A17683:226
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.
vers. 1 The text. ¶And Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the belly of the Fish. vers. 2 And he said, I have cried in mine affliction unto the Lord: and he heard me, or he answered me, out of the belly of the grave cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
vers. 1 The text. ¶And Ionas prayde vnto the Lord his God out of the bellie of the Fish. vers. 2 And he sayde, I haue cryed in mine affliction vnto the Lorde: and he hearde me, or he aunswered me, out of the bellie of the graue cryed I, and thou heardest my voyce.
Calvin. When Jonah saith, That he prayed out of the inward parts of the Fish, he first showeth with what a fortitude of mind he was endowed. Then therefore he taketh him to a new mind, because when he was at liberty, he thought that he might after a sort mock God: he was a fugitive from the Lord: but now when he is shut up in outward miseries, he beginneth to pray, and of his own accord setteth him self in the sight of God. This is a change or alteration worthy the noting. And here hence we gather how greatly it is expedient for us, that we be drawn back with chains and be detained, shut up in fetters as it were, because when we are at liberty, immediately then we stray abroad without any measure. Jonah when he was at liberty waxed wanton as we see, but now when he perceiveth that he is fast bound by the violent hand of God, he altereth his mind, and prayeth out of the belly of the Fish. And this circumstance is also of us to be marked, for the words sound, as if he should say, that he prayed out of the very hells. But how could it be, that he then directed his prayers unto God, by whose hand he saw himself to be so severely punished? For God most severely handled him. Jonah was after a sort driven to eternal ⟨image 42⟩destruction, for the belly of the Fish, even as we shall hereafter see, was as the belly of hell, or the grave. And yet in this desperation, Jonah gathereth his spirits to him and taketh courage, & can take him self the right way unto God: this is a wonderful and almost an incredible example of faith.1