WHē Ionas the Prophet of the Lorde (Right Honorable,The occaſion & argument of this Prophecie. Right worſhipful, & wel-beloued in the beſt beloued Chriſt Ieſus) had a long time in vaine preached and prophecied in Jſraells hee had an expreſſe charge giuen him from the higheſt, to goe and cry againg Niniveh the theife city of the Aſsiriās: that provoking them the gentiles to repentance, he might the rath r leane the obſtinate Iſraelits inexcuſable. But ſuch was, either his wilful obſtinacy that he would not, or his fraile imbecility that he did not regard his Lordes deſignement: thinking with him ſelfe that his labour ſhoulde take little effect among ſtrangers to God and himſelfe, ſeeing it had done ſo ſmall good on Jſraell his owne people. And therfore, in ſteed of going to Niniueh whither he was boūd, he ſhippeth himſelfe for Tarſhiſh, & cō mitteth himſelfe vnto the ſea, thinking thereby to fly from the preſence of the Lord. But behold he that is the God as well of the ſea as of the dry ſand, ſendes out his heraulds after him, a great wind, & a mighty tempeſt: who raiſed the ſea, and rowled the waues, and rocked the ſhip, and ſo rowſed vp ſleepy Ionas, that he finds no reſt in the ſhip, the ſhip no ſafty in the waues, the waues no quiet in the ſea the ſea no calme in it ſelfe, vntill the marriners had throwne out Ionas to appeaſe it. And yet ſee the providēce of a good God to a diſobediēnt Prophet: though he is caſt out, yet the Lord doth not caſt him of: though the mariners by his owne appointment takes him vp, & throws him into the ſea: yet a great fiſh by the Lordes appointment ſwallowes him vp, and caſtes him on the dry land. Beeing thus delivered out of the deepe by the mighty hand of God, he had the ſecond time the ſame charge laid vpon him,b Ariſe & goe preach to Niniveh the great city. Ion. 32. Which the Prophet had no ſooner hard, but behold his obediēce to the Lords call.c He aroſe, ſaith the text, and went to Niniveh, according to the word of the Lord. Yea to Niniveh as great and excellent city of 3. daies iourney, as the Prophet cals it. Yea he cryed againſt it, and ſaid as before J read vnto you. Yet forty daies & Niniveh ſhall be deſtroyed. So the people of Niniveh beleeved God, & proclaimed a faſt, and put on ſackcloth, from the greateſt of them vnto the leaſt.

In which two verſes, for my eaſier proceeding, and your better vnderſtanding, may it pleaſe you to obſerue, and conſider with mee theſe tvvo general partes.

The 1. ſetteth downe a meſſage from the Lord to a great Citie. The 2. declareth the converſion of a great city vnto the Lord. In the 1. mercy & iudgment are preached by one, and that is Ionas. Jn the 2. faith & good works are practiſed by many, & they are Ninivites. Behold in the one, the duty of all true Prophets, to declare vvith boldneſſe the Lordes wil vnto his people. Behold in the other, the duty of al faithful people, to obey with alacritie the voice of the Lordes Prophets. The 1. general part containeth in it theſe.

So that I may wel compare this ſermon of Ionahs to Davids ſong Pſal. 101.1. My ſong, ſaith David, ſhall bee of mercy and iudgement. For lo while he ſayeth Yet 40. daies, there is a ſong of mercie. And Niniueh ſhal be deſtroted, there is a ſong of iudgement. Or to thatHimera. river in Sicily, that parteth it ſelfe into two channels the one yeelding freſh vvater the other ſalt: for behold while he ſaith. Yet 40. daies, there is a ſtreame of ſweet water iſſuing frō the fountaine of Gods exceeding favour. And Niniveh ſhall be deſtroyed, there is an Ocean of bitter water running from the ſpring of Gods heauie diſpleaſure. The 1. is a word of comfort to al diſpaiting ſoules, Yet 40. daies. The 2. is a rod of correction to al preſuming ſinners, and Niniveh ſhall be deſtroyed. The one declareth vnto vs that God is a God of compaſſion, if wee wil repent, Yet 40. daies. The other that he is a God of iuſtice and ſeveritie, if we ſtil provoke him, and Niniveh ſhall bee destroied. Yet 40. daies, & Niniveh ſhal be deſtroied. The 2. general part declareth the effecte,The ſubdiviſiō of the 2. into 4. circūſtances. vvhich this Sermon wrought in the Ninivits, or their repē tance, which is deſcribed by 4. circumſtances.

1. They beleeved God. There is faith the true cauſe of good works deſcribed. 2. They proclamed a faſt. There is a good worke the effecte of a liuelie faith deciphered. 3. They put on ſackcloath. There is the garment of humility expreſſed. 4. From the greatest to the leaſt. There is a mutual cōverſion of al declared. 1. They beleeved God. Behold their heatheniſh infidelity is turned into religious pietie. 2. They proclaimed a faſt. Behold their luxurious feaſting is changed into moderate faſting. 3. They put on ſackcloath. Behold their royal robes are caſt avvay for ſimple rags. 4. From the greateſt of them vnto the leaſt. Behold the conſideration of the ſinnes of all hath wrought repentance in all. So the people of Niniveh beleeved God and proclaimed a faſt, and put on ſackcloth, from the greateſt of them to the leaſt of them.

Thus you ſee (moſt deare & Chriſtiā brethren) the ſumme & ſubſtance of that wherof at this time, by the aſſiſtāce of the Almighty, and your accuſtomed patience, I purpoſe to intreate evē the tenour of Ionas ſermō to the Ninivits, and of the Ninivites repentance at Ionas ſermon. God grant J may ſpeake of thē with the ſame ſpirit as Ionas did, & that all this great & Honorable aſſēblie may heare and receiue them with the like fruite as did theſe Ninivits. And ſo J come to the particular handling of the words themſelves. Yet 40. daies.

