A practical exposition of the historical prophesie of Jonah delivering sundry brief notes in a cursory way concerning the mind of the Holy Ghost in the several passages. Imprimatur. June 5. 1665.

Ver. 9.

Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

This may be the voice of faith striving between hope and fear. The King and Nobles of Nineve hope well they may be spared upon their repentance, but they fear the worst; they cannot tell what the event will be; they will use the means, but are not sure what will be the success: Only they hope God may be over-intreated by their hu∣miliation and reformation to save them from perishing. It is a temporal mercy which they crave, and Gods own Children are not sure alway to speed in such matters, viz. to escape the danger of war, to get out of a great fit of sickness, or the like: Yea, such is the modesty of godly men, that in the sense of their own unworthiness they will not prescribe to Gods wisdom concerning the length or strength of their afflictions, but quietly submit to his will and good pleasure; I was dumb, and opened not my mouth, because thou didst it, Psal. 39.9.

Yet methinks we may look higher, even to the forgive∣ness of sin, and salvation of the soul. Our Saviour saith of the Ninevites, that they repented at the preaching of Jonah: and in the former words we have seen three acts of repen∣tance, and now the fourth will make up a competent de∣scription

of repentance. Repentance is such a grace of God, as whereby we are humbled for sin, pray for par∣don, reform what is amiss, and have some hope of finding mercy at Gods hands. All these were in the Ninevites, and are in each true Convert.

1. A true Convert is humbled for sin, though not per∣haps [unspec 1] in sackcloth and ashes, as these here; or though he do not fall down on his face, as he in the Corinthians; yet his heart is pierced with godly sorrow for sin, which now be∣gins to be very bitter and grievous to him: He finds it an evil and bitter thing to have forsaken the Lord his God. Sin now is grown burdensome to his soul as is implyed in those words, labour and are heavy laden: And now earthly comforts grow unsavory; what joy can he have so long as he is under the guilt and condemnation of his sins? especially the pleasures of sin, O odious and bitter to be thought on!

2. A true Convert prayes for the pardon of his sins, [unspec 2] God be merciful to me a sinner; according to the multitude of thy mercies blot out my transgressions. So Daniel and Ezra in their humiliations: and these Ninevites cry mightily unto God. In the one and fiftieth Psalm we see Davids doubled and trebled Petitions for mercy; just as a condemned Ma∣lefactor earnestly beseecheth the Judge to shew him mer∣cy; forgiveness of sins being the happiness of a sinner, Rom. 4.6. and a chief mercy for which we should give thanks, Psal. 103.1, 2, 3. Oh how happy should I be (thinks the distressed soul) if I were released of my sins!

3. A true Convert reforms what is amiss: Turns from [unspec 3] his evil way; both Commissions, that the wickednesses shall not be done over and over, as heretofore; and Om••ssions, that he will do the duties which formerly he neglected, pesonal and in the family; not as our negative Christians, who rest contented if they be not so bad as sometime they were: No, God requires good to be done, as well as evil to be left undone. Cease to do evil, and learn to do w••ll; Put

off the old man, put on the new. Paul when he was converted, presently a sked, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

[unspec 4] 4. A true Convert hath some hope of finding mercy at the hands of God; who can tell whether he will turn and shew favor? Though he cannot yet say his sin is pardoned; yet he conceives it is pardonable; To the Lord my God belong mer∣cies and forgivenesses; we have heard of this King of Israel that he is a merciful King, therefore we will nourish some hope amidst all our fears, and notwithstanding many dis∣couragements.

[Doctr.] The point is this: Gods own Children sometimes can∣not well tell whether he will be merciful to them, that they perish not; there is a Conflict of faith between hope and fear: we read of a bruised reed, and smoaking flax; some fire, but much smoak. They can say with the poor man, I believe, but say with tears too, Lord help my unbelief. They can say, Good is present with me; but withall, who shall deliver me from this body of death?

Now this holds both first and last.

1. At the beginning of conversion, a young Convert cannot tell whether his sins be forgiven him, and his soul set in safety by Jesus Christ; as the Childe lives in the womb, but knows not that he lives. A man may be rich, and not know that he is rich; so a•• Christian is ignorant concerning his good estate toward God, till the Spirit of revelation be given him to know his happiness.

