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…

The distribution of them is made in a proverbial speech, from the least to the greatest, used in a peculiar manner by this Prophet, Chap. 6. 13. Chap. 8. 10. Chap. 31. 32. Chap. 42. 1. Chap. 44. 12. It is only once more used in the Old Testament, and not elsewhere (Jonah 3:5). A…

(1) There are some of them wherein there is necessarily included a respect to some antecedent moral rule, which puts an express condition into the declarations, although it be not expressed, and is always in like cases to be understood. Thus God commands the Prophet to declare,…

As it is profaneness to call that common which God has sanctified and made holy; so it is tyrannical superstition and presumption to make that holy which God has made common. Occasional days of humiliation and thanksgiving, when God by his Providence calls thereunto, there is Sc…

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…

There is at least a who can tell? and that should stimulate you; while there is a possibility, hope is not cut off. You find a heathen king could so argue (Jonah 3:9): Who can tell if God will turn and repent? &c. And the Prophet urges this on God's professing people as an encou…

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.

In your distress by reason of sin, you resolved to go to God for help against it; and what was it that drew out this resolution? Was it not an apprehension that Christ was such a fountain for sin, and at least a resolve that the thing is not impossible; thus therefore he argued…

You do not yet see the Lord refreshing you, but it may be otherwise. The people of Nineveh said, Who knows but God may repent, this upheld their hearts, and made them seek to the Lord in the use of the means, and the Lord had mercy on them (Jonah 3:9). If you belong to the Lord,…

The cause continues, guilt and strength of sin, and therefore this effect continues. Fourthly, it is such a sorrow as makes way for gladness, for so it is here said, the Lord gives beauty for these ashes, and hence it is no desperate hellish sorrow, but usually mixed with sense…

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…

The spiritual blessing for which the church fasted when they sent forth apostles and ordained elders, was extraordinary (Acts 13:3 and 14:23). The judgment which was denounced against Nineveh (for preventing whereof they fasted) and which was inflicted on Israel in Joel's time (…

Esther and her company fasted, when she had heard news of the intended destruction of the Jews (Esther 4:16). The people of Nineveh, which were not Jews, but foreigners in regard of the Covenant, when the Prophet came, and denounced destruction to them for their sins, they gave…

3. Protestants teach unanimously, that it is incumbent on Kings to find out, receive, embrace and promote the Truth of the Gospel, and the Worship of God appointed therein, confirming, protecting and defending of it, by their Regal Power and Authority: as also that in their so d…