JONAH CHAPTER 4 Jonah, repining at God's mercy, JONAH 4:1, is reproved
by the type of a gourd, JONAH 4:4. BUT, Heb. _And, it_, the Divine
forbearance sparing the great and sinful Nineveh, DISPLEASED JONAH;
was very disagreeable to Jonah's hasty and fierce temper, to his love
of his own credit, and i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE PRAYED; in a strange distempered humour sets about this work,
and accordingly manageth it; when he designs to pray, his turbulent
affections hurry him into unseemly contests and quarrels with God, yet
since he fell on his knees with purpose to pray to God, the Scriptures
report it as his pray... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, Heb. _And now_; now presently, let no time slip. O Lord,
who art, as the only Author, so the great Arbiter of life; the mighty
and eternal God. His sovereignty was enough to command Jonah's
reverence, but Jonah forgets himself and his God. TAKE, I BESEECH
THEE, LIFE FROM ME: in a peevish... [ Continue Reading ]
Then, so soon as Jonah's haste had sinned against his God and his own
life, said the Lord; either by voice audible to Jonah, or rather by
his Spirit; that Spirit which gave Jonah order to go and preach, now
takes order to debate the case. THE LORD, who is now, as Jonah needed
he should be, gracious,... [ Continue Reading ]
So, when the Lord had taken notice and reproved the passions of Jonah,
and made some impression on his mind for the present, JONAH WENT OUT
OF THE CITY; discontented in himself, and doubtful of the issue
whether God would be more tender of the life of multitudes or of
Jonah's credit, the prophet wit... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBHeb;
PREPARED; commanded that in the place where Jonah's booth stood, this
herb, or spreading plant, should spring up to be a shade when the
gathered boughs are withered. A GOURD: it is not certain what this
was; some say ivy; others say it was palma christi, or five-leaved,
whose leaves are so s... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GOD, by the same power which caused the gourd suddenly, and to
Jonah's great joy, to spring, grow, and spread itself as a canopy,
PREPARED also a WORM, what, is not said, some contemptible grub that
was not seen by Jonah; which early next morning, i.e. by break of day,
bit the root, so that the... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, after all these passages both in chastising and
refreshing Jonah, and after all Jonah's deportment under them, but
more immediately after the withering of the gourd and the loss of the
shadow. WHEN THE SUN DID ARISE; with the rising of the sun, so early
in the morning as the sun... [ Continue Reading ]
DOEST THOU WELL TO BE ANGRY? see JONAH 4:4. FOR THE GOURD: God adds
this to the same question before proposed, that Jonah might be his own
judge, and at once condemn his own passions, justify God's patience
and mercy, and submit himself with satisfaction in that God had spared
Nineveh. AND HE, Jonah... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN, when Jonah had showed his affection of love and pity to the
gourd, SAID THE LORD; showed Jonah the little reason he had to concern
himself for the gourd, and the great reason God had on his side in
pitying and sparing Nineveh. THOU, a man, of narrow and uneven
compassions, HAST both HAD and sh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHOULD NOT; may not by virtue of my sovereignty, pity, spare, or
pardon if I will? or is there not good reason to incline me to do it,
and to justify my doing it? I; God of infinite compassions and
goodness. SPARE NINEVEH, a mighty city: Jonah, thou hast pity on a
sorry shrub, and shall thy God... [ Continue Reading ]