IONAH'S CONTESTATION ABOUT HIS GOURD.  
IN A SERMON DELIVERED AT Paul's Cross. Septemb. 19 1624.  
By R. V Preacher of God's Word.  JONAH 4. vers. 9 
And God said to JONAH, Dost thou well to be angry for the gourd? and he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.  
LONDON, Printed by I. L. for Robert Bird, and are to be sold at his shop, at the sign of the Bible in Cheapside. 1625.   

TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Mr. THOMAS AUDLEY ESQVIER.  
SIR, Considering with myself the overflowing fancies of these days, the desire being grown common unto each man almost, to see himself in Print (wherein is observable much vanity under the Sun) it was not my purpose from the beginning, to make public, further than by publishing with open voice, these my poor indigested labours: and if by adventuring into the light, I be equally censured to fall under the same taxation which I have laid upon the times, it would prove but an addition to my vain attempts to lay the imputation upon other men's persuasions.  
Thus far notwithstanding in this last particular, I must not dissemble; that reading the counsel of a faithful friend, who hath judiciously censured the Diseases of the time, and in the first place doth note such who love to write every thing, and such who affect to write nothing, thing, I inclined to his reasons, and then overcome well-nigh with a self conceit and love of my own inventions, I began to persuade with myself, that the purpose halfe-conceived, might be produced really into effect.  
This one thing in serious wise, yet faintingly under the silent language of my pen, I do pronounce, how full of Interjections, the study of this Theme was which Sermon-wise I have unfolded: so why may I not again without suspicion of self flattery presume, that in the same, I have not traveled altogether in vain? but as I discovered some sparkle of new light to the settling of the peace of my own soul, so I trust the perusal hereof shall not prove ungrateful to others, who study after patience, and to please the Lord with uprightness in the land of the living.  
Why with you Sir, rather than others, I have desired to leave this simple gage of my hearty regard and sincere affection, I must confess, that friendly usage and kind respect continued since the time you first had sight of me beyond my merit, and the ordinary use to strangers, hath made me not only hold in reverence your liberal disposition this way; but also to advance my thoughts higher in a special regard unto Divine providence, with patience to expect the issue in this and other occurrents, whereof unto my promised content in private, I have made particular application, and under this name do crave pardon for my boldness if I have erred.  
When Rachel had borne Naphtali, she expressed the travel of her soul, by the name she bestowed upon the fruit of her body; she had wrestled with much pain in her inward desires before she could bring forth, therefore she gave the child's name from wrestling, she called him Naphtali. jacob wrestled with God and prevailed; and thence is the name bestowed upon all God's Elect; he is no child of Israel that is no wrestler.  
Wither it be with our flesh and blood, or in an higher kind, with Principalities and Powers, or in the highest degree with God himself, with tears and prayers and strong cries, and other while with pangs and terrors, with grief, with anger, anguish, and bitterness of spirit, we must all that look for the blessing wrestle the wrestlings of God.  
Thus Abraham wrestled a long time before he obtained Isaac; Isaac wrestled twenty years before he obtained jacob, and jacob by his wrestling got the name of Israel: Rachel was a woman-wrastler when she brought forth Naphtali, an example to instruct her weaker Sex in the like trade of wrestling, and Hanna did sustain a long and grievous wrestling; yet in the end she had power with God, and brought forth Samuel.  
Lastly, jonah was a wrestler, and so am I: Further to express which, then to the common Reader I do forbear, for whose sake chiefly, I have enlarged those Meditations, which were uttered lately in a great assembly, have collected them into one form, and do now make humble offer of them to your gentle entertainment. The which kind of testimony of my sincere meaning and duteous love professed to you, I have rather made choice of, then as the usual manner now adays is, to prefix a large Encomium of titles, honours, words of Worship and of Worth, terms of the highest elevation, and strains of the lowest and most prostrate submission, with many other superlative peerless, comparisons, and fare fetched commendations, and to place it in the front of their writings in a form Dedicatory, to give lustre to all the pages following, whether to the Lords or Ladies, Patroness or Patronesses.  
Which kind of writing, as it was never practised by me, so Sir I hope, you do presume, the same not to be affected by you; whose retired integrity and vnshaken constancy, in the strictest course of mortification doth well witness, that you more respect the praises of God then of men. For which cause I have the more hearty desired an increase of your good opinion towards me, and an happy confirmation of that bond of mutual good liking, whereof I have seen some fair beginnings.  
Accept Sir then of this my kindness, the fruits of a ready mind, the pledge of my love and true observance only as it respecteth you; a testification of my good will to Zion, and the building up unto further holiness, as it resptcteth others not yet grown, but groaning under their imperfections; a fruit of my inward labours & strive, my Naphtali, my Benoni, pained as I was in the conception, grieved in the production, & after, as respectenth myself and halting yet hopeful endeavours in the vineyard of his Church. And so I commend it and myself once more to your friendly acceptance, and your counsels, wishes, and whole self to his happy guydance, who is God of all true comfort and consolation to his chosen Israel, and rest,  
An unfeigned lover of your Person, a studious observer of your Worship: R. V.   

Ionah's Meditation under his Arbour.  

Tossed by Sea, by Land distressed,  
jonah here hath found some rest,  
When others live in houses seeled  
My bed and bode is in the field.  
What care I then? so I may have  
The comfort which of God I crave.  
Hear Lord, O hear now my request,  
Then is thy servant jonah Blest.   

Advice to jonah.  
What though with wealth some do abound;  
Content, it springs not from the ground,  
A little to the just is blest,  
When great revenues are accursed:  
And Nineveh shall be consumed  
Which of her glory hath presumed.  
But jonah thou art ignorant,  
A self-willed man and malcontent,  
Who measurest the Lords decree  
According to thy fantasy.  
Therefore thou art now sad, now glad,  
Whence is this mutability?  
The Lord the same, our nature's bad  
He changeth not, though changed be we:  
Then do thy office, but consider  
The Gourd that spring's from'th ground will whither.    

IONAH'S CONTESTATION ABOUT HIS GOURD. IN A SERMON DELIVERED AT Paul's Cross. Septemb. 19 1624.  JONAH 4. vers. 9 
And God said to JONAH, Dost thou well to be angry for the gourd? and he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.  
THIS whole Prophecy or Book of jonah, may well for the state thereof be so conceived, as to be borne forth by way of Dialogue or Interlocution between the Lord and Him: the Argument maintained sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly; by Word, by Sign, by Practice, by Example.  
The Lord gins: The word of the Lord came unto jonah, the son of Amittai, etc. jonah answers disobediently. The Lords sends him to one place, he goeth to another. Then the Lord speaketh again, but by his creatures, opposing his practice against Ionah's, and maintains his Argument by the Winds, the Mariners, the Whale-fish; and so the controversy descendeth into the bottom of the Sea.  
At the third Chapter; Behold, A new Scene of trouble beginneth. The word of the Lord came unto jonah the second time; saying, Arise, Go unto Nineveh that great City, and Preach unto it, the preaching that I bid thee.  
Here jonah answers like an obedient servant, conforming his practice to the Lords command.  
But soon after (his Message, according to the tenor thereof, not taking effect) he shows his discontented mind; and the same expressed in angry terms, inwardly conceived, by way of expostulation, in the beginning of the fourth Chapter.  
Then the Lord enters parley with jonah, after a friendly manner, Dost thou well to be angry? the Lord replies upon jonah by a loving sign, and the Lord prepared a gourd, etc. and thereof jonah was exceeding glad.  
But now, Iterum saeviunt irae; Anger breaks out again: The gourd withers, jonah frets; the Lord speaks, jonah answers; the one friendly as before, the other frowardly: jonah, Dost thou well to be angry? yea saith jonah, I do well to be angry, even unto death. The next words conclude the prophecy and whole disputation directly against jonah: And thus may be conceived the frame and structure of the whole Book.  
This Text is a plain part of the Dialogue, disputation, contestation, or contention (which you will); and herein more particularly are observable, the parties contending, the Lord and jonah: the manner how the contention or controversy is carried, and it is by word, or saying: God said to jonah, and again jonah said to God.  
The matter in question is expressed in the word, angry, and therein I shall speak of anger somewhat largely: the question in special, is concerning jonah his anger, and therein I shall deal more strictly. And thus far on the Lord's part.  
The answer of jonah hath likewise in it these three specialties, answerable to the three parts of the former Quere, which may easily be apprehended in the question by the Lord, specially directed to jonah.  
First, here is a simple affirmation on Ionah's part, the Lords question first implying thus much, jonah, art thou angry? yea, saith jonah, I am angry: Secondly, a peremptory affirmation or justification, Dost thou well to be angry jonah? yea, I do well to be angry. Thirdly, a deep aggravation, Dost thou well to be angry for the gourd? yea, I do well to be angry unto death.  

The first Circumstance.  
The parties contending are the Lord, and jonah. Impar congressus, a most unequal match: and yet jonah fare the weaker, hath also the weaker cause in hand.  
Tu domine fundasticaeloes, Thou Lord in the beginning hast established the heavens, and laid the foundation of the earth, and form the spirit of man within him. Great is our God, and great is his power, his wisdom is infinite.  
Now look upon jonah, and who or what is he? at the best, but a weak and mortal creature, a man borne of a woman, of few days and full of misery; he cometh up and is cut down like a flower, he fleeth as a shadow and abideth not. And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, bring such one into judgement with thee, saith job in the same place? Here is instruction for all in places of Superiority; let them learn from this one example of the Lord here, how to carry themselves towards their inferiors.  
Doth the Lord vouchsafe to reason with jonah, and give him account of his doings? who then art thou that dost swell against thy brother, and disdainest to answer thy fellow-servant?  
Drop down ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Woe be to him that striveth with his maker. For we may not search into the Lord's counsel, further than he hath revealed (it is fare more dangerous then to meddle in man's matters) but there admire where he hath concealed. Howbeit, we see (to the shame of our pride and scorn of our haughty stomaches) the Lord full often doth not refuse to commit himself to the trial; the judge to be judged by us his vassals: Therefore hath he appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness; and the consciences of wicked men, who refuse his judgements now, shall be made to acknowledge his justice then. Thus speaks the Apostle: and he allegeth it out of the Psalms, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and overcome when thou art judged.  
Let then all petty gods, take example from this great God, whether they be Kings or Rulers, or Magistrates, or Officers, or Masters, or Fathers of Families; since God is equal towards us, (and that the heavens will one day declare) let us learn equity and fair dealing one towards another. This lesson had job learned Chap. 3.13. If I did despise the cause of Manseruant, or maidservant when they contended with me, what shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?  
Thus shall we walk worthy the title of Gods; otherwise, break the teeth of the  and malicious, smite out the jawbones of the Lions, O Lord.  
For such, who walk not according to this rule, retain no longer the image of their Maker; but are degenerated into Lions, Bears, Tigers, evening Wolves, and so are they called in Scripture.   

