Two sermons, of Jonahs punishmentTwo sermons, of Ionahs punishment

O what grief could be like this, or what condemnation could be so heavy, sith there was no wickedness in his hands? sith he was the brightness of his fathers glory, and the Sun of righteousness that shined in the world, as to see his days at an end, to see such throbbing sighs and careful thoughts without cause of his, so deeply engraven in the tables of his breast? But was this all? No, my brethren, sith his excellency was such above all creatures, that the world was not worthy to give him breath, it was a greater grief unto him, to see himself made a worm, and not a man, ashamed of men, and contempt of the people: to see his life shut up in shame and reproaches, how could it but shake his bones out of joint, and make his heart melt in the middest of his bowels? who was ever so full of woe, and brought so low into the dust of death? upon whom did the malice of Satan ever get so great a conquest?

O what greife could bee like this, or what condemnation could bee so heauie, sith there was no wickednesse in his hands? sith he was the brightnesse of his fathers glorie, and the Sunne of righteousnesse that shined in the world, as to see his dayes at an ende, to see such throbbing sighs and carefull thoughts without cause of his, so deepely ingrauen in the tables of his brest? But was this all? No, my brethren, sith his excellencie was such aboue all creatures, that the worlde was not worthy to giue him breath, it was a greater greife vnto him, to see himselfe made a worme, and not a man, ashame of men, and contempt of the people: to see his life shut vp in shame and reproches, how could it but shake his bones out of ioynt, and make his heart melt in the middest of his bowels? who was euer so full of woe, and brought so low into the dust of death? vpon whom did the malice of Sathan euer get so great a conquest?

This though it were exceeding, yet it was not all, no, it was but a taste of grief in comparison of the rest: behold therefore (if your weary eyes will suffer you to behold) the depth of all miseries yet behind: the sin that he hated, he must take upon his own body, and bear the wrath of his Father poured out against it. This is the fullness of all pains that compassed him round about, which no tongue is able to utter, or heart conceive: the anger of the Father burned in him, even to the bottom of hell, and deep sink of confusion: it wrapped him in the chains of eternal death: it crucified him, and threw him down into the bottomless pit of calamity, and made his soul by weeping and wailing to melt into these bitter tears trickling from his eyes: O God my God, why hast thou forsaken me?