138 No flying from the hand ofGod. On the Wednefdayafter him from thejawes ofdeath.ronae being herein like vnroadelinquent whom the fob. 7. Gaoler takes intohis cuflodie, tofecure his perfon. lob faith , That Godhath girtin the fea onthe one fide with mountainesandvalleys, Circumdedit i1Iudter- minis fuis; and on the other fidewith fand, Pofuitarenamterminumc.SLlari.And as font was !hut vp in the Whalesbellie,as in aprifon ; fo was the Whale indo- fed in that prifon ofthe Sea. 2unyuidMare egoporn, at Cate ? Am 1a Sea or a Whale-frfh,that thoukeepeflmeein ward Now if God had both before and behind, on this fide,andthat fide, pitcht fomany nets for Iona, hee could venie hardlyefcape him, his flyingcould notfaue him ;but inthis Whales maw,con- trarie toall the la\besof Nature, Godmainraines andpreferues his life. If the flomacke ofaWhale will digeft ananchor ofYron,(as Tertullian tellsvs)itmuff then of force confumelone; andif infleadof aire,hedrawes inwater, he muff neceflàrily be choaked. But he that deliuered Danielfrom the hungrie mouths of Lyons, and thofe three children from the flames of the fine Furnace; it is not much, that hee fhould conferue 1onu in the deepeft and darkeft dungeon that euer liuing man was clapt vp in.TIte wonderwas, that thoughhimfelfwere prifoner, yet he had left vnto himfo freeanvnderftänding, that heewas able to make fo elegant an orationto God,outof fo foulea Pulpit. The Prophet did dwell vpon this great miraclewhich God had vfed towards him, and did recouerfo much flrength andconfidence,that he ftuckenottofay, Rurfuo videbo templumfanclum tuum,Yet will llookeopine toward thyholy temple, I liue ingood hope,notonely to fee my felfe freed outof this loathfome Gaole, buttohumble my felfe on my knee in thy holyTemple,giuing thee thankes for thegreat mercie and fauourwhich thouhaft fhewed towards me : For the pre- fentI will make this fluttifh cornermy Oratorie , affuring my felfe ,that from thence my prayers (hall beacceptable vnto thee ; who, like fome great Prince or Monarchof theworld, is refpetled in any place whatfoeuer of thy jurifdi- tlion : fo that there is no doubt,that any thypooreft vaffall whatfoeuer,may bee heardbythee. The ChildrenofBabylon were heard from the Furnace ; Ds_ nielfrom the Lyons Den ; lob from the Dunghill ; Dauid from amiddeft the Thornes andBufhes : And fo Imake noqueftion but I (hall be, from thebow- ells ofthis Beaft,Inomnilocodominationtecites benedicanima meaDomino , omy foule,bleJ theLord in aerieplaceof hispower. Thefe threedayes !ono (pent inprayer,at the end whereof, God comman- In alladuer- dedthe Whaletocaft out[ow vponthe CoaftofNiniuy.AndtheWhale obay- (hies our pra ing his Empire,croft the Seas manyLeagues,and there threw the Prophet forth Qicemuß be vpondrie Land thou h full of froathie (lime and vntluous ftuffe free from the Prayer. horror of that deepeand darkefome dungeon. From hence did the Gentiles faignethofe their fabulous'tales ofHercules beeing fwallowed vp by another Whale ; of Arion, playing on his harpe, riding on the backeofa Dolphin, For,(as it is noted by ClemensAlexandrinue,andSaint Bap) the HeathenPhilo- fophers did fteale thefe truths fromvs ; founding thereupon their falfhoods : And giuing credit to their lyes, theydid not beleeue our truths. Manyof the Niniuites, commingdowne to the fhoare-fide, wereftruckenwith admiration, to fee fuch a monftroús,ftrange,prodigious man; and the famethereof flyingto the Citie, before theywere affrightedwith thefad newsthat hee brought,they flood aflonifhed at theftrangeneffe ofthecafe; whichqueftionleffe wasagreat caufe, that they didafterwards harken vnto him,and giuecredirto what he faid. Inthe end,takingthis for hisTheame ; vAdhucquadragintadies, b Niniue fob - uertetar ; Yet fortydayes, andNinistiefhall beeotterthrowne. Not threatning onely the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=