The second Circumstance.  
Here the question is, how the saying came to jonah, again how jonah spoke to the Lord. Was it fancy ad faciem, face to face? not so. It was a Privilege of Moses alone, Exod. 12. That the Lord would speak to him face to face, and this but in a figure too; there being intended thereby, but only a more familiar kind of presence or dealing with Moses, then with any other the Prophets, until Christ came: for when Moses desired to see the glory of God, and his very countenance, it was permitted to him only, to have a sight of his Backeparts while his glory passed by. This being a received truth: That no man can see God and live, I mean the life of Nature; more than the wax can endure the heat of the fire without melting.  
And for this cause, neither was it the voice of the Lord proceeding immediately from his spirit, which spoke to jonah here, or to any of his Prophets elsewhere: For as no man hath seen his shape, so neither hath any man heard his voice at any time, as saith our Saviour, joh. 5.37.  
The voice of the Lord (saith David) is powerful, the voice of the Lord is full of majesty, etc. but in his Temple doth every man speak of his glory. And truly, unless we first take comfort in hearing the Lords voice in his Temple, and that by the Ministry of man daily delivered, we shall take little pleasure in hearing the Lords own voice which shall shake both heaven and earth, much more the consciences of all sinners, when he shall show himself in fare more dreadful manner then once he did upon Mount Sinai.  
But how came the voice to jonah? I have shown you negatively how not; was it then in audible manner from without? audible or rather intelligible it was to jonah, but in secret and from within, like that still small voice that came to Eliah. The Lord spoke unto job, but out of the whirlwind, and Job therewith grew humbled, before a man most daring.  
And I think, had there to this voice, in what kind soever it came to Jonah, been joined, but some powerful sign of the Lords presence, jonah durst not then have carried himself so petulantly, if the Lord had spoken to him; whither out of the whirlwind, as to job; or out of the flaming bush, as to Moses; or out of the storm, as to Eliah; or in a more excelling vision as unto Daniel, as unto john. Rev. 1. He durst not then have replied as he doth, much less (if, as he is, in his own ineffable existency had God spoken) durst he once to have muttered.  
It is true, the Lord doth sometimes speak audibly, striking the outward sense of man; as by the Trumpet which called unto john. Revel. 4.  
Again, sometimes he hath revealed himself visibly to the eye of man's body; and so he did to the young man, with Elisha the Prophet. 2. Kings 6.17. and to Paul. Acts the 9.3.  
Sometimes again, and that very usually under the time of the old Law, he hath revealed his will to the fantasy, or imagination, and that by a dream in the night.  
Lastly, and that most specially, and most inwardly, of all hath the Lord made known his purpose to the mind of man; his intellective or understanding part, as the most essential part of man, and most capable of Divine revelation. But this last hath not happened always after one kind and manner, but sometimes after a more abstracting and ravishing sort; the man for the present being so disposed, that he knows not whether his spirit be in or out of his body, at the lestwise, the spirit being for the time deprived, the use of any the senses, that it may attend the better to heavenly visions.  
Thus was Ezekiel carried out of himself into the valley of dry bones, Paul into the third heavens, thus fell Peter into his trance.  
Sometimes again (to come to the question in hand) and this most commonly to his Servants the Prophets, the Lord hath given his word or his sign by a secret instinct or inspiration.  
Thus was the manner of old, and that thus it was with jonah in this place may appear by the context, in comparing this speech with the precedent verse, where is set down that jonah fainting, wished in himself to die, and said, it was better for him to die then live.  
This wish or speech of Jonah was secret within himself, no ear heard it but the Lord, and so the Lord in secret again doth answer him, and he again answers to the Lord. The Lord said to jonah, and jonah said to the Lord: the manner and carriage of which saying, and interchange of speech, as it was secret and silent, so no thoughts could understand but the heart of jonah, and the Lord only.  
Shall we now apply this? the Author to the Hebrews, hath done it in these words; God who did in times passed at diverse times and sundry ways speak unto the Fathers, the Prophets have in these last days spoken to us by his own Son whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom he made the worlds.  
Now which kind of speakings had you rather choose? whither by servants in the house, or him that hath made the house and is heir of all. Some there be who say, O that we had lived in the days of the Prophets, or the Prophets now in our days, for than should we be vifited with new revelations and visions from the Lord.  
Hence spring up, almost in all ages, those anabaptistical spirits pretending daily, new revelations, but inspired from hell, to lead away unstable souls, which will not content themselves with the sound doctrine of the Gospel, delivered by Christ jesus the only Son of God.  
To this end also have the Ministers of Antichrist devised new traditions and unwritten verities to feed the humour of such men, that they all might be damned saith Saint Paul, who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness: in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians.  
O remember the saying before, that God spoke diverse times and diversely to the Fathers, the Prophets; none of them, for the time, being able to deliver an absolute form of doctrine, but as expecting daily somethings yet to be added, they waited for further revelations or inspirations from above.  
And shall we expect that doctrine, which they left imperfect, to be made up or perfected, by the giddy spirits or furious fantasies, of such who come like the old Prophets; I have dreamt, I have dreamt?  
O no, God hath spoken to us in these last days by his Son, the heir of all, who came out of his Father's bosom, and therefore hath revealed his whole will concerning our salvation and the means thereof; and the same to remain without any addition, alteration, or change, to the end of the world: he hath also sealed the same by the witness of his spirit in the hearts of all believers, so that we may say with Peter, whether shall we go from thee? for thou hast the word of Life, etc.  
To conclude, since Saint john wrote his revelation which he received from Christ, there is to be looked for no other Revelation whether from Angels or men, but cursed is he that addeth or taketh away from the words of the Book of this Prophecy, or from the writing of any other the Prophets, Evangelists, Apostles.  
This word of God saith, S. Paul to Timothy, is able to make the man of God perfect; what need then any other help and furtherance, perfection being by this word to be attained unto; a perfection greater than that the fathers, before Christ, saw, a perfection so fare as is convenient, during the state of our mortal life and Pilgrimage here, until that glorious day in full strength break out, and the shadows clearly be chased away.   

3. Particular.  
Anger in general may be defined, a commotion of the mind for some supposed evil, joined with an appetite of revenge.  
Let the parts be examined. I say, first a commotion for that it is not a simple affection but compounded of hate or mislike, and hope; hate for some conceived injury, & hope to be revenged upon the injurer: yea it draws the whole man into commotion; the head deviseth, the hand acteth, the feet cannot abide in one place but run the paths of destruction; all the inward powers are like wise troubled: our love perplexed, fear confused, desires inflamed, our reason perverted; and the whole man doth suffer pain together with the passion and is disordered. Therefore not unfitly do I call it a commotion.  
So also is it a commotion of the mind not of the humour, or complexions principal; it being the judgement of Divines so likewise of true Phylosopy, that the passions may be occasioned from the diverse temperatures of the body, but do proceed principally from the disposition of the divine soul; according to the truth of this principle, that the soul is the prime mover in the body, and it were a thing monstrous and absurd to affirm that the humours of the body have any power over the soul to work upon it contrary to its immortal and impassable nature, impassable of any power save only from that hand which made and infused it.  
Besides many arguments tending to which purpose, receive this one for all, namely, that two the most principal affections governing in this life, love and joy are not determined together with the ending of the story of our days, but do accompany the soul, and are inherent in the same after, as without the expression of which two there can be no happiness; a clear evidence that both the soul was the prime mover while it dwelled in the body, so that it doth retain the same power and that in a more noble kind, when it is without the body.  
I add this moreover, that it ariseth from some supposed evil. For there is not always a real and subsisting cause of our anger. The Pope was angry for his Peacock, the Pope was angry for his Pork, and we are often angry with our very shadows.  
And lastly I say, joined with an appetite of revenge, and therefore we see commonly at the first apprehension of any wrong, that the blood doth recoil unto the heart, and by and by into the face; as a Bloodhound or Mastiff, to fly into the face of the injurer.  
Among all the passions, by God planted in the nature of man, there is none more violent than that of anger; and for this cause truly, because we are by nature more impatient of evil, than we are coveting of good, made senseless sometimes through the cloying excess of present delights, but too quick and sensible enough, even of the least supposed evil, where against anger doth chiefly bend its force.  
It is nourished with the most bitter humour; a bag of gall hath anger's food, it feedeth on the same with greediness, yet without all delight, and thirsteth after humane blood.  
It is a Serpent that eateth out her own bowels; a wild beast that scorneth to be tamed; a sack full of poison; a fire penned up within the bones; a flame when it breaketh out to consume others.  
It is a sickness of the Soul, a Frenzy, a Fury, a Madness.  
Ora tument ira, nigrescunt sanguine venae:  
Lumina Gorgonia saevius angue micant.  
The lips swell, the blood turns black within the veins; The eyes more fiery red, then are Gorgonian Snakes.  
What, have not Poets and heathen Moralists, written in the reproach and dispraise of anger? Let him that is angry, before he strike his fellow, behold his own countenance in the glass, and then let him bear his anger first, which hath thus transformed and disfigured him.  
Notwithstanding, he who hath placed the sand a bound for the sea, that intractible and foaming Element, who hath taught the Unicorn to abide by his crib; he doth nurture Bears, and teach young Lions to seek unto him for their prey; Wolves, and Badgers, are his obedient slaves.  
Yea the poison of Asps, Scorpions, and Toads, are tempered by his great hand, to the common good of the general body; his hand hath also tempered the passion of anger, to the good of the lesser body mankind.  
I hold not with the Stoics, who hold a vacuity of passions; Christ our righteousness was angry, sometimes when he lived upon earth, as also he wanted not any other the affections, grief, joy, etc.  
In heaven there shall be perfect peace, and joy without interruption; and I see there no cause of anger. As the entrails therefore of the beasts under the Law, were exempted from the sacrifice: so the spleen and gall of our natures, which serve here only to feed our male contented passions, shall be exempted, it may be, or left at the bottom of the hill; when we ascend that holy Mount, which reacheth above the clouds, and the City which is the mother of us all.  
But in the terrene condition of ours, so throughly seasoned with evils, the only true objects of anger; God hath seated it among the other affections of the mind, as not only useful, but necessary in this life; and it is that to the soul, which the Nerve is to the body, a whetstone of fortitude, a spur to virtue, and honourable actions.  
Among all the other parts therefore, before mentioned in anger's description, let us take into a little further view, the object whereupon it is bend, and concerning which it is to be directed.  
The only object of anger is evil, whether real, or apparent, but most truly real; and therefore jonah here was much mistaken, in that he made God the object of his anger, who is goodness itself.  
Others have divided anger according to the objects, into anger inhuman, as to be savage against kind and kindred; mad, as that of Balaams', to be angry with his Ass senseless; as that of Xerxes, to be angry with the Mountain Aethos, to be angry with the River Hellespont.  
I affirm, that evil is the only object of anger, and is in ourselves or others.  
First for ourselves, for there is a time, when we ought to be angry with ourselves.  
An old man there was once heard chiding, he was asked with whom? with a certain old man quoth he, who weareth gray-hairs, but wanteth understanding. And so Plato upon a time, went in haste to beat his servant, and taking the scourge of correction in his hand, he stood still for a good space, with his hand lifted up, and in the end spoke thus; exigo paenas ab irato, I chastise quoth he, my own anger.  
Thus anger rightly bestowed against ourselves, the Apostle doth commend in the 7. Chap. the 2 Epistle to the Corinthians, as a noble branch of repentance, or godly sorrow. For the same, that ye sorrowed after a godly sorrow, saith he, (among other fruits) what indignation or anger hath it wrought? Yea what revenge? What anger will you say? Why, be angry saith Saint Basil, against your sins, the devil, lies, vanities, yourselves.  
What revenge? Be revenged upon your sins, the devil lies, vanities, yourselves.  
Oh, when will the edge of our anger, of our revenge be turned this ways! This is a noble anger, to be angry with what God is angry; a worthy revenge, when virtue doth chastise vice. Behold saith the Apostle, he speaks it with an Ecce, the same that ye sorrowed as ye ought, what anger? what revenge, etc. This is a victory most acceptable unto God, and shall be crowned of him, with a crown of glory.  
There is a time also, wherein we may be angry with our brethren, but with greater caution ought this to be tempered.  
For we are but seldom angry with ourselves; but often with our brethren; but a very little angry with ourselves; very much with our brethren, making that to be but a mote in our own eyes, which is a beam in our brothers.  
The Apostle hath a very apt, and wholesome admonition to this purpose, in the first verse of his fourth Chapter to the Galatians, each word containing a secret argument to innocent anger: Brethren, if a man be overtaken with a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.  
More specially, in our anger to others, observe we these two, the manner, the measure: for the manner, walk according to the old rule well known, little practised; hate the offence, love the person.  
How can this be? I answer, how is the father angry with his child? Even so, that though he chastise the fault, he loveth the child; so be angry with thy brother, that yet thou be in charity with him.  
This is an hard lesson, may some say, both to hate, and love, at the same time: but in other matters of less weight, thou knowest wisely enough, how to distinguish.  
For if thou have a garment that is bespotted, thou knowest how to take out the spot from thy garment, not to reject the garment for the spot: even so take out the moth that is in thy brother's eye, but preserve and do not destroy the eye, because of the mote in the eye.  
So for the measure of our anger, I shall not need in many words to prescribe.  
It was prohibited to the jews, in correction to their brethren, that they should not exceed the number of forty stripes; we being for the most part in cases of private revenge culpable of that which was objected against the Israelites by the Prophet Obed, in their dealing against their brethren of judah, under the reign of Ahaz, viz. that they persecuted them with a rage that reached up unto heaven.  
Our Saviour in the 5. of Saint Matthew doth mention three degrees (besides actual murder, which is to be punished with death by man's law) of unlawful anger.  
The first in thought, he that is angry with his brother, the second in gesture or sign, he that sayeth to his brother Racha, which word signifies anger, and in the speech of our Saviour doth forbid all signification of our anger to our brethren, either in look or countenance, or by any other sign or gesture.  
The third sort of unlawful anger there mentioned, is expressed by word, or tongue; he that saith thou fool, or gives any other reproachful provoking terms, or speeches to his brother.  
The whole text runs thus, Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the Counsel; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.  
Then beware of offending in the first kind, being angry in thy secret thought against thy brethren, take heed more especially, it be not manifested by some outward sign, take heed most of all these, it break not out into intemperate language.  
If thou fear not the judgement, fear an assembly, or counsel; if you fear not the counsel, stand in awe and tremble at hell fire.  
But here now a very necessary question doth arise; If anger be so strictly forbidden as we see; what course or remedy is then left unto us in all just provocations of wrath, and concerning the manifold injuries, which are daily offered to our persons, how are we to behave ourselves?  
A question truly well worthy to be discussed, and the same very apt and pertinent to the Treatise of Anger.  
Wherefore I answer, that we ought at all times abstain from anger, even to our very thoughts, saving in the manner as is before spoken to be angry with the sin, not with the person.  
Howbeit, we are not debarred the use of lawful courses, in the remedying of wrongs, and preventing further damages, when we are justly thereunto provoked, and cannot otherwise maintain peace.  
But wilt thou know wherein? tread not the path of revenge, and go not in the way which thy intemperate anger would lead thee: But follow the counsel of thy blessed Saviour; whose words in this cause are so plain; I wonder any man should mistake, whose advice is so wholesome, I wonder all men do not more regard it. Matth. 18.15. These be his words, If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him of his fault between thee and him alone, if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more; that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established; and if he shall neglect them, tell it unto the Church, but if he neglect the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man or Publican.  
Where you see, all means by Christians lawful to be used, to be expressed by our Saviour; the first private, the second more open, the third most public; all friendly, but if all will not serve, he is no longer to be esteemed as a friend, with whom we are to deal.  
The two first are well known, but how little used; therefore the right use of the last is unknown or most abused: By which last, the Church, I do understand; such as are deputed in the stead of Christ for well ordering causes, called by some the Church representive.  
For our Saviour here speaks from the manner of the jews Commonwealth, who had Elders in every City, the first beginning whereof was from jethro, whose office was to hear and judge of controversies, and end suits in law: Answerable whereto in our Commonwealth (comparable, I think I may boldly say to that of theirs, and inferior at this day to no other, for matters of Policy and Church-government, if as truly executed) for Ecclesiastical matters, are the spirituality, and such as study the Civil laws: in matters temporal, the Magistrate, and they who study the Common laws, for the maintenance of outward peace, and tranquillity, in this our Church and Commonwealth. Let this be the Church then in this sense: Tell the Church, (not a Presbytery compacted of I know not who, as the Reformists of our time would) the Governors in this our Church and Kingdom, appointed for the outward preservation of peace and tranquillity.  
And this is the way, the order; every man ought to use in particular, to work his peace and agreement with his adversary.  
Not first to run to the Church, to tell the Church, as the usual manner now adays is; falling at first to suits in law, open contentious, branglings and janglings in Courts Ecclesiastical and Temporal, whereof their is no end; God justly punishing contentions minds, because they love not peace, with dissensions, all the days of their lives.  
But this is the course we ought to use, if we mean to be directed by Christ his advice and counsel.  
First, go to thy brother, and admonish him of his fault between thyself and him alone in friendly manner. What hurt can come unto thee by doing so? for if thou gain him to a better mind, then blessed shalt thou be of the Lord, and he will also bless God for thee, this is to love thine enemy according to the perfect rule of charity.  
If he regard not this, then take with thee one or two more according to the rule in the second place prescribed; thou hast cast him before God, so before men also; if hereby he prove not bettered; thou thyself thus bridling thine anger, hast freed thy own soul from the danger of judgement, and Counsel, and hast brought him within the compass of both, that God in due time may revenge as a judge, & men may witness his justice against thy adversary.  
But lastly, continuing still obstinate to be thine enemy without a cause, thou mayest then complain to the Church of him, Dic Ecclesiae; Tell the Church of him, bring him to the Bench, or to the Bar before the judge, whether Spiritual or Temporal; that he may be openly convicted in Law, and then if still he remain refractory, let him be to thee as an Heathen or Publican, as a man excommunicate.  
Thus it ought to be my brethren, this is the right order of proceeding; Peace be upon them and upon the Israel of God, peace shall be upon them, and upon the Israel of God, who walk according to this rule.  
But what shall I say, the case being fare otherwise? I will take up my complaint with the Prophet Isaiah: judgement is fare from us, neither doth justice overtake us, we weight for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.  
We roar all like Bears, and mourn like Doves; City and Country cry out for justice, justice; City nor Country do take the right course, proceeding in that order our Saviour hath left us, therefore are many overthrown in a rightful cause.  
Hence springs that general clamour against Lawyers, (which howsoever God will not overpasse, and a fearful woe there is belonging to the unjust nourishers of debate; to thee also do I say, whose office it is to determine controversies, if thou hold them longer in suspense, if thou pervertest the cause in judgement, howsoever God may use thee as an instrument, to vex the contentious and troublesome spirits of some, yet this thy rapine and covetousness, shall in the end sink thee lower into hell).  
Yet I am persuaded many should have more happy success in their suits, if they did not begin in so rough manner at the first. But as I have showed; or if it succeed well enough with them for the present, yet it shall increase their judgement with God, to a greater measure afterward.  
The men of this age, if they sustain the least wrong, breath out nothing but law, law; whereas they ought to remember that the right use of the law is never separated from charity, and to fall to open plead, before private admonitions, in God's sight is a plain breach of the sixth commandment whereby such an one doth show his hatred to his brother.  
Let us use all courses before we fall to Law-courses, for this is the last mean which Christ hath left for the quieting and ordering of his Church, to go lastly (all other ways first tried, to such whom God hath set in public office in his Church, which order because many do pervert, being carried away, rather with a spirit of malice and rancour, then of unity and love,) God doth suffer to wind themselves into many, and in inextricable Labyrinths of trouble.  
And thus much for anger in general, occasioned from the text, rather than intended, and how to order and preserve the same within convenient bounds.   

