A Golden Chain

He was sent from the land of Israel, where he was a Prophet, to go amongst an heathen people and the greatest city of the world, then called Nineveh, to preach that within forty days they should be destroyed for their sins: which message the free will of Jonah had as much power to do as the weakest hearted woman in the world had power, if she were commanded to leap into a tub of living snakes and adders: as happily if God had commanded Sarah to sacrifice her son Isaac, as he did Abraham, she would have disputed with God, ere she had done it, a• though she were strong enough. Well, Jonah heartened by his own imagination, and reasoning after this manner; I am here a Prophet unto Gods people the Israelites: which though they have Gods word testified unto them daily, yet despise and worship God under the likeness of calves, and after all manner of fashions save after his own word, and therefore are of all nations the worst and most worthy of punishment. And yet God for love of a few that are among them, and for his names sake spareth and defendeth them: how then shall God take so cruel vengeance on so great a multitude of them to whom his name was never preached, and therefore are not the tenth part so evil as these? If I therefore shall go preach, I shall lie and shame my self and God too, and make them the more to despise God. Upon this imagination he fled from the presence of God, and from the country where God is worshipped. When Jonah entered into the ship, he laid him down to sleep, for his conscience was tossed between the commandment of God which sent him to Nineveh, and his fleshly wisdom which dissuaded and counselled him to the contrary, and at last prevailed against the commandment, and carried him another way as a ship caught between two streams (as the Poets fain the mother of Meleager to be between divers affections; while to avenge her brothers death she sought to slay her own son) whereupon for very pain and tediousness he lay down to sleep to put the commandment out of mind, which did so gnaw and fret his conscience: as also the nature of all the wicked is, when they have sinned in earnest, to seek all means with riot, revel, and pastime to drive the remembrance of sin forth of their hearts, as Adam did to cover his wickedness with aprons of fig leaves.

He was sent from the land of Israel, where he was a Prophet, to goe amongst an heathen people and the greatest citie of the world, then called Niniue, to preach that within fourtie daies they should be destroied for their sinnes: which message the free will of Ionas had as much power to doe as the weakest hearted woman in the world had power, if she were commanded to leape into a tubbe of liuing snakes and adders: as happily if God had commanded Sara to sacrifice her sonne Isaac, as he did Abraham, shee would haue disputed with God, ere shee had done it, a though shee were strong enough. Well, Ionas hartened by his owne imagination, and reasoning after this manner; I am here a Prophet vnto Gods people the Israelites: which though they haue Gods word testified vnto them daily, yet despise and worship God vnder the likenesse of calues, and after all manner of fashions saue after his owne word, and therefore are of all nations the worst and most worthie of punishment. And yet God for loue of a fewe that are among them, and for his names sake spareth and defendeth them: how then shall God take so cruell vengeance on so great a multitude of them to whome his name was neuer preached, and therefore are not the tenth part so euill as these? If I therefore shall goe preach, I shall lie and shame my selfe and God too, and make them the more to despise God. Vpon this imagination he fled from the presence of God, and from the countrey where God is worshipped. When Ionas entred into the ship, he laid him downe to sleepe, for his conscience was tossed betweene the commandement of God which sent him to Niniue, and his fleshly wisdome which disswaded and counselled him to the contrarie, and at last preuailed against the commandement, and caried him another way as a shippe caught betweene two streames (as the Poets faine the mother of Meleager to be betweene diuers affections; while to auenge her brothers death she sought to slay her owne sonne) whereupon for very paine and tediousnes he lay down to sleepe to put the commandement out of mind, which did so gnaw and fret his conscience: as also the nature of all the wicked is, when they haue sinned in earnest, to seeke all meanes with ryot, reuell, and pastime to driue the remembrance of sinne forth of their hearts, as Adam did to couer his wickednes with aprons of figleaues.