Partis. 1 As Noahs doue came from the waters of the floud, with an oliue braunch in her mouth. Gen. 8.11. Obſer. 1 Even ſo this he avenly doue (for ſo the name of Ionah in the Hebrew importeth, & St. Ierome on the 1 of this prophecy & elſe-where ſo interpreteth it) cōmeth vnto theſe Ninivets, from the waters of the ſea, wherin a little before hee had beene almoſt drowned with an oliue braunch in his mouth, preaching mercy and peace vnto them if they would repent, and turne from their wicked wayes. A ſingular argument of Gods exceeding loue & favour vnto this city Niniveh. For hee might preſently haue ſent his Angel frō heaven to haue deſtroyed it, as hee did the hoſt of Senacharib. 2. Reg. 19.35. He might haue conſumed it with fire and brimſtone, as he did Sodome and Gomer. Gen. 19.24. He might haue ſpoiled it with the edge of the ſword, as he did Iericho Ioſ. 6.21. Hee might haue laid it in the duſt in the twinkling of an eie, as he hath done many, and as he is able to doe al the cities in the world. But behold the Lord is a pittifull God Pſal. 86.15. He taketh a milder courſe with Niniveh. He ſendeth his Prophet to her, and giueth her a day, and a day yea even forty daies togither, before he will powre downe the violl of his wrath, before he will execute his iudgments on her. And as a noble and worthy Emperour laying his ſieg, and levying his army againſt ſome famous & renowned city: beholding in it the goodly buildings, the ſtatly walls, the high aſcending towers, the multitude of people, the numberleſſe nūber of babes and ſucklings; of infants & innocent perſons: from a noble and heroïcal diſpoſitiō is moved with the bowels of compaſſion towards it & therfore in regard hereof doth not preſently batter it downe & overthrow it, but firſt ſends his herauld at armes to proclame a parly for certaine daies, and to offer peace vnto the ſame: right ſo doth the Lord of heavē & earth deale with Niniveh that famous and renowned citty. He ſaw the ſtatelines of her buildings, her thouſand & fiue hundred towers,Munſter, Coſmograph. l. 5. cap. 61. Ion. 4. verſ. vlt. her high & ſpatious walls, her multitude of citizens, her ſixſcore thouſand infants and innocent perſons, her head of cattell almoſt innumerable: all which did make the bowels of compaſſion to yerne within him, &, before he would overthrow, it to ſend his Prophet as an herauld at armes, to proclame a parly of forty daies and to offer her peace if ſhee would receiue it. Famous is that of Scipio Africanus, that al things in warres ought to be aſſayed, before the ſword be drawen. And as famous that of the good Emperour Theodoſius, who, vntil tenne daies were paſt after he had beſieged any citty, never offered violence to the inhabitants: ſaying and proclaiming every day, that thoſe tenne daies he gaue them, to the end they ſhould profit themſelus by his clemēcy, before they ſhould make proofe of his power. But as far as light excelleth darkenes, truth error, heaven earth: ſo farre, in pitty, mercy, and compaſſion, doth the Creator of all excell the beſt of all his creatures. Never was there any ſo pittifull, as he the God of pitty. Never any ſo merciful, as he the God of mercy. Never any ſo compaſſionate, as he the God of al compaſſion. O how often doth he perſwade by promiſes, how often doth he allure hy rewards how often doth he intreate by favours how often doth he aſſay al faire meanes to convert a ſinful ſoule, before he drawe out his ſword of vengance againſt him? O when did hee ſpoile any country once, before he had ſpared it often? Whē did he overthrow any natiō in one day, which he had not moſt louingly wooed before many a day? When did yet any place feele the iudgmēts of his fury, that had not long before taſted the ſweetneſſe of his mercy? For this was the rule of Gods owne law, this was the decree of his heavenly will, that no citie ſhould be deſtroyed, before peace were offered vnto the ſame. as we read Deut. 20.10. And in the Goſpel it was our Saviours cōmandemēt to his diſciples, that into what houſe ſoever they did enter: they ſhould begin the exordiū of their meſſage with a pax vobis ſaying peace be vnto this houſe Luk. 10.5, and it is wel worth our obſerving, that vertues and miracles were firſt wrought in Corazin, and Beth ſaida, before their woe was pronounced againſt them. Matth. 11.20. Yea the fig tree in the Goſpell, although the Lord when he came and ſought it, found no fruit therō, ſhall not be preſently cut downe, but ſhall hane a yeare, & a yeare, & a yeare, to that, & ſhal be digged, & dunged, before it be deſtroyed Luk. 13.7.8. This alſo did the Lord of mercy do in the time of olde. He ſent Noah to the men of the olde world a preacher of righteouſnes. 2. Pet. 2.5. We ſent Lot to thoſe wicked Sodomites in the ſpirit of meekenes to beſeech them not to do ſo wickedly. Gen. 19.7. He ſent Moſes & Aarō to the Aegyptian Exod. 5.1. He ſent Prophets from time to time to the childrē of Jſrael. He ſent Iohn Baptiſt, and our bleſſed Saviour, & the holy Apoſtles, beſides ſignes in the hoſt of heavē, & tokens in the elemēts, to the people of Ieruſalem, before they were deſtroied. And although that citty were growen to a full meaſure of iniquity, & to the very height of al manner of impiety, ſo that both the ſervants & ſonne of God were ſlaine by thē, the Sabaoth of the Lord polluted, the ſanctuary of the Lord prophaned, the lawe of the Lorde deſpiſed, the teſtimony of the Lord neglected; yet ſee the infinite mercy & patience of a louing Lord behold, for a warning, ful forty yeares were allotted vnto her, before God ſent vp Veſpaſian & Titus to ſack-it. As Euſebius in the 3. lib. & 8 cap. of his Eccleſiaſtical hiſtory reporteth. Before which time, how did the Saviour of the world call on her to repent, how did he weepe for her, how did he wooe her as the brid grome his ſpouſe to turne vnto him, & to forſake her evil waies, how did he manifeſt his loue & affection towards her? O Ieruſalem Ieruſalem thou that killeſt the Prophets and stonest them that are ſent vnto thee, how often would I haue gathered thee togither, as the hengathereth her chikens vnder her winges, & thou wouldeſt not. Mat. 23.37. J will not trouble you with many teſtimonies, and examples out of the word of God, to confirme the truth of this doctrine, being a point ſo manifeſt. Looke but into the 9. chap. of the booke of Nehemiah, and the moſt obſtinate ſhall be conſtrained, wil he nil he, to confeſſe, that God is a God of much patience, and long ſuffering. The whole chapter is ſpent in this argument, ſetting downe in order, the great benefits and bleſſings which the Lord in his mercy had beſtowed vpō the children of Iſrael in times paſt, their vnthankfulnes vnto the Lord for the ſame, and yet the exceeding patience & mercy of the Almighty extended towards them. For firſt, as we there may reade,Vid Nehem 9. reade the whole chapter. he conſidered their aflictions in Aegypt, and hard their crie by the red ſea, he ſaved thē in the deepe, and drowned their enemies in the mighty waters. He ledde thē in the day with the pillar of a cloud, and in the night with a pillar of fire to giue them light. He came downe vpon mount Sinai, & ſpake vnto them from heaven, & gaue them right iudgments, true lawes, & good commaundements. He gaue them bread from heaven for their hunger, and water out of the rock for their thirſt; he fed them forty yeares in the wilderneſſe, they lacked nothing, their clothes waxed not olde, and their feete ſwelled not. He gaue them kingdomes and people, hee multiplied their children as the ſtarres of heauen, and brought them into a good land: where they poſſeſſed houſes ful of goods, and did eare, and were filled, & became fat, and lived in pleaſure through the Lords goodnes. But behold this people, whom the Lord had thus extraordinarily bleſſed aboue al the nation in the world became rebellious, & behaued themſelues prowdly, and hardned their neckes, ſo that they harkened not to his commandements, nor remēbred the marvelous workes which he had done for them: & yet for al this the Lorde forſooke them not. They made them a molten calfe, & ſaid, this is thy God, that brought thee out of the land of Aegypt, and cōmitted great blaſphemies; & yet for al this the Lord forſooke them not. They were diſobedient and rebelled againſt him, and caſt his law behind their backes, & ſlue his Prophets ſent to convert them: and yet for al this the Lord forſooke them not. They did evil before him, & ſinned againſt his iudgments, and pulled away their ſhoulders, and were ſtiffnecked, & would not heare and yet for al this the Lord forſooke thē not, & yet for all this did he not conſume thē, but forbare thē many yeares togither. O what a God of pittie, O what a Lord of mercy is this! abundant in goodnes, gracious, & full of cōpaſsion, of long ſuffering, ſlow to anger, and of great kindnes. Ioel. 2.13. Reſerving mercy for thouſands, forgiuing iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and ſin Exod. 34.7. How truly might he ſay of this people, All the day long haue I ſtretched forth my hīd to a rebellious people, to a diſobediēt gaine ſaying & vnbeleening people! Rom 10.21. How truly might he ſay that they had a long time grieued him, & yet he had waited that he might haue mercy on thē! Eſ. 30.18. How truly might be profeſſe of himſelfe, I deſire not the death of a ſinner, but that the vvicked turne from his way and liue. turne you, turne you frō your evill waies, for why will yee die ô yee houſe of Iſraell? Ezech. 33.1 • . What ſhould I ſay more (beloved in Chriſt Jeſus) God is the ſame God vnto vs al, as he was vnto them: & there is not one to be found in this great Congregation, from the moſt auncient father to the youngeſt child, but in ſome meaſure hath had experiēce of theſe things. Every one hath felt in himſelf God to be a God of much mercy & expectation. For whē his Angell had offended he ſtayed not at all for him, but threw him downe to hel. Whē Adam had tranſgreſſed he deferred not his puniſhment, but draue him ſtraight way out of Paradiſe. But if we examine our ſelues we ſhal finde that he waiteth for every one of vs indeede, and forbeareth vs ſome ten yeares, ſome twenty; ſome to 30. ſome to 40. ſome to olde age, ſome to dotage. Yea hee ſpareth vs al becauſe he is the lover of ſoules as the Wiſemā cals him. He is patiēt towards vs and would haue none to periſh but al of vs to come to repentance. 2. Pet. 3.9. Hee maketh as though hee ſaw not our ſinnes, becauſe we ſhould amend. VViſd. 11.20. He prolōgeth our daies, although we doevil againſt him an hūdred times. Eccleſ. 8.12. Let vs then be ware (beloved in the Lord) that we abuſe not the patiēce and long ſuffering of ſo good a God, leſt after ſo many ſweet ſhewers of mercie, & pleaſant calmes of cōfort, hee powre downe vpon vs the bitter ſtormes, and hote thunderbolts of his iudgement & indignation. And as the Prophet telleth Niniveh in this place: Yet forty daies & Niniveh ſhalbe destroied: So yet a little while, & if we will not repent and turne vnto him, behold a final deſtruction and overthrow ſhal over take vs. And ſo frō my firſt obſervatiō, the patience & long ſuffering of God, in that he did not preſently deſtroit Niniveh, but gaue it a good ſpace to repēt, Yet 40. daies. I now come to the ſecond note of my firſt general parte, which was the iuſtice and iudgment of the lord, denouncing deſtructiō againſt it, if in the time allotted it did not amend, and Nintveh ſhall be deſtroyed.