4. Particular.  
The question in special doth concern Ionah's anger and the cause thereof according to these words, jonah, Dost thou well to be angry for the Gourd?  
And here first the manner of correction in this form of speech which the Lord useth, deserveth to be noted. For a man would rather have looked for burning coals to have proceeded from his lips; here is no more but thus, Dost thou well to be angry?  
Bow the heavens O Lord, and come down, saith David, Touch the mountains and they shall smoke: cast forth hightnings and scatter them, shoot out arrows and destroy them.  
Let Peter be judge, and he will call for fire from heaven to consume an whole City, much rather upon one sinful man, that dareth to contest with the Lord of glory. What? shall the pot contend with the Potter, or the thing form, say to the Former, Why hast thou made me thus?  
Note the great clemency of the Lord to jonah herein, but not without application to ourselves: For doth he not in as mild and loving manner deal with us, sending his Prophets rising early and sending them, in his name to deal with us by exhortations, invitations, promises of love, and protestations to receive us if we will convert and turn unto him.  
We beseech you by the tender mercies of God, saith Say't Paul; We entreat you as his Ambassadors to be reconciled unto God, when we are fallen out with him as jonah here. Hear what God himself saith by his servant Moses, so oft as we decline his precepts; Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee? O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O judah, what shall I do unto thee? my bowels are turned within me, my repentings are kindled within me? wash thee from thy sins, O England, cleanse thyself from thy pollutions, O London, when will it be?  
Is not our God a consuming fire? are not the sinners in Zion afraid of him? who shall dwell with everlasting burnings?  
When the offer of mercy will not serve, he speaks in the person of revenge and fury (for what are we but briers and thorns to that consuming flame?) and who would, saith he, set the briers and thorns against me in the day of battle? I would go thorough them; I would burn them together. Behold I am pressed under you, saith he by another Prophet, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. Therefore also he saith in another place, ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.  
And again, if I whet my glittering sword, and my hand take hold on judgement; I will render vengeance to mine enemies and repay them that hate me.  
But yet he speaks peace unto his people, mercy and loving kindness all the day long: why will ye die, O ye house of Israel? I desire not the death of a sinner; why art thou all so angry, O jonah, I have given thee no just cause, Dost thou well to be angry thus against thy Maker? be not so perverse in thy fury, but judge righteous judgement.  
The same I say to thee, and every one else in particular (for the Lords words are both particularly universal and universally particular) that which at first was delivered to one Tribe, is appliable to all Tribes and kindreds of the earth, and the word preached to an whole City, is brought home to some few private consciences, and is to be brought home to thine.  
Propound this that hath been said, as thine own cause, and admiring not so much the Lords patience towards jonah, as towards thyself; ask these questions of thine own soul.  
Whether thou do well to defer thy repentance, and turning unto God so long, whether thou do well at any time to be angry with thy God, or with thy brother, say oftentimes to thyself in thy passion and distemper of mind, do I well to be thus impatient, thus fretful, do I well to be thus unthankful to my God, to provoke him, to grieve his holy Spirit?  
Is it better for me to enjoy God as my Father, or as a judge, a gracious Redeemer; or terrible revenger? to have my part in his blessed promises, by listening unto his loving admonitions, or in those fearful comminations before mentioned by continuing obstinate?  
An admirable clemency was it in the Lord, in such fair terms, to treat with jonah his servant, his creature; but far greater his love under this form of reasoning, to make jonah his own judge in the cause; by this means to reduce him to a more sober mind, when as he saith to this effect; if thou think that thou art hardly dealt withal jonah at my hand, and that I the Lord am no equal judge in thy behalf, I refer the cause to thine own censure, lay aside wrath, and speak out of a more serious consideration, whether thou do well to be angry, Angry with me about the Gourd?  
Thus if we were wise, to take the whole benefit of this example, we should not only admire his clemency, but also avoid his judgements, and procure his favour, we being made our own judge as before, for if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged of the Lord, as saith the Apostle to the Corinthians.   

The cause of jonahs' anger.  
It is expressed here in the text, the Gourd; Dost thou well to be angry for the Gourd?  
A silly matter to be angry for, yea to be angry with the great God in this regard only: But this undoubtedly is not the only cause, but many things beside, as upon this ground, do offer themselves to the mind of jonah, as the spark to the tinder, the match to the spark.  
Yea indeed, jonah was as an hot oven damned up, seeking vent, for he was angry before, as may appear from the second verse of this Chapter, he was not well pleased at first, now this Gourd doth both increase the heat and makes passage.  
Let us put upon us the person of jonah, and reason the whole matter, so fare as by circumstance we are able to collect in his behalf.  
And first look we unto the office of jonah; He was a Prophet, a name of honour, so of great labour and molestation; pride looks contemptuously at the function, envy weaves many subtle disgraces, to bring down the honour of it, all the armies of vices do bandon against it, and he who hath undertaken this office, must show himself a professed enemy to the times iniquities, jonah was a Prophet.  
So he was a Prophet to those revolting Tribes of Israel, of whose incorrigibleness all the other Prophets have complained.  
And now after that he hath wearied and spent himself among these, he is sent unto a stouthearted people the Ninevites.  
And what hope of better fruit and success of his labours amongst an unbelieving nation? Or if perchance they prove believing and repent, then is the credit of his message called in question; this made him at the first to fly to Tarshish.  
Now after so many iournying by land, and toss by sea, he takes up his lodging in the belly of a Whale-fish.  
He is out of that nasty place delivered, as out of the mouth of hell, and now is commanded the second time for Nineveh.  
And now jonah must put on a firm resolution, either to be slain, or else derided, if the fear of God be not in the place, than jonah hath spoken words, the land is not able to bear; Flee oh thou seer and escape for thy life.  
Or if the fear of God do work in their hearts to repentance and amendment; then hark to jonah, I pray thee O Lord, saith he, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my own country? therefore I fled before unto Tarshish, for I knew that thou art a gracious God, etc.  
Now after all these labours, after all these dolours, some poor refreshment springs up to jonah, a Gourd from the ground to comfort Ionah's head in this great disquiet, and pain of Ionah's heart.  
The Lord prepared a Gourd to overshadow Ionah's head, and therewith he was content to forget his present misery (for now thinks he, the Lord gins to remember my affliction,) and flatters himself from this conceit, that the Lord will proceed to add further consolation, and herein jonah was exceeding glad of the Gourd.  
But behold, on the sudden all his mirth is marred; Ionah's rejoicing lasteth but for a night; jonah awakes in the morning, and finds the Gourd quite decayed, and all his pleasure therewith vanished.  
Thus am I crossed saith jonah every way thus am I mocked, thus deceived; thus am I altogether, and on all sides vexed.  
And it came to pass saith the text, when the Sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east-wind, and the Sun beat upon the head of jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to dye and said: It is better for me to dye then to live.  
Now saith God to jonah (thus many reasons no doubt, and many more in his thoughts being amassed together) jonah, Dost thou well to be angry, or art thou exceeding angry? yea saith jonah, I am exceeding angry, yea I do well to be angry to the death?  
You see the cause or rather causes of Ionah's anger? (to content myself with one only observation, let us learn from hence, thus much for our instruction.  
Namely, from the orderly, or rather disorderly working of Ionah's passions (the present being used as an instrument to rake up the embers of all his former discontents) how to carry ourselves in trials of this nature, to prevent or defeat Satan's wiles and policies herein.  
For we have to deal with a subtle adversary, who works upon the advantage of our distempered weakness.  
He perceived jonah much out of patience before, and now he doth use the helps of the Gourd, to work him quite besides himself: so if he at any time find us to have delivered up the hold of reason, or to be upon the tide of our impotent passions, he plies the advantage with diligence, and though we sail too fast of ourselves, he will not stick to add both wind and water to our Ships.  
He saith to the angry man, besides the present occasion of his anger, remember wrongs of old done unto thee; he hath trespassed against me seven times; yea, though his brother come and humble himself in presence, he will not admit of the counsel of our Saviour, the power of temptation doth prevail more strongly, and flesh and blood cannot withstand.  
To the furious man, he likewise saith strike him; the second time, strike him to the ground; the third time, strike him sure; for revenge is a sweet thing, there is glory in the kill of a man, and to put on the girdle of blood upon thy loins, it is sure, an act of generosity.  
To the adulterer, when he perceives him inclining to that sin, he insinuates himself by many goodly reasons, and saith; the good man is gone from home, the darkness shall cover thee, none eye shall see thee; stolen waters are sweet, and bread of deceit eaten in secret is pleasant; but he tells him not, that his mouth in the end shall be filled with gravel.  
To the woman, and lascivious person, he presenteth beside the object; which for the present pleaseth the eye, the pleasure of actual enjoying; she hath costly and gay hangings, whom I make the mistress of my delight.  
I have decked my bed, speaketh she, with cover of Tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt; I have perfumed my bed with Myrrh, Aloes, and Cinnamon.  
Yea, she is a religious Strumpet too, this day have I paid my vows; she goes to Church, but more to entangle simple ones in her eyelids, then to hear a Sermon: Oh, she rides in her Coach like a Queen of beauty. Thus the wanton is taken, with these and many the like; with ditties, and dances, with rose-beds, and garlands, and crowns of roses.  
Thus also doth our tempter deal with us, by temptations on the left hand.  
If he perceive our minds doubtful, and wavering from God-ward; he calls to our remembrance, how many good deeds of ours have passed unregarded; how oft we have prayed, and have returned without success in our prayers, that it is in vain to serve God; and thus he tempts to infidelity.  
When he sees us troubled with some present mishap, he calls to mind all the crosses we have borne heretofore; that God doth still load us with daily aflictions, without relief, without release, and thus he tempts us to impatiency; even as he deals with jonah here, finding him troubled about the gourd, he awakens also his former discontents, the molestations of his calling, his travels by Land, and tempests by Sea; and makes him in the end to fall out, and be at plain difference with God.  
Wherefore happy is that man, that can prudently discern, and discerning hold out the shield of Faith, to quench all the fiery darts of Satan.  
The air is not oftener visited with winds of all qualities, gentle, or rough, bringing, or chase away rain, blasting or blessing the fruits of the earth; then is the mind of man with the contrary blasts or breathe from two contrary spirits from above, and from below.  
Happy is that man, who is wise to discern the times and seasons of spiritual mooving, who (though he know not whence the wind ariseth) doth open the windows and doors of his soul's garden, to let in those heavenly inspirations and breathe from above the spices of his garden shall flow out, or if he set to sea, he shall arrive unto pleasant harbour.  
But woeful is his mistake, who hoiseth sail when the Devil keeps his quarter, whether must he be carried, unless into the unfortunate Islands, unless before his tackle rend, his Ship do split, and his hopes be sinked into the bottom of the Ocean.  
Wherefore I conclude again, observe the times, and the first beginnings, if they appear enticements, provocations, temptations unto evil unto sin.  
For if we be once upon the tide of our headstrong affections, a great measure of grace is required to stay us, and if once we begin to tumble, the weight of our natures will not easily be letted from the bottom of the hill, and we be mainly bruised or everlastingly perished.  
And thus much for the cause of jonahs' anger which is not only the Gourd, though it only by the Lord be mentioned in the text.  
It was for this end, not to make jonah more impatient but an argument used by the Lord to confute his former great impatiency as in the next words, the conclusion of the book is made plain. And thus fare on the Lord's part: the first general part have we proceeded; The next main part now in order followeth.   

