Jonah 3

AND After that Ionah had been well disciplined for his contumacy, and was set at liberty. the word of the LORD The command or the Prophetick Spirit, Vid. chap. 1. ver. 1. let. b. c. came c unto Jonah the second time The first time Ionah rebels against the command, now better prepared and humbled he is tryed again, God does give him the gift of Prophesie, and by that signifies his reconciliation to him, and admits him into his old station., saying,

Arise Vid chap. 1. ver. 2. let. f., go Vid. chap. 1. ver. 2. let. g. unto Nineveh that Ibid. let. h. great city Vid. chap. 1. ver. 2. let. i. great in extent of ground, in strength of its fortifications, height, and breadth of their Walls and multitude of their Towers, great in the multitude of its numbers and riches of its Citizens, and every whit as great in the multitude of its sins, but let nothing retard or discourage thee, arise and go., and preach Publickly, plainly, boldly, cry chap. 1. ver. 2. let. k. unto it i. e. Against it publish the near approaching ruin of it, preach to them the necessity of their Repentance, and awaken them to it by the terrours of the Lord. the preaching that I bid thee Either which I did bid thee at first, as chap. 1. ver. 3. or what I shall suggest and communicate to thee when thou art come thither..

So And Heb. as God commands and directs, so Ionah with ready, resolved, and obedient mind sets about the work. Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh Tho it was a long journey yet three weeks or three months travel by Land, is more eligible then three days in the belly of Hell. according to the word of the LORD Every way complying with the command of God, speeding thither resolved to preach whatsoever Sermon God should put into his head, encouraged with assurance that God who did send would be with him whithersoever he was sent. (now Nineveh was an exceeding great city The greatest City of the known world at that day, it was then in its flourishing state greater then Babylon whose compass was three hundr d sixty five or three hundred eighty five furlongs, but was in compass four hundred and eighty, her walls an hundred foot in height, her walls broad enough for three Coaches to meet and safely pass by each other, had fifteen hundred Towers on its walls, and these Towers two hundred foot high, and one million and four hundred thousand men imployed continually for eight years to build it, if our author be not mistaken. of three days journey There is some difference in accounting how this City was three days journey, if we account the length of it at one hundred and fifty furlongs, this will amount to eighteen miles and three quarters, this seems too little to be three days journey, unless it be supposed the Prophet account his leisurely progress, and takes in the many stops that would necessarily and unavoidably retard him in his walking and preaching such strange news, if we consider this, 'tis not unlike six miles would be as far as he could go in a day, preaching to all and discoursing with many, others will account it three days journey to go through the streets and lanes of this City, but on the supposition 'twas eighteen miles in length, and eleven miles in breadth 'twill be more then three days journey, or a weeks journey, for supposing in a miles breadth but eight streets from end to end through eighteen miles length, 'twill amount to four hundred sixty four miles. Others account by the compass of the walls sixty miles, and allow twenty miles to each days journey too far for any one to walk, preach, dispute or reason, and account for himself, the first account seems most probable..)

And The former verse gives us intelligence of Ionah's arrival at Nineveh; now, so soon as come, he preacheth. Jonah began to enter into the city a days journey, and he cryed, and said To walk through and to preach the dreadful threats of God against Nineveh, and he proclaimed openly and plainly what God commanded; he feared not to tell all what concerned all, he did it with earnestness as deeply affected with what he spake from God against this mighty City., Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown A very short time, some might think, for this great City, but 'tis more time then God was bound to give, or then they could deserve, or then God gave to Sodom and Gomorrah, the sins of which Cities were no doubt found in Nineveh now Ionah preached, and grew ripe by that time Nahum came to foretell their ruine, vid. Nahum tot. the threat is express and peremptory in its form and words; though there be a reserve with God on condition of Repentance which operated in due time, and manifestly proved that God intended mercy to repenting Nineveh, though he threatned an overthrow to impenitent Nineveh, how it should be overthrown is not expressed, some conjecture by a forreign Enemy, which carrieth unlikelihood with it, others guesse by fire from Heaven, but since 'twas not destroyed we need not enquire how it should have been, and had they not repented the event would have informed us fully..

¶ So And Heb. the people The inhabitants who heard, they first believed who first heard, and successively others as soon as they heard. Speaking by his Prophet, they knew their own sins. of Nineveh believed God Though Ionah were a stranger to them yet because coming in Gods name, he did very particularly, fully, and to the Life enumerate, decipher, and lay open their sins, with what they deserved, what might be expected, what God threatned from Heaven, all which concurring wrought them to believe their danger, Gods mercy, and the possibility of escape if they repent, whether the same of Ionah's deliverance came to Nineveh before him, appears not, nor is it likely it should come so far and so fast though 'twere known on the Syrian Coast, and about Tyre and Zidon, possibly Ionah might publish it in Nineveh., and proclaimed a fast Every one called upon other to fast, or cry'd out 'twas high time to fast, repent, and supplicate God, so some think, but this passage is an Anticipation, tells us what was done, and will tell us afterwards on what grounds, authority and example 'twas done., and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them A ceremony very usual in mournings private or publick in those Countreys, and a token of their true mourning, this all did, great and small, rich and poor..