And Niniveh ſhalbe deſtroied. Our Prophet doth not come onely with a ſong of Gods mercy to Niniveh, but alſo with a ſong of iudgment; intimating that if they will not imbrace the one, they ſhal vndoubtedly feele the other. For albeit, being a ſtrāger to that place, a man of another country & kindred, & Niniveh large and ſpatious, and full no doubt of many barbarous & cruel people, he might in ſome ſort (becauſe hee was fleſh and bloud) be diſcouraged to deale ſo roundly & plainely with them, as to denounce ſo heavy a iudgment on thē, for feare leaſt they ſhould haue killed him: yet behold the courage & audacity of a faithful Prophet, He preferreth the diſcharge of his duty before the ſafety of his life: and, hauing receiued this meſſage from the Lord, he is not afraid (although he were but one & that a ſtranger) to pronounce it in the midſt of Niniveh, yea peradventure before the king and nobles of Niniveh (for ſo it is probable) although it declare noleſſe then Ninivehs over-throw & deſtruction. Out of whoſe bold and faithfull courſe of proceeding, let mee, by your Honorable & Chriſtian patience (moſt deare & bleſſed brethrē) giue this one note to my brethren and fellow-laborers in the miniſtry: that, when they are to deliver their meſſage from the Lord vnto his people, out of theſe and the like places, they be careful,A note for Miniſters, from Ionas his bouldnes. by our Prophets example, to lift vp their voices like trumpets, bouldly to reproue ſinne & ſinners, to tell the houſe of Iacob his iniquities, & Iſraell his tranſgreſſions. Let them not be terrified to declare Gods iudgmēts againſt the greateſt, let them not be a fraid of the faces of men, for the Lord is vvith them. Ier. 1.8. They muſt with Amos preach the death of Ieroboam and captiuity of Iſrael evē at Bethel in the kings chappel and in the kings court although with Amos they be baniſhed for it. Amos 7.12. They muſt with Michaiah prophecy the truth to Ahab, although with him they be hated for it. 1. Reg. 22.8. They muſt vvith Zachary tell the people of Iſrael, that becauſe they haue for ſaken the Lord, the Lord alſo hath for ſaken them, although by the commādement of the king with Zachary they be ſtoned for it 2. Chron. 24.21. They muſt with Iohn Baptiſt tell Herode that it is not lavvfull for him to have his brother Philips wife, though with him they be beheaded for it. Mat. 14.10. They muſt with Nathan tel David thou art the man 2. Sam. 12.7. They muſt with Eliah tel Ahab, it is thou and thy fathers houſe that trouble Iſraell. 1. Reg. 18.18. They muſt with Iehu tel Iehoſhaphat, that for his wickednes the wrath of the Lord is vpon him 2. Chron. 19.2. They muſt with the Prophet tel Amaſiah the king of Iuda, that for his ſin God hath determined to destroye him. 2. Chron. 25.16. They muſt with Azariah the prieſt tel Vzziah the king, that for his trāſgreſſion he ſhall haue none honour of the Lord. 2. Chron. 26.18. They muſt with Nehemiah rebuke the Princes and Rulers of Iſrael, for laying ſuch heavy burthens vpon their brethren, Nehem. 5.7. Finally they muſt with Ionas in my text tel Niniveh, yea glorious & goodly Niniveh, yea ſtout and ſtately Niniveh, yea proud and populous Niniveh, that for her ſinnes it ſhallbe quite defaced and overthrowen. Thus muſt the Miniſter of God be bould to reproue ſinne in the mightieſt ones in the world, & with the ſpirit of courage and audacity beate downe whatſoever lifteth vp it ſelfeagainſt God.

Iſpeake not this (beloued in Chriſt Ieſus) to condemne al kind of milde and gentle perſuaſiō: and to vphold the botte and indiſcreete reproovers of our time,Indiſcreete reproovers not allowed. who are ſo fervent & forward in denoū cing iudgment againſt the leaſt offenders, that with Iames and Iohn nothing wil contēt them, but only fire frō heauē to conſume them Luk. 9.54. They are the of ſpring of curſed Cham, delighting in nothing ſo much, as to vncover the nakednes of their fathers. They are, as Saint Bernard ſpeaketh of ſuch in his 78. Epiſtle, nō correpteres ſed corroſores, not reproovers but gnawers. Not vnlike the Cynicke Philoſopher, who for his impudent taunts againſt all, was commonly called of all Convitiorum canis, the dog of reproches. For as thoſe Indians headed like dogs, in lieu of ſpeech, vſe to barke, as Pliny in his 7. lib. and 2. chap. writeth of thē: ſo theſe, in ſteed of ſpeaking to their brethren after the manner of men, vſe to barke at them, after the faſhiō of dogs. My ſpeech doth not apologize or countenance any ſuch, either dogged and in diſcreete raylers, or rude intemperate reproovers.

J rather aime at thoſe in another extreame, who are ſo farre from being to forward in reproving of ſinne, that they dare not take in their mouths but that cold rehrehenſion of olde Ely vnto his ſonns, Do ſo no more my ſons, do no more ſo. 1. Sam. 2.24. But as deceiptfull Embaſſadours, either for feare of puniſhmēt, or for hope of gaine, they forbeare to deliver the Lords Embaſſage vnto his people: Soothing them in their ſins and flattering them in their ſollies, and furthering thē in their iniquities. Thoſe are our temporizing preachers, our time ſeruing Prophets, our trēcher Chaplaines who, either to ſatisfy the luſt of their humorous Lord, or to delight the itching eares of their vaine auditors, ſpeake nothing but placētia, court phraſes, ſweet and pleaſing words: that ſow pillowes vnder mens elbowes, and build vp their ſinnes as a wall, and daub vp their filthy corruptions with the vntempered morter of palpable adulatiō. Whom I may iuſtly brand with the ſame name as Crates the Thebane did thoſe paraſites, of his time whō hee called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : becauſe, ſitting at great mēs tables, they were ready with that cunning diſſēbler in the comody to ſay, Ais, aio? negas? nego. Whatſoever they affirmed they would affirme the ſame, and whatſoever they denyed they would bee as ready to deny though never ſo vntruly. right ſo, beloved, I am afraid our church hath to many ſuch fawning and flattering Miniſters: who ſitting at noble mēs tables (if happely they be thervnto admitted) for feare of diſpleaſing, will ſay as they ſay: although their owne conſcience I doubt not many times tels them they haue ſaid amiſſe. Speaking good of evill, and evil of good, putting darkeneſſe for light, and light for darkeneſſe, bitter for ſweet, and ſweet for ſower to vſe the words of the Prophet Eſa. 5.20. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Making marchandiſe of the vvord of God, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh 2. Cor. 2. vlt. and ſelling the cauſe of the Lord for a meales meat, or as the Prophet tels vs for handfulls of barly and peeces of bread. Ezech. 13.19. J cā not more fitly reſemble ſuch falſe Prophets to any, then to that flattering and diſſembling Prieſt of Iuppiter: who whē Alexander the great (as Plutarch in his life teſtifieth) came to the oracle, ſaluted him by the name of Iuppiters ſonne, & all to get ſome great preſent & large-reward frō him: ſo they, to procure the ſooner vnto themſelues ſome promotion Eccleſiaſtical, wil make the Alexanders of the world beleeue, that they are Demy Gods or at the leſtwiſe a degree aboue the natural conditiō of the ſonnes of men. They are fit chaplaines for ſuch radies as the mother of Cyrus was, who, as Plutarch reporteth, cōmanded, that whoſoever ſpake to the king, he ſhould vſe ſoft & ſilken words: for ſurely in their preaching and reaching before ſuch great ons of the world, they vſe noe other but ſuch ſoft phraſes & ſilken ſpeeches as ſhal befit their humours. And as the natural biſtorian in his 2. lib. & 41. ca. of his hiſtory reporteth of the hearb called Heliotropium, that it regardeth & looketh towards the ſunne: ever as hee goeth turning with him at all howers. yea even alſo when he is ſhadowed vnder a cloude: ſo doe they, in the whole courſe of their miniſtery, regard & conſider their Lords and Ladies humours, and thervnto do they apply themſelves at all times, yea evē then alſo whē they are covered with the cloudes of many groſſe and crying ſinnes. So that I may truly ſay of ſuch, as the Philoſopher did of the like, who, as Nicephorus reporteth in the 10. lib. & 42. cap. of his Eccleſiaſtical hiſtorie, comming into an Emperours court, & there ſeeing many ſooth vp great men in their ſins, ſaid of them, purpurā ipſos magis quam Deum colere, that they did more reverence purple robes then God himſelfe and J am perſwaded (beloved in Chriſt Jeſus) that they who thus ſooth vp the mighty potentants of the world in their tranſgreſſions, quod purpuram ipſimagis quam deum colant, that they more reſpecte the coūtenance of man, then the favour of the everliving God. For otherwiſe they would never, as many times they doe, conceale the councel & wil of God, to gaine a little commodity & preferment at the hands of a mortal man. And if it happen, (beloued) that theſe men come abroad at any time, to preach amonge the vulgar ſorte in meaner places, they haue ſo vſed themſelves to a ſmooth & pleaſing vaine, that even then J may ſay of them, as Diogenes the Cynicke ſaid of orators, as it is in the 9. lib. and 19. cap. Elian. de varia hiſtor. that they are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the very ſlaues & vaſſals of the common people. For to win their leaſt favours, they wil be favourable to their greateſt ſins. And as Pliny in his 5. lib. & 15. chap. ſaith that the river Iordan is a pleaſant river, winding & turning in & out, ſeeking as it were for loue & favour, and applying it ſelfe to pleaſe the neighbour coūtries. So do theſe time-ſerving preachers turne & winde themſelves in their ſermons to the multitude: ſeeking rather to win their favours by flatering them in their ſinnes, then to diſcharge their owne duties to God by revealing his wil vnto thē. But let theſe men conſider howe much the Lorde is offended with ſuch deceitful hādling of his word. Let them cōſider the grievous cōplaint of the Lord againſt ſuch falſe Prophets, who healed the hurt of the daughter of his people with ſweete wordes, ſaying peace, where there was no peace. Jer. 6.13. Let them cōſider how much he was moued with them that taught vanities, & ſpake the viſion of their owne hearts, & not out of the mouth of the Lord. Saying to every one that vvalked after the ſtubbornes of his owne hart, no evil ſhal come vpon you, prophecying falſe dreames & cauſing the people of the Lord to erre by their lies and by their flatteries. Ier. 23. Finally let thē cōſider the ſevere iudgmēt of the Lord pronoūced againſt ſuch faithleſſe meſſēgers in the ſame Prophet. Behold they that flatter the people in their ſinnes, & ſar that the ſword & famine ſhal not bee in the land, by ſword & famine ſhal theſe Prophets be conſumed. Jer. 14.15.

