John Trapp on Jonah 3:10

Verſe 10. And God ſaw their works] i. e. He noted and noticed them to others. Or, he ſaw them, that is, he approved of them. Videre Dei, eſt approbare. Let God but ſee Repentance (as a rainbow) appearing in our hearts and lives, and he will never drown us in deſtruction. But unleſſe God ſees turning, he ſees no work in a faſt, ſaith One upon this very Text. God may ſay to impenitent faſters, ſaith Another, as Iſaac did to his father, Behold the fire and wood, but where is the lamb? Or as Jacob did concerning Joſeph, Here's the coat, but where's the child? Get thee behind, ſaid Jehu to the meſſengers, what haſt thou to do with peace? Confeſſions and humiliations are our meſſengers: but if the heart be not broken, if the life be not amended, what peace? The Talmudiſts note here, that God is not ſaid to have ſeen their ſack-cloth and aſhes, but their repentance and works, thoſe fruits of their faith; truth in the inward parts, which God eyeth with ſingular delight Ier. 5.3. as the work of his own ſpirit Eph. 8.9.August. Certum eſt nos facere quod facimus; ſed ille facit ut facimus, and he is pleaſed to call his grace in us, our works, for our incouragement in well-doing: and freely to crown it in us, without any merit on our part.

That they turned from their evill way] To which they were by nature and ill cuſtome ſo wedded and wedged, that they could never have been looſened, but by an extraordinary touch from the hand of heaven. The converſion of a ſinner from the evill of his way is Gods own handy-work Jer. 31.18. 2 Tim. 2.25. Ezech. 6.9. Plato went three times into Sicily to convert Dionyſius the tyrant, and could do no good on him. Polemo, of a drunkard, by hearing Xenocrates, is ſaid to have become a Philoſopher: But what ſaith Ambroſe to him?De Elia & jciun. cap. 12. Si reſipuit à vino &c. If he repented of his drunkenneſſe, yet he continued an Infidel; he was ſtill temulentus ſacrilegio drunk with ſuperſtition: He recovered of one diſeaſe, and died of another, as Benhadad did: he gave but the half turn,Pſal. 9.17. and therefore turned at length, and nevertheleſſe into hell. We conceive better of theſe Ninivites: though fome are of opinion, that their repentance was but fained and forced, as was that of Pharaoh and Ahab, as appeares (ſay they) by the ſequent hiſtory, by their dealing againſt the Jewes, and by Nahum.

and God repented] This was mutatio Rei non Dei, as is above noted.