The Answer of jonah.  
And he said, yea, I do well to be angry even unto death.  
I should little have expected such an answer from the mouth of jonah, especially having been so mainly schooled but a little before. What? to the third degree? yea, I am angry; I do well to be angry; I do well to be angry unto death?  
jonah is now got out of the deep upon the firm land, he no longer fears the wiudes, the rattling tempest, the Mariners, nor the Whale. But God is the same God both by sea and land; think on this jonah, that he is not as thou supposest.  
But as he hath the Leviathan and Whirlpool of the deep, so hath his hand form the crooked Serpent of the land, yea he can make these contemptible vermin, with whom thou daily conversest to bite thee; as he made Balaams' Ass to reproove the madness of the Prophet.  
Whom dost thou provoke jonah? art thou able to contend? Cloth now thyself with thunder, and scatter lightnings over the face of the earth.  
Gird up thy loins like a man and speak, for God himself demandeth of thee; where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth, when I laid the measures thereof, and stretched the line upon it, when I laid the cornerstone, the morning Stars than sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?  
Who shut up the sea with doors, and made the cloud a garment, and thick darkness a swaddling band for it?  
Mighty jonah, powerful jonah, dreadful Jonah, lift up now thy voice to the clouds, and cause abundance of waters to cover thee; hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Deck thyself now with Majesty and excellency, cast abroad the rage of thy wrath, behold every one that is high and abase him.  
Fretful jonah, angry jonah, pettish jonah, foolish jonah, whom dost thou provoke, stand now to thy cause, and consider wisely what argument thou takest in hand, and do not darken counsel by words without knowledge, which was jobs fault before thee, and aught of thee more advisedly to be considered, now that it comes to be thy case.  
But it fares with jonah, as with a man borne down with a violent stream, the law of his members is at this time so powerful in him, that there is little and no appearance of the life of grace. Consider the degrees, and first:   

His affirmation.  
Yea, saith jonah; he doth not conceal his inward heat, as if it would burn his heart out if he should.  
Jonah had but little time to consider between the question by the Lord put unto him, and the answer by him to be made, and the fury of his inward passions, the while raging; no great marvel if some distempered heat appear, and he answer out of reason.  
A man who is in a tempest at the sea, hath not (while the tempest lasteth) the government either of himself, or any thing about him: and thus is jonah the second time loosed in the surging seas of his own passions.  
The which may teach us therefore to do nothing, while the heat of the passion lasteth, but upon premeditated terms.  
For what? when it flies in the face of God, what will not anger dare to do? Occiderem te, saith one, ni iratus sim, I would kill thee, but that I am angry with thee; whereas we know not how to fight in other temper, and never strike but in our anger, like the Emperor justinian the second, who being deprived of his nose by Leoncius his predecessor, upon every remembrance of that injury, caused some friend or other of that Emperor to lose a nose or be slain.  
But I list not to stand upon this, since jonah contents not himself with one poor word, yea, nor with a simple expression, but proceeds to a justification, a deep aggravation of his anger according to the division before remembered.  
Yet truly thus fare can I not choose but take notice, that albeit this very one word, ought not once to have been conceived in the breast of jonah, yet more tolerable had been his fault, if here he had rested and suppressed all further commotion of his unguided spirit.  
And therefore here (by way of passage unto the next point) learn we that advice of Solomon, Chap. 30. If thou have done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou have thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and stop thine anger before it proceed too fare.  
For as followeth in the same place, the much churning of milk, changeth it into an other nature, and the wring of the nose bringeth forth blood, so the forcing of wrath in the end commonly bringeth forth strife, strife bloodshed, bloodshed death oftentimes and peril of eternal destruction to the name, person, or posterity of such, who give themselves over to the government of this fury.  
A choleric man for this cause, or he that gives easy passage to his anger, is not unfitly compared to a man dwelling in a thatched house, who being therein rich in the morning, sets it all on a light fire before the evening; for Anger slays the foolish, saith Solomon.  
Therefore once again, quench it while it is a spark, which is not so easily done, after it hath got head; shut the floodgates before the stream grow too violent, and bear down all before it.  
But what should jonah do? must he not answer to the Lords question? for the Lord doth ask him, if he do well to be angry, and since that so he is, and so thinketh, as good speak it as dissemble.  
I find the same question before in the fourth verse, put unto jonah by the Lord in the same manner, yet I meet not there with any word of jonah by way of answer expressed.  
Belike (as there he was sullen and would not) so now being thoroughly heated with this fire, he cannot refrain any longer, but must out with it.  
He continued (as should seem) from that time to this, saving only a little Interim for one night's rest, like unto a green piece of wood or chubbed block which lies over a few coals smoking and smouldering; but now the moisture being well sucked out, he breaks into a light flame, and spits and spartles fire against the Lord: note his manner in the second speciality of his speech.   