Wherfore to conclude this point, let vs (beloved) I ſpeake this to al my brethren and fellow-labourers in this holie buſines, let vs I ſay, as truſtie Embaſadours, boldly deliuer our Lordes Embaſſage: not fearing him that can kill the body only, but him that can caſt both body and ſoule into hell fire. Matt. 10.28. And yet let vs not ſeeke to gal & greeue the woūded conſcience of our weake auditors, by to raſh & indiſcreete doubling & redoubling woes vpon them, alvvaies killing thē vvith the killing letter of the law. Let vs take heede leaſt if we thus alwaies preach to others iudgmēt without mercy, wee our ſelues bee iudged of the Lord without mercy. Let vs rather by our Prophets example, keeping the golden meane, temper them both togither. Let vs ſometimes with the ſweete balme of the Goſpel bind vp the brokē harted: and yet ſometimes alſo with the hard hāmer of the law bruze and breake downe the ſtrength of impietie. Let vs ſometimes as good chirurgions applie pleaſant lenitines to ſupple: & yet ſometimes alſo ſharpe coraſines to exaſperate the feſtered woūds of our ſicke patients. Let vs ſomtimes like skilful Phyſitions miniſter comfortable refections to cheriſh; & yet ſomtimes alſo ſharpe and bitter potions to offend their diſtē pered ſtomacks. Let vs ſomtimes with that good Samaritane Luk. 10, with the oile of mercy cheere vp the fainting cō ſcience of a poenitent Chriſtian: & yet ſometimes alſo with the wine of reprehenſion rub vp the cōtagious maladies of hard harted worldlings. Let vs ſometimes with the ſons of Iacob ſtand vpon the moūt Gerizzim to bleſſe, & yet ſō times alſo vpon the moūt Eball to curſe the Lords enemies Deut. 27.13. Let vs ſometimes with St. Paul Come in the ſpirit of meekenes to comfort: and yet ſometims alſo with the ſame Apoſtle with the rod of correction to controule 1. Cor. 4. 21. Let vs ſometimes ſay with our maiſter pax vobis, peace be vnto you Luk. 24.36. & yet ſometimes alſo vae vobis, woe be vnto you. Matt. 23.13. Let vs ſometimes be like that ſoft voice wherin God came 1. Reg. 19.12. and yet ſometimes alſo like Iohn Baptist the voices of criers or crying voices in the wildernes of this world Math. 3.3. Let vs ſometimes bee like Barnabas ſons of Conſolatiō. Act. 4.36. and yet ſometimes alſo like Iames & Iohn 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the ſons of thunder Mark. 3.17. Laſtly let vs ſometimes come with Ionas in my text with a ſōge of mercy as in the firſt part of his ſermō yet 40. daies: and yet ſometimes alſo with a ſonge of iudgment as it followeth in the ſecond and Niniveh ſhalbe deſtroied.

And Niniveh ſhalbe deſtroyed. And heerein a word before I proceede further: Let me remoue a ſtumbling blocke of offēce, which may ariſe to the weake out of theſe words: For wheras our Prophet here ſetteth downe, that after the ſpace of 40. daies, Niniveh ſhoulde bee deſtroied, it is manifeſt in the laſt verſe of this 3. chapter that God repented of this evil which he had purpoſed to do vnto it, & he did it not. Quaeſtion Howe then is the councel of the Lord infallible, howe is the verity of his word immutable, howe are his decrees vnreſiſtable, how is his iudgment here denoūced by Ionas inevitable? and Niniveh ſhalbe deſtroyed.

Opinion 1 For anſwere where vnto we muſt obſerve, that ſome of the auncient fathers in the primitiue church haue bin of this opinion, that by Niniveh here is vnderſtood, the ſin & iniquity of the people of Niniveh. As if the Prophet had ſaid, Yet forty daies & Niniveh ſhal be deſtroied, that is, not the mē, the wals, & the buildings of Niniveh, but the ſins & tranſgreſſiōs of Niniveh; the ſinful city ſhal become an holy city, the idolatrous people a ſāctified people, the height of their impietie ſhalbe deſtroied by the teares of their penitēcy. Thus ſhal ſinful Niniveh be quite defaced, thus ſhall vngodly Niniveh be overthrowne. Of this opiniō was Sr. Auſten in his 21, lib. & 24. chapter de civitate dei. Where he ſaith thus. That God vſeth to ouerthrow ſinners two manner of waies. Either when he puniſheth the men for ſins cōmitted, as he did the Sodomites Gen. 19.25. or when he deſtroyeth the ſins of mē through their vnfeined repentāce, as in theſe Ninivits. And in this ſence, ſaith Sr. Austen, is the word of the Lord true, that Niniveh in her people & buildings ſtood ſtil, but in her wicked waies and tranſgreſſions ſhe was overthrowne.