2. Afterward, all along in his course he hath his doubt∣ings, fears, cares, jealousies concerning the love of God returning upon him now and then; which comes to pass by the weakness of his faith, by the strength of temptati∣ons, by his remisness in using the means of grace, or by neglecting his religious course: Hath the Lord forgotten to be gracious? &c. One way or other it comes to pass, that even a good Christian must rejoyce with trembling, and work out his salvation with fear and trembling; and, he that ere while was very confident, in little time begins to flag

and faint exceedingly; I know that my Redeemer liveth, said Job, yet by and by he was quite carryed down the stream. [Quest.]

But may not a Christian tell whether Gods fierce anger be turned from him, or no? Answ.

1. There be good and sufficient grounds for assurance; [Answ.] as for example, the covenant of grace, the freeness and largeness of the promises, the powerful satisfaction and intercession of Jesus Christ, the word of reconciliation committed to Ministers, the Oath of God, the Seals of Sacraments, with other. Why all this, but to give us strong consolation? God would not have his Children to doubt and be afraid; and hath said, Why did ye doubt, O ye of lit∣tle faith? Be not faithless, but believing, &c. Assurance then is to be had, and those are the grounds of this assu∣rance.

2. This assurance admits of degrees. In Scripture we read of assurance, much assurance, and full assurance of faith; Some days are brighter then other, and the comforts of some Christians are more lively then of others. Yea in the same Christian there be lucida intervalla among all their evidences, dusky at times, but the cloud soon vanishes; and after many wrestlings comes at last the triumph of faith, Who shall accuse, or condemn, or separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ? Again, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, whe••e is thy victory? Which is seen sometimes of them that said heretofore, There is but a step between me and death, between me and hell.

All which makes against the vain confidence of idle [Use 1] Christians, who presume to know Gods mercy toward them without any doubting: A thing which divers godly and serious men have not yet obtained, and sometimes fear they shall never obtain.

Here we will examine a little the fears of the one, and the hopes of the other.

For the fears of the godly.

1. The Lord orders all their fears, and tenderness of [unspec 1,]

spirit to their greatest good; as here, the fear of these Ninevites; first they are affrighted with the horror of a suddain overthrow, and this fear works them to repen∣tance, that they shall escape the denounced overthrow: So still, generally it is the Lords method in bringing souls home to himself, first out of security to convince them of a bad estate, and so let them repent and seek after God: let them be sick, and see their need of a Physician; let them be pricked at heart, and ask what they must do to be saved; and, Did ye see him whom my soul loveth? can ye give me any sure mark of my being in Christ? can this or that stand with the truth of grace? I am afraid I am not right in the main. I doubt that all this while I do but deceive my own soul. Of which tenderness the Lord makes this use, to bring forth judgement to victory: He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoaking flax; his power is manifested in his peoples weakness, and his grace shall be sufficient for them.

[unspec 2] 2. The fears of godly men put them into cares about the means of grace, and about such a course of religiousness as they may make their calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. So pray, and so read, and so hear, and so receive Sa∣craments, and walk so strictly and orderly, as God may please to shew them his salvation. Fear makes men Clients, so to secure their Estates by repairing to their learned Counsel: so here, for the estate of the soul. And a dis∣creet man newly recovered out of great sickness, narrow∣ly observes his diet, and so gets more health perhaps then a stronger man; so here, and this is the phrase of working out salvation with fear and trembling.

[unspec 3] 3. This kind of fear hath the promise of blessedness, Prov 28 14. Blessed is the man that feareth alway; namely, with a Childlike and holy fear, fear to offend, care to please, and perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. The ten∣derness of such is the heart of flesh, which the Lord by Cove∣nant said he would give his people; and, he will be their

God, and they shall be his people; he will forgive their sins, and remember their iniquity no more; and will so put his fear into them, that they shall never depart from him.

But if carnal persons have any fears concerning their spiritual estate, it never works in such a manner; all pas∣seth away in flashes, Be rid of them as soon as ye can, and be merry while ye may; away with this melancholy, and be jovial.