2. His peremptory Asseveration or justification.  
I do well to be angry. It was a mild saying of Augustus the Emperor to one of his soldiers desirous to be dismissed his army, but wanting a just and honest excuse to his friends at his return home, say, saith the Emperor, that I have angried thee.  
But what shall I say to thee jonah, who art angry not in show, but in deed? who undertakest to justify thy anger, and that not against an earthly Emperor, but against such a great King, who casteth out the glory of all earthly Kingdoms and Empires like the clay in the streets?  
I know not surely well what to say to it: yet this I am sure of, that mighty Cedars I see sometimes to be mightily shaken, that he who thinketh he standeth may look better to his standing.  
We have a pregnant example in jonah here, a chosen man in Israel, and one of the worthies of God.  
I'll speak no more than what I know: yet my knowledge herein I must confess is led into a wonderment, when I consider, as I find it.  
Now, in that heavenly Chorus, next unto those glorious Cherubins and Seraphins who continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy, we shall do well to rank the glorious company of the Apostles; and after them the goodly fellowship of the Prophets; and next to these, the noble Armies of the Martyrs.  
And why say I this thing? that you may also wonder together with me, when I have shown unto you, what I have observed from the great weakness in this kind of the holy and most honoured Prophets of God.  
When you shall behold, such who have commanded the waters, had power over fire, who have traveled the sea, road in the air, subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, been renowned in their times, and left the glory of their names unto posterities; these I say to have been conquering and prevailing over all outward force, yet of their own unruly appetites to be brought into subjection, or of their inward passions to have been mainly foiled.  
Yea, I have not yet discovered the whole truth: for I must needs say that I have found none, as comparable to the Prophets in the abovesaid respects: so like them none, to have been transported in the like measure, or carried with such disordered violence as these, and those, who have received the best testimonies from, and been graced with the greatest honour from his hand.  
Let us cast our eyes from jonah, the most clear example of all others upon Moses that man of God, and Prophet likewise, greater then whom none did rise till Christ came.  
He is reported for the meekest man upon the earth then living, yet cannot be excused for speaking unadvisedly with his lips at the waters of Meribah. Or if we could be content to pass by this, what shall we say to that which fell out a little after the consumption at Taberah?  
What great reason had Moses there to grow weary of his charge? so weary, that he desired to dye? so desirous of death that he prayeth the Lord to slay him? as plainly appeareth in the 11. Chapter of Numbers.  
Is this the meek man spoken of? yea, let him be so accounted secundum partem saniorem, so that yet we suffer not jonah to want a companion in his impatiency, and my text receive confirmation from his example in like manner.  
Come we to Eliah, one that road up to heaven in a fiery Chariot, called by a Father a Waggoner in the air, a man ordained for reproofs, saith Syrach.  
Yet a man subject to the same passions with others, and not void of reproof himself.  
It proceeded from the heat of his spirit, when he fell into that mistake, as if there were none righteous but he alone.  
But whereas he saith, O Lord, take away my life, he sympathiseth directly with the words of jonah before my text, who wished in himself to dye, and said it is better for me to dye then live.  
And however, I cannot be bold to say, that he would have returned the same answer with this of jonah in the defence of his anger; yet sure God might well at that time have put the same question to him which is to jonah; Dost thou well to be angry Eliah?  
I need not to say much of job; nor do I find him ranked among the Prophets, yet sure he is well worthy to be honoured with the title.  
You have heard of the patience of job, saith james, 'tis true, and of his great impatience too; who knows not that, who is but meanly conversed in his story; or the substance of reasoning by his own hand left in writing?  
Now come we to jeremy, of whom, and to whom, I find the Lord himself thus speaking.  
See, saith he, I have this day set thee over the nations, and over the kingdoms; to root out and to pull down, and to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.  
But how much grief and vexation this cost him, you may behold. In the fifteenth Chapter, I hear him pleading thus, woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me; a man of strife, and a man of contention to the whole earth.  
In the twentieth Chap. thus, O Lord thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed; I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.  
Who saith that jeremy had not just cause to be angry? sure, unless himself had thought and been persuaded so, he would never have broken out into these terms of heat and displeasure against the Almighty.  
But towards the end of the same Chapter he grows horne-madde, and then he falls to cursing: jobs fit hath taken him, and thus he takes on, Cursed be the day wherein I was borne, saith he, let not the day wherein my mother bore me be blessed; Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, a man-child is borne unto thee, making him very glad. And let that man be as the Cities which God overthrew and repent not, and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide.  
And why jeremy? and why? because he slew me not from the womb, saith he, or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.  
Behold, a man even drunk with sorrow; and thus he reels, and thus he staggers, yet; an holy Prophet, a man sanctified from the womb.  
Take but one example more, and in a word; let Ezechiel be the man prophesying at the same time, and perplexed with the like vexations in his calling.  
He was most unwilling to go amongst them of the captivity, howbeit, when needs he must, in this manner doth he express it.  
The spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit or hot anger, but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me, Chapter 3.  
What now then shall we say to these things? since such sturdy oaks, jonah, jeremy, job, Eliah, Moses, by the violent blasts of temptations are laid flat upon the ground, what shall we say to these things?  
1. First, as before I said, again I say, let him that thinketh he stands, take heed lest he fall.  
If it were so, that we could command the winds from blowing, or beat down the foaming sea: if we could restrain the bottles of heaven or repeal the cracks of thunder, then happily we might square out the limits and appoint the measure of our most wished peacefulness, and drink down pleasures as Levia than the river jordan.  
But when I hear the groans of dying men, do see the gaspings (as it were) of many after breath, when I hear the horrible rage and rushing of the billows, mighty flaws renting down the tackling.  
When strong men fall down wounded the valiant ones cry bitterly, and the shield of the mighty be broken, alas for me then think I; how shall I be able to stand in the day of battle?  
David was not well advised when he said in his posterity, I shall never be moved; thou Lord of thy favour hadst made my hill so strong. What follows upon the same? thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled.  
The place is remarkable concerning Hezekiah in the history of the Kings of judah, where it is said that in such a business, the Lord left him to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.  
Alas; what virtue is in us, and what power, to vanquish evil, is all from heaven, whose influence if it descend not into our frail souls, we presently send forth cries as from the depth of hell.  
Adam left unto himself in Paradise fell, so did Hezekiah, so did Solomon the most glorious King that ever swayed a sceptre.  
And hence proceed even all those bitter words of the holiest Saints that ever lived, to show that their holiness was not inherent properly in their own persons, for which cause the most sanctified have ever retained the most sober and humble conceits, in themselves, of themselves.  
And therefore away with all proud and swelling thoughts of the flesh; and again, I say let him that thus thinketh he stands, take heed, lest he fall.  
Secondly. So again in the second place to comfort weak ones in their manifold slips and falls, this doctrine may not unfitly be applied.  
For why? I am not a Moses, I am not an Eliah, a job, a jonah, or a jeremy; a meaner portion of grace shall content me: Howbeit, by the grace of God I am that I am, and without the grace of God assisting, the perfectest that ever were among the sons of men (Christ only excepted) had not power of themselves one hour to subsist.  
In this then let me cheer up my heart, that if I fall into drunkenness I have a Noah, to raise me when I am truly grieved; if into adultery I have a David to support me, when my heart is truly affected with his penitential Psalm; if into pride of heart, I have an Hezekiah to restore me when the same heart is with godly sorrow truly humbled.  
If I fall into plain impatiency, murmur and repining, I have a Moses, a job, a jeremy, a jonah to direct me, when unto a more sober and settled spirit with them I am returned.  
Let this use be made of the Saints failings to comfort us in our infirmities, not to animate us in any wilful impieties. Children they are not of God, but of Belial who do this latter.  
Thirdly, In the third place, since it is a Prophet that here complaineth, and we have observed the like complaints of sundry the Prophets in the examination of this doctrine more than of any other kinds and professions of men whatsoever.  
Let the Prophets and Ministers of God from hence learn somewhat to their instruction, at leastwise a right judgement of the calling and business they take in hand.  
Qui desiderat Episcopatum, etc. saith the Apostle, he that desires the office of Bishop or of some inferior Pastor and Teacher in the Church, he desires a good work.  
But now work hath painfulness, and this by few, I am sure, is desired; and if the calling may be honourable, yet sure, it is not easeful; Cursed is that man, especially in this high and holy function, that divideth what God hath joined together, honour and labour, or that joineth what God hath separated, ease and honour.  
The Angels of God the higher in nature, the more quick and diligent are they in their service to God and to his Church, and the Prophets of God are called Angels, and the Angels Ministers, and fellow-servants with them.  
He that shall with Atlas' underproppe the heavens, or with David (who was a Prophet) bear up the pillars of the earth, no marvel if he groan sometimes.  
And think not, that it was not for nothing, that jonah here was thus besides himself; and so judge of the former complaints of those good Prophets mentioned, that they did proceed from the grievous pressures and weight of those burdens, which in the weighty charge of their callings they have sustained.  
The names wherewith I find the calling named, may partly instruct us herein.  
Seers are they called, and o how long wilt thou cause me to behold or see grievance, saith one of them? Hab. 1.  
Shepherds they are called, and well may say with jacob, Thus was it with me in the day time, the heat consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from mine eyes, Gen. 31.  
Are they not also called Watchmen? and to them the voice calleth, Watchman what of the night? Watchman what of the night? A Lion my Lord, a Lion; the roaring Lion that goes about seeking whom he may devour; Watch ye, stand ye fast, quit yourselves like men: I stand, I stand continually upon the Watchtower saith the Prophet Isaiah, in the day time, and I am set in my Ward whole nights: & you know to what end, to foresee dangers.  
Lastly, they are called Fishers, Matth. 4. and here they must resolve to grapple with many an hideous storm. If Peter and Andrew will follow Christ, they shall catch souls; but withal must look to find a sea of trouble of it, when once they have launched out into the deep.  
O that this were considered of at Naioth in Ramah, and in the Schools of the Prophets!  
The Lacedæmonians had their Palastram or place of exercise for the youth, that afterwards they might make choice of tried soldiers against the times of needful war.  
What are those houses before named in the right intendment, but improovements unto noble fortitude? that with the Priests of God, who sounded the trumpets of old, the Priests of these days may prove incouragers to the Lords people, in the Lords battles against sin and wickedness.  
Diogenes upon a time coming into the tent of Philip King of Macedon, was asked by him, if he came as a spy? yea quoth he, for I come to spy out thy folly and madness, who being not constrained by any necessity; dost set as it were upon the dicing board both thy life and kingdom.  
Are not we according to the best acception, in as high honour as ever was the Macedonian Philip? doth not the neglect of our office draw with it as great danger as his folly?  
How is it then that we, who should be leaders to the Lords people have clothed ourselves with the fashions and humours of the times? in stead of the complete Armour commended by Saint Paul to the Ephesians, have put on the sword of infidelity, the girdle of licentiousness, the breastplate of unrighteousness, the shield of infidelity?  
Whoredom and wine, and new wine, take away the heart, was the complaint of old.  
We have not lessoned but added to the account, chambering and wantonness, Tobacco too and drunkenness are the sins of these days, and which is worst of all (I would not speak it) the Prophets do eat up the sins of the people.  
O that my head were a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the sins of the Prophets?  
For the leaders of my people cause them to err, saith the Lord, leading them into blind paths and crooked ways, and they shall stumble and fall together, and none shall raise them up, saith the Lord.  
The case indeed must needs prove desperate, when they who should support do stand in need of supportation, and they who should be raisers unto others, are themselves down.  
Awake for shame, oh ye of the stock and stem of Levi, and let Aaron's rod flourish in your hands, or else resolve to burn eternally: Break forth into thunder, o ye sons of thunder, and let the trumpet yet sound louder.  
Are not we the men who are now, even now to prepare a people against our Master's second coming? and is the spirit of Eliah think you sufficient for us? now is the time to be zealous, or never, or never.  
O let the people of God, pray for the Priests of God, O let the Priests of God whose office calls for more zeal now then did the former days, look well into their office (if not so fare as to distaste the same with jonah) yet to have a more considerate regard, and to be more sensible of so sacred and Angelical a function, and not to prepare thereto (as the most do) with mirth and joviality.  
Neither is my speech wholly to these, a word of exhortation would not do amiss to the Prophets of God in earnest, who having in sincerity undertaken the calling, do find truly the burden of it.  
Let them not faint nor be discouraged, an end shall be, and their expectation shall not perish for ever, though in the mean time they bear the heat and burden of the day, and the harvest be great, and Labourers few.  
Let them take courage and grow yet bolder, to oppose against the face of all such who cast dirt and dishonour into the profession.  
Let them not grow impatient with jonah, though with him tossed by sea and land; the time is at hand wherein Michael our Archangel shall descend, causing them who have slept in the graves to awake, and they who have converted souls shall shine as the Stars in glory; but they who have subverted souls shall be turned into the darkness of Gehenna.  
Thus fare have I been bold with my brethren of the same profession. I would be loath so to determine my application (since the case of jonah in the justification of his anger against God, is not particular only to him, but may well be applied as more general and common.)  
Fourthly, Give me leave in the fourth place therefore to examine his words in a larger sense, whether ever, either thee, or I, or any of us have not been in the excess of this passion so fare miscarried that in our persons this speech of jonah be not too truly verified, I do well to be angry against the Lord.  
It is to be wished, that we were all in grace so well confirmed, that Saint james doctrine were well grounded in us; my brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations.  
But (as it is with us) the exhortation of Saint Peter is not needless: Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, as if some new thing were happened to you.  
For judgement must begin at the house of God; and hereat the righteous full ofttimes prove dismayed.  
Whether it be his own sins the weight whereof press heavy, and he cries, yea roars and cannot be heard.  
Whether it be the iniquities of the times, as a man borne down with a violent stream; whether oppression in judgement and violent perverting of justice, able to make a wise man mad.  
Whether the scourge of tongues and malediction of sinners, whether the secure estate of such as fear not God, and the flourishing of scorns, a shrewd temptation, whether his own neglected innocency or meekness trampled under, by the feet of the wealthy.  
Whether dereliction of friends, loss in estate, poverty, sickness, or what other disease of the time.  
Or lastly, jonah his plague to sustain continual molestation in his calling, and to be tossed up and down.  
I doubt not but I have touched the grievances of many one, who hears me this day: Hence come those dolorous pangs, fearful distempers, despairing cries, those fighes, those groans, that beating of the breast, that stamping with the foot, Ezekiels' signs of mourning.  
In brief, that cursing of the day of our nativities, and why were we borne to such hard conditions? O that the grave had been my womb, or the womb always great with me. Non est dolour, sicut dolor meus, No man ever so plagued, so troubled, so crossed as I am, and I see no reason, no cause for all this, nor end of all my sufferings.  
This to be the case of every of us, who can deny sometime or other? and all this heat to be discharged, directly or indirectly against the face of God?  
The Lord doth send us troubles many times to see how we will bear his yoke: but we are like a young Heifer or Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, how oft have we been offended with our state, our calling or condition?  
Behold Israel after the flesh; why came we into the wilderness say they? why here is no water to drink, why died we not in Egypt? here's no bread to eat, no  to put on, and now must we live upon the bread of providence only say we?  
We know God can provide such things as are needful in this life for his children, but why doth he not?  
He hath promised that no good thing shall be wanting to such as fear before him, and seek the righteousness of his kingdom.  
But we see the contrary full often, wherefore is Lazarus laid at the rich man's door to be relieved with his crumbs? and job the richest man in the East, and one that feareth God too become poor even to a Proverb?  
Why is Naboth most unjustly stoned and his field given away to an other? why is joseph a good man cast into prison? and jeremy an holy Prophet into the dungeon, and Daniel into the Lion's den?  
Are these things done in a well ordered Commonwealth? now God seems to take less care in the behalf of his people, than an indifferent King for his subjects.  
Sure, oppression makes a wise man mad, saith Solomon, and is not here just cause of anger or else of Atheism?  
For is there not a God judging the world? or if there be, why are not matters ordered in better fashion then as we see?  
Cast we now our eyes upon the wealthy ones of this world, and such who care not for God; their eyes stare out with fatness, and they do even what they list saith David, their Tabernacles are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them saith job, their Bull gendereth and faileth not, their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calf, they send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance, they take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the Organ.  
This made David, to have been almost of the same mind, as they, and to have cast in his lot amongst them. This very consideration made job astonished very much.  
And jeremy could not forbear, but he saith, Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee, yet let me talk with thee of thy judgements. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper, wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?  
Thou hast planted them, yea they have taken root: they grow, they bring forth fruit, thou art near in their mouth, and fare from their reines.  
Shall I proceed yet farther (to say nothing of the common broils, which at this day, eat into the bowels of Christendom, the adversaries of Zion prevailing and setting up their banners for tokens.)  
How infinite might I be to reckon up particulars wherein each man finds himself aggrieved? for from him that wears the purple and the crown, to him that is clothed with a linen frock, tribulation and distress and anguish is upon all the sons of Adam saith the son of Syrach.  
Why was I borne blind saith one, and I borne deaf, and I borne lame saith a second and a third, to be a cripple, a scorn and derision to the world?  
No man content with his state, but why was it so with me? why is it not otherwise with me? a company of wrangling pots are we thus to reason with the great Potter, thus to cavil with our Maker, why hast thou made me thus? I like this fashion better than this, and why hast thou not made me so? and do we not oftentimes break in the marring while we seek to mend Gods making?  
O but the times are very bad, wherein we live, who can be patiented to consider well on it?  
We live in dogged days the last and worst of times, we seek peace, but cannot obtain it: O thou false tongue, what reward shall be given or done unto thee thou false tongue? Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Mesech, and among the tents of Kedar? O that I had the wings of a Dove? I would fly away, I would be gone. I said I would make haste to escape, because of the storms, wind and tempest, but because I cannot, therefore is my soul vexed within me, and my heart within me is desolate.  
Now beside and beyond all this, what's our hope, what's our consolation?  
The Lord hath promised to bring us unto an everlasting rest, an heavenly Canaan, but how shall we do if he slay us before we get thither? the sea is before us, the enemy behind us with manifold discouraging impediments in this our journey, Ogge the king of Basan, the devil with his infernal legions, and gates and bars of brass to keep us out.  
Why doth he lead us about by the wilderness, a long tedious and dangerous journey, since there is a fare more ready way from Kadesh Barnea, unto the confines of Canaan the land of promise.  
Thus he works by contraries still. Why could not the Lord take us presently unto his rest without all this ado, thinks flesh and blood? unless he send us into the sea again, where already we have hardly escaped drowning.  
The billows, o the roaring billows! the waters of the sea rage horribly, and we are horribly afraid, save Master, or we perish.  
Thus he works by contraries, we have here no continuing City, but seek one to come; we look for walls and bulwarks, but here are exposed to all kinds of injurious sufferings.  
We look for joy, but here is more cause of grief; we look for peace, but here is pain; we look for rest, but here is none, for crowns and garlands, but behold, for the present, thorns and tribulations.  
In a word, hereafter we look for an incorruptible body, a glorious body, a shining body; in the mean time we languish, we pine, we fret, we grieve, we consume, we die, rot in the grave, come to nothing; where's now our hope, where's now our consolation?  
What? thinks carnal reason, is this the way to light a candle, to put it out? is this way to attain life, thorough death? to climb heaven by descending first into hell? jonah, why art thou angry? is there not cause? even of very deep anger?  
For lay now all these things, or take but half into consideration, hath not the valiantest hearted Christian in these regards, cause to be offended, to prove impatient, and say with jonah, yea, I do well to be angry?  
So long as we be at rest, and not tried by temptations, there is no great need of patience, no great discovery of impatience, until we be emptied from vessel to vessel, we settle upon our lees.  
But empty the vessel, shake the glass, the lees or dregs which before were settled at the bottom do now in great plenty show themselves.  
So when we are shaken by temptations, O then how great infidelity, how little faith, how much intemperancy, how little true zeal, how much anger, impatience and repining is discovered which before lay hidden in the bottom of our deceitful hearts?  
For conclusion then of the doctrine, ask we the question, so many as have felt the power of religion, this question of our own souls, whether ever in this sense we have been angry with God, (a proud conceit) yea I say again, whether ever in this sense we have been angry with God or no.  
jonah did not in plain terms express so much, until the Lord, with whom is no dissembling, did urge and wring it from him.  
That whereby we are given to conjecture his disposition before the Lord spoke, is in the words preceding, where it is said, that jonah fainted and wished in himself to dye, and said it is better for me to dye then to live.  
So that if at any time we faint and grow weary in the cause of Religion, or otherwise desire and wish within ourselves to be dissolved only in regard of our present miseries, which we endure whatsoever they be, then take heed we fall not into the same guiltiness with jonah here.  
Yea indeed we are already fallen too fare. For even these secret wishes of the soul, though not expressed outwardly, they have a kind of language which God understands well enough, and we are conscious to ourselves at the same time against God, of a certain concealed anger: wherein whether we do well or ill, we are for the present most unfit judges, condemning the Lord for the most part of injustice or wrong to our persons and prayers, in our most secret imaginations.  
Yea we are angry with that friend (though we say not so much) in whom we have reposed any trust, if he have in any point dealt unkindly with us, if he have broken promise, deceived us, separated from our distress, much more if he have wrought against us, we take it then most heinously: so when God, to our seeming, doth forget our misery and troubles, to hide his face, and be regardless of us, though we have sought him with many tears.  
When troubles daily do arise, and of long continuance, yea and God himself our only friend doth seem to arm himself against us, to make us as a mark or Butt for his arrows to aim at, (as job in his passion thought).  
Should God then (while the violence of the inward distemper lasteth) in the same manner ask the question as to jonah, we would then go near hand to answer in the same manner as he, yea I do well to be angry, angry even to death. And so I descend unto the third or last specialty in jonahs' answer.   

