Two sermons, of Jonahs punishmentTwo sermons, of Ionahs punishment

In which willing submission of theirs, and speedy lively repentance at the words of the Prophet, after he had been three days and three nights in the Whales belly, the calling of the Gentiles by Christ, after he had been three days and three nights in the bowels of the earth, might well be signified. For they no less willingly then the Ninevites, submitted themselves to the Gospel preached: no less speedily, and peradventure more truly repented. ¹For though now they thus wonderfully humbled themselves not the fearful multitude only, but the richest and greatest, the nobles and king also, and so all escaped now: soon after they returned to their vomit, and never ceased to add sin to sin, till they were by open wars miserably wasted, and at length fulfilling the prophecy of Nahum, utterly consumed. Therefore, first, for the comfort of the godly, since ²Ahab humbled himself before the Lord, Ahab, I say, that had done exceeding abominably, in following Idols, and sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, submitted himself under the hand of GOD, fasting in sack-cloth, though he did all in hypocrisy, had not the evil threatened brought upon him in his days, seeing Rehoboam, and the princes of Israel who had forsaken the Lord, and the whole tribe of Judah, which wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord, & provoked him more with their sins, then all that their fathers had done humbling themselves before the Lord, and confessing him just, had not the wrath of the Lord poured upon them, by Shishak K. of Egypt were ⟨image 23⟩not destroyed, but shortly delivered, yea also things prospered in Judah, though the Lord had threatened to leave ³them in the hands of Shishak, albeit they truly repented not: lastly, for as much as Nineveh that bloody city full of lies and robbery, the beautiful harlot, with multitude of ⁴fornications, that mistress of witch-crafts, which sold the people through her whoredoms, and the nations through her witch-crafts, humbling themselves with fasting, and putting on of sack-cloth, the Lord repented of the evil he had threatened them, and did it not: