A17683:204
The lectures or daily sermons, of that reverend divine, D. John Calvin, pastor of…The lectures or daily sermons, of that reuerend diuine, D. Iohn Caluine, pastor of…
The lectures or daily sermons, of that reverend divine, D. John Calvin, pastor of the Church of God in Geneva, upon the prophet Jonah, by N.B. student in Divinity. Whereunto is annexed an excellent exposition of the two last epistles of S. John, done in Latin by that worthy doctor, August. Marlorate, and englished by the same N.B.The lectures or daily sermons, of that reuerend diuine, D. Iohn Caluine, pastor of the Church of God in Geneua, vpon the prophet Ionas, by N.B. student in Diuinitie. Whereunto is annexed an excellent exposition of the two last epistles of S. Iohn, done in Latin by that worthy doctor, August. Marlorate, and englished by the same N.B.
London: printed by J. Charlewood for Edward White, 1578
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But this in the mean time is worthy to be noted, that the Lord would place an example in the person of Jonah: whereby all men may know that there is no dallying with ⟨p. 24⟩him: but as soon as he commandeth any thing, he is to be obeyed. The word which the Prophet useth, Interpreters do diversly expound, Hathar, properly is to dig: and therefore some think that it is a Metaphorical speech, because the Rowers do seem to dig the sea: and this sense might agree well. Others fetch a Metaphor farther, that the Mariners searched, or sought means whereby they might strike the Ship on ground: but the other Metaphor, because it is nearer the matter, pleaseth me better. The Latins call this Mol•i, not only when the Rowers do row hard, but also when they use some greater endeavours. Well, the shipmen then endeavoured, to bring back the ship. 1But to what end? even that they might spare the life of the man, who had already confessed him self to be guilty before God, and for his offence that tempest to be raised up which threatened shipwreck to them all. But he saith, That they could not, because the Sea was troublesome, As already we saw in the Lecture yesterday. Now I come to the next verse. They cried (saith he) unto the Lord and said, we beseech thee O Lord, we beseech thee let us not perish, for the life of this man, and (Needs .i. Ne reijcias) Cast not upon us innocent blood. Now more plainly doth the Prophet express, why the shipmen so greatly laboured to return into the Haven, or to come to some shore: even because they were now persuaded that Jonah was the worshipper of the true God, and not that only, but also that he was a Prophet: after he had declared, as we have already seen, that he fled from the sight of God, because he feared to execute that commandment, of the which we have already understood. A reverence therefore fell upon the shipmen, when they knew Jonah to be the servant of the true God. And yet they see Jonah for one fault to stand before the tribunal seat of God, and was now to be punished: this I say they saw, and yet they desired to save him from punishment. This place teacheth, that to abhor cruelty, is even by nature grafted in all ⟨image 34⟩men? For howsoever many men are cruel and blood thirsty, because it is grafted in them by Nature.