But ſaving the iudgmēt of ſo learned a father (whom notwithſtanding of alother of the fathers generally for his interpretatiōs of the Scripture I hould to bee moſt worthy of reverence) I rather faſten vppon another interpretation of theſe wordes.2. Opinion And that is that they are ſpoken by our Prophet with a conditiō implied in them, as if hee had ſaide: the Lord your God is a patient God, he will not woūd you before he warne you. Loe he giveth you yet 40 daies more to bethink your ſelues, if in this ſpace you wil not turne vnto him, then aſſuredly you ſhalbe deſtroyed. And this I rather take to bee the Prophets meaning in this place: not onely for that the whole current of our latter & ſounder interpreters doe agree here vnto, but alſo, becauſe I know this manner of denouncing iudgment, is verie vſual vvith the ſpirite of God in holy ſcripture. Witnes that one place inſteede of all, in the prophecie of Ieremy, I will ſpeake (ſaith the Lord) ſuddenly againſt a natiō, againſt a kingdom, to plucke it vp and to roote it out, and to deſtroy it. But if this nation againſt whō I haue pronounced, turne from their wickednes: I vvill repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them. Ier. 18.7.8. There you ſee, the condition is ſet down in expreſſe words. If they turne frō their wickednes I will repent. But elſewhere it is neceſſarily implyed and vnderſtood as for example. When Abimelech the king of Gerar, had tooke vnto him Sara, the wife of Abrahā: God ſaid vnto him, thou art but a dead mā becauſe of the woman which thou haſte taken. Geneſ. 20.3. Here the iudgement ſeemeth abſolute. But this condition muſt needes bee vnderſtood, that he was but a dead man, if hee did not reſtore the woman without touching her bodie. For vvhen he had purged himſelfe with an vpright minde, and innocent hand haue I done this: the Lorde forbare to execute this ſentence on him. So likewiſe the Prophet Eſaie biddeth Ezechiah from the Lorde. to ſet his houſe in order, for hee ſhould die & not liue, Eſ. 38.1. What ſpeech can be more abſolute thē this? And yet we muſt needs confeſſe, that this condition is therein contained: thou ſhalt die, if thou appeaſe not the wrath of God by thy tears and vnfained repentance. For when he had once ſo done, the Lord removed away this iudgement, and added vnto his daies fifteene yeares, as it is in the ſame chapt. Agreeable to this is that of David, vvho when he had killed Vriah the Hittite, and taken his wife vnto himſelf: the Lord tolde him, that for this, the ſword ſhould neuer depart from his houſe 2. Sam. 12.10. A ſentence without exception: and yet when he confeſſed, that in this he had ſinned againſt the Lorde (a condition no doubt in the former iudgment implyed) it was tould him by Nathan, that the Lord had put away his ſin and he ſhould not die: verſ. 13. So in the words of my text, here is deſtructiō denounced by Ionas againſt Niniveh, yet 40 daies and Niniveh ſhall be deſtroyed. And yet, Niniveh repenting, the Lord withholdeth his iudgements from it: & therefore we muſt needes vnderſtand a condition in the words: yet 40. daies and if Niniveh go on ſtil in her vvickednes, doubtleſſe Niniveh for her wickedneſſe ſhal be deſtroyed. Having thus cleared this doubt, and made manifeſt the meaning of our Prophet: let vs now come to the next obſervatiō, which in the beginning was propoſed out of theſe words and Niniveh ſhal be deſtroied.

Obſervat. 2 Jt is reported of Tamberlaine that mighty conqueror of his time, that whē he laid ſiege to any city: he diſplaied the firſt day his white flag before the ſame, as a tokē of his clemencie if they would yeeld vnto him: VVhich if they then refuſed, the next day he ſet vp his red flag, as threatning the ſhedding of their bloud, if they remained obſtinat: wherat if they were not moved, the third day he advanced his blacke flag, to ſignifie, that the dore of all pittie & compaſſion was now ſhut vp, and that nothing was to be expected, but vtter ruine and deſolation. The like courſe, in ſome proportion, doeth the Lorde of heaven and earth take with his citty Niniveh: he firſt diſplaieth his white flag of mercie, not for a day with Tamberlaine, but evē for 40, daies togither: whereat if they wil not yeeld, they ſhall beholde the red flag of his ſeverity, nay the blacke flag of his irrevocable iudgement, denouncing their vtter overthrowe and deſtruction. For the ſaying is moſt true, Laeſa patientia fit furor, the patience of the Lord too ſarre provoked, is turned into fury. Seravenit, ſed certa venit vindicta: it is long ere hee revenge himſelfe on ſinners, but hee paies thē with a witnes at the laſt. And howſoever the puniſhment of malefactors come ate, yet in never miſſeth in the end. As thePlin. lib. 2. c. 7. heathen man by the light of nature could tell vs. Lento graduad vindictam divina procedit ira. Tarditatem que iudicij gravitate pēſat ſaithValerius Maximns lib. 1. another. God is ſaid to haue leaden ſeete becauſe hee commeth ſlowly to execute vengance; but hands of iron becauſe when he cōmeth he ſtricketh home. And by how much the longer he expecteth our amēdmēt, ſo much the more ſtrictly hee will iudge vs if we do neglect. Experience teacheth vs that the axe the higher it is lifted, the heavier it falleth. A ſtone the further it is caſt vp into the aier falleth with greater force vpon the earth. Awater courſe the more it is ſtopped, when it breaketh forth, runneth with greater violence: even ſo the longer the Lorde heareth & forbeareth to puniſh the ſins of men, the heavier wil his puniſhment be in the end. And howſoever hee can bee content along ſeaſon to haue patience with them: yet at the laſt, as hee ſpeaketh by the Prophet, he will overturne, overturne, overturne, Ezech. 21.27. Where, by thrice repeating of the word, is vnderſtood an abſolute deſtruction and deſolation indeed. Pliny in his 8. lib. and 7. cap. and Ariſtotle in 9. lib. & 46. cap. de natura animalium doe write of the elephant, that by nature he is very milde and gentle; and others ſay, that he ſuffereth many wrōgs of inferior beaſts but beeing ſtill provoked by them to wrath his fury is not pacified, vntil hee hath revenged himſelfe to the ful. That which is ſaid to be true of the creature, is in this ſenſe moſt true of the creator of al things God himſelfe. His very nature and eſſence is, to bee A God ful of compaſſion and mercy, flow to anger, and of great kindnes. Pſal. 103.8. Hee ſuſteineth many wrongs of the ſons of men: being cruſhed with their ſins, as a cart is laden with ſheaues, to vſe the words of the Prophet: wherwith if they ſtil continue to load him, he wil eaſe himſelfe of his burden, and caſt it on the ground of confuſion. And albeit, as the Pſalmiſt ſpeaketh, he be patient, and is prouoked every day: yet if a man will not turne, hee will whet his ſword, he will bend his bow, & make it ready. Pſa. 7.12. For it is moſt true which Gregory ſaith in his 33. book of morals and 15. chapter. Vt pius, ita iuſtus eſt conditor. As our maker is merciful, ſo is he likewiſe iuſt. Gracious and righteous is the Lord, Pſal. 25.8. gracious in the multitude of his mercies, & righteous in the ſeveritie of his iudgements. Gracious to them that turne vnto him, righteous to them that caſt him frō thē. The Lord is ſlow to anger, there is his patience to penitent ſinners: but he is great in power, & wil not ſurely cleere the wicked. Nahum. 1.3. there is his iudgement to impenitent reprobates. I haue a longe time holden my peace at your ſins, I haue beene ſtill, & reſtrained my ſelfe, there is his long ſuffering declared: but now will I cry like a traveiling woman, I wil deſtroy & devour at once. Eſ. 42.14. there is his heavy wrath deſcribed. The Almighty is a patiēt rewarder, there is mercy offered to him that wil receiue it: but he will not leaue the wicked vnpuniſhed. Eccleſ. 5.4. there is iuſtice pronounced to him that wil neglect it.

Thus you ſee (moſt deare and Chriſtian brethren) that loue & wrath, pitty, and revenge, patience and iudgment, as the 2. daughters of the great king, goe hand in hand: his mercy & truth do meete togither, his righteouſnes and peace doe kiſse each other. Mercy going before with a pax vobis, peace vnto thē that accept it: iudgement following after with a vae vobis woe vnto them that refuſe it, the one comming with an open boſome to receiue the penitēt: the other following with a drawn ſword to devour the hardharted. Mercy is firſt offered to leaue the wicked inexcuſable: iudgmēt is laſt executed to deſtroy the wicked that are culpable. For this is the vſual courſe which God taketh with the ſons of men: firſt to try them a good ſpace by gentle forbearing, which if it draw them not vnto repentāce, then his arrowes of vengeance are readie prepared for deſtruction. So did he deale with the old world: hee ſpared it an hundred & twentie yeares, but when hee ſaw that the wickednes of man was great in the earth, & that al the imaginatiōs of the thoughts of his hart were onely evill continually. Gen. 6.5. Hee did by a mightie flowd deſtroy everie thing that was on the earth from man to beaſt. Gen. 7.23. So did hee deale with the fig. tree in the Goſpel, he ſpared it 3. whole years togither, and ſuffered it to be digged & dunged carefully: but continuing it ſelfe barren, & making alſo the groūd barren round about it, the Lorde wil no lōger beare with it, it muſt be deſtroied, it muſt be cut downe. Luk. 13.7. So did he deale with thoſe Aegyptians of old, he ſent Moſes & Aaron to inſtruct them, who wrought diverſe ſignes and miracles among them to win them to repentance: whereof when none could moue them, or pierce their hardned heartes, they vvere quite over-whelmed in the midſt of the ſea, Exod. 14.27. So did he deale with his owne cittie, hee ſent Prophets & teachers early & late, to wooe her to Chriſt as the ſpouſe to her bridegrome, he ſent his owne ſonne to winne her from her ſin: but when ſhee woulde bee gathered by none of theſe, beholde her houſe vvas lefte vnto her deſolate. Luk. 13.35. Finally ſo doeth hee deale with Niniveh in my text, he giveth her ful 40. daies for her probation and triall: wherein if ſhee forſake not her ſinnefull waies, and turne vnto the Lord, there ſhal not a day or houre be further ſpent, vntill the iudgement of her overthrow be pronounced, and Niniveh ſhalbe deſtroyed.

