at Nineveh, the people would repent, and thou wouldst spare them? "Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish." How shamefully perverse was this prophet? He was afraid even of the success of his ministry! Many a man has grieved for the want of success he has been tempted to relinquish his work, and has actually done so, on this account: but Jonah declined it; he shrunk from it, because he apprehended he should be successful, and from the very considerations which ought to have encouraged him. "Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil."

Now he begins to pray, but how unhallowed the petition! "Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me." As if he had said, "If Nineveh must live, let not me live. Why should such mercy be exercised to such a people? Why must the glory of Israel be transferred to the Gentiles, and even to the enemies of my own nation?" The prophet Elijah once expressed a similar wish, but it was under different circumstances: it was under a painful impression that his life was of little worth: "He requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers*." Jonah, on the other hand, had been eminently useful he had done much good among the Ninevites; but as if afraid he should do more, as if apprehensive of more extensive benefit to mankind, he fell out with life, and said in all the unrestrained impatience of his spirit, "It is better for me to die

* 1 Kings xix. 4.

than to live." The apostle Paul expressed himself thus: "I am in a straight betwixt two; having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better*." The sentiment is not unlike this of the prophet; but the spirit in which it was uttered is widely different. In the former, it was the language of piety; in the latter, it was the effect of passion. In one, it was the conviction, the desire, of a heart calm and collected, under the influence of heavenly grace; in the other, it was the ebullition of folly, stirred up by anger and pride. In Paul, it was accompanied with holy resignation to the will of God, and even pleasure in the thought of living to his glory, and to the welfare of his Church: hence he says, "Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, and continue with you all, for your furtherance and joy of faith." In Jonah, there is nothing of the kind; nothing but fretful, selfish dissatisfaction, which we must utterly disapprove" It is better for me to die than to live."

Did the Lord take him at his word? When he entreated that he might be deprived of life, was he cut off in that angry heat? No: the Lord was more merciful to Jonah than Jonah was to himself. He tenderly expostulated with him. As a man with his friend, or rather as a father with his froward child, he reasoned with him, in order to reduce him to a better temper. "Then said the Lord;" nothing could have been spoken more seasonably-" Doest thou well to be angry?

We cannot but notice the long-suffering goodness of God, the tenderness of Divine compassion, in this

* Phil. i. 23–25.

expostulation. He asks the pointed question, and leaves the angry prophet to his own reflection.

Let us also learn from this instance of Divine for bearance, meekness towards those who oppose themselves.-Mildness of reply and gentleness of manner frequently allay the rising of hateful passions; while the opposite tend only to irritate and inflame them.

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A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger." Let us, therefore, in all our intercourse with others, be "gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men." Thus we shall be imitators of our heavenly Father; we shall copy closely the example of Christ; we shall adorn the Gospel, and render eminent service in social life.

II. We proceed to shew, that this temper of the prophet was extremely CENSURABLE.

Did Jonah do well to be angry? The very question implies the reverse. "It might have been expected," as one observes, "that Jonah would be very humble and submissive, in consequence of his former misconduct and the merciful dealings of God with him; and that the success of his mission, in the repentance and preservation of the Ninevites, would inspire him with lively joy and gratitude." Instead of this, we perceive just the opposite: he gave way to a spirit and temper altogether indefensible.

What is anger? It is displeasure felt in a high degree; a feeling which is awakened when we think ourselves injured. It is usually attended with a restless uneasiness of mind, and frequently with something worse.

But is anger in no case allowable? Perhaps it is: "God is angry with the wicked every day;" that is, he is highly displeased with their sinful conduct, and

resolved to punish them on its account: yet anger in God is infinitely remote from any thing of turbulence and malevolence. We read of our Lord Jesus looking round on the people, particularly on the pharisees, "with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts;" but this anger was perfectly consistent with the purest benevolence, with the tenderest the most disinterested kindness.

Anger in depraved creatures is certainly very different from what it is in God, and from what it was in Jesus Christ; and we should be cautious how we give the least allowance to so dangerous a passion. It has been judiciously remarked, that when anger "proceeds from pride, or from selfishness; when it rises high, or continues long; and when it is accompanied by any thing like hatred or ill-will towards the person who is its object-then it is sinful and hurtful. But whatever we may think of the lawfulness or unlawfulness of anger in itself, and however difficult it may be to ascertain in what cases and in what degree it is allowable; one thing is evident, we cannot be too cautious of yielding to its influence. It is a passion so difficult to be regulated, and so dreadful often in its effects; so destructive of that meekness, gentleness, and love, which form the very essence of the Christian character; so expressly forbidden in various passages of the New Testament, and so carefully guarded even in those where it seems to be in some measure allowed, that we have much more reason to restrain than to encourage it, even in the smallest degree."

There is one object against which anger may be innocently directed, and this object is sin; either sin in ourselves, or sin in others.

Peter was angry, exceedingly displeased with him

self, when, at the recollection of his sin in denying his blessed Lord," he went out and wept bitterly.' The brethren of Joseph were angry with themselves, displeased at their base behaviour, when convinced of their cruelty toward an unoffending brother; and doubtless the feeling was laudable. The soul of righteous Lot was "vexed,” he was angry, with the filthy conversation of the wicked among whom he dwelt; and as we dwell among a people of unclean lips and unholy conduct, our blame would be great if we felt not displeasure at what we hear and witness.

Anger, then, in some instances, may be right; but it certainly was not in the case of Jonah. He was warmly displeased, not against sin, but against the dispensations of God: the conduct of Divine Providence and Grace stirred up an evil, hateful temper"Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?"

We shall now, regarding the subject more at large, endeavour to shew, that every emotion of displeasure with the dispensations of God is extremely censurable for, observe three things

1. Each of them is just. However mysterious they may be, they are all founded in the strictest equity.

This might be argued from the essential perfections of God." The righteous Lord loveth righteousness;" and what he loveth he must execute. "The just Lord will do no iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light." "He is the rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment; a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."

It is proved from the express declarations of his word. This records the testimony of the saints on