Jonah 4

Yet he has not root in himself, but endures for a while. A temporary faith is like Jonah's gourd, which came up in a night and withered (Jonah 4:10). 3. A miraculous faith, which was granted to the apostles, to work miracles for the confirmation of the gospel: this Judas had, he…

I think sometimes what a blessed time it will be never to have a sinful thought more; though we must not pray, Your kingdom come, out of discontent, because we would be rid of the troubles and crosses of this life. This was Jonah's fault, he would die in a pet, because God took…

Some care not what they say in their passion, they will censure, slander, wish evil to others; how can Christ be in the heart when the Devil has taken possession of the tongue? Passion disturbs reason, it is brevis insania, a short frenzy; Jonah in a passion flies out against Go…

A proud sinner stands upon his own defense, and is ready to accuse God of unrighteousness, which is as if we should tax the sun with darkness: this is far from submission to God's will. God smote Jonah's gourd, and he stands upon his own vindication (Jonah 4:9): I do well to be…

But if he be compelled to strike, and justice must be exercised, the Scriptures represent a reluctation in his bowels (Lamentations 3:33): he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men; in the original, from his heart; but is like a father, with a rod in his hand…

O this is a vile temper, cursed fruit springing from an evil root; a very carnal, ignorant, proud heart; or at least from a very distempered if renewed heart. So it was with Jonah when God smote his gourd, Indeed, says he, I do well to be angry even to death (Jonah 4:9). Poor ma…

He makes a whale to attend Jonah dropping into the sea, to be an instrument both to punish and preserve him. And which is more wonderful, the multitude of the very cattle is brought among others as a reason of a people's preservation from destruction (Jonah 4:11): the multitude…

Is Jonah so transported with his Gourd? God will prepare a Worm to smite it, Jonah 4. 6, 7. How many Husbands, Wives and Children has Providence smitten upon this very account?

You have been tempting, you are come now from murders, and thefts, and adulteries, and blasphemies, from provoking men to all these wickednesses. As that question (Jonah 4:4) was a chiding of Jonah, Do you do well to be angry? So, from where do you come?

Generally, her sad condition is expressed in these words, The Sun has looked upon me. The Sun in these countries had great heat, as we may see in Jonah 4:8, where the beating of the Sun upon him did sorely vex him; Jacob also says, it burned him in the daytime (Genesis 31:40). T…

3. His influences are in things small, as in the falling of a Sparrow to the earth; not one hair of the head but it is numbered by him (Luke 21:18; Matthew 10:29, 30, 31). Not a gourd groweth, nor a worm eats it, but at his command (Jonah 4:6, 7; Amos 4:7, 8, 9; Joel 1:1, 2, 3,…

Do I well to be angry for a gourd? That came up in a night, and perished in a night (Jonah 4:9). Should I be touched to the quick by such a sudden and transient provocation?

2. Murmuring and repining against the Lord, that's another snare. (Jonah 4:9) I do well to be angry, even to death; when he was crossed. Discontent at God's providence gratifies Satan exceedingly; when we will justify ourselves, and think it a kind of zeal to be angry, and pet a…

The law does not only forbid acts, but thoughts and desires; therefore is it lawful to long for death? Answer. Yes; but yet we are not anxiously to long after it, till the time come; not to grow weary of life, out of desperation and tiresomeness of the cross, as Jonah did (Jonah…

2. We must carefully look to the grounds of these wishes and desires. Carnal wishes for death arise either (1.) out of violent anger and a pet against providence, as Jonah 4:8: the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said it is bet…

(Joel 2:13) "Turn to the Lord your God for he is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repents him of the evil." (Jonah 4:2) "I knew that you were a gracious God, slow to anger and of great kindness" — and in various other places. What does the Spirit o…

Psalm 37:1. Do not fret yourself because of evil doers. We should not vex and fret, but we are apt to do so; to murmur and repine against God, and that for small matters, as Jonah for a gourd, I do well to be angry (Jonah 4:9). So strangely are men transported!

