Jonah 3

But this cannot be the cause why God should alter his decree, because his knowledge is perfect; he sees all things in one entire prospect before him. Objection. But is not God said to repent? — there seems to be a change in his decree (Jonah 3:10): "The Lord repented of the evil…

For the number of forty days, curiosity may make itself work enough; but it is dangerous to make conclusions where no certainty appears. However this is not amiss, that forty days were the usual time allotted for repentance: as to the Ninevites (Jonah 3:4), so the prophet Ezekie…

The like has been the practice of the prophets. Jonah preaches, yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed: but withal he adds, It may be the Lord will repent, and turn from his fierce wrath (Jonah 3:9). Peter says to Simon Magus, You are in the gall of bitterness: but withal…

First, he waits all the day long (Isaiah 65:2): I have stretched out my hand all the day long, to a disobedient and gainsaying people. Secondly, forty days together, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed (Jonah 3:4). Thirdly, all the year long, as the husbandman does; I…

I reply, Believers often with dry eyes groan before the Lord without hypocrisy, and confess their fault to obtain pardon; but in more aggravated offenses they must be in no ordinary degree stupid and hardened, whose hearts are not pained by grief and sorrow, and who do not feel…

The greatest and vilest, most blind, dead, hard-hearted sinner living, is a subject capable of saving light and grace. Seeing therefore there is such necessity of obtaining the kingdom of God, and so short a time, and such difficulty, and yet such a possibility, it may well indu…

Some take it as a voluntary act of Job, and that he did it electively, when he was in that condition, he went out and chose to sit among the ashes; and so his sitting among the ashes was a note of his humiliation and abasement; as often in Scripture, to sit down in ashes, is as…

See this testy spirit in Jonah, who, though he were a holy, yet it seems by his history, he was a very passionate man: First, he is angry that God would spare Nineveh, after he had prophesied ruin and destruction to it: He grows into a pet, even with the mercy of God, as if he c…

(2 Corinthians 4:17) For this light affliction, that is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 2. When the qualification of the person is not clear, we must not absolutely promise ourselves the effect (Jonah 3:9). Who can tell whether Go…

So Cain when he had laid that desperate conclusion, my sin is greater than can be forgiven, he flies into the land of Nod, drowns himself in sensual delights, but forsakes the Lord. The hope of good is the lodestone of a man's labor, it carries on our course with speed and resol…

Thus the Prophet Joel pressed the Israelites to [reconstructed: turn] to God for the removal of a judgment, and the pardon of their sins, upon this very possibility, 'Rent your hearts and not your garments, and turn to the Lord, who knows if he will return and leave a blessing b…

Oh then pray for us, that God will make his work prosper in our hands. 1. That God will direct them what to preach, that he will cut out their work for them (Jonah 3:2): Go preach the preaching that I bid you. It is a great matter to preach suitable truths; these are acceptable…

Say to the King and the Queen, humble your selves. The King of Niniveh and his Nobles changed their robes for sackcloth, Jonah 3. 6. Great mens sins do more hurt than others: the sins of leaders are leading sins; therefore they of all others had need to repent.

When God is going to destroy a Nation, the penitent sinner staies his hand, as the Angel did Abraham's, (Genesis 22:12). 'The Ninivites Repentance, caused God to repent, Jonah 3. 10. God saw that they turned from their evil waies, and God repented, &c.

That was the valley where Achan was stoned to death (Joshua 7:24, 27) — it signifies trouble; so that even the valley of trouble, when God speaks trouble to his children, he gives them hope of deliverance from their very troubles; so that when a man's heart is cast down, and God…

It convinces such a soul, that yet nevertheless there is pardon to be found with God, and there is plenteous redemption wrought by Christ: and there are many gracious promises revealed in the word, and faith convinces us of the truth and goodness of them, could we but get our pa…