But while we blame Jonah for his want of zeal for God, and benevolence towards man, is it quite certain that we ourselves never indulge in his spirit? Do we not often seek our own ease and pleasure rather than the salvation of those who are perishing for lack of knowledge around us? Are we not unwilling to make the sacrifices that benevolence calls for, and allow men to be lost rather than stretch forth our hands to their assistance? Characters like that of Jonah are often to be found where we least expect them. We are apt to think that men are too wicked for us to be of any use to them, or we dread persecution, or we are afraid of our reputation; and under the influence of these feelings we desert the path of duty, and if we could, would flee from the presence of the Lord. When we thus act, we sin more awfully than Jonah, because the dispensation under which we lived, did not throw so much light on the path of duty, nor furnish such powerful motives to walk in it, as does the gospel.

The infinitely holy God is displeased with sin, be it committed by whom it may; but it is most sure to meet with speedy chastisement, when fallen into by his own people. His love is too vast to allow them to remain in so great danger and not convince them of it; and his disapprobation is too strong not to correct them for their improprieties. We never depart from the path of duty without his knowledge, and he will speedily follow us with proofs of his displeasure. Jonah having travelled to Joppa, and taken his passage for Tarshish, which was, probably, either Tartessus in Spain, or Tarsus, in Cilicia, he retired to his cabin and indulged in a sound sleep. He had for the present forgotten his sins; and his conscience, like his body, seems to have forgotten its duties. But the eye of purity sleepeth not, and He will teach Jonah and others the bitter consequences of guilt, and shew them that they cannot "flee from the presence of the Lord." The God of holiness is the God of power; and he employs the one attribute to glorify the other. As the ship is sailing on the mighty ocean, a tremendous storm is commissioned to disturb the sea, to place the ship in which Jonah was sleeping in danger, and to alarm the fears of all on board. Never before were these hardy sailors placed in such perilous circumstances; never before were they in such distress. They were ignorant of the true God, and each sought the aid of the idol he worshipped. All, however, was in vain; the thunder still roared, the wind blew, the rain descended, and the waves dashed against the sides of the vessel, threatening inevitable and instant destruction. They throw into the sea a part of their cargo, but even this is useless, and unless a miracle is exerted in their favour, they must surely perish.

We cannot but be struck with the sin and foily of Jonah in taking this voyage. How dangerous to depart from God! and when he rouses his displeasure, who can withstand him? Nor can we repress a feeling of surprize when we find him sleeping in the midst of all this danger. He does not, however, sleep long: the captain, alarmed for the safety of his vessel, and for his own life, and the lives of his crew, arouses the stranger, and begs him to call on the God he worshipped for assistance and deliverance. In the time of trouble, those persons are led to pray,

who treat it with contempt in the season of prosperity. Heathens here were in a state of alarm, while the disobedient prophet indulged both in bodily and mental sleep. It is the awful effect of sin to harden the heart of the man who commits it, and to lull his conscience into a state of imagined security.

The casting of lots, of which we frequently read in the sacred writings as practised in different nations, was always regarded as a very sacred act, and was properly looked upon as a solemn appeal to the Deity, to interfere in transactions which, to the eye of man, were enveloped in mystery. As nothing could allay the storm that now raged with so much violence, and as there were several indications that it was occasioned by more than natural causes, it was reasonable for them to suppose that it might have been sent for the punishment of some atrocious sin committed by some one on board. They propose, therefore, to cast lots, which being done, Jonah was pointed out as the cause of their present calamities.

It is not a little remarkable, that the very degradation which Jonah feared if he went to Nineveh, has overtaken him for declining the task. How painful must it be to him, a Hebrew-a man of piety-an eminent prophet of Israel-to be compelled to the acknowledgment of his character, how he had disobeyed the Divine command, and that he is indeed the cause of the present danger. When we honour God, he will take care of our reputation; but if we dishonour him, by breaking his laws, he will lower us in the esteem of our fellow men, and fill our souls with shame and confusion.