3. His aggravation.  
I do well to be angry even unto death.  
Hear jonah exceeds the just measure of the question formerly considered.  
Indeed in no part of his answer he keeps good correspondency with the Lord; for though his speech be answerable to the parts of the demand, yet in no sort is it agreeable with the will of the Demander.  
But here in this clause he shows himself irregular not only to God's pleasure or will, but also to the form of the words from the Lord proposed.  
For why else, as to the other parts of the demand (as when the Lord asks if he be angry, he saith, yea I am angry: Dost thou well to be angry? I do well to be angry) so doth he not answer to the last part accordingly? Dost thou well to be angry for the Gourd, I do well to be angry for the Gourd?  
Which plainly shows (as before is noted) that there were other fare greater causes than the Gourd, which forced these words from him, viz. whereas he saith, I do well to be angry, even unto death.  
However, it is a most intemperate speech; and for the meaning thereof, respecting either the intention or effect of Ionah's anger.  
If we expound it of the intention, it than importeth thus much, that jonah was exceeding angry, so angry that he was full big with anger, so big that he was ready to break with anger; And if so, then fix this Epitaph upon his grave stone.  
Here lies the man, who did both raging Sea and Whale disdain:  
His anger, worse than Sea or Whale, his anger hath him slain.  
And why, yea why, should not that anger which hath destroyed many, in justice turn the point sometimes upon that breast which bred it?  
Truly, the anger of jonah in this place conceived, yea expressed against the Almighty, must needs be very great.  
For we are not angry with our superiors, but for causes extraordinary, suppressing commonly those motions provoking to this passion towards them, which towards inferiors is presently expressed.  
For example; that is tolerable in an equal, which is not to be borne with in a servant; that in a Lord, which not in a Knight; that in a Prince, which not in a Lord; that in a King, which not in a Prince; and lastly, that is to be borne with patience from God Almighty, which is not to be brooked from any mortal creature beside.  
O then, when the heat of our anger ascendeth thus high as to be angry not with Kings and Princes, and Potentates of the earth, but with the God of heaven, King of kings, and Lord over all lords; this is a fire that eats into the bones consuming the marrow and the moisture, and must we not either burne in our own cinders, or else daring to break out, be encountered and consumed with that all devouring fire, that flame of God's displeasure, of his unquenchable anger?  
Admire and wonder, that jonah is angry with the great God, exceeding angry with the most puissant Lord, he tells this God and Lord so to his face; yet is not consumed; admire and wonder.  
But I do rather understand it for the effect of Ionah's anger, the effect conceived in a manner and ready for the birth, yet strangled in the womb, which had it been brought forth, would unto jonah have brought most certain death.  
In the old Law, he that cursed father or mother was to be put to death, much more he that should curse the Father of spirits, and great Creator of mankind; this was expressly charged with present death, Levit. 24.  
Therefore we read, Naboth hath cursed God and the King, let him be stoned; therefore did jobs wife tempt her husband to this sin; Curse God and dye saith she.  
This I conceive to be Ionah's case. He is come almost to the actual sin of blasphemy against the second Person in the Trinity, the which in thought he hath committed already.  
For he saith, he hath just cause to be angry, and if he do well to be angry, then sure, God hath done him great wrong, and if so, why should he not hear of it? yea though I die for it, I will speak my mind saith jonah; For I do well to be angry.  
We may supply the fuller meaning of Ionah's mind, partly out of job, and partly out of jeremy, men subject to the same passions, and wrestling with the same assaults as here.  
They were both carried away with this misconceit, that God did use his power as a law, exercising herein, little better than a Tyrannical government, and therefore saith job in one place, is it good for thee that thou shouldst oppress, & c? and jeremy saith plainly, that the Lord by his great might or strength did overbeare him, as is to be seen in the place before cited.  
Thus thinks jonah, and to this effect, he reasons in his overcast imaginations.  
My soul is even full of anxiety, and I want utterance of my complaint. Thy hand is over powerful for me, thy counsels are unsearchable, I know not what to say to it, this is the sum; I am weary of my life, for I see no fruit, no end of all my vexing labours.  
O yet, that God would grant me this request (before I open my lips against the Holy one, and reproach my Maker, and by man's law deserve to be stoned) that he would cut me off and destroy me, or hide me in the grave. For sure, I have most just cause to be offended, yea sure, I do well to be angry, angry even to death, death to me is better fare than life.  
I have touched (I suppose) upon the highest string of Saints impatiency, whereunto the perfectest of men, during yet their mortal condition, are most subject; and beyond which is no remission, but to fall into that sin unpardonable, which holds no concord with God's mercy.  
Let us now but make a cord to draw jonah out of the pit, and preserve all jonasses from sinking in this mire and mud, and I will make the uses and general conclusion of the whole matter, specially this second general part of Ionah's answer, and herein, the last specially in this general; the point yet in hand, Ionah's anger unto death.  
The floods are risen, O God, the floods are risen might jonah well here say, and all else brought unto the same brink of despair or desperate fury with jonah here; O God, the floods are risen, the floods O God have lift up the waves.  
And this not so much in regard of the tide of ungodliness flowing from without as the violent streams of enraged anger from within: Save me, O God, for the waters are come in even into my soul.  
These, these are the waters which drown the soul, to be feared more than those waters which swallow up the bodies of men.  
Now, two things there be which support jonah, and the one implies the other: one thing which the Lord doth overpasse, the other which he doth work, the one proceeding from his Mercy, the other from his Love..  
First, His Mercy it is which doth cover Ionah's imperfections, which at this time were risen to a very great height. For how if the Lord should have entered contention with thee jonah? and set his anger against thine? what would have become of thee?  
The like may we say to job, to jeremy; what job? doth the Lord oppress? Is it without reason, the Lords dealing so, and so with thee jeremy? and dost thou well indeed to be angry Jonah? dare we thus to challenge the Holy one of Israel?  
O no; Take jonah in his right temper, and he is of another mind, so is job, so is Jeremy: I said I will no more make mention of thy name within my lips said jeremy, in his heat he spoke it, but a contrary stronger heat expelled that by and by, thy word was a fire shut up within my bones, and I was weary with forbearing immediately after saith he.  
So job, Chap. 40. once have I spoken, yea twice, but I will say no more, I abhor myself in dust and ashes.  
But what marvel, if while the fit lasteth, the yet vnmortified flesh take on? this being the beast which is to be sacrificed, until we be quite dead unto our own natural desires, reason and perverse judgement.  
This is that which the Lord in mercy passeth over, putting a difference here between jonah and his anger, and between the sins of his children and his graces in them.  
So the words here according to the original, are not to be read, Dost thou well to be angry? but thus, is it well that anger is with thee? according to the saying of the Apostle; It is not I that sin, but sin that dwelleth in me. This, as one day to be cast out and quite abolished from our natures, the Lord doth pass by, for the present accepting our persons, not regarding the works of our own hands, but as we are his workmanship in Christ jesus.  
Secondly, And this is the second thing that preserveth and upholdeth jonah, and with jonah all God's Elect in the most bitter conflicts from sinking into the pit and final perishing, namely, the hand and power of grace, which hath stated them in the covenant of God's free Election, and doth sustain them in the same condition to their lives ends.  
For first, there is semen immanens, an abiding seed as John calls it, whereof whosoever be quickened, never totally lose the life thereof, but the virtue thereof at all times remaineth, though not so evidently at all times discerned: even as the Stars in a dark night, are not seen to the eye; yet both the eye retaineth the power of seeing, and the Stars also are visible in themselves and abide fixed in the firmament, which the succession of an other night plainly doth discover.  
So in this case again, and in this particular of anger, a Christian is compared to a Philosopher in a tempest at the Sea. While there is tumultus multus & clamour magnus, Much tumult and clamour, the Philosopher, though he be grounded in the Principles of his Art, at that time hath no ability of manifestation, neither himself being at all disposed, nor his hearers capable of instructions; so while the fury and strength of temptation lasteth, the Christian is not his own man in appearance: wait then a while longer, the tempest will be over, the Stars shine clear, and the eye of faith, shall be comforted with the light of God's countenance.  
Now as there is evermore an habit of grace, and seed of God remaining in the soul of every true servant of God and faithful member of Christ jesus, and ever shall remain in spite of all the malice of Satan, and the gates of hell, and our own corruptions too, and the rage of wicked men; so (for the operation of the same) it is at all times stirring, the power thereof, being never wholly buried, even in the greatest agony of the soul's vexation, there is a resistance unto evil, and a secret hand of grace running along with our impotent and tumultuous passions, keeping those waving storms of the soul within some compass, which else would swell above the banks, to the fearful inundation of the soul's tranquillity.  
And therefore is it (howsoever may arise rebelling commotions from within) yet never shall we find that they have in direct terms of blasphemy broken out contrary to divine light, enkindled in their breasts, in despite against the Holy Redeemer; which too often falleth out in Castawaies.  
Consider the example before mentioned, whether Moses, or Eliah, or Job, or Jeremy. It is true they were exceedingly and beyond measure transported to wish for death: and to curse the day of their nativity doth argue a great distemper of spirit; but it is but a distemper, and doth not forbid but they might (as soon after they were) be brought to a more sober mood, and better mind.  
Eliah wished to dye, so Moses, so Jonah here, wishes directly against themselves, howsoever their anger, or a great part thereof might be against the Lord.  
job and jeremy they cursed, but whom? the Lord? no, they durst not, they could not, therefore it breaks out another way, and is discharged upon the day, the night wherein they were conceived and borne, the paps that suckled, knees that dandled them, the man that brought tidings; they shot at random bitter words, yet none fly upward against their Maker, this caution still hath been remembered; and the secret power that hath kerbed those swelling motions hath at no time been wanting to them.  
Two cases there be wherein I observe the holiest of Saints living, to be injurious in the highest measure against their own felicity, but never directly against God: the one is in extremity of their own sufferings, which hath now been handled, the other an excess of their zeal to God's glory. Thus Moses wished to be wiped out of the book of life, rather than that people should have been consumed, to whom the Lord had made promise of entering Canaan.  
What would the nations have said, thought he? either that the God of Israel was unjust of his word, or unable of power to bring and plant, that people in the land of the possession: O let me never see good day saith Moses, rather than God should suffer this dishonour. With the same affectionate zeal was Paul moved partly to his countrymen, the jews of the same flesh with him, chiefly in regard of God's honour, who had sworn and bound himself in an everlasting covenant to Abraham and his seed for ever, that rather than that people should absolutely be cast off and forsaken, he himself might become Anathema and accursed for ever.  
Do you see by these examples, how jealous of God's glory the Saints have been; though no man's zeal can be too great, to Godward, yet in the ardour thereof working with their dim faith, to have discovered manifest impotency?  
The same effect, well nigh (to return to the present purpose) after a contrary manner of working in the violence of their own extremities most commonly hath been produced.  
There can no such causes happen, wherein a man with jonah ought to wish for death, the time by God appointed yet not come. jonah, truly herein did transgress, so did Moses, and Eliah too.  
Yea, but to be angry with God in express terms, or to fall into this hopeless exigent of cursing, can it any ways be excused, or made tolerable in the sight of God or course of sanctity?  
What then shall we say for job and jeremy, or yet for Jonah the occasion of this whole dispute?  
Yea there is none so mad (I do suppose) who will offer the excuse or purgation of jonah in this his mad tasty combat and quarrel against the Lord his Maker, yet in this, will I exempt jonah from the everlasting curse, in that he fell not into express terms of cursing.  
For the other two, O what just, what holy men! job I mean and the other good jeremy, whether went ye down? down unto the sides of the pit? or how fell ye down? down into the bottom of the gulf?  
For I am astonished with jobs three friends, when I behold his misery, and I cannot but judge him, as one shut up in the pit, when I hear his words.  
How comest thou out of the deep O job? who led thee out of darkness into light oh jeremy? can a man live again being once dead? even so are the fruits of your hopes, whose blasted blossoms do again flourish, and your broken branches do again shoot out.  
O, the pit (I now well perceive, had not wholly shut her mouth upon you, nor was the life of your hopes utterly lost, I must in this recall myself) for then (as the fire doth resist the water, the water the fire, as the devil is an enemy to our salvation, and heaven is opposite to hell) so they whom the God of heaven doth cast out as his adversaries, and they themselves do so judge of themselves to be perpetually rejected and abhorred of their Maker, the estate of these men will you know? or their condition, what it is?  
They are no longer men, but have put on the shapes of devils; for the image is quite changed from purity and holiness which was in the creation, thus hath God lost them, and they have lost their part in God, God is now contrary to them, and they to God; as heat is to cold, as light is to darkness, life to death, fire to water.  
Thus God hates them, thus they hate God, thus God fights against them, they fight against God, Michael and his Saints and Angels, against the Devil his members and angels; and the enmity it is immortal and never to be reconciled.  
They began first to persecute God in his members, God in his turn pours the vial of his wrath upon their heads, and they blaspheme.  
God plague's them, they curse God, and cursing are plagued, and plagued do curse continually; this is the state of the damned in hell, and this is all their spite against heaven.  
These are sunk down irrecoverably into the pit, the pit of fire and brimstone hath shut her mouth upon them, they are closed up in the pit for ever and ever.  
But who will affirm, who dare to avouch, that thus it was with job, or his companion jeremy, or that to any of God's Saints truly quickened by his grace in any of these measures it hath happened or can thus happen?  
No, For they never are at direct enmity with God, howbeit they may be brought to this point, through the force of continued grievances, to be confounded at God's judgements, to stagger in their minds, and to incline to this suggestion, that it had been better for them (whatever God may work out of it, for his unsearchable ends) yet for them and their parts, it had been better not to have been borne at all, then to be ordained to such present wretchedness; thereupon have they been moved to curse not God, but their day, the night, the light and Stars (as before you have heard) any thing save only God, whose counsels they admire, though his judgements prove distasteful.  
