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defigned to be, even to the Gentile Nations which were round about them *

Others may be furprized that a Prophet like Jonah, fo well acquainted with the Nature of God, and fo fure of having received the Meffage from him, fhould refuse to carry it, and go out of the Way. But this which is thought fo fufficient to have prevented, was the very thing that caufed it. Jonah himself informs us of his Reafon or Motive of fo doing, c. iv. v. 2. I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my Saying when I was yet in my Country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish, for I knew that thou waft a gracious God and merciful, flow to Anger, and of great Kindness, and repenteft thee of the Evil, therefore now, O Lord, take I beseech thee my Life, for it is better for me to die than to live. He very well knew by the Declarations of his Will, and the Conduct of his Providence, the Lenity and Mercy of his Divine Nature; and was afraid left the Ninevites, by repenting of their Sins, fhould escape their Destruction; and fo either God be thought to have fent, or he to have brought them a falfe Meffage.

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And perhaps fome Degree of Partiality to the Ifraelites enter'd into the Cafe; it dif pleafed this Prophet that the Ninevites, by Repentance, fhould efcape, whilft the Ifraelites, by their Impenitency, incurred Punishment; for we read, 2 Kings xiii. 3. that, in

* Exodus ix. 16.

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this Reign of Jeboabaz, the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Ifrael, and he delivered them into the Hand of Hazael King of Syria, and into the Hand of Benhadad the Son of Hazael all their Days. However it should seem as if he was more concerned for his Reputation in his Office than for the fuccessful Exercise of it; and therefore he ran a contrary Way to that which he was fent at firft, and was at laft fo angry with God for fparing them.

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But it is not fo eafy to get out of the Sight, or out of the Reach of God; for the Lord followed him with a great Wind and a mighty Tempeft into the Sea, faved him miraculously in a Fish which he had prepared to swallow him up, and which the Lord fpake to, when he had been three Days and three Nights in it, to vomit him up upon dry Land. Then he was a fecond Time ordered by God to go to Nineveh, when he entered into the City, and cried and faid, preaching unto it the Preaching which God bad him, Yet forty Days and Nineveh fhall be deftroyed. It is not improbable, that Jonah related to them from whom he came, the extraordinary Circumftances of his first Miffion and Refufal, of his fubfequent Danger and Preservation, and the renewed Order he had to come to them with this Preaching. For it is immediately faid upon his delivering his Meffage, that the People of Nineveh believed God, ver. 5. All which tho' Jonah might intend only for the Credit of his

Preaching,

Preaching, and the Reputation of his Perfon, they carried farther, and improved into a real and fincere Repentance, and proclaimed a Faft; upon which Occafion, the King caufed to be proclaimed and published thro' Nineveh, Let Man and Beaft be covered with Sackcloth and cry mightily unto God, yea let them turn every one from his evil Way, and from the Violence that is in their Hands, who can tell, if God will turn and repent, and turn away from bis fierce Anger that we perish not.

In difcourfing on these Words at this Time, I fhall do these two Things.

I. I fhall make fome Obfervations which feem naturally to arise from them, and offer themselves to our ferious Confideration.

II. I fhall make the practical Application.

I. I fhall make fome Obfervations which feem naturally to arife from the Words I have read, and offer themselves to our serious Confideration.

1. We may obferve, that God eftimates and forms his Judgment of States and Kingdoms by quite a different Rule from what Men form theirs. That which leaft of all enters into their Rule of Judgment chiefly constitutes his, and that is the Righteousness or Wickedness that is to be obferved among them. Upon this his Obfervation principally turns, from these his Efteem or Diflike rifes,

and

and by these are the Measures of his Behaviour towards them taken.

And it is no wonder that what he invariably obferves in his own, he should principally look after in the Conduct of Mankind. It is no wonder, that having framed our Nature for real Happiness, and made Virtue the only way to it, either for Perfons, or Families, or Cities, or Kingdoms, which are all fure to run to Ruin by Vice, that he fhould be attentive to the Confequence, and principally obferve how that Virtue or Vice, upon which Happinefs or Mifery do fo abfolutely depend, are cultivated amongst them.

Kings and Princes are happy in themselves, and their Characters great in the Eye of God, when their Conduct is governed by Piety and Juftice, and Honour and Humanity. All So- cieties and Communities are blessed, when they live in the Exercife of Piety, and Honefty, and Induftry, and Sobriety, and the fweet Enjoyment of Peace, and Plenty, and Liberty, and Health, which divine Providence concurs with human Prudence to procure Men.

But the great States and Kingdoms of this World do many of them, it is too evident, act by other Maxims, and with different Views. Kings are ambitious of, and think themselves great in the Compafs of Country, in the Increase of Power, in the Immensity of Revenue, and in the Extent of Commerce no matter by what means; tho' it be at the

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Expence of every Virtue, by the Practice, of every thing that is vile and bafe, and by the Sacrifice of Thoufands or Millions of Lives, it is a cheap Purchafe, and is thought to add a new Lure to their Crowns. So great and rich Cities, poffeffed of all the Means of Happinefs, overlook the Method by which alone they can be made fuch, and look upon Splendor and Magnificence, Luxury and Voluptuoufnefs, to be the trueft Improvement and highest Enjoyment of human Life; and after thefe Things do all Ranks and Orders of Men one after another, and one by the Influence and Example of another, afpire and climb as to the highest Point of human Felicity: while neither the great Author nor End of their Lives has any Place in their Thoughts. But whatever Men think, it is Peace and Plenty, it is Health and Liberty, with Piety and Virtue, which are the genuine Happiness of all Societies and Communities of Men: And the true Greatness and Glory of Princes confifts in protecting and spreading thefe Bleffings among Men, inftead of ruining and taking them away; and contrary Courfes, in whatever Light Men view them, are but fure Means and Methods of Deftruction, which fooner or later, and fometimes when they are least expected, ferve to bring it down upon their Heads.

This ancient City or Kingdom of Nineveh was grown exceeding great, thought itself exceeding happy, tho' it grew in Wickedness in

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