صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

of heaven, and comparing him with idol gods. Have any of the gods of the nations, faith he, delivered his land out of my hands, that the Lord should deliver Jerufalem out of my hand, Ifa. xxxvi. 18, 19,

&c.

Or certainly, here is some uncircumcised Philiftine that is rifen up to defy the host of Ifrael, which was such a provocation to David, that, upon it, he put his life into his hand, and went out against him, as you read, 1 Sam. xvii. 39, 40.

"Or certainly, here is some Baal's worship maintained and applauded; which was a provocation to Elijah's spirit, that he commanded them to be taken and flain, every man of them, 1 Kings xviii. 40.

Or certainly, one would think that here was such a thing as falfe worship, which was fuch a provo cation to Mofes, that made him throw down the tables which were in his hands, in which were writ the commandments of God, and to break them to pieces, as you find it, Exod. xxxii. 19. Or,

2. Some great enormity or departure from the im mutable and unchangeable law of everlafting righteousness, goodness and truth; that law of heaven, which is according to the very nature of God himfelf. As Nathan represented to David, a cafe, wherein a rich man spared his own flocks and herds, which were very many, and took the poor man's ewe-lamb, which he had nourished up, as you may read, 2 Sam. xii. 1, 2. Prodigious cruelty and unmercifulness! yea, so great unrighteoufness, that at the very representation thereof to David, tho' a perfon guilty, and he himself represented by

by this shadow, as having highly offended God; yet his anger was greatly kindled against the man, infomuch that he faith to Nathan, The man that hath done this thing, shall furely die.

Or else, certainly here is some such thing as the Ifraelites meditated against the Benjamites, when they lay in wait to destroy them, Joshua ii. 2. because they had set up a new temple, and provoked the Lord by their folly.

Or fomething like what St. John faw in his vifion, Rev. xvii. 2. A spiritual whore, making drunk all the potentates of the earth, with the wine of her fornications; true causes indeed, of indignation, and of just exasperation. Or,

3. If neither of these two, at least there is some dreadful denunciation of judgment, and fome terrible threatnings, at which the very nature of man doth startle and tremble, as you have our Saviour speaking, Mat. xxiv. concerning the destruction of Jerufalem, that there should not be one stone left upon anather, which should not be thrown down.

Or, fuch commiffion as was granted to Saul to destroy Amalek, and not to leave either man or beast alive. And so certainly one would think that the prophet is moved by human pity and compaffion, as Zipporah was at the circumcifion of the child, Exod. iv. 25.

Or certainly, here is such cruelty as is practised upon the cities of Ammon, 2 Sam. xii. 31. where we read, that David brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws and harrows of iron, and axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick

A 2

brick-kiln, &c. One would not think nor imagine less to be the cause that Jonah was so highly difpleased, and greatly angry.

But here is the wonder; nothing that is any just cause; indeed there is no cause at all of any true offence, or real provocation: 'tis a shame to fay what is the cause. The good man is displeased with God himself, and he is offended at the divine goodness and compassion, and that God hath re-*spect to the repentance of finners; for so I find it, at the end of the foregoing chapter; and God faw their works, that they turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil that he had faid that he would do unto them, and he did it not, Jonah iii. 10. And immediately it follows, that when Jonah understood this, he was highly displeased and greatly angry. But strange it is, that he should be angry at this; for this is a thing contrary to the sense of the lower and upper world.

I. Contrary to the sense of the lower world; for we find that the shepherd rejoiceth when he hath found his lost sheep, Luke xv. 5. and verse 9, the woman rejoiceth when the hath found her loft piece of filver; and the father rejoiceth when his prodigal fon returneth home again, verse 20.

2. Contrary to the sense of the upper world; for we read, that the angels of heaven, they rejoice at the converfion and repentance of one finner, verse

10.

But we have now found the man, of whom it is spoken in the gospel, that his eye was evil, because God was good, Mat. xx. 15. He doth prefer his own conceited

conceited credit and esteem, before the lives and beings of fixscore thousand perfons ; for fo God himself hath given us the number of them, verse II. of this chapter: and I will say conceited credit, because God himself hath given us to understand, that all his denunciations against sinners are to be understood with a clause of reservation; and he doth always except this case, if the finner repent. Though his denunciations seem to be positive and perempto ry, yet they always include this condition, unless the finner do repent, as I will shew you by three fcriptures for the present, among many, Jer. xviii. 8. where God faith thus, That if he doth declare against a nation or people; if that nation or people against whom he hath denounced evil, turn from the evil of their ways, he will repent of the evil he thought to do unto them; and, Ezek. xviii. 21. If the wicked turn from his evil way, and fet himself to observe my statutes, and do that which is right in my fight, all his wickedness shall not be remembred against him. Again, Ezek. xxxiii. 14. When I say to the wicked, thou shalt furely die; if he turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall not die. Though God had faid it before, that the wicked should furely die: but thus he would have it be understood, that if he forsake his iniquity, he shall furely live; and verse 19. you have the same words. These scriptures I have brought you for the encouragement of men to repent, and to leave off to fin, and to return to their duty, and to convert to God, be their cafe never fo forlorn and defperate. For what can more encourage him, than that judgment shall be suspended, and the repenting

A 3

)

penting finner received unto mercy and favour. You fee God doth make this declaration, even after his denunciation of judgment; if the case of repentance come between, then God is not bound to proceed. And for your fatisfaction further, I leave this notion with you. There is a mighty difference between God's declaring himself in a way of promise and in a way of threatning: if he declares by way of promife, he is obliged to make it good, for by this he gives a right to the thing promised; and men may claim as good title from God's promife, though of grace and favour; for God is faithful, and he will perform what he hath promised: but if he threaten, here is no right acquired; for who will demand of God that he will fulfill his threatning ? But to proceed.

That which makes the wonder the greater; Jonah, whom we find in this distemper, is of all the prophets the type of Christ; our Saviour instanceth in him, There shall be no fign given, but the fign of the prophet Jonah, Mat. xii. 40. I am sure, in this temper and disposition of his, he is no type of Christ; for our Saviour doth declare, that the Son of man came, to feek and save that which was loft, Luke xix. 20. And he wept over Jerufalem, when he did but consider the destruction that was approaching: but this temper of Jonah's admits of no apology. This selfishness that is in Jonah, and his preferring his own conceited credit before the safety of multitudes; I say, this admits of no apology. You may fee it in five particulars.

. That

« السابقةمتابعة »