A17683:242
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. 7 The text. ¶When my soul* fainted within me, I remembered the Lord: and my prayer entered into thy holy Temple.
vers. 7 The text. ¶When my soule* fainted within me, I remembred the Lorde: and my prayer entered into thy holie Temple.
- *Or wrapped it self together over me.Or wrapped it selfe together ouer me.
Calvin. Here Jonah in one verse comprehendeth the things which he first said, even that he was afflicted with most grievous torments, yet so he was not dismayed, but that always he conceived some taste of the favour of God, that by this means he might be encouraged to pray. For first he confesseth that his soul felt a certain kind of faintness, or was inwrapped in woeful and perplexive cogitations, so that of his own nature he could not unfold him self out of the same. As touching the word it self, Asaph, in the Hebrew signifieth to cover: it also signifieth in Niphal and Hithpael (in which conjugation it is here taken) to Faint: But the former signification may well be kept, even that his soul wound up it self together as in the 102. Psalm, the prayer of the afflicted when as in misery ⟨image 47⟩he gathered himself together and prayed. They which expound it: To multiply prayers, are void of all reason I therefore doubt not, but that Jonah here meaneth, either that he was overwhelmed with a certain faintness of mind, or else that he was so perplexed, that he could not but with a violent contention mount up unto God. What so it be, he would by this word express the perplexity of his mind. Therefore when as we ponder in our minds diverse Imaginations, and continue as it were fast bound in utter danger, then is our soul said to tumble or roll it self up and down in us. And when the soul wrappeth it self up together, all the cogitations of the perplexed man fall down upon him. We covet to ease our selves, when as we revolve diverse imaginations, but what so we endeavour to advert else whether, by and by redoundeth upon our head, and so our soul windeth it self up together upon us. Now we know what Jonah meaneth in the first member of this verse, While my soul gathered it self up together, or fainted in me. Then he saith, I remembered the Lord. By this we gather that Jonah was not a victor without great difficulties, even to the fainting of the soul, as we have said, and this is one thing. In the mean time we gather again, that he never was so oppressed with temptations, but that he sought the Lord at the least with his prayers. This principle therefore Jonah kept with him, that God is to be sought unto, although for a time so hardly and severely he handled him.