We cannot, however, but be pleased with the frankness of Jonah in confessing his sin. He does not attempt either to cloke or to extenuate it. He feels that the storm is in consequence of his transgression; and his love of justice, as well as his regard to those in the ship, induces him to point himself out as the cause of their danger, and to direct them to throw him into the sea, that tranquillity may be restored. He who a few hours ago was more concerned for himself than for any thing else, now that he is brought to a right state of mind, reckons himself of no importance, so that God may be glorified, and man may be happy. He felt he had sinned, and acquiesces in the punishment he is about to suffer.

Nor can we be less gratified with the conduct of these heathens toward Jonah Instead of feeling towards him the indifference he had indulged in reference to the immortal interests of others, they were anxiously desirous, if it were possible, to save his life. It is frequently the case that we find the most kindness where we least expect it; and some of the manners of professing Christians are often exceeded by heathens. 66 They rowed hard to bring the ship to land," but the tempest rose higher, and still higher, and they could not accomplish their wish. Taught by Jonah the supremacy of his God, they pray to him for direction, and refer the matter to his decision. When the men of the world are made duly sensible of the value of good men, they are unwilling to part with them, but the decisions of infinite wisdom must

govern their removal; and, however mysterious those decisions may now appear to us, a period shall come when we shall see their propriety. And now that the purposes designed by the storm are answered, all becomes calm. The wind subsides, the skies brighten, and the sun shines with his usual splendour. Who could have supposed that a servant of God could have thrown all into so much disorder? But the sins of real Christians are awful curses to the world.

The wisdom of God very strikingly appears in permitting the disobedience of Jonah; for he overrules the consequences of this disobedience, to convince these heathen mariners of the vanity of their idols, and the greatness of his own character as the omnipotent Jehovah ; and probably by this means they became his devoted servants.

Who can describe the mental agonies that followed the disobedience of the prophet? It is true that his life is miraculously spared, that his confidence in God is maintained, and that he assuredly expects an entire deliverance from his present misery; but the endurance of that misery was indescribably painful. He compares his feelings and his dwelling to hell itself. He knew by painful experience, as every backslider must know, "that it is an evil thing and bitter to forsake the Lord." After a severe chastisement for his disobedience, Jehovah freed him from the belly of the fish, and restored him again to the enjoyments of life. He doth not always chide, but mingles mercy with his judgments.

Those who have studied the dealings of God with his people, must have observed, on the one hand, that he not only chastises them for their disobedience, but brings them to the performance of the very duty from which they fled; and, on the other hand, we must have seen with regret, that evil is so bound up in the human heart, that even the judgments of God frequently fail to remove it. Both these facts are strikingly illustrated in the conduct of Jonah.

Delivered from the danger in which he had been placed, Jehovah commands the prophet to depart to Nineveh, and deliver the awful message with which he is entrusted. And both to shew his forgiveness of past sins, and to qualify Jonah for future usefulness, the divine Being endows him afresh with the spirit of prophecy. And now we behold him discharging his solemn duties in the vast city of Nineveh. With fidelity and courage he proclaims the awful declaration that had gone forth from Jehovah, that he would destroy the city in forty days. In the palace and in the cottage he publishes the same fact. He may hear threatenings, may be exposed to sufferings, and may have death appear immediately before him; " but none of these things move him :” hefeels that "the Lord his God is a jealous God," and he weeps, too, over the calamities and the sins of man, of which he is an hourly spectator.