The matter will prove yet more clear, if we consider and compare, but a little the contrary disposition of such, whom God hath given over to this fearful sin.  
First, These do resist that light which for the present doth convince their judgements; it fareth with the judgements of the Saints for the time, as with troubled waters, neither pleasant to drink, nor apt to render the true form or proportion of any object thereunto presented, their imaginations are distempered, and their minds like the Sun with a cloud of error overcast.  
Secondly, the outrage is discharged directly in the face of God, they disgorge blasphemies against heaven, as julian the Apostate threw his blood into the air against Christ; or the Thracians, who shot their arrows up to heaven in thunder and lightning, but the Saints divert the bent of their fury another way.  
Again, those do it out of a despite and malice to the spirit of grace, in these it proceedeth from an impotency or infirmity of their natures.  
Lastly, the Saints do evermore end with fairer lightnings, howsoever it may go with them for the present, and they hang their harps upon the willow trees, they shall not always live in Babylon, they shall return to Zion, and their mouth shall be filled with laughter, and their tongues with Praise, in the mean time subject to manifold alterations, as is the state of all things in this world beside.  
Now it shineth, anon 'tis overcast and clouded, now 'tis night, and now 'tis day, the seasons of the year do alter, there is Summer and Winter, Spring time and Autumn, so there is fair Wether, and foul Wether in the heart of a Christian.  
For now 'tis health and then 'tis sickness, now 'tis prosperity and then adversity, now he sings and then he sighs, praise the Lord, sing unto the Lord faith jeremy, cursed be the day wherein I was borne, immediately after saith the same jeremy, jonah is exceeding glad for the gourd, for one night, and is very weary of his life, the next morning.  
But consider the upright, and mark the end of the just man saith David; for sure the end of such a man is peace at the last.  
Even as you may find many complaints, and bitter cries mixed in the book of Psalms, what is the conclusion, or how end the last Psalms of that book? their beginning commonly and ending is this, praise the Lord, praise ye the name of the Lord.  
But what's the end of sinners more specially of such sinners? wounds and death, and bloodshed, knives and racks and halters, snares, fire and brimstone, storm and tempest, horrors and terrors, death and damnation.  
For these are they that blaspheme God, and really curse his holy name, upon these he poureth the vials of his wrath, and they gnaw their tongues, and blaspheme and repent not.  
There is a word clothed about with death saith Syrach, but it is not found in the habitations of jacob, there is a sin unto death saith Saint john, I say not that ye should pray for it saith he, but this he saith, we know that every one that is borne of God sinneth not, that sin, but he that is begotten of God, keepeth himself pure, and that wicked one toucheth him not, albeit with Jonah he may be angry, albeit in the strength of his malady, he may curse life, and wish death, yea never to fall into that sin of death.  
Thus have we performed a work of love, to draw jonah out of the ditch, and have preserved all jonasses from the like danger of sinking.  
What remaineth but the conclusion only? and it shall be briefly folded up in a few conclusions or general uses, deduced from this which hath been said.  
1. And the First shall be a point of exhortation, and this to the Saints of God, molested in this their mortal condition with variety of temptations, and of passions, that they may learn the way to peace, and when they find by the pulse of their affections, a strong inclination to Ionah's disease, they may use these remedies to allay the fury, and settle the tranquillity of their own souls.  
First, let them consider against whom they do oppose in their anger, is it not against the great and mighrie God? The Thistle in Lebanon, sent to the Cedar in Lebanon, saying, give thy daughter to my son to wife, or take thou my daughter to thy son to wife, and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trod down the Thistle: Thus said Joash King of Israel to Amaziah King of judah, when he sent this message, let us look one another in the face, and this is the least of a thousand that I can say, when we dare provoke the God of heaven to his face.  
Can we throw down mountains by our might, or dry up the sea at our rebuke? Can the Toad (as the Fable hath it) equal the Elephant in bigness, though she swell, and swell, and swell again, and burst in swelling?  
O then let us remember that arrows shot up into the air, return upon the head of the shooters, and pierce downwards.  
Again, consider thine own deserving, for sure thou hast good cause to be angry with God and why? thou hast from time to time so well deserved at his hands.  
It is the mercy of the Lord that we are not all consumed saith jeremy, and truly we are less than the least of all his mercies, therefore the use is sovereign which the same Prophet maketh, Lament. 3. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord; Let us lift up our heart with our hands, unto God in the heavens, etc.  
Thirdly, (to pass from this) judge not of God's favour to thee, or his righteous proceed in thy cause or person, from the sense of thy present sufferings, but from the end and issue which commonly God makes of his Saints afflictions: and therefore whereas now thou art under, and thy feet stick fast in mire and clay, pray unto God with David, that he would advance thy head, and set thee upon the rock which is higher than thou; so shalt thou be able to look about thee round, and with comfort behold the hills, and dales, spacious forests and groves, thou shalt then (with correction of thy passed folly) perceive plainly the causes, the reasons, the end, issue of God's wise and gracious proceeding with thee, and perceiving shalt praise and magnify his name for it.  
The Warlike Soldier, while the heat of the battle lasteh, hears and sees nothing but confused noise and garments rolled in blood, the prancing of strong horses, the rattling spears, Bellona's rage with the clashing arms, and clanging trump, doth astonne his sense for the present, and he hath no leisure so long, to think of the country of Peace, the Ensigns of Honour, the Garlands of Victory. Victorious when he doth return from the spoil of his enemies, than he rides in the Chariot of Triumph; Trophies are erected, he doth with joy recount his dangers passed, glory in his wounds received, when all tongurs do sound his praises: Saul hath slain his thousand, and David his ten thousand.  
Even so when the Warre-fare appointed for us, is accomplished, we shall stand upon Mount Zion, Victorious, beholding the Egyptians dead upon the shore, and shall sing the song of Moses, the Horse and his rider are thrown into the Sea; Principalities, and Powers are vanquished and subdued, and we shall reign for evermore.  
Secondly, My second use shall be also of exhortation, but this to the troublers of Zion's peace, and Edom's children who insult upon her desolations.  
It is necessary saith our Saviour, that offences come, but woe be to them who are the causers, and grieve the souls of God's children, for they do not always labour of their own inward griefs, and private distresses of their own souls from within, Eliah flies from the face of jezabel, and grows weary of his life, woe be to jezabel therefore, who is the cause of it.  
In the mean time the Saints groan and cry out for the wrongs done unto them, and grow impatient of spirit, because the Lord doth not work the deliverance, shall we say (howsoever their impatiency is not to be excused) that the world who hath procured their unrest, shall escape unpunished? or that the souls shall not be heard, who to this day cry from under the Altar, how long o Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?  
Remember the parable of the widow, and unjust judge, avenge me of mine adversary saith she, avenge me of mine adversary, and still she cryeth, avenge me of mine adversary, he would not for the justness of her cause hear her, but her importunity prevailed.  
What's the use our Saviour makes thereof? the answer ariseth by a gradation, shall not God much more judge and revenge, who is a just judge, and in a most just and rightful cause, and that in the behalf of his children, his children which do not only call, but cry, and cry, day and night? shall not God avenge his own elect, saith he, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? As who would say, there is no sense nor reason to the contrary, and therefore he saith plainly, I tell you, he will avenge them speedily, Luk. 18.  
Thirdly, In the third place; Let us learn to be advised of this one thing, how we spend our judgements upon any whom we yet see labouring under the cross; lest proving uncharitable in our censure, it prove to be our turn next to undergo the same trials, under which we see our ●●other with some bitterness of spirit wrestling for the present.  
Alas, If we judge only from the outward behaviour and external effects, which for the present affect our senses, jonah then is already condemned by our doom, and how hardly must it go with all those famous Worthies before named?  
Rather, Let us enter into this account with ourselves, and say, good God, if jonah endued with a fare greater measure of holiness then poor I, did prove thus fretful and impatient under the hand of God, how less able should I have been to have borne but half the burden he sustained?  
If Eliah, Moses, jeremy, job, had not the power to master their unruly passions, sure then, if Ibe not conscious to myself of the like weakness, I never came unto the trial, or how weakly should I resist in the day of evil?  
A man that lies grovelling on the ground, and sends forth lamentable groans, we know not well the anguish of his spirit, yet this we know, that he is terribly indisposed, yet for all this (though the sight of all men, and in his own thinking too, he be as a man most desperately forlorn and miserable) he may notwithstanding by the help of some cunning Physician and Chirurgeon be recovered and set upon his legs again.  
This comes to pass more ordinarily in the diseases of the soul, then in the distempers of the body.  
The more bitter be the words of jeremy, and the more extremely we hear jonah to take on, the more deeply let us judge of them, that they have drunk of the cup of affliction, the bitter cup of wormwood and gall.  
And this I find God himself to have taken notice of, and in a tender regard and compassionate feeling of her sorrows, thus to comfort his poor distressed Church by the Prophet Isaiah.  
Awake, awake, stand up O jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord, the cup of his fury, thou hast drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling and wrung them out.  
A man in drink (we use to say) is not himself, and therefore I find added in the same place, and with it I conclude the point.  
Hear now this, thou afflicted and drunken but not with wine, thus saith the Lord, the Lord and thy God, that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand, the cup of trembling, even the dregges of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again, but I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee, which have said to thy soul, bow down that we may go over, and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street to them that go over.  
Fourthly, But now lastly, let me add the conclusion of the whole matter, what's the conclusion of this whole dispute, contention or contestation between the Lord and jonah? A Song of praise, a Meditation of due thankfulness, Bless the Lord o my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.  
Bless the Lord o my soul and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, might Jonah well say, and crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies, let every one, who hath tasted the same cup with jonah, confess.  
O jonah, how great was thy offence! how heavy jonah was thy anger? wherefore came not thy saying to pass? or why did not death prevent thy wish, since thou thoughtest it no sin to be angry with God? had it not been too light a recompense for this thy rebellion, to have sent thee hastily quick into the grave with thy sins upon thy head?  
Behold, death even called for, doth not appear, the Lord is more merciful to jonah, than jonah to himself; man is angry with God, God is not angry with man. What shall we say?  
The case is not Ionah's alone, O David, how troubled doth the course of many of thy Psalms run? why dost thou forget me o God? why art thou absent from the the words of my complaint o God? Awake o Lord, stand up and judge my quarrel.  
Thus speaks David, and much more, as a man not well pleased with his God, and as though the Lord were asleep or deaf, or blind, or forgetful, as if he would not or could not regard the cause that was equal.  
Yea but this same David at other times hath recollected himself from this error, and hath as plainly noted the reason of the Lords more gracious and loving dealing both with himself and all God's childrenels.  
For he knoweth whereof we be made saith he in the Psalm before cited, he well understands our frame, he remembreth that we are but dust, therefore like as a father pitieth his own children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him, and shall set our sins as fare as the East is from the West.  
Therefore also saith another Prophet speaking in the person of God, I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth: For the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made.  
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him, I hide me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.  
I have seen his ways and will heal him, I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners, Isay. 57  
Here is the goodness of our God and the whole work of our salvation; this is his glory which he will not impart to others, nor to our merits or any desert in us, (for we are a froward and most untoward generation in ourselves).  
And this is the whole benefit he expects at our hands the calves of our lips, and hereunto he hath ordained us in his beloved before the foundation of the world, that we should render unto him the sacrifice of praise, a thankful acknowledgement from the ground of our hearts: Bless ye the Lord, as before.  
For this cause is it that the Saints in glory (whose felicity in part is shadowed by those four and twenty elders. Reu. 4) fall down before him that sirs on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, (as acknowledging their own unworthiness) but thus they say.  
Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created.  
Sing we unto the Lord a new song, for old things are forgotten and all things are made new, a new heaven and a new earth, a new jerusalem from above.  
And old things are clean passed away, for there shall be no more sorrow nor crying nor pain saith S. john, there shall be likewise no longer infirmity nor disease of mind nor body, there shall not be those vexations nor yet those vexing causes which here we both meet and carry about with us.  
The tempter cannot reach us there, temptations shall be banished for ever. Anger hath no place in heaven: jonah, thy branch shall flourish and thy gourd it shall not whither, the Sea shall not toss thee, the whale shall not eat thee, the Sun shall not smite thee, the fire shall not burn thee.  
Who then can be angry or evil affected when God shall show himself most willing to please us? when he shall make all things, work for our contentment?  
O Lord I am ashamed now saith jonah, when I consider this thy most wonderful goodness, I do repent of this my foolish anger and begin to wax exceeding angry, that ever I was moved to anger against so good so merciful so gracious a redeemer, who dost not only pass by our offences when we have most heinously provoked thy just displeasure, but hast also reserved & laid up in store for us most undeserving wretches, such good things as pass man's imagination to conceive.  
O Lord God merciful and gracious, long suffering & abundant in goodness and truth, accomplish thy good word unto thy servants and show us thy glory, that we may live and never die that we may live and praise thee eternally. Amen.   

