We dwell the less on the historical view of Jonah's deliverance, because we wish you to notice it more particularly as,
II. A glorious type —
We are always cautious of exceeding the bounds of truth and soberness in the explanation of types. On this account we altogether omit, what some have laid a stress upon, the idea of Christ's offering up himself a sacrifice to God for the purpose of averting his wrath from us. And we should be inclined to limit the typical import of this history to the resurrection of Christ, if he himself had not given us a more extended view of it. But, in the place where he speaks of Jonas as being " a sign " to the people, he calls him "the Prophet Jonas," and mentions the remarkable suc- cess of his ministrations0. We are induced therefore to consider the whole of this history as designating the ministry of Jesus ;
1. In its temporary suspension —
The casting of Jonah into the sea, and his being swallowed by a fish, effectually, as it should seem, put an end to his mission. Whatever gracious intentions God had formed respecting the Ninevites, they were now, to all appearance, frustrated ; so that, unless God should send to them by some other prophet, his judgments would come upon them without warning, and without a remedy.
Such was also the distressful, and apparently irremediable, state, to which the world was reduced by the death of Christ. His enemies triumphed when they saw him dead upon the cross, and committed to the silent tomb. His friends and fol- lowers then concluded, that they had been mistaken in their expectations, and that the redemption of Israel which they had looked for at his hands was a hopeless phantom d. To guard them against this erroneous conclusion, our blessed Lord expressly told his disciples, that " he should be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."]
2. Its speedy restoration —
[After three days, Jonah was, by God's overruling pro- vidence, disgorged in safety upon dry land ; and his commis- sion to preach unto the Ninevites was renewed.
c Matt. xii. 38 — 41. <* Luke xxiv. 21.