John Trapp on Jonah 2:9

Verſe 9. But I will ſacrifice unto thee with the voice of thankſgiving,] q. d. Let others do as they think good: let them make a match with miſchief till they have enough of it. Let them walk till they have wearied themſelves, in the wayes of their hearts, and in the ſight of their eyes: but let them know (I ſpeak it by wofull experience) that for all theſe things, God will bring them to judgement, Eccleſ. 11.9. The beſt that can come of ſinne is Repentance: and that's not in mans power, but in Gods gift, 2 Tim. 2.25. If he had not melted mine hard heart, and brought me back to himſelf with a ſtrong hand, I had pined away in mine iniquities, and periſhed for ever. But now having been ſo miraculouſly delivered from ſo great a death, I will ſacrifice unto the Lord with the voice of thanksgiving. I will ſet up my note and ſing aloud unto God my Saviour, who hath thus beyond all deſert, delivered ſuch a miſerable wretch, rebell, and runagate as my ſelf.

I will ſacrifice] Heb. I will ſlay, ſc. thoſe birds and beaſts in uſe for feaſts and ſacrifices at Jeruſalem. with the voice of thanksgiving.] Heb. of confeſſion, that is, I will confeſſe and acknowledge God to be what he is, to do what he doth, and to give what he giveth. Now to offer a ſacrifice, at ſuch a confeſſion, or thankſgiving, added much to the ſolemnity thereof; and made it more, honourable in it ſelf, and more acceptable to God. To theſe gratulatory ſacrifices the word ſlaying is attributed, as here: to ſhew, that even in gratulation, expiation muſt bee made: and that by the blood and ſacrifice of Chriſt all our offerings are accepted in heaven.

I will pay that I have vowed,] Not my generall vow onely as a Covenanter, to devote my ſelf to his fear and ſervice all my dayes; but thoſe particular, perſonall, voluntary vowes made in my diſtreſſe: ſuch as was that of Jacob, Gen. 28.20. Hannah, 1 Sam. 1.11. David, Pſal. 132.1, 2 &c. In affliction men are wondrous apt to promiſe great matters, if they may but be delivered. See Pſal. 78.36. Pliny in an Epiſtle to one of his friends, that deſired rules from him how to order his life aright; I will, ſaith he, give you one rule, that ſhall be inſtead of a thouſand. Ʋt tales eſſe perſeveremus ſani, quales nos futuros eſſe profitemur infirmi. That you be ſure to be the ſame when well, that you vowed to be when you were ſick. But this is few mens care. See Jer. 34.10, 11. Sonnes of Belial break theſe bonds (as Sampſon did the green withes) and caſt away thoſe cords from them; if they could at leaſt. being worſe herein then thoſe Mariners, chap. 1, then Saul, that made great conſcience of violating his vow, 1 Sam. 14. then Turks and Papiſts, who are ſuperſtitiouſly ſtrict this way Jonah knew it to be as bad, if not worſe, then perjury, to vow and not to performe, Num. 30.3. and that God is the avenger of all ſuch, Deut. 23.21. He therefore, not merely for fear of puniſhment, but chiefly for hatred of that ſinne ſaith, I will pay that I have vowed,] The Hebrew word Aſhallemah ſeemeth to imply two things. Firſt, that his vow, till paid, was incompleat, it was an imperfect thing; the better part of it was yet wanting. Next, that till that chare were done, he could not be at peace within himſelf, he could not be quiet: for vowes are debts: and debts, till they be payed, are a burden to an honeſt minde, and do much diſeaſe it.

Salvation is of the Lord.] Salus omnimoda, as the Hebrew word (having one letter more then ordinary in it) importeth:Jeſhugnathah. all manner of ſalvation full, and plentifull deliverance, is of the Lord; who is therefore called, the God of ſalvation, unto whom belong the iſſues from death, Pſal. 68.20. A quo vera ſalus non aliunde venit. This Ionah ſpeaketh, as he doth all elſe in this holy Canticle, not by reading, or by rote, but out of his own feeling, and good experience: his whole diſcourſe was digg'd out of his own breaſt, as it is ſaid of that moſt excellent 119. Pſalme, that it is made up altogether of experiments; and it therefore hath verba non legenda ſed vivenda, words not ſo much to be read, as lived, as One ſaid once of it. Dives thought that if one went from the dead to warne his wicked brethren, they would never be able to reſiſt ſuch powerfull Rhetorick. Behold, here is Ionah raiſed from the dead, as it were, and warning people to ariſe, and ſtand up from dead courſes and companies, that Chriſt may give them light: why do they not then get up and be doing at it, that the Lord may be with them? Shall not the men of Nineveh riſe up in judgement with this evil generation, and condemn them, becauſe they repented at the preaching of Jonas: Mat. 12.41. but theſe do not, though they have many Jonas's, that both preach and practiſe, non verbis ſolum praedicantes ſed & exemplis, as Euſebius ſaith Origen did, that live ſermons and not teach them onely?