Now the greatnes of this iudgment, is here further amplified, frō the place againſt which it is denounced, beeing Niniveh, no petty towne of the nations, no obſcure place of the worlde, no little village or hamlet of the Eaſt, no ſmal citty in Aſsyria, as Bethlem was in Iuda: but a greate and excellent city of three daies iourney, even then one of the greateſt citties in the world. For as Diodorus Siculus in his 3. lib. and 1. cap. Herodotus in his Clio and Strabo in the 16. of his Geography haue at large deſcribed, thi Niniveh was 400. and 80. furlongs in circuit. wheras Babylon, which Ariſtotle in his politicks calleth rather 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a country then a city, had almoſt fewer by one hundred. And ſome haue beene of opinion that afterwardes as it grew in wealth, ſo it was much more inlarged. Her wals were in height an hundred feete, in breadth ſufficiently capeable to receaue three carts on a row, in compaſſe 400. miles, adorned with a thouſand & fiue hundred towers, wherof the height of every on was two hundred feete a peece. The buildings of it very faire, beeing (as ſome haue noted) eight whole yeares a rayſing vp, & not by fewer at once then tenne thouſande workemen. The ſtate of it very commē dable, beeing ruled by a king and his nobles, Ion. 3.7. The people of it almoſt innumerable, ſeeing there were ſix ſcore thouſand infāts, that could not diſcerne betweene their right hand and their left. Ion. 4.11. In a word if J name but Niniveh I then name al, a beautiful & pleaſant city, as the Hebrew word whence it is deriued importeth. Not only a great citty as Moſes calleth it, Gen. 10.12. but a great & excellent city, or a citty great vnto God, as our Prophet calleth it, ô herein is the iudgemēt aggravated! This excellent and famous and renowned Niniveh, this large and ſpacious & populous Niniveh, this faire and glorious & goodly Niniveh ſhalbe deſtroyed. Niniveh that imperial commaunder of all the Eaſterne partes, that lifted her head aboue the nations, that dwelt in confidence and ſaid, I am and there is none beſides me, Niniveh ſhalbe deſtroied. Niniveh in times paſt highly renowned, prowde of her wals and bul-warks, puft vp in the wealthines of her inhabitants, & the goodlines of her buildings, 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 Niniveh ſhal be destroyed. Niniveh the mother city of Aſsyria, the Metropolis of the Country, the golden heade of the picture, the glory of the earth, the ſeat of the Empire, the Lady of the Eaſt, the Queene of nations, the riches of the world, Niniueh ſhalbe deſtroied.

Obiection. But ſome man peradventure wil ſay, what ſinnes hath Niniueh committed; how hath ſhee offended God: that ſhee ſo great and excellent, ſo famous & renowed citty, ſhould haue ſo ſevere a iudgment, denounced againſt her from the Lord? Anſwere. For anſwere whervnto J muſt confeſſe that the ſinnes, for which Niniveh is here ſo threatned, are not expreſſed in my text, but elſe where ſet downe by the ſpirit of God. That this city was given to idolatry, it appeareth in the ſecond booke of Kings where it is ſaid that Senacherib was worſhipping his falſe God, in the temple of Niniveh, whē his two ſonnes ſlew him. 2. King. 19.37, And if yee looke but into the third chap. of the Prophecy of Nahum; you ſhall finde other ſins of this cittie there reckoned vp by the prophet. For he calleth it a mistreſse of witchcrafts, a bloudy citty, full of lies & robbery, from whence the pray departeth not. Vnto which ſinnes, J may alſo adde the ſinnes of infidelity, & gluttonie, and pride, which I doe the rather iudge to be general faultes among them: becauſe in their repentance (as anone by Gods grace ye ſhall hear) mention is made of ſuppreſſing theſe ſinnes, of ſuppreſſing their infidelitie, by beleeving in God, of ſuppreſſing their gluttony by proclaiming a faſt, of ſuppreſſing their pride by putting on ſack-cloath frō the greateſt vnto the leaſt. But that one place is inſteede of al the reſt, to declare the ſinne of Niniveh, it is in the beginning of this prophecie of Ionas: where it is ſaid that the wickednes of this people vvas come vppe before the Lorde, where the name of VVickednes in the original (as the learned note) ſignifieth the greateſt extremity that can be, and is not reſtrained to this or that ſin one of a thouſand, but is a moſt abſolute, & all ſufficient terme, to al manner of impietie.

Thus then you ſee (moſt deare and bleſſed brethren, beloued in the Lorde Ieſus) that it is not for a ſmale thing, or matter of light momēt: but for many & moſt grievous ſins, even the height of al impietie, for which Niniveh this notable citty muſt be deſtroyed. For howſoever her ſtate was moſt powerfull, her gouernment moſt excellent, her wals moſt ſtatelie, her towers moſt high, her citizens moſt wealthy, her name moſt renowned, her people almoſt innumerable: yet nether the mightines of her ſtate nor the excellencie of her gouernmēt, nor the climing of her wals, nor the aſpiring of her towers, nor the riches of her citizens, nor the honor of her name, nor the multitude of her people, if ſhee once giue over her ſelfe to ſin; can make her ſecure from the wrath of God. For greatnes of ſins wil ſhake the foundation of the greateſt citties, and multitude of offences wil diminiſh and conſume whole multituds of men. Iericho the city of palme-trees as ſhe is called. Deut. 34.3. beeing withal a wicked and vncircūciſed citty, idolatrous in the worſhip of God, and hoſtile to his people, had a lamentable ende. For loe the men of armes, at the Lords appointment, vtterly deſtroied al that was in it, both man & woman, young and olde, beaſts and cattel, oxen & aſses, with the edge of the ſword, Ioſ. 6.21. Tyrus was rich with the ſeed of Nilus that brought her abundance, the harueſt of the rivers were her revenews, and ſhee a mart of the nations, it was a glorious city, and her antiquity of ancient daies: ſhee crowned men and her marchants were Princes, & her chapmen the nobles of the world. Eſ. 23. Yet beholde the iudgmēts of the Lord, againſt that city for her ſins, as it is in the ſame chapter: it was tould her, that her owne feete ſhould lead her a far of to be a ſoiourner: for the Lorde of hoſtes had decreed it, to staine the pride of all glory, and to bring to contempt al the honorable in the earth. Nô was full of people, and lay in the rivers, and had the waters rounde about it: whoſe ditch was the ſea, & her wall was from the ſea yet, for her ſins, was ſhee caried away, and went into captivity: her young childrē were daſhed in peeces at the head of the ſtreets, and they caſt lots for her noble men, and al her mighty men were boūd in chaines, Nahum. 3.10. Yea Babylon called a great citty as wel as Niniveh, that ſaid in her hart, I ſit as Queene, I am no widdow, & ſhall ſee no mourning: by reaſō of her iniquities hath her iudgment pronouned by the angel: It is fallen, it is fallen, & is become the habitation of Divels and the hole of all foule ſpirites, and the cage of every vncleane and hateful bird. Revel. 18.2. Nay Ieruſaleus though the perfection of beauty, and ioye of the whole earth, Lament. 2.15. Though ſhee were as deare vnto the LORDE as the ſignet on his right hand, and the onely ſpowſe of the greate king of heaven: yet becauſe ſhee became wanton, and played the harlot, and would not be reclaimed: ſhee was made a ſpectacle of vengance & iudgment to all the coaſts of the earth & natiōs of the world. That ſanctified city that choſen citty of the Lord, that citty built in vnity, the Queene & Empreſse of the Provinces, was ſo defaced, and leveled with the ground, that not one ſtone was left ſtanding vpon an other, neither in their houſes, wals, bulwarkes, turrets, nor in the altars, ſanctuary, or temple, the old, the young, the matrones, the virgins, the infantes, the princes, the prieſts, the Prophets, & the Nazerites were al ſlaine, famiſhed, fettered, ſcattered abroad, & vtterly conſumed. For further knowledge of all which, J referre you to Ioſephus de bello Iudaico where theſe things are largely ſet downe; and he that readeth that ſtory with dry eies, I wil ſay that his hart is harder then the hardeſt adamant, and himſelfe leſſe compaſſionate then the moſt barbarous Scythian in the world. Si ſit in viridi quid fiet in arido? If this be done in the greene tree, what ſhalbe done in the dry? Luk. 23.31. If the Lord dealt ſo ſeverelye with the Iewes that were the natural branches: what will he doe vnto them that are but the wilde branches? Rom. 11.21. And if he brought ſo heavy a deſtruction vpon his own city for ſin: then let not this famous citty of London flatter her ſelfe in her ſecurity: but let her, and all the citties of the world feare and tremble, leaſt committing the like ſinnes, the Lord bring vpō thē the like iudgmēts. For as his mercy is comfortable: ſo is his iudgment inevitable, and they that wil not with Niniveh imbrace him in the on, in accepting the time of 40 daies, to their converſion; ſhal vndoubtedly feele him in the other, in receiuing a perpetual iudgment to their confuſion. And ſo much be ſpoken concerning this ſecond circumſtaunce, of the firſt general parte. which was Gods iudgment, denouncing deſtruction againſt Niniveh, if in the time allotted, ſhe would not amend.