Chide a man for being angry when he is angry, and what will you get by it, but only some of his foam cast upon you? Let God himself expostulate with an impatient Jonah, while he is in his fit of impatience: Do you do well to be angry? and he will tell him snappishly to his face,…

4. Desires of grace in many are very inconstant, and fleeting like the morning dew that quickly passes away. Or like Jonah's gourd, that springs up in a night and withers in a night, they have no root in the heart, and therefore quickly perish; now then if a man may desire grace…

So it is with a distempered heart, though otherwise gracious, if yet it judges of them according to the relish of carnal reason, or the present apprehensions, their inordinate passions would put upon them; Jonah in a feverish fit of a passionate distemper, he strikes he cares no…

Discontent is a dogged, sullen humor; because we have not what we desire, God shall not have a good word or look from us; as the bird in the cage, because she is pent up, and cannot fly in the open air, therefore beats herself against the cage, and is ready to kill herself. Thus…

Let him pattern his work as he pleases; it suffices that God has done it. It was an unmeek spirit in the prophet to struggle with God (Jonah 4:9): I do well to be angry, even to death. Second, flexibility to God's word; when we are willing to let the word bear sway in our souls,…

Nay, in many of the Regenerate there is more corruption than grace, so much smoke that you can scarce discern any fire, so much distrust, that you can hardly see any Faith, so much passion, that you can hardly see any meekness. Jonah a peevish Prophet, he quarrels with God; nay,…

'Tis a sad thing that a man should be so bewitched by lust, that if it ask to part with, not only half the Kingdom, but the whole Kingdom of heaven, he must part with it, to gratify that lust. 4 That sin which men use arguments to defend, is the beloved sin; he that has a jewel…

The like deceit are we subject to in prayer also. Witness Jonah's example (Jonah 4:2), of whom it is said, that he then prayed, when indeed he did nothing but quarrel with God. Read the words of that his prayer, and you shall find nothing prayer-like in them.

I verily thought with my self, that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazars. Paul sinned & he had his doubts before conversion, even as after conversion; yet this sin troubled him not, he thought he was bound to do many things, &c. so may your conscienc…

Psalm 130:7. With the Lord there is mercy. And so Jeremiah 3:12; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2; Luke 6:36. Be you therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. The Scripture speaks of this as most natural to him (2 Corinthians 1:3); he is called the Father of mercies.

Psalm 103:8: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. And the same you find (Psalm 145:8; Jonah 4:2; Joel 2:13). Sometimes indeed you find a severer attribute added to these, as that he will by no means clear the guilty (Exodus 34:7).

Sanctified souls have their passions and lusts which are too little mortified, even as sweet-briar, and holy-thistles have their prickles, as well as the worthless bramble. Jonah was a good man, yet his soul was sadly distempered by adverse providences (Jonah 4:9): 'Yes,' said h…

2. When objects of life work upon life, they cannot deceive, especially all the senses, hearing, seeing, tasting, feeling, smelling: the excellency and sweetness of Christ, going along with the word, cannot be delusion; a man may imagine that he sees and hears, and yet his sense…

Jerome then was injurious to his providence, and cast a blemish on his absolute perfection, while he thought to have cleared his Majesty, from being defiled with the knowledge and care of the smallest reptiles and vermin every moment; and Saint Augustine is express to the contra…

Q. 5. Does the providence of God extend itself to every small thing? A. The least grass of the field, hair of our heads, or worm of the earth, is not exempted from his knowledge and care (Job 39; Psalm 104:21; Psalm 145:15; Jonah 4:7; Matthew 6:26, 27, 28, 29; Matthew 10:29, 30)…

Q. 5. Does the providence of God extend itself to every small thing? A. The least grass of the field, hair of our heads, or worm of the earth, is not exempted from his knowledge and care (Job 39; Psalm 104:21 & 145:15; Jonah 4:7; Matthew 6:26, 27, 28, 29 & 10:29, 30). CHAP. 7. O…