John Trapp on Jonah 1:12

Verſe 12. And he ſaid unto them,] More by Gods inward revelation then by diſcourſe of reaſon; not as raſhly offering himſelf to death, but as freely ſubmiting to the mind of God, ſignified by the Lot that fell upon him, calling for him to puniſhment.

Take me up, and caſt me forth into the Sea,] Eximia ſides, ſaith Mercer. Before, we had his repentance, teſtified by his confeſſion with aggravation. Here we have his faith, whereby he triumpheth over death in his moſt dreadfull repreſentations, (Take me up, ſaith he, with a preſent minde and good courage) as alſo his charity, whereby he choſe rather to die, as a piacular perſon, then to cauſe the death of ſo many men for his fault. Like unto this was that of Nazianzen, who deſired, Jonah-like, to be caſt into the Sea himſelf, ſo be it all might be calme in the Publike: that of Athanaſius, who by his ſweat and tears, as by the bleeding of a chaſt vine, cured the leproſie of that tainted age: that of Ambroſe, who was farre more ſollicitous of the Churches welfare then of his own: that of Chryſoſtome, In 1 Cor. 11. [non-Latin text not transcribed] &c. who ſaith, That to ſeek the publick good of the Church, and to preferre the ſalvation of others, before a mans private profit, is the moſt perfect Canon of Chriſtianiſme, the very top-gallant of Religion, the higheſt point and pitch of Piety.

ſo ſhall the Sea be calme unto you,] Not elſe: for I have forfeited my life by my diſobedience: and my repentance (though true, and ſo, to ſalvation never to be repented of) comes too late, in regard of temporall puniſhments:2 Cor. 7.10. as did likewiſe that of Moſes, Deut. 3.26. and of David, 2 Sam. 12.10. ſuch is the venemous nature of ſinne in the ſaints ('tis treachery, becauſe againſt covenant) and ſuch is the diſpleaſure of God upon it, that he chaſtiſeth his here, more then any other ſinners, Lam. 4.6. Dan. 9.12. and whoever elſe ſcape, they ſhall be ſure of it, Amos 3.2. The word here rendred calme, ſignifieth ſilent; for the Sea, when troubled, [non-Latin text not transcribed], eſt maris agitatio. E[illegible: 2 letters] ſtach. in Hom. Hiad. H. roareth hideouſly: ſo that the roaring of the devils at the painfull preconceit of their laſt doom of damnation is ſet forth by a word that is taken from the toſſing of the Sea, and the noiſe thereupon, Iam. 2.19. The devils beleeve and tremble, or ſhiver, and ſhudder, with horrible yellings.

for I know that for my ſake, this tempeſt is upon you.] If Jonah were a type of Chriſt, in that being caſt into the Sea, a calme followed: yet herein hee differed, that Chriſt ſuffered not for his own offences,1 Pet. 2.24. and 3.18. but bore our ſinnes in his own body on the tree, and died, the juſt for the unjuſt.