Now lett vs ſee, what further vſe & applicatiō we may make of theſe things vnto our ſelves.

Jhad thought (Right Honorable,Application of the former doctrines. right worſhipfull & dearly beloued in Chriſt Ieſus) when I firſt made choice of this text to haue applied this ſermon of Ionas to this renowned city of London being the Metropolu of al England as Niniveh was of Aſſyria, becauſe in my ſimple iudgment this argument heere handled may very wel befit this place & theſe times. But conſidering with my ſelfe that many of this greate aſſembly are inhabitants of other places of this land, I doe rather thinke it beſt to apply it to the people of England in general; that what is ſpoken of them, every man in particular may accompt as ſpokē vnto himſelfe. And here, beloued, to proceede according to our Prophets method. If ever there were nation or kingdome vnder the cope of heauē, to whō the Lord hath manifeſted himſelfe to be a God of much patience & long ſuffering: ſurely ours is that nation, ours is that kingdome. How hath hee deſired Englands ſalvation,Gods mercies to England. how hath he waited for her converſion, how hath he ſought to win and wooe her to contrition? He hath ſent her not one Ionas, one time, but many hundred Prophets and teachers, daily and howrely to call her to repentance. He hath giuen her not 40. daies as he did Niniveh, but full forty yeares and more to bethinke her ſelfe: vnder the peaceable governement of a moſt gracious ſoveraigne. Neuer did any father ſo long indure, the vntoward lineſſe of a wicked ſonne, neuer did anie Prince ſo long ſuffer, the rebellions of a diſloyall ſubiect, neuer did any Lorde ſo long forbear, the puniſhment of a negligent ſervant, never did any huſband ſo long ſuſtaine the iniuries of a levvde-living wiſe, as hee our gracious father, hath done vs prodigal ſonnes, as he our heauenly king, hath done vs vnnarural ſubiects, as he our mightie Lorde, hath done vs careleſſe ſervants, as he our loving huſbande, hath done vs faithleſſe wines. His mercie & forbearance to the Iſraclits, was nothing, in reſpect of that he hath ſhewed to vs the people of England. He hath delivered vs from the ſpiritual darkneſſe of Aegypt, the palpable obſcuritie of ignorance and ſuperſtitiō. He hath appointed vs his laws and ordinances, his ſtatutes and his commandements. He hath given vs Manna from heaues, angels foode, the bread of our ſouls, the word of life, wher with he hath fed vs theſe manie yeares. But as the young hinds in Iob, beeing once growne ſat with corne goe from their dams, and returne not to them againe. Iob. 39.7. So wee being fatted and repleniſhed vvith theſe and a thouſand the like vnſpeakeable benefites and bleſſings forget and forſake the Lord of heauen. Witnes our vnthankefulneſſe and diſobedience, our grudging and murmuring againſt our maker. Witnes our cold zeale and lukewarmenes in our profeſſion, witnes our backſliding from the truth, our neglect & contempt of the word of God. VVitnes the burden of innumerable ſins, vnder which our land groaneth: enmity & diſſention, fraud and diſſimulation, covetouſnes and oppreſſion, pride & ambition, aduſterie and fornication, ſvvearing and forſwearing, lying and ſtealing & the like, al which had long ſince pulled downe the heavy wrath of God and his iuſt iudgements vpon vs: had not his mercy and loving kindneſſe hindred the ſame. Let vs not (my deare brethren) to farre provoke this gracious and loving God, vvhom wee haue already grieued more then 40. yeares by our iniquities. You know that pride, & fulnes of bread, aboundance of idlenes, and no ſtretching forth of handes vnto the poore, vvere the very capital and head ſinnes, which did even vvreſt and wring from the Lorde, his heavie and fearefull iudgment on Sodome and Gomor. Ezech. 16.49. And yet who doeth not know, that all theſe ſinnes, and infinite other, doe in as bad manner, and no leſſe meaſure, reigne & revel in England what other ſequele thē is to be feared, thē that the Lord ſhould ſhower downe his plagues and iudgements vpon vs, in as great meaſure as ever he did vpon thē? For he is the ſame God now, as he was then, and his harted ro ſin is ſtil the ſame. We read of three greivous puniſhments, which the Lord threatneth to bring vpon his people for their ſinnes I wall conſume them, ſaith he, by peſtilence, by famine, and by the ſword ſer. 14:12. Beloued in Chriſt Ieſus,Gods iudgments ruſtly to be expected on England, if it doe not ſpeedily repent. let not England ſlatter her ſelfe any longer with the Lords patience, for ſhee hath provoked him to long. Beholdnow the axe of this anger is put to the root of the tree, his fan is in his land to purge his flore, his fire is kindled, his bow is ready bent, the arrows of his vengance are ready drawn to the head, & the ful viols of his diſpleaſure hangs over our heades ready, to power downe the like or greater iudgments vpon vs: if wee ſpeedely turn not vnto him, by a true & vnfained repērāce.The great plague in England 1593. See Stowes Cronicle. The yeares are not yet many, nor the time long, ſince the inſcriptions on your dores without, were as evident teſtimonies of the deſtroying Angel of the Lord within: ſince the arrow that flieth by day, the peſtilence that vvalketh in the darkneſse & the plague that deſtroyeth at noone day, devoured many thouſands in this citty, & other places of this land. And had not Gods mercy bin the greater, in ſaying then to his Angel, as in like caſe we read he did: it is ſufficient hould new thy hand 2. Sam. 24.16. A mā might haue wādred about our conntry, as Diogenes ſometimes did about Athens, with a candle and lanterne in his hād at noone-day: to ſeeke, I do not ſay, a good mā, but any mā at al, & not haue foūd him.The great dearth. 1597 The yeares are not yet many, nor the time longe, ſince the huſbandmā, as the prophet ſpekaeth ſowed much and brought in little, ſince the heavens over vs ſtayed themſelves frō dew, & the earth vnder vs brought not forth her fruites, ſince the ſtaffe of our bread vvas broken. & cleanes of teeth foūdin alour villages, & want of victuals in alour citties. And had not Gods mercy bin the greater then vnto vs in ſending a plentiful increaſe: our skin had cleaved to our bones, & withered like a ſtock Lament.The Spaniſh fleete 1588. 4.8. Finally the yeares are not yet many, nor the time longe, ſince the ſword of a forraine foe, hath bin ſhaken at our lād, threatning an overthrowe of the ſame: ſince tidings of warres, & rumors of manifold troubls, haue bin ſounded in our eares: to ſay nothing of our wicked attempts & diveliſh conſpiracies of many of our vnnatural countri-men at home. But ô Lord as thou haſt given but abad ſucceſſe to ſuch evil interprizes: ſo wee beſeech thee ſtil to bring to nought the proiects & purpoſes of al ſuch either forraine adverſaries that ſeeke our realmes deſtructiō, or trecherous Abſolons that lift vp their handes, againſt their dread ſoveraigne, & thine anointed. Let vs not thinke (my deare brethren) that theſe iudgmēts of peſtilence, of famine, & the ſword, haue come vnto vs by chaunce, & ſo gon away againe: There is a God above, that in ſome meaſure hath made vs taſt of them for our ſins: whom if we ſtil provoke, by heaping ſin vpō ſin, aſſu redly he hath theſe, & greater plagues in ſtore, to power down vpō vs. For the arme of the Lorde is not ſhortened: hee that hath ſtriken vs once, can, & wil, for our ſins, ſtrike the ſecōd time. He that hath ſmot ſome few of our nation with the ſword, can, & wil, for our diſobedience, if we repent not in time, with the ſword againe, deſtroy many thouſands and millions more. Hee that, with the plague of peſtilēce, hath takē away here & there on, can, & wil, for our vnthākfulnes, if wee repent not in time, with the ſame, or a greater diſeaſe take awayThe lamentable experience of this wee feele in this yeare 2603. whole multituds togither, nay devour whole citties, and towns, and leave our land as deſolate as a wildernes. He that hath puniſhed our bodis in the time of dearth for want of bread, can, & wil for our rebellion, if we repent not in time, ſuffer our ſoules to periſh for wāt of ſpiritual comfort: yea he will bring on our land, as the Prophet ſpeaketh, not a famine of bread, but of hearing the word of the Lord, And wee ſhal wander from ſea to ſea, and from the North evē vnto the Eaſt ſhal wee runne to & fro, to ſeeke the word of the Lord, and ſhal not finde it. Amos 8.11 12. A heavy iudgment of al other (my deare brethren) & yet moſt vſual, where Gods word is contemned & ſet at naught. Great was the glory, & glorious the light, which the Church of God ſometimes had in Aſia the leſſe, at what time the bleſſed Evāgeliſt St. Iohn & Policarpus, & many other ſchollers of the Apoſtles flooriſhed there. How famous for the word preached were thoſe citties of Graecia, floriſhing Churches of Corinth, Galatia, Epheſus, Philippi, Coloſse, and Theſſalonica, wherin St. Paule preached, & planted ſo many holeſome doctrines of the Chriſtian faith: and to whō he wrote ſo many divine Epiſtles extant in our church to this day! But for the ſinnes & iniquities, of the inhabitāta of thoſe places, were not the bright ſhining lamps of religion quite extinguiſhed among them, was not the light of the Goſpell quite taken from them and ſince removed into the Weſt? Nay the citty Rome was once the mirrour of nations, the glory of the world, the wōder of the Weſt, the ſanctuary of religiō, the very habitation of true piety, when her faith was publiſhed throughout the whole worlde, Rom. 1.8. But when religious Rome once proved beaſtly Babylon, the holy cittie an harlot, when idolatrie and ſuperſtition began once to rule & raign in her: beholde her candleſticke was removed into the northerne parts, and among the reſt to vs of this land: where if wee giue it no better welcome & entertainment thē they did, how may we not iuſtly feare the like iudgement: leaſt the Lord deprive vs of ſo great a bleſſing, & giue it to Tartarians and Moores wilde and ſavage people, that wil with greater alacrity receive it, & peradventure with greater fruit entertaine it, then we haue done.

