John Trapp on Jonah 4:2

Verſe 2. And he prayed unto the Lord,] i. e. He thought to have done ſo; but by the deceitfulneſſe of his own heart, he quarrel'd with God; and inſtead of wraſtling with him, as Jacob, he wrangled with him. The words ſeem to be rather a brawle then a prayer; which ſhould ever proceed from a ſedate and ſetled ſpirit, and hold conformity with the will of God. Could Jonah be in caſe to pray, when he had neither right conceptions of God, nor bowels of mercy to men: but that millions of people muſt periſh rather then he be held a falſe Prophet? Say there were ſomething in it of peace for Gods glory, which he thought would ſuffer; as if God were either mutable, or impotent. Say that there were in this outburſt, ſomething of affection to Gods people, who had then no greater enemy to fear, then theſe Ninevites; whom therefore Jonah would have had deſtroyed according to his prediction: yet cannot he be excuſed for falling ſo foul upon God, and upbrayding Him with that which is his greateſt glory, Exod. 33.28, 19. with Exod. 34.6, 7. The truth is, nothing makes a man eccentrick in his motions, ſo much as head-ſtrong paſſions, and private reſpects. He that brings theſe into Gods preſence, ſhall do him but little good ſervice. The ſoul is then onely well carried, when neither ſo becalmed that it moves not when it ſhould, nor yet toſſed with tempeſts to move diſorderly, as did Jonah here, and Job, in that peeviſh prayer of his, chap. 6.8, 9. See alſo Jer. 20.7, 8.

I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my ſaying, &c.] that is, my thought: for whether he worded it thus with God till now, it appeareth not: but God heareth the language of mens hearts: and their ſilence to him is a ſpeaking evidence.

when I was yet in my countrey.] And had Jonah ſo ſoon forgotten what God had done for him, ſince he came thence? Oh what a grave is oblivion! and what a ſtrange paſſage is that (and yet how common?) Then beleeved they his words, they ſang his praiſe. They ſoon forgat his works, they waited not for his counſel, Pſal. 106.12, 13. Jonah did not ſurely wait for Gods counſel, but anteverted it. Idcirco anteverti, ſaith he in the next words, (Therefore I fled before) and thought hee had ſaid well, ſpoke very good reaſon. It is the property of luſt and paſſion, ſo to blear the underſtanding of a man, that he ſhall think he hath reaſon to be mad, and that there is great ſence in ſinning. Dogs in a chafe bark at their owne maſters: ſo do people in their paſſions let flie at their beſt friends. They ſet their mouth againſt the heavens, and their tongue walketh thorow the earth, Pſal. 73.9. Ionah in his heat here, juſtifieth his former flight, which he had ſo ſorely ſmarted for, Et quaſi quidam Ariſtarchus, he taketh upon him to cenſure God for his ſuperabundant goodneſſe, which is above all praiſe.

For I knew that thou art a gracious God, and mercifull, &c.] This He knew to be Gods name, Exod. 34.6, 7. but withall he ſhould have remembred, what was the laſt letter in that Name; viz. that he will by no means clear the guilty. See Nahum 1.2, 3. The ſame fire hath burning heat and chearfull light. Gracious is the Lord, but yet righteous, ſaith David, Pſal. 116.5. his mercy goes ever bounded by his truth. This Jonah ſhould have conſidered; and therefore trembled thus to have upbraided God with that mercy by which himſelf ſubſiſted: and but for which he had been long ſince in hell, for his tergiverſation and peeviſhneſſe. But mercy rejoyceth againſt judgement, and runneth as a ſpring, without ceaſing.Jam. 2. It is not like thoſe pools about Jeruſalem that might be dried up with the tramplings of horſe and horſe-men. The grace of God was exceeding abundant, 1 Tim. 1.14. It hath abounded to flowing-over, as the Sea doth above the hugeſt rocks. See this in the preſent inſtance. Jonah addeth ſinne to ſinne, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. and doth enough to undo himſelf for ever: ſo that a man would wonder how God could forbear killing him, as hee had like to have done Moſes, when he met him in the Inne. But He is God, and not man: he contents himſelf to admoniſh Jonah of his fault, as a friend and familiar, velut cum eo colludens, jeſting with him, as it were, and by an outward ſigne, ſhewing him how grievouſly he had offended.Mercer. Concerning theſe Attributes of God here recited, ſee the Note on Joel 2.13. and ſay with Auſtin, Laudent alij pietatem: Dei ego miſericordium. Let no ſpider ſuck poiſon out of this ſweeteſt flower: nor out of a blind zeal make ill uſe of it, as Jonah doth, for a cloke of his rebellion: leſt abuſed mercy turn into fury.