Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vols. 13–63

Jonah 3:1, 2. And the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid you. There is no preaching like that which Gods bids us. The preaching that comes out of our own heads will never go into other men's hearts. If we will keep to the preaching that the Lord bids us, we shall not fail in our ministry.

3. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the Word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city of three days 'journey. For those times, Nineveh was "an exceedingly great city," but it is far exceeded in size by this modern Nineveh of London!

4. And Jonah began to enter into the city on the first day's walk, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown/His message was short and sharp, there was not a word of mercy in it. There was nothing to distract the attention of the hearers from the one point and the one subject—and there is a great deal in that. We may sometimes say too much in a single sermon and give our hearers a field of wheat instead of a loaf of bread. But Jonah said what he was bid to say, no more and no less—"Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown."

5-9. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed, nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yes, let them turn, every one, from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?Note that the only message they had heard was a prophecy of impending judgment! God had sent His servant to warn them of the coming destruction and, since He had warned them that He meant to destroy them, they could infer that He might possibly intend pity towards them should they repent, but there was as yet no verbal declaration of mercy or hope. These people went to God with nothing better to sustain them than this, "Who can tell?"

How much more guilty than these Ninevites are they who refuse to humble themselves before God, even when they have distinct injunctions from God and explicit promises that whoever shall confess and forsake his sins shall find mercy! These men of Nineveh will rise up in judgment against the men of London and the men of this generation, and condemn them, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now men do not repent even at the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God! To despise the Prophet Jonah would have involved these people in certain destruction—of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy who despise the Christ of God and do despite unto the Spirit of Grace!

10. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented of the disaster that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not There is no change in God, absolutely considered, but there is often an apparentchange. That which He threatens, while men remain in sin, is not executed upon them when they repent and turn to Him. He is always the same God. From the beginning He has been "the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." If He did not pardon sin when men turn from it with sincere repentance, He would have changed His method of dealing with the penitent. But when He does forgive, it is according to His way from the beginning, for He has always been a tender, compassionate and gracious God.

Jonah 4:1. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. A nice Prophet this! Jonah was a man of a somewhat ugly disposition, yet I think he has been misunderstood. He was the true child of Elijah, the Prophet of fire. Elijah was a rough, stern servant of the Lord, who felt that the indignities which had been done to Jehovah deserved instant and terrible punishment. And he seemed almost to wish to see that punishment inflicted, as he accused the people unto God, saying, "the children of Israel have forsaken Your Covenant, thrown down Your altars, and slain Your Prophets with the sword. And I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." He was bravely stern for God and Jonah was cast in a similar mold. He seemed to feel, "I have been sent of God to tell these people that they will be destroyed for their sin. Now, if they are notdestroyed, it will be thought that I have not preached the truth and, what is far more serious, it will be thought that God does not keep His word."

His whole thought was taken up with the honor of God, and his own honor as involved in that of the Lord. There are many people, nowadays, who seem to think everything of man and very little of God and, consequently, they fall into grievous errors. Jonah, on the contrary, thought everything of God and very little of men. He fell into an error by so doing and there was a lack of balance of judgment. Yet is Jonah's error so very seldom committed that I am half inclined to admire it in contrast with the error on the other side! He felt that it would be better for Nineveh to be destroyed than for God's truthfulness to be jeopardized even for a single moment. God would not have us push even concern for His honor too far, but we are such poor creatures that, very often, when we are within an inch of the right course, we fall into a snare of the enemy. It was so with Jonah—when he was exceedingly displeased and very angry at what God had done in sparing the repentant people of Nineveh.

2. Andhe prayed unto the Lord, andsaid, Ipray You, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that You are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and relents of doing evil This was as much as if he had said to the Lord, "I went and did Your bidding, and told the Ninevites that they would be destroyed. But I knew in my heart that if they repented, You would not carry out Your threat and now You are too gracious, too kind to these wicked people." It is a strange thing, is it not, that Jonah was angry because his message was blessed to his hearers? As a good commentator says, "When Christ sees of the travail of His soul, He is satisfied. But when Jonah saw of the travail of his soul, he was dissatisfied." There are some men who leave off preaching because they do not succeed—but here was one who was ready to give up because he didsucceed!

It is strange that such a good man as Jonah was should fall into such a foolish state of mind. But God still has a great many unwise children. You can, any of you, find one if you look in the right place—I mean, in a mirror. We are all foolish at times and it should be remembered that although Jonah was foolish, and wrong in certain respects, there is this redeeming trait in his character—we might never have known the story of his folly if he had not written it himself! It shows what a true-hearted man the Prophet was, that he unveiled his real character in this Book. Biographies of men are seldom truthful because the writers cannot read the hearts of those whom they describe. But if they could read them, they would not like to print what they would see there. But here is a man, inspired of God to write his own biography, and he tells us of this sad piece of folly—and does not attempt in the least degree to mitigate the evil of it. Now turn to a very different portion of Scripture, Romans 5.