NOw, to call thee back a little, friendly Reader, to the matter of my text, and withal, if I may presume to communicate myself unto thy good nature, I would entreat thee for the Author thus to judge.  
That he fell not by his haphazard upon his text, or that he hath not had a feeling of the same. What learning call you that which doth carry in her bosom a sense or feeling of her known principles? It hath the name of knowledge experimental, which cannot be attained by all the search of mere study, and is to be preferred before all humane learning acquired by the documents and precepts of men.  
Who can describe the image of God the father, or portray out the shape of the holy Ghost, or express the glory of the blessed Trinity? The meanest Christian who hath God in his heart doth retain a sounder knowledge of his maker by those hidden operations felt within, than the stoutest Philosopher in the height and sublimity of his soaring speculation, or those better learned clerks; who can dispute subtly above the Trinity, yet want power to please the holy Trinity.  
O but that knowledge is full of danger my text speaks of, and who would wish to be possessed with such a feeling as jonah, was? not I, not thou, nor any man; yet take heed, thou mayest be overrash in judging. For why? anger doth sometimes and that ordinarily presuppose love. O fearful case, is jonah angry with God, sayest thou? an other is of this mind, is it possible in a frail man, to conceive anger against the great God? whence springs this familiarity between heaven and earth? aut quam nuper è coelo descendisti jonah, how lately camest thou out of heaven O jonah? yea sure, by the very nature of the speech must be employed a certain intercourse of favour and loving commerce between the heavenly God and us. Why else is any man angry with his fellow, but in a conceit that he hath been requited evil for good, and the fruits of hate where he looked for the effects of love?  
Why then, even hence in like manner arise those manifold heart-burnings and great disturbances of the Saints quiet; since they have been assured of God's love, but want all signs thereof in their distresses. Is this the part of a loving father think his misbelieving children, to neglect their suits who call day and night unto him? what's become of his promises and those marvelous works our forefathers have told us of wherefore doth he not arise and help us and that early? O my God, I cry in the day time and thou hearest not, and and in the night season also my soul refuseth comfort. Here our faith gins to stagger, for what? hath God forgotten to be gracious, and will he be no more entreated, and is his mercy clean gone for evermore?  
Then the spirit is almost tired with waiting, and the flesh grows monstrous unruly. God is not so good as his word, for he hath promised, if in trouble we call upon him, he will help us, but he regards neither our calling, nor cries, nor tears. O now the spirit waxeth hot, and the blood doth boil within the veins: and thus our anger ariseth against God, a thing not impossible, as you see, nor yet allowable, to the Saints most incident, and to the best of Saints, more ordinarily then to the worst of hypocrites, or any other to the state of grace not yet called.  
Indeed, for these, I do not read of many, or any examples in this kind, to have entered Contestation with the Lord, as jonah here hath done, nor is it the Nabals of the world, but the Davids who mourn in their prayer, and are vexed. For upon what grounds can they challenge God of his promise, and expostulate? where hath God bound himself unto these with an oath, that he will be their God, and of their seed for ever? how oft have they called upon him in faith, and wept unto him in zeal? what love to his ordinances, what trust to his Word, what assurance of his mercies, what consolation in his promises, hath been at any time in their hearts residing?  
I am not angry with the Sun when it shineth to the Antipodes, nor with the Stars, because they run round; I am not angry with the Winds at Sea, when my house by fire is burnt at home; or lastly, why should the Malefactor, who cries guilty at the Bar, be angry with the judge, who gives sentence according to the law upon his offence?  
Even so truly, the wicked foolish, who say in their hearts there is no God, and do impute their good and bad hap to blind chance or fortune, who are men of an other world, and strangers to godliness: I see no reason their anger should reach, whether their belief doth not. Yea truly when they are haled before God's judgement Seat, as Malefactors arraigned, their guilty consciences proclaim woe immediately; but then gins their anger and desperate rage, when the scalding plagues of God's wrath do begin to torment their bodies, and the horror of deadly darkness doth cease upon their souls for their wilful blindness and folly, and their rage is not only against God, but in a remarkable kind of justice, against their own members, they gnawed their tongues and blasphemed, Rev. 16.  
But if their malice break out against God or his Saints sooner (as oft it doth) it is then a fearful preparation to these eternal woes mentioned, and hath more properly the name of malice then of anger. For what difference is there between the anger of God's Saints, and of his enemies? even such as I have showed, as is the anger between two friends, and two most contrary enemies.  
These things (gentle Reader) I have more deeply searched into by occasion of my Text, not that I presume herein to commend unto thee any rare point of skill: for that which may fall out to be rare in the course of my studies may have been more sound noted in the labours of other men, and perhaps is not new unto thy judgement; nor to this end do I it, to commend the feeling of this knowledge unto any, not so fare experimented in this kind of learning which we have from jonah; but to this end rather, that we may be wise to put a difference, and be suspended from rash judgement concerning the state of diverse God's Elect, wrestling here in this vale of misery, falling and rising, foiled, and sometimes foiling like prevailers, and that herein we study true thankfulness to the sole-worker of our salvation, who preserveth the souls of his Saints from going down into the pit of desperation.  
For myself (Christian Reader) I was angry with my God, and knewit not; very angry but did not well consider it. How manifold are thy trials? O how various and wonderful art thou in the exercising of us thy frail creatures? Vsque quo Domine, usque quo, shall not my griefs and groans, my deep sigh and often tears, and strong cries, be full effectual in thy fight, to manifest thy power within, to utter thy praise abroad? O those hills of peace, where are they? why hast thou caused me to hope in thy word & haste nor furnished me unto the battle? why was I called—? but return now unto thy rest, O my soul, and hope yet confidently. I was angry and mourned in my prayer and was vexed: was it not in thy temple, O God, in thy temple that my soul was exceedingly cast down and troubled? in thy temple therefore will I praise thee, because there thou spakest peace unto my troubled soul, and didst allay the heat of all my discontented passions, saying as sometime thou didst unto thy servant jonah, Dost thou well to be angry? Thus, even thus thou rebukedst the winds and the waves of all my inward commotions, and there followed immediately a great calm, praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy name. For it was not flesh nor blood then which then was in the strength of impariency and stamped with the foot, it was not flesh and blood that did reveal, that did put this good motion into my breast, but my father in heaven, therefore praise the Lord O my soul.  
At this time I was assigned to the Cross, & had not yet chosen the Text I meant to treat of: the choice was soon made; For what more acceptable service to our God, more pleasing to his Church, more effectual for the preachers of his word to deal in, then to express their minds upon those Themes, the power whereof having first subdued their own affections doth with greater force from them flow forth unto others, and procure more ample glory to his name, unto whom the whole action and efficacy of the work is in special wise to be referred.  
Thus have I made myself a fool in glorying, but it is in my infirmities, and if for this I be disdained of the michal's of the world, I will study to become yet viler in their eyes, that God's power by my weakness may be exalted. Is not this the end of all our beings? and aught we not by all means whether by precept or example or however labour here unto? whether we be beside ourselves saith S. Paul to the Corinthians it is to God, or whether we be sober it is for your cause and he is no follower of Paul as he followed Christ in this, who will not thus endeavour to become all things to all men, that of all sorts he may gain some to God and he that respecteth his own credit private opinion and speeches of others, before the winning of souls, he is ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; a shame of all others most shameful and one most unworthy to be a minister of the new Testament.  
Thus Christian and friendly Reader and one of the household of faith whose love I do only embrace, have I not made myself strange unto thee, and for this cause desire the fruit of thy preys to be assistant unto me that I may open my mouth with boldness in the cause of the Gospel whereunto I have traviled and am yet in pain. I believed and therefore did I speak saith David, but I was sore grieved. I also believed, the same have I preached, the same again have I penned. Now to all those who love the Lord jesus, I conclude, Grace be unto them, and Mercy, and upon the Israel of God.  
FINIS.