The etñcacieofIons his Preaching. the firft Sunday inLent. Serin. 8. the ruineof the Cities, but alfoof the Towers, Walls , Pallaces; Citizens Children , Women , and Old men , euen to the verybeatsof the field ; fo great wasthe feare that entred into all their breaíts that without any fur- ther Miracles laying their beleefe vpon the Prophet, they prefently gaue beginning to that theirgreat repentance , whichwas theftrangeft that euer was yet heard of. The King laydafidehis purple roabes , and hisrich andcoftlyclothes, the throan of his Greatnefl'e& Maieftie,andcouered himfelfewithfacke-cloth,and fate in afhes, caufing his clothes ofState to bee pulled downe , his wallsof his pallaceto be left nakedof their hangings ofclothof Gold,andother pee- cesof Arras, beeing nolea curious thanglorious. ForSardanapaluc,was oneof the loofeft , andmolt licentiousmen, that hee hadnot hislikein alltheWorld. The like did allthe great Officers ofhisPallace,the Princes and Wealthyeft menofhis Citie , asalfo all the faire andbeautifull Ladies . And therewas a Proclamation prefently made through all Niniuie , ( by the Councell of the King , and his Nobles) withexpreffecharge, Thatneither man, norbeaft, bul- locke,norlheep,!hould raft any thing,neither feed,nor drinkewater;bur that man and beaft fhould put onLack-cloth , and crymightily vnto God. To the end, thatthe bellowingof theirbulls,thebleating of their fbeepe &goats,the how- lingoftheir dogs, the teares oftheir children,the fighes & lamentationsoftheir mothers,might mooueHeauen totake pitieofthem. Andaboue all theydid cry out moftgrieuoufly for their fines. Foralbeit , they are offences towards God,yet aretheymiferies vntoman ; and as , quatenus peccata, f farrefoorth as they arefannes,they prouoke and ftirre vp Gods Iuftice againft vs ; So, qua- tenor , they are milrix,as theyaremiferies vnto vs theyincline and mooue our goodGod to take mercie& compaffiionofvs. Thefame reafonwhichwrought Godtodeftroy the World,thefame likewife mooned him neuer to deftroy it more.Cogitatio hominidprone efl admalum, plans thoughts arepronevetoeuill. One while heeconfiders it,asan offenceuntoGod ; another while, as amiferie inci- dent toman. The word zagar, fignifiesvocifiratio, A crying out aloude, as when a Citie is feron fire, and indanger tobe burnt . Some perhaps may con- ceiue that this was too ftriti.a commaund , to inioyne this punif iment vpon dumbebeafts, andpoore little infants,that had not yet offended. Butfirft ofall, theydid therein pretendto inclineGods mercy towardsthem. Secondly to mooue the morerepentance,byacommon forrow. Thirdly,asat thefuneralls of Princes and Generals, notonely the principali and meaner perlons mourne in biackes,but their horfes weare the like liueryof forrow,theirdrummes beat hoarfe, couered withblacke Cypres , their auncients are trailed along on the ground, theirfwords andtheir lances with their points the contraryway;into- ken that both the horfes,rhe drums,the auncients, andthe armes,haueloft their Matter: fo likewife did the cafe Randwith the CitieofNiniuie,&c. Tongs put Niniuie to fuchaftriót penance, andforrow for their frnnes , thatit did appeafethe wrathof God towards them. The Prophet prefumed itfhould bedeftroyed ; and therefore Tens went out ofthe Citie, and fate on theEaft fide thereof, andthere made hima booth,and fateunder itin the fhadow,till he mightfee what fhould bee donein the Citie. Thinking perhapswithhimfelfe, that Godwouldnot nowmake anendofthe Citieall at once,but that he would deftroya great part thereof ;as hedidin the adorationofthegoldenCalfe,when aspardoning the people, hee flew agreatnumber of them. Now Godhad pre- pared a Gourd for loners, and madeitto comevpouerhim, that itmight beea íhadow 139 The Nini uitesrepen. tance. Genaa. Gen. S.
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