John Trapp on Jonah 4:1

CHAP. IIII.

Verſe 1. BƲt it diſpleaſed Jonah exceedingly] Mirablilis homo profectò fuit Jonas, ſaith Winckleman here, as ſtrange a man was Jonas of an honeſt man, as you ſhall lightly heare of. Well might David caution Pſa. 37.8. Ceaſe from anger and forſake wrath: fret not thy ſelf in any wiſe to do evill. A fretfull man is eaſily drawn to evill. David was (once at leaſt) diſpleaſed at Gods dealing: which was no whit for his credit, or comfort 2 Sam. 6.8. Diſcontented he was, not at Gods lenity, as Jonah, but at Gods ſeverity, againſt Ʋzziah: and that all the peoples joy ſhould be daſhed and damped with ſuch a ſad and ſudden di[illegible: 1 letter]aſter. How much better minded was he when dumb, not once opening his mouth, becauſe God did it, Pſal. 39.9? The Greeks give this Rule, Either ſay nothing, or ſay that which is better then nothing. O that you would altogether hold your peace, and it ſhould be your wiſdome, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. ſaid Job to his friends, Iob 13.5. Silence ſometimes comes to be a vertue; and never more then when a man is cauſeleſly diſpleaſed. Prima ſemper irarum tela maledicta ſunt, ſaith Saluſt. Angry people are apt to let flie, to mutter, and mutiny againſt God and man; as here. Reaſon ſhould ſay to choler, that which the Nurſe ſaith to the childe. Weep not, and you ſhall have it.Plut. But either it doth not: or if it do, yet the ear (which taſteth words, as the mouth doth meat) is oft ſo filled with gall (ſome creatures have fel. in aure) that nothing can reliſh with it. See Exod. 6.9. If Moſes his anger was pure, free from guile, and gall, Exod. 32.19. yet Ionah's was not ſo. It is ſurely very difficult to kindle and keep quick this fire, without all ſmoke of ſinne. Be angry, and ſinne not, is, ſaith One, the eaſieſt charge, under the hardeſt condition that can be. Men, for moſt part, know not what they do in their anger; this raiſeth ſuch a ſmoke. Put fire to wet ſtraw and filthy ſtuffe, and it will ſmoke and ſmutch you quickly; yea ſcorch you and ſcald you, when once it breaks out. Levit. 13.5. we read of a leproſie breaking out of a burning: ſeldome do paſſions burn but there is a leproſie breaking out of that burning. It bliſtereth out at the lips: hence the Hebrews have but one and the ſame word for Anger and foaming at the mouth, Eſth. 1.18. Zach. 1.7.Ketſeph. Spuma. Hoſ. 10.7. They have alſo a Proverb, that a mans diſpoſition is much diſcovered, Bechos, bechis, becagnab; by his cup, by his purſe, and by his paſſion: at which time, and in which caſes. A fool uttereth all his mind, Prov. 29.11. (all his wrath, [non-Latin text not transcribed] a fool, and [non-Latin text not transcribed] ſuddenly, raſhly, is from the ſame root. De ſera unmin: vindict. ſay the Seventy) and that ſuddenly, raſhly, as the Hebrew intimateth: but a wiſe man keepeth it in till afterwards, Prov. 29.11. Ahaſhueroſh when hee felt himſelf enraged againſt Haman, walked into his garden, Eſth. 7.7. And Platarch tels of one Archytas, that, diſpleaſed with his ſervants for their ſloth, he flung from them, ſaying, Valete quoniam vobis iraſcor, I will leave you; for that I am angry with you. The very firſt inſurrections of inordinate Paſſions are to bee cruſht, the firſt ſmoke of them to be ſmothered, which elſe will fume up into the head, and gather into ſo thick a cloud, as wee ſhall loſe the ſight of our ſelves, and what is beſt to be done: Ceaſe therefore from raſh anger and ſtint ſtrife betime. The beginning of it, ſaith Solomon, is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention before it bee medled with, Prov. 17.14. Storms riſe out of little guſts: and the higheſt windes are, at firſt, but a ſmall vapour. Had Jonah ſtopt, or ſtept back, when he felt himſelf firſt ſtirred, he had not ſo ſhamefully over-ſhot himſelf, nor heapt up ſo many ſinnes, as he did in the following entercourſe with Almighty God. He was naturally hot, and haſty: and ſo were thoſe two brethren the ſounes of thunder; they had quick and hot ſpirits, Luke 9.55. Now, where there is much untowardneſſe of nature, there Grace is the more eaſily overborn: ſowre wines need much ſweetning. Gods beſt children, though ingrafted into the true vine, yet carry they about them a reliſh of the old ſtock ſtill. It is thought by very good Divines, that Ionah feeling his own weakneſſe in giving place to anger, thought to ſtrive againſt it, and ſo addreſſed himſelf to prayer, verſe 2. but tranſported by his paſſions of grief and raſh anger, while by prayer hee thought to have overcome them, they overcame him, and his prayer too: ſo true is that of the Apoſtle; The wrath of man worketh not the righteouſneſſe of God, Jam. 1.20.