture no: if you will aske me, whereupon this faith is grounded, it is vponupon ifs, and ands: this is the faith of the vngodly, to say, if so be God will helpe vsus, for they cannot assure themselues of any helpe. But we may not doubt of our God, and say, it may be, or if peraduenture: for we may freely pray to our God with confidence, & may say, our God & the God of Ionah will surelie helpe vsus, & hath helped vsus. But yet let vsus know that we hauehave sinned like infidels, & do deserue to be punished like the Egyptians.
If so be he will, &c.
Thus if commeth in like a litle leauen which sowreth the whole lumpe of dow; & like the moath, which eateth the whole wedding garment, and this same litle theefe hath stolen away all the Papistes faith. Therefore with them, wickednesse lieth sicke in bed, and calleth to euerie one that commeth by, call vponupon thy God, and pray for me, if so be he will looke vponupon vsus and helpe vsus: and so their hope when the tempest commeth, is either an easelesse horrour, or a comfortlesse doubting.
If so be he will thinke vponupon vsus.
Our God thought vponupon vsus in the time of trouble, he thought vponupon vsus and laid the tempest when our enemies called vponupon their gods, Saints and Angels. But what do we meane beloued, when merciemercy is come, to send for iudgement? for though we be saued with Israell, we deserue to be plagued with Pharao, because we are not thankefull for this, namely that the Lord hath thought vponupon vsus in our distresse, for he trauelleth with mercy, & laboureth till he be deliuered, hee goeth laden like a bee, but wants a hiue. There are two hāds, a hand to giuegive, & a hād to receiue, Gods hād to giuegive, & mans hand to receiue: the hand of God is a bountifull and a mercifull hand, a hand loden with liberalitie, full of gracious giftes, therefore let vsus stretch forth the good hand to receiue it, thankefully to embrace it, chearefully to entertaine it, & carefullie to keepe it, let vsus receiue it by the hand of faith, the hand of louelove, and the hand of prayer: for who so commeth with this hand shall be filled, and who so commeth without it, shall go emptie away, because they hauehave despised the wayes of God: for when I instructed Tro. 1. 24. 25.thē, they would not heare, & what I taught thē they would not learne, saith the Lord. Ionah wakened thus, & thus exhorted to call vpō his God, soone no doubt perceiued his dāger, & partly with the horrour for his sin, partly for feare of the deserued & thus threatned drowning, & other punishments, without questiō was grieuouslie vexed. For hee could not but see, that the verie dumbe creatures were bent against him for his disobedience: the wind blowes as though it would ouer-turne all, the waters roare as though they would drowne all, the ship tumbles as though she were wearie of all, and albeit the mariners had cried, and cast out the wares, as though they would loose all, yet the tempest rageth still, their daunger is grearer then euer.
Wherefore now one might hauehave said to Sathan, Sathan thou perswadest him to flie from his defence for his safetie, and madest him beleeue that he should come safe to Tarshish, and there liue at libertie, and ease, enioying all temporall benefites at his pleasure, but now thou hast brought him into the prison of the ship, and it is tost thus by this tempest likelie to destroy him, thou leauest him in his greatest danger, & reioycest that Ionah quaketh at the tempest, & hath his heart aking for feare of the daunger thus threatned, due to rebelliō: yea seekest also to drowne him, & that also in hell, howsoeuer thou pretendest a desire to preserue him frō trouble, & procure him many pleasures, with much securitie: ô most wretched & deceiptfull lyer, he that trusteth his enemie, & he that beleeueth thee, shall euer be deceiued. And now might Ionah say, beware by me, for thus hath the tēpter deceiued me, he hath allured me with flattering fantasies, & perswaded me, that it was but an easie thing to flie from the presence of the Lord, that seeth alwayes all things, & from whō, no man, no nor secret lurking Pro. 15. 11. Ier. 23. 24.in any mans heart, can be hid, but all are alwayes in his presence. Hee made me beleeue that light could be brought out of darknesse, that good may come of euill, for he assured me, that if I would set forth toward Tarshish, I should not onelyonly shun the presence of the Lord, but should liue at ease like one vnknowne, both for my vocation, & also for my behauiour in the execution, thereof, and so I might creepe into a familiaritie with these people, and enioy the benefite of their societie. Otherwise if I went to Niniuie as the Lord commaunded, they would hate & persecute me, yea and so I should end my life in miserie, both because they being Gentiles and I a Iew, they cannot abide me, for the one holdeth the other in contempt: and also because of my message, namelie a prophecie of destruction, grounded vponupon a reproofe of their vile and sinfull pleasures. Which message, Sathan perswaded me, would be so hainously taken, that no death nor torment that they could deuise for me, would be thought sufficient, and so I should bee sure neuer to escape their handes aliue if I went: as though the eternall and most glorious God which sent me thither, were not able to defend me from all euill when I came thither, as well as he did Daniell in the den of Lions, and Christ in the wildernesse among the sauage beastes. And when Sathan had thus perswaded me, I beleeued him, and so tooke my iourney to flie from the presence of the Lord, if I could hauehave performed my intention. But the Lord hath beheld the stubburnnesse and disobedience of my heart, and therefore followeth me with great displeasure: hee hath sent out this tempest vponupon the sea, whereby we are all like to be ouerwhelmed, and so neare as we are to the water, so neare we are to death by all likelyhood.