For the hopes of idle and vain Christans, who doubt not a whit of Gods love to them, I say thus;

1. They are disgraced by the subject, that is, the per∣sons [unspec 1] in whom they are; loose and vain persons. None but the godly have the right hope which will last in a sad houre. Pro. 14.32. the righteous hath hope in his death. Such at worst are prisoners of hope. Ever since they were con∣verted, they have been in an hopeful condition. For others, their hope shall perish, it shall be as the spiders web, or as the giving up of the ghost. Profane persons and hypocrites, never went upon a good foundation, and so all their building lies in the dust.

2. True hope is grounded in faith, and in reconcilation [unspec 2] with God thereby. We hope well, because we know whom we beleeve, and he is the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in the time of need. So we are saved by hope, Rom. 8.24. But this is skipped over by these persons, A gene∣ral hope of mercy shall serve the turne.

3. True hope ariseth out of regeneration, and dwells [unspec 3] in the new creature, 1 Pet. 1.3. God begets us again to a lively hope. But numbers have all their hope from the first birth, beleeve in God ever since they can remember, never do bred since they were born; Pitie he should live who doubts of his salvation; which is too fine and easie to be good. Jonahs gourd sprung up in a night, and wither∣ed in a night. The like we may say of these Mushromes.

4. True hope yeelds the benefit of strong consolation in [unspec 4] foul weather that lies upon the soul Heb. 6.18, 19. it is an anchor sure and stedfast. By hope we have seen him

to live, who was about to dye. David had fainted, but that hope held him up by the chinne, Ps. 27.13. I had fainted, but that I hoped to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living But the heart of an hypocrite, when brought into great danger, dyes in him, as Nabals. The house built on the sand, when the windes and stormes came, fell quickly, and great was the fall thereof.

[unspec 5] 5. True hope fs cleanly wherever it comes, both as to the heart and life, 1 Joh. 3.3. Every one that hath this hope, purifieth himself even as God is pure. It is of the same nature with the mother, which is Faith, and purifies the heart. Hope is neither sloven nor slut: but so is the hope of many; ex∣pect much at the hands of God, but live in their sins: which is against all reason, as if a man should stand for preferme••t yet lives so as to be uncapable.

[Use 2] Christians, be perswaded so to order your course, as ye may grow up to some comfortable assurance of Gods love to your soules: that though ye get not the full assu∣rance of faith, yet ye may have much assurance; or if not much yet some assurance: Do all that may help your faith against your feares, and that your hope in God may be che∣rished: which ye will find to be very good when you come to lie on your death-bed, or be cast into great affliction, to say, I know whom I have believed, &c.

There be some that should think of the great change by conversion. Some have not yet repented, nor made their peace with God, and may well think that it is they who must repent, and not God. Repentance notes a change in the creature, not the Creator; With him is no va∣riableness, nor shadow of turning. Therefore never think he will come to thy bent, but come thou to his. If not, know he hath a fierce anger to put forth upon thee; nor can all men or Angels turn it away, but only Jesus Christ: He is our peace, he hath taken away the enmity and hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us, nailing it to his Cross. And we may have access with holdness by the faith of him. We

need not say, Who can tell if God will turn, that we perish not? I can tell (saith Bernard) and I will be surety for God that he will not burn forth in anger upon the truly Penitent. By promise he hath made himself our Debtor, and he will perform to the uttermost, so he did here to the Ninevites, as follows.

Notes

• Description of repentance.
• 1 Cor 14.25.
• Jer. 2.19.
• Mat. 11.2••.
• Luke 18.13. Psal. 51.1.
• Esa 1 16. Eph. 4 22.24.
• Mixture of hope and fear in Converts.
• Mark 9.24. Rom 7 24
• Pas. 77. Psal 2 11. Phil 2.12.
• Heb. 6.18.
• Rom. 8.34. 1 Cor. 15 55.
• Godly mens fears are hope∣ful.
• Psal. 50.23. Timor facit consiliatives.
• Phil. 2.12.
• Ezek. 11.19.
• Wicked mens hopes are fear∣ful.
• Zech 9.12.
• Jer. 17 13.
• 1 Sam. 25.
• Acts 15.9, 26, 18.
• 2 Tim. 1.12.
• Jan. 1 17.
• Eph. 2 14.
• 2.12. Col. 2.14.
• Atqui ego novi, & fide-juss••r, sum Dei.