See how little Jonah is ashamed of his sin: all the world smarted for it, and yet he sleeps: as if he should say, Neither the winds blowing, nor the waters roaring 1nor the ship reeling, nor the wares casting, nor the Mariners crying, with all the stir, could move him, waken him from his sleep, or rail him from his sin. Now Jonah might say, I was a sleep, and all might have perished for me, if one God had not helped more then all the rest: for Jonah slept, but God waked, and called to the winds and the waters, saying, Toss him, but you shall not drown him: fear him, but you shall not kill him: whip him, and when you have whipped him, send him to me, that I may send him to Nineveh. Jonah was fast a sleep, when the winds over him were blowing, the waters under him tossing the ship about him reeling, the Mariners by him crying, the wares in over-board casting, In all the stir Jonah felt nothing, but slept, as if there were no stirring Yet we go far beyond Jonah in security, for the Lord causeth the tempest to blow down houses beside us, the heavens to thunder over us, the earth quake under us, the water to over-flow the land about us the fire to consume all that we have before us, the air with cold ready to kill us, and all things in an uproar round about against us thereby, always crossing us one way or another, and all to put us in mind of our duty, the neglect whereof is the cause of all these troubles which the Lord doth send us: ⟨image 8⟩but we sleep more deadly then Jonah in our negligence, void of feeling, because we consider not what we have done, we look not back on our sin yet every cross should cause us to examine our selves throughly, and leave no sin unviewed, that we might lively feel our wickedness, and so duly repent it, and soon find release of our miseries: therefore if we sleep still, and will not be wakened, God will deal more roughly with us then he did with Jonah, for the Lord caused a Whale to swallow him, and afterward to cast him up again, but we shall be swallowed of that serpent which never restoreth again.
See how little Ionah is ashamed of his sinne: all the world smarted for it, and yet hee sleepes: as if hee should say, Neither the windes blowing, nor the waters roaring 1nor the ship reeling, nor the wares casting, nor the Mariners crying, with all the stirre, could moue him, waken him from his sleepe, or raile him from his sinn. Now Ionah might say, I was a sleepe, and all might haue perished for mee, if one God had not helped more then all the rest: for Ionah slept, but God waked, and called to the windes and the waters, saying, Tosse him, but you shall not drowne him: feare him, but you shall not kill him: whip him, and when you haue whipt him, send him to mee, that I may send him to Niniuie. Ionah was fast a sleepe, when the windes ouer him were blowing, the waters vnder him tossing the shippe about him reeling, the Mariners by him crying, the wares in ouer-boord casting, In all the stirre Ionah felt nothing, but slept, as if there were no stirring Yet wee goe farre beyond Ionah in securitie, for the Lord causeth the tempest to blow downe houses beside vs, the heauens to thunder ouer vs, the earth quake vnder vs, the water to ouer-flow the land about vs the fire to consume all that wee haue before vs, the ayre with cold ready to kill vs, and all things in an vproare round about against vs thereby, alwayes crossing vs one way or another, and all to put vs in mind of our duetie, the neglect whereof is the cause of all these troubles which the Lorde doth send vs: ⟨image 8⟩but wee sleepe more deadly then Ionah in our negligence, voyd of feeling, because wee consider not what wee haue done, wee looke not backe on our sinne yet euery crosse should cause vs to examine our selues throughly, and leaue no sinne vnviewed, that wee might liuely feele our wickednesse, and so duely repent it, and soone finde release of our miseries: therefore if wee sleepe still, and will not bee wakened, God will deale more roughly with vs then hee did with Ionah, for the Lord caused a Whale to swallow him, and afterward to cast him vp againe, but we shalbe swallowed of that serpent which neuer restoreth againe.
- 1Jonah sleeps while all else stir.Ionah sleeps while al else stirre.
