"exceeding great and precious they are;" and then say, whether thou hast any reason to despond. Hadst thou but a perad- venture in thy favour, it were a sufficient reason for all possible earnestness and prayer. That was all the hope which these mariners had. But you have the strongest assurances, of a " God that cannot lie," that you " shall not seek his face in vain," but that " whatsoever you shall ask in his Son's name shall be done for you."
What meanest thou then, O sleeper? What excuse canst thou offer for thine unreasonable conduct? Art thou dreaming of future opportunities to call upon God, when, for ought thou knowest, the ship may sink with thee the next instant, and thy soul may be plunged into the depths of hell ? " Arise," I say, " and call upon thy God," and lose not another moment in a concern of such infinite importance.
In the mean time, use all the means that thou canst for thy- self. " Cast out all that thou hast" in the world, rather than suffer it to sink thee into perdition. If thou hadst all the wealth of the universe, it would but ill compensate for the loss of thy soul. Nor let it be thought that I speak to those only who are determined rebels against God : no : if there be a Jonah here ; a professor of godliness, who is in a state of departure from his God, him I would more especially address. Know, thou un- happy fugitive, that God will not let thee pass unpunished : on the contrary, he will the rather follow thee with some tremen- dous storm, and send thee into the depths of hell (if I may so speak) in this world, to deliver thee from perdition in the world to come. " Awake then from thy slumber, that Christ may give thee light." Surely " it is high time for thee to awake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." Professors, " let us not sleep as do others ; but let us watch, and be sober." With the exception of the terror with which they were agitated, the state of the heathen mariners should be ours ; nor should we cease from our pleadings, till we are brought in safety to our desired haven. We must not give occasion for that sarcastic reflection, " In trouble have they visited thee ; they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them :" no : we must pray without ceasing ;" we must "pray and not faint:" and then we may be assured, that, whatever storms or difficulties we have to contend with, " our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord." Only let us think upon God, and God will most tenderly " think on us :" he will maintain towards us " thoughts of good, and not of evil, to give us an expected end."]
1199. J JONAH RESTORED FROM THE FISH's BELLY. 257