Wherefore (my deare brethren) yet the word of the Lord is amongſt vs, yet the Prophets are in Iſrael, yet the pearle is in our field, yet the ſound of the Goſpel is heard throughout our land: O thē let vs make more reckoning & account of it, then heretofore we haue done: leſt this ſunne be defaced, leſt this light bee put out, leaſt it be told vs, as it was tolde the Angell of the Church of Epheſus, that our candle ſticke ſhalbe removed, Revel. 2.5. Leaſt the Arke of God bee taken from vs, as it was from the Iſraelits, 1. Sam. 4.12. Leaſt as Paule and Barnabas ſaide to the Iewes: to you is the worde of this ſalvation ſent, but ſeeing yee put it from you, loe wee turne vnto the Gentiles, Act. 13.46. So the Lord ſay vnto England to thee ô England haue J given my worde but becauſe thou haſt caſt it away from thee, & iudgeſt thy ſelfe vnworthy of everlaſting life, loe J will take it away, and giue it to a barbarous nation, that ſhal bring forth the frūits therof, Math. 21.43. Yet the Lord offereth his grace vnto vs: O then let vs according to St. Augustines Councel in tract. 33. in Iohan. Vſe it now if we wil vſe it at all: Leaſt the gate of mercy, which to day is open, to morrow be ſhut, and never opened againe vnto vs! Yet the meſſengers & Miniſters of God doe beſeech vs for Chriſt his ſake to be reconciled to him: O then let vs now become newe men in the Lord, leaſt a heavier iudgement light vpon vs! Yet the daies of plē ty are amongſt vs: O then let vs nowe with Ioſeph lay vp in ſtore, leaſt wee die in the famine! Yet the ſeaſon is calme & the weather faire: O then let vs nowe with Noah build vp an arke, leaſt with the reſt we periſh in the flowde! Gen. 7.21. Yet the Angell tarieth at the gates of Sodome: O then let vs now with Lot departe thence, and haſt away with the Angell, leaſt with that wicked people wee be deſtroyed! Gen. 19.24. Yet the bridgroome taryeth and waiteth for vs O then let vs make haſt to enter in with him to mariages ſolēnity: leaſt with the fooliſh Virgins, we be repelled, with a non novi vos, I know you not! Mat. 25.12. Yet wiſdome crieth in our ſtreeres vſ que quo? O how long wil yea love vanity? O then let vs nowe ſeeke vnto her, leaſt, ſeeking hereafter, we ſeek in vain, and ſhee laugh at our deſtruction! Prou. 1.26. Yet the Lord ſetteth open his ſtorehouſe of mercy: O then let vs now run to him for a bleſſing, leaſt, comming too late with Eſau, we finde none though we ſeeke it with teares! Heb. 12.17. Yet the Lord knocketh at the dore of our harts: O then let vs now open vnto him: leaſt hee ſaie to vs as he did to Ieruſalem, O that thou hadſt knowne at the leſt in this thy day the things that belonge vnto thy peace, but now they are hid frō thee! Luk. 19 42, Yet the Lord cryeth vnto vs to a mend: O then let vs, in this acceptable time of grace, harken vnto him, leaſt he ſay of vs, as he did of a hard harted people: as I haue cryed to you, and you woulde not heare me, ſo a time ſhal come when ye ſhal cry vnto me, and I wil not he are you. Zach. 7.13. Yet the Lord calleth vs vnto him: O then let vs nowe come, leaſt, if we come hereafter, it be too late: as Ioab came to Abſolon, whē his barly fields were burnt. 2. Sam. 14.31. Yet the Lord waiteth for our returne from Babylon: O thē let vs now returne vnto him, while wee haue time, leaſt hereafter he ſay to vs as the Angel ſware there ſhalbe no more time Revel. 10.6. Yet the Lord wooeth England & London, as he did Ephraim and Iuda: O England what ſhal I do vnto thee, O London how ſhal I intreate thee? O then let vs imbrace the riches of his bountifullneſſe, & his exceeding patience: leaſt wee heape vnto our ſelues wrath againſt the day of wrath, & of the declaration of the iuſt iudgment of God Rom. 2.5. Finally yet the Lord, by Ionas, cryeth in the ſtreets of Niniveh, & many hundred Ionaſses in the Citties and townes of England, yet 40. daies, and, if yee wil not repent, not only Niniveh but the reſt of the land alſo ſhalbe quite defaced: O then let vs al, with Niniveh in my text, repent vs of our ſinnes, beleeue in God. proclaime a faſt, and put on ſackcloth, leaſt this heavy iudgment denounced by our Prophet againſt Niniveh iuſtly fal on vs for our tranſgreſſions. And ſo much concerning my firſt general part which was Ionas Sermon to the Ninivits with the application therof vnto our ſelues. Now followeth the conſideration of the ſecond parte in the next words, to wit the Ninivites repentaunce; wherof a word or two and ſo I will commit you to God:

Heere is the fruite and effect which this Sermon wrought in the Ninivites, deſcribed as I toulde you before in theſe 4. circumſtances, 1. By their faith, which was not fruitleſſe ſoe the people of Niniveh beleeued God 2. By their faſting, which was not private, and proclaimed a faſt, 3, By their attire, which was not coſtly, and put on ſackcloth, 4. By their number, which were not few, from the greateſt to the leaſt. The leaſt of which 4 circumſtāces, if I might dwel vpon thē, would require a longer time, then is allotted mee for the handling of them all. And J muſt confeſſe that my meditations haue beene ſo farre inlarged in this ſecond point, that (the time beeing almoſt paſt and the weather ſo ſodainely vnſeaſonable) I ſhall not now deliver, without offēding your patience, the on quarter of that which I had purpoſed. How be it becauſe I perceiue no mā deſirous to depart, but everie one willing to ſtay, and ſo ſettle himſelf vnto attentiō: J wil be bold to point at thoſe foure obſervatiōs, which are included in this ſecond part: breifly running them al over, tanquam Canis in Nilo lambēs, picking here and there a litle, as may moſt befit this auditory and theſe times, leaving the conſideration of the reſt to every mans private meditation.Obſer. 1.