As Jonah had formerly anticipated, so it proved. The inhabitants of Nineveh, of every class, repented of their sins, humbled themselves before the Lord, and He averted the threatened judgments for the long period of one hundred and sixty years. This ought to have given pleasure to the prophet on earth, as it did to angels and glorified spirits in

heaven; but instead of this, he is rather offended than otherwise at the repentance of the people, and the display of the Divine mercy. His heart is still intent on his reputation as a prophet, rather than on the salvation of sinners. So imperfect are good men, and even ministers of the word of God, that in those very dispositions for the display of which they should be eminent, they are often lamentably deficient. God communicates reproof to Jonah in a very gracious, but effectual manner. The mercies of God, like Jonah's gourd, are frequently given us, not only to shew the Divine goodness in their bestowment, but his sovereignty in their removal, and the sympathy we should feel for the miseries of others.

The subject thus imperfectly considered, shews us that the servants of God, even though they possess true piety, are far from being perfect; and it should therefore lead us to self-examination, and humiliation before Him.-We see that the sins of God's people will surely be punished, and that this punishment is very painful.-We learn that true religion may exist where there is much that is unlovely in the character; and this should lead us to cherish a spirit of candour towards those who profess religion.-We find that unhappiness is connected with a contracted mind and a narrow soul; let us, therefore, be desirous of extending our love to the whole human race, and of deriving our happiness from that of others. If we are disposed to blame Jonah for his improprieties, let us not forget that we daily sin in the same way, and that he is but a picture of ourselves. And, finally, let us, when we have departed from the path of duty, allow nothing to prevent us from returning to it, remembering, that they who leave it, forsake the only source from whence they can derive true happiness.

Folkestone.

DESIRABILIA OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

J. B.

The Editor, perhaps, may not deem unworthy of his attention, the following transcription from loose papers, incidentally written at various periods; accustomed as I am to put down memoranda in the course of my studies. Their appearance in the Scripture Magazine will place them on permanent record, and probably induce other correspondents to send the result of their occasional "cogitations."

1. Memoirs of the Life and Trials of Job, with some notice of his Contemporaries, &c. &c.

A verbatim copy of the "book of Job," arranged on an improved plan, with a revised translation, with other Scripture allusions to that remarkable prince of Idumea. To be published in a style, captivating to youth and literary minds.

2. Select Remains of the Life and Travels of Abraham, a Chaidean, &c. &c.

A distinct publication of the narrative in Genesis, from chap. xi. to xxv.-accompanied with a map, exhibiting the various peregrinations of that mighty Emir and patriarchal Missionary in ancient times.

3. A Chronological Arrangement of the Apostolical Epistles:

Exhibiting in one tabular view, their names, authors, dates, and Roman emperors, under whose reigns they were severally composed. This plan may be extended to the writings of the prophets, the Israelitish kings, &c.; and form a series of Scripture charts.

4. Varieties in the Christian and Religious World.

Comprising a tabular arrangement of all the principles or doctrines, judiciously classified; and exhibiting fully, the real points of difference and agreement: more extensive and philosophical than the " Recapitulatory Schedule" appended to Evans's Sketch.

5. Congregational Guide for reading the Holy Scriptures.

To exhibit the general contents of the Bible in sections and in the chronological order, marking the portions to be omitted, whether as lists of genealogy, duplicates of scripture, or passages not at present rendered delicately in our English version; and shewing how, by three times reading on every Lord's day, the whole of the sacred writings may be perused in the course of the year. How desirable would be such a directory for all congregations: superior to the practice of any at the present time!

6. A general Contemporaneous History of the New Testament. Shewing the state of learning, morals, politics, &c. in those days, and throughout the countries referred to in the writings of evangelists and apostles. How much might the phraseology and allusions of these writers be illustrated?

7. Selections of the Holy Scriptures—

In a revised version, judicious arrangement, and a superior attractive form of typography. The Life and Writings of David :-the Character and Writings of Moses the Life and Government of Solomon :-the Life and Discourses of Isaiah, &c. &c.; with many others, would form ample materials for separate publications, without any addition to the record of our Bibles, save in the way of contents, indexes, maps, and the like. Would not the appearance of such works be hailed as most valuable reading books and presents for our schools, and as eminently calculated to promote the diffusion of Scripture knowledge and happiness in the world?

Manchester, 1826.