Now it followeth how Jonah fled to Tarshish. We can not stand to speak of Tarshish, nor what it is to fly from God, but how Jonah was sent to Nineveh, and how he went to Tarshish, this shall be our meditation. Jonah the Prophet was commanded to go to Nineveh, and there to cry out against sin, to preach against pride, and all kind of ungodliness, thereby to reclaim them & stir them up in laying open their sin, and the punishment which hanged over them, that they might speedily repent, and so turn away from them the wrath of God thereby deserved. What a happy message was this? and what a happy thing for Nineveh, that the Lord would vouchsafe them so great mercy? O but still one fly or other mars the whole box of ointment: as soon as he was 1commanded to go thither, Satan stood in the gap, and enticed him to go to Tarshish, lest the Ninevites kill him or some way hurt him. Jonah was no sooner tempted, and thus enticed by Satan to go to Tarshish, but he ⟨p. 106⟩forthwith yielded, and having yielded, then he to go, and so Jonah made him self a runaway and a disobedient servant to his God. And thus Satan is ever enticing or crossing us, when we are addressing our selves to do the will of our God. There is no commandment of God, but the devil commands the contrary, and he is ever unsaying that which God saith: for our good God saith unto Adam, if you eat of the forbidden 2fruit you shall die, the devil came, and he told them, no, you shall not die, but you shall be as Gods if you eat thereof. God saith, 3submit your selves one to another in brotherly 4love, the devil saith, be proud and lusty, scornful and ambitious: God saith, love thy neighbour as thy self, the devil 5saith, be envious, but love thy self and none but thy self: God saith, labour for the food 6which perisheth not, the devil bids labour for such food which perisheth, as dainties, and plenty of pleasant things: God saith, forsake the world, the devil saith, love and 7esteem the world with the things of the world, and we do it at his commandment. And thus is man led captive to destruction with the chains of sin. One said, God spake and it was done, but I say, the devil speaketh 8and it is done: for he is such an Orator ⟨p. 107⟩that no man can deny him.
Now it followeth how Ionah fled to Tarshish. We can not stand to speake of Tarshish, nor what it is to flie from God, but how Ionah was sent to Niniuie, and how he went to Tarshish, this shall be our meditation. Ionah the Prophet was commanded to go to Niniuie, and there to crie out against sinne, to preach against pride, and all kinde of vngodlinesse, therby to reclaime them & stir them vp in laying open their sinne, and the punishment which hanged ouer them, that they might speedily repent, and so turn away from them the wrath of God thereby deserued. What a happie message was this? and what a happie thing for Niniuie, that the Lord would vouchsafe thē so great mercie? O but still one flie or other marres the whole boxe of ointment: as soone as he was 1commanded to go thither, Sathan stood in the gap, and entised him to go to Tarshish, lest the Niniuites kil him or some way hurt him. Ionah was no sooner tempted, and thus entised by Sathan to go to Tarshish, but he ⟨p. 106⟩forthwith yeelded, and hauing yeelded, then he to go, and so Ionah made him selfe a runaway and a disobedient seruant to his God. And thus Sathan is euer entising or crossing vs, when we are addressing our selues to do the will of our God. There is no commaundement of God, but the deuill commaunds the contrarie, and he is euer vnsaying that which God sayth: for our good God sayth vnto Adam, if you eate of the forbidden 2fruite you shall die, the deuill came, and he told them, no, you shall not die, but you shal be as Gods if you eate theof. God saith, 3submit your selues one to another in brotherly 4loue, the deuill saith, be proud and lustie, scornfull and ambitious: God sayth, loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, the deuill 5saith, be enuious, but loue thy self and none but thy selfe: God saith, labor for the food 6which perisheth not, the deuill bids labour for such food which perisheth, as dainties, and plentie of pleasant things: God sayth, forsake the world, the deuill saith, loue and 7esteeme the world with the things of the world, and we do it at his commandement. And thus is man led captiue to destruction with the chaines of sin. One said, God spake and it was done, but I say, the deuill speaketh
- 1Eccles. 10. 1•
- 2Gene. 2. 17.
- 3Gen. 3. 4.
- 41. Pet. 5. 5.
- 5Mat. 22.
- 6John. 6. 27.Iohn. 6. 27.
- 7Rom. 12. 2. 1. Joh. 3. 18.Rom. 12. 2. 1. Ioh. 3. 18.
- 8Gen. 1. 3. 9.
