A collection of sermons ... together with Notes upon Jonah / by Thomas Fuller.

Verse 6.

So the Ship-master came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, ô sleeper? A∣rise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

So the Ship-master.] The Ship-master that was, (but now no Master of it, the Tyranny of the tempest Commanding both it and him) begins to bestirre him. Great men must not thinke to be privi∣ledged from danger by the eminencie of their place. Mordecai to Hester: Think not thou shalt escape in the Kings house more than all the Iewes. Yea, some∣times Great men are in the greatest dan∣gers, they are most aimed at, Fight neither against small nor against great, save onely against the King of Israel, 1 Kings 22. 31. Now sithence there was a Governour in a ship, it teacheth us that no company can

long subsist without order and superiority one above another: From the Courtiers to the Prisoners, Gen. 39. 22. Ioseph had all the Prisoners in the Prison committed to to his hand. Ten is but a small number, yet Moses made Governours over ten, Exod. 18. 21. Yea, as there is Michael the Archangel in heaven, so is there Beel Zebub the Prince of Devils in Hell: So much order there is in the very place of confu∣sion. Away then with the Anabaptist, who would set all men at odds by making all men even. For a Common-wealth to want Chiefe, it is the chiefe of all wants, every man will doe what he list, few what they should: too much liberty would make men slaves to their own self-will. Let us there∣fore be subject to the higher powers, know∣ing that there are no powers but of God.

Came unto him, and said.] Every one in authority ought to look unto those which are under their command; other∣wise they shall answer to God for such faults as those commit which are under their charge, through their over-sight and neglect. Christ is said to have baptized▪

Iohn 3. 23. And yet it is said, Iohn 4. 2. That he himself baptized not, but his Di∣sciples. We see that the deed of the Ser∣vants being done by the countenance and command of the Master, is attributed and ascribed to his Master as his own proper work. If the Master hears of his Servants drunkennesse, and punisheth it not, it is the Masters drunkennesse. If the Master hears of his Servants prophaneness, and reproves him not for it, it is his prophanenesse. Blame-worthy then are those Magistrates who would have the profit, not the pain; the credit, not the care of their place and charge: so that they deale with those that are under them, as David did with Ado∣niah, they will not so much as trouble themselves to say to Offenders, Why doest thou so?

What meanest thou, ô sleeper!] See here the Gentile teacheth the Jew, the Pagan preacheth to the Prophet, and he is con∣tent to hear him. How faulty is their pride, who count it an imbasing of their know∣ledge to listen to the advice of others, who in any respect are their inferiours, Ioh. 9.

ver. 34. Yet David hearkned to the ad∣vice of Abigail, Abraham to the counsell of Sarah, Apollos to the instruction of A∣quila and Priscilla, yea Solomon (the wisest of earthly Kings) had a Council of Aged men which stood before him. Neither need any man think much to learn of the meanest of men, who may be taught by Pismires and Lillyes. Yet when inferiours on just occasion adventure to counsel those that are above them, that their counsell may better relish, Let it be seasoned with these three ingredients, first, Secrecie. This alone was good in Peter's reproving of our Saviour, Mat. 16. 22. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, He took him aside. Secondly, Seasonablenesse. Abigail, 1 Sam. 25. 36. told drunken Na∣bal neither more nor lesse, till the next morning: she thought her physick would work the better, if she gave it him fasting. Thirdly, Humility. Naaman's Servants: Father, if the Prophet had bid thee some great thing, wouldst not thou have done it? 2. Kings 5. 13. They brought not onely good Logick, reasoning from the greater 〈…〉〈…〉 but also good Ethicks, Father.

These cautions observed, meaner persons by Gods assistance, with hope of successe, may take upon them to advise their bet∣ters.

Arise, and call upon thy God.] He doth not onely reprove him for what he had done amisse, but also directeth him in what he should doe well. They are miserable Guides, that tell the wandring Traveller, that he hath lost the way, but tell him not how to finde it.

Arise.] Men must put away all lazinesse, when they prepare themselves to prayer. Indeed, when in sicknesse we are Gods pri∣soners, then we can only rouse up our souls and not arise in our bodies; then, with He∣zekiah, we may lye on our bed and pray, pleading to God, as Mephibosheth to David, that his servant is lame: But other∣wise, Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently. The first fruits of the Asse was not to be dedicated to God in the Leviticall Law, but the neck thereof was to be broken. Let us break the asses neck, let us banish all sloth and laziness when we goe about to perform any service of God,

Call upon thy God.] Because perchance the Ship-master had a great opinion of the sufficiency of Ionah's God, or because he might have a conceipt that Ionah's prayers might be more prevalent than his owne. Aeschinus said unto his Uncle Mitio, in the Comedie:

Tu potius deos comprecare, nam tibi eos certo scio, Quo vir melior es, quam ego sum, obtem∣peraturos magis.

Or else he onely aimed at a generall col∣lection of prayers, hoping that that cable∣rope would be strongest that was twisted of most severall cords.

If so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.] It is worth our search to know, when these words, If so be God will, are to be inserted into our prayers, and when they must be omitted. When we pray for pardon of our sins, then we must omit them: For God hath said, At what time &c. I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance. Now let us not dispute of what is determined suspect what is sure. God saith, he will. Let us not say, If so be

God will. If our repentance be unfaigned, our pardon may be undoubted: In such a case, Let us come to the Throne of Grace with boldnesse in the assurance of faith, with reasoning, trust perfectly in grace. But when we pray for the removall of punish∣ment, then these words are no Parenthesis, but an essentiall part of our prayers, then we must submit our selves not our wills, but thy will be done; then with children we must not cry to carve our own meat, but eat that which God our Father cuts for us, though it be untoothsome for our palats to tast, it is never unwholsome for our stomachs to digest.