Romans 5:1. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ These are matters of fact. Not of fanatical delusion, but of logical conclusion, for Paul begins with a, "therefore." God's people are justified on solid grounds, on reasonable grounds, on grounds that will bear the test, even, of the last Great Judgment Day. "Therefore, being'"—now, at the present time, this very moment—"justified by faith, we have peace." Not only we hopeto have it and trust we shallhave it, but we have it. "We have peace"—not only peace of conscience and peace with our fellow men, but, "we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Mark that—we have it. O dear people of God, do not be satisfied unless you can talk in this confident fashion! "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

2. By whom also. What? Is not that first verse all? Oh, no! There is more to follow. When you get a hold of one golden link of the blessed chain of Grace, it pulls up another and then another, and then another! "By whom also."

2. We have access by faith into this Grace wherein we stand. We come into this Grace by Jesus Christ and to this heavenly standing, this justified condition, through Jesus Christ who is the Door.

2. And rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Our joy is in the past and the present, in some measure, but it is still more in the future—"We rejoice in hope of the glory of God." We have three windows—the one out of which we look back with gratitude upon the past—the one out of which we look with joy in the present and the one out of which we look with expectation upon the future.

3. And not only so, there is for every child of God Grace upon Grace. Every line of the Apostle's writing tells of more blessing. "And not only so." Is not that enough? Justified, enjoying peace, having access into Grace, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God! What can there be more? Why, there is something on the road as well as at the endof it. "And not only so."

3. But we glory in tribulations, also. We are not only acquiescent in the Divine will, but, tutored by the Spirit of God, we come even to "glory in tribulations also."

3. Knowing that tribulation works patience. "Knowing." Paul was no agnostic, he was a "knowing" man, and all God's people ought to be the same. They are a very dogmatic people when they are what they ought to be. They have nothing to do with, "if," and, "ands, "and, "buts," and "perhapses"—they believe and are sure! "Knowing that tribulation works patience." The natural tendency of tribulation is to work impatience—it produces peevishness in many— but where the Spirit of God is, there is a heavenly counteraction of natural tendencies and, "tribulation works patience!"

4. And patience, experience; and experience, hope. Again I cannot help observing how we seem to go through one door just to pass through another. We get into a silver chamber that we may go into a golden one and, before we can take stock of all the gold, we are ushered into a gorgeous palace of pearls and rubies and diamonds of priceless value!

5. And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. If you have the Holy Spirit given unto you, then the love of God fills your nature like a sweet perfume. As when the woman broke the alabaster box and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment, so, when the Spirit of God comes and brings the broken alabaster of the Savior's Sacrifice, and we feel the love of God poured out among us, what a delightful perfume there is! "Your name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love You." The way to make us love God is for the love of God to be shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit!

6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Are not these very wonderful words? "Christ died for the ungodly." Pick out all those who are the naturally good people and this text has nothing to do with them! But find out the ungodly, the sinful, the wicked—and here is a text exactly suitable for them—"Christ died for the ungodly."

7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die. He is very righteous, but he is very stern. Nobody cares much about him.

7. Yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. He is "a good man"—benevolent, kind, and tender.

8. But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were neither righteous nor good—"while we were yet sinners, Christ" did the most He ever could, or ever can do for us—He "died for us." This is the best Gift for the worst of men and that best Gift given to them when they are at their worst state! "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

9. Much more, then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. "Much more." Paul has been giving us, "alsos," and, "ands." Now he takes a bigger leap, still, for he says, "Much more, then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." If He saved us when we were sinners, He will certainly save us now that we are justified! If He called us when we were dead, He will not leave us now we are alive!

10. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. You see, there are three points here. When we were enemies, He blessed us. Much more, now that we are reconciled, will He do so. If, in the second place, when we were enemies He reconciled us, how much more, after He has reconciled us, will He save us! And, thirdly, if He did all this for us by the death of His Son, much more will He do for us by His life, Reconciled by His death, we shall be saved by His life!

11. And not only so, there is no end to the blessing. Dear Brothers and Sisters, the Apostle seems to be always going up, and up, and up! This Paul, calm and cool and logical as he is, makes the fire burn most wondrously! "And not only so."

11. But we also joy in God. We are glad that He is God, glad that He is such a God as He is. We would not wish to have Him altered! The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob—the God of the Old testament, and the God of the New testament—we love Him altogether just as He is! And, "we joy in God."

11-21. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the Atonement Therefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned, (for until the Law, sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no Law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift For if through the offense of one many are dead, much more the Grace of God, and the gift by Grace, which is by one Man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ). Therefore as by the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous. Moreover the Law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound: that as sin has reigned unto death, even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

I have not expounded the latter part of the chapter, as time fails me, but I shall dwell upon it somewhat in the sermon.