For This now accounteth for the peoples proclaiming a fast ver. 5. they did it because 'twas commanded, and they had the Kings example herein. word came to the king Whether Ionah did particularly speak to his hearers to send word to the King or whether the strangeness of the thing might move some or other to report it to the Courtiers, and they to the King is not specified, certain 'tis that the King had word brought him, and it was considered by him, nor is it said who this King was, Sardanapalus seems too early, Phul Belochus is with more probability thought to be this King. of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne Came down from his Royal seat., and he laid his robe from him Put off his rich, gorgeous and luxurious apparel., and covered him with sackcloth Put on the rough, and uneasie garments of a mourner., and sat in ashes As Iob 2.8. and 42.6. Esth. 4.13..

And he The King. caused it to be proclaimed Took a particular care to have speedily a Fast ordered, and notified to the people by those publick Officers, who were wont to proclaim the Decrees and Edicts of the King and his Counsel., and published This ingemination confirms the thing, and adds somewhat for showing the deep sense the King had both of his own, and his peoples ins danger, and duty in this exigent. through Nineveh (by the decree of the king and his nobles) It was an Act of the King and Counsel, and that which passed them with good liking, they relisht the thing as the Hebrew phrase importeth. saying, Let neither man Men have sinned and provok't God to this high displeasure it does most principally concern them to repent, fast and mourn for their sins that God may pardon and spare them. nor beast These comprised in the threat and like to be involved in the common danger are put under a fast, this the general which is afterwards exprest more particularly Herd and Flock, let none of these whether at home in the stall or abroad in the Fold and Herd., herd nor flock taste any thing This referred by some to the strictness with which men were bound to keep this Fast, but this may be a general prohibition explained by what follows, let all Man and Beast forbear to eat or drink, that the Fast might be most solemn, that the cry of man seconded with the cry of hungry Cattel, might enter the ears of God who preserveth Man and Beast., let them not feed, nor drink water:

But let man Every man from greatest, the King on the Throne, to the least, the beggar on the dunghill, put off his usual and softer habit, and afflict themselves in coursest garments. and beast Their Horses in which they gloried much, their Camels also, both which they adorned with rich and costly clothing in their Stables, and with as rich furniture for Saddles, Bridles, and Trappings when they were used abroad, now all in Testimony of an hearty repentance must clothe with Sackcloth, the clothing of beasts must witness for men. be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily Beasts in distresse and starving cry to God as the young Ravens and hungry Lions, and so here Beasts of the Herd and Flock cry. But 'tis to be referred to men lamenting their sins, deprecating judgments, imploring mercy with all earnestness and vehemency of desire, called here a crying mightily to God, as chap. 1.5. unto God The inhabitants of Niniveh whether Traders, or who live at their ease and pleasure there let them reform and amend their doings.; yea, let them s turn every one The Edict for ceasing from violence is as full and particular as the Edict for Fasting, all are commanded to be just and righteous. from his evil way Not cease from single acts only but change the course and habitual manner of life called here their way every one was vicious, and each one almost had some particular method of sin, which was his way of sinning this must they turn from., and from the violence Oppression and rapine as a chief sin is here particularly mentioned, compare this with N h. 3.1. which is in their hands Which acted by them is still in their hands both in the guilt of it, the effects of it, and as publickly known as what is seen in a mans hands, Vid. Psal. 7.3..

Who can tell Here is the ground of the Ninivites Fasting and praying, there is a possibility that they may escape, there is fairly argued a probability, for why should the ruine beforehand be threatned but to give warning, so many days ere it come, unless it be to ry us, whether we will Fast, Pray, Repent and amend? and though Ionah had no commission to promise them a deliverance, yet 'tis very like he acquainted them with the merciful and gracious nature of his God. This speech of theirs, Vid. Ioel 2.14. and 2 Sam. 12.22. it includes both faith and doubt, yet Faith prevailing to use of means. if God will turn and repent If we return by Repentance, to which God would now call us by this minatory admonition, he may perhaps return to us in mercy, and by the event show 'twas not an irrevocable sentence past against us., and turn away from his fierce anger Forbear to execute that terrible menace of overthrowing us in his just and hot displeasure against our sins, this explains that which he had called repenting before, which being here as elsewhere 'tis attributed to God after the manner of mans speaking must be interpreted as becometh his immutability, and majesty., that we perish not? Suddenly, exemplarily, temporally and eternally all which impenitent sinners deserve, Ninevites were in danger of, and the provoked justice of God would have brought upon them if they had not repented.

¶ And God saw Not only with naked and single intuition, but he saw and approved, was singularly well pleased with that he saw. their works Works not words are sure signs of what men are, humbling themselves to the dust, extraordinary Fasting, and crying unto God these were some of their works, but God saw more then these external professing work., that they turned from their evil way Vid. ver. 8. let. u. they did heartily, presently and universally turn from the ways of impiety against God, of injustice against man, from the ways of luxury and pride, from all their violence against man, without this all the rest had been not worth the observing nor would God have regarded it., and God repented of This is spoken as before, ver. 9. let. a. (and as his seeing is attributed to him) after the manner of man, and must be applied unto our unchangeable God, so as may not reflect any blemish upon his Truth, constancy or immutability. Though he is said to repent 'tis not as man does who may through frailty of his nature lie, but our God is not a man, or as the Son of man that he should change or lie. the evill Of punishment. that he had said Threatned by Ionah's mouth. that he would do unto them To sinning Ninevites, who did rightly conjecture that 'twas possible, this dreadful message might be a minatory warning, and might be big of a merciful condition of pardon if they repented, and there was no other way to make the discovery of this but that they took. For he will not deal with penitent sinners as with impenitent, though his justice would not have spared unrepenting Citizens, his Mercy is so great he will not destroy repenting sinners., and he did it not l.