John Trapp on Jonah 4:5

Verſ. 5. So Jonah went out of the city,] As not yet knowing what God might do, though he found him inclinable to ſhew them mercy upon their repentance. Or he might think haply, that theſe Ninivites were onely ſermon-ſick, penitent indeed for the preſent, but it was too good to hold long: theſe ſeemingly righteous men would ſoon fall from their righteouſneſſe, and then be deſtroyed, though for preſent ſomewhat favoured of God. Mercer reads the text in the preterpluperfect tenſe, and makes it an hyſteron proteron thus, exierat autem Jonas; but Jonas had gone out of the city, ſc. before he had ſhewed himſelf ſo hot and haſty againſt God, and brawled with him as above. Others think, that when he ſaw which way the ſquares were like to go, he flung out of the city in a great pelt: and if God had fetcht him again with a flewet on the ear (as Queen Elizabeth did the Earl of Eſſex her favourite,Camb. Eliſa[illegible: 1 letter]. when being croſſed by her of his will [illegible: 1 letter]he uncivilly turned his back as it were in contempt) he had done him no wrong: But God is long-ſuffering, &c. He conſidereth whereof we are made, and with what ſtrong corruptions we are beſet. He knowes that ſinne hath a ſtrong heart, and will not eaſily be done to death: that nothing cleaves more pertinaciouſly, or is more inexpugnable then a ſtrong luſt; whether it be worldlineſſe, wantonneſſe, paſſionateneſſe, pride, ambition, revenge, or the like: theſe Jebuſites will not eaſily be driven out; theſe ſturdy rebels will hardly be ſubdued; theſe ſtick cloſeſt, as a ſhirt doth to a leprous body; and cannot be done off but with great adoe. Now if Jonah be of a cholerick conſtitution, and ſoon kindled; if this evil of his nature have been confirmed by cuſtome (a ſecond nature) if Satan ſtirre up the coals, and ſay to him as the people did to Pilat, Do as thou ever haſt done: God graciouſly conſidereth all this, and beareth with his evil manners.

and ſat on the eaſt-ſide of the city] Quite out of the precincts; where he might ſee their ruine, and not ſuffer with them. Faux after he had laid his train, and ſer it awork to fire the powder at ſuch an hour, was to have retired himſelf into Georges fields, and there to have beheld the ſport. That Jonah was ſo uncharitable as to wiſh and wait the overthrow of Niniveh, and not that they would rather return and live, admits of no excuſe. But that expecting its overthrow (according to that God had threatned by him) he ſecured himſelf by ſeparating from thoſe ſinners againſt their own ſouls, was well and wiſely done of him. See Eſa. 48.20. and 52.11. 2 Cor. 6.17. Rev. 16.4. Lot did ſo from Sodom, [non-Latin text not transcribed]. the people from Core and his complices, John and his diſciples from Cerinthus the heretick: he ſprung out of the Bath from that blaſphemer, leſt he ſhould be puniſhed with him: ſo the Church of Ieruſalem packt away to Pella, &c. [illegible: 2 letters]ſob. l. [illegible: 1 letter]. c. [illegible: 1 letter].

and there made him a booth] A ſorry ſomething, wherein to repoſe himſelf, till the indignation were over-paſt. Miniſters as good ſouldiers of Jeſus Chriſt muſt ſuffer hardſhip, be content to dwell in tents, or to lie in huts, till they come to the heavenly palace, where they ſhall have a better building, 2 Cor. 5.1. yea, a throne in that city of pearl, whoſe maſter builder is God, Heb. 11.13.Turk hiſ[illegible: 1 letter]. fol. 3.1[illegible: 1 letter]. Mean while let them not ſeek great things for themſelves: but as the Turks never build ſumptuouſly for their own private uſes, but content themſelves with ſimple cottages how mean ſoever, good enough ſay they, for the ſhort time of our pilgrimage here: ſo much more ſhould Chriſtians, & eſpecially Miniſters; whoſe reward (how little ſoever upon earth) is great in heaven. Let them live upon reverſions: and though their dwelling be but mean, a booth or little better, yet they ſhall have ſtately manſions above:Ma[illegible: 1 letter]. 5.12. and in the mean time, if they can but ſay as that Heathen did, [non-Latin text not transcribed], God dwels here with me, this houſe of mine is a little Church, a tabernacle for the God of Iacob; oh how happy are they in that behalf, even above the great Turk with his Seraglio, (which is two miles in compaſſe) yea, with his whole Empire,Turk. hiſt. which (ſaith Luther) is but a cruſt caſt by the great houſe-keeper of the world to his dogs.

and ſat under it in the ſhadow] Having food and reyment ſaith the Apoſtle, let us therewith be content. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Where the word rendred rayment ſignifieth any covering over head, if it be but an haircloth. Some ſay it ſignifies domicilium an houſe: others ſay that houſes are not named, for that they were not any where to fix:Eſtius. Vt Hamax[illegible: 3 letters] but to be ready to run from place to place, and to leave houſe and all behind them: or as ſouldiers burn their huts when the ſiege is ended, that they may go home to their houſes; being diſcontentedly contented in the mean while: ſo ſhould we, glad to hover and cover under the ſhadow of the Almighty by the grace of faith, quae te pullaſtrum, Chriſtum gallinum facit, which makes Chriſt the hen, and thee the chicken ſaith Luther.

till he might ſee what would become of the city] whether God would not ratifie his word by raining down hell from heaven upon it, as once he did upon ſinfull Sodom: or overwhelme it with the river Tigris, as once he did ſome part of it, ſaith Diodorus Siculus, Diod. lib. 2. ſo that twenty furlongs of the town-wall were thrown down by it. And the Prophet Nahum threateneth, that with an over-flowing flood God would make an end of the place thereof, chap. 1.8.