What meanest thou, 0 sleeper?

, Jonah i. 5, 6. What meanest thou, 0 sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. A sad case! A Heathen ship master challenging a godly prophet for his neglect of seeking God! He calls him by a shameful, but well-deserved name, 0 sleeper. The storm cams on for Jonah's sake, as he told them, vet. 12.: yet he is the securest person in the ship. He only knew God, yet he is last in calling on him. An honest Pagan may outdo a distempered prophet, in some things, at some times. This sense was expressed greatly by the king, nobles, and inhabitants of Nineveh, Jonah iii. 5,—10. And they again go far beyond Jonah. They believed God on Jonah's preaching, repented, prayed, and fasted; and the Lord repented of the evil. But Jonah was not grieved at all, chap. iv. 1, 2. If it were not for his excellent prayer, chap. ii. and that he was a prophet of the Lord, and the penman of the Holy Ghost, to record his own sin and shame, for the benefit of the church; we should be tempted to question this man's grace, of whose fearful sins we have so large an account. He rebels against the Lord's call to preach to Nineveh. When he flees, the Lord overtakes him by a storm, takes him by the lot; he is cast into the sea» schooled in the whale's belly three days and three nights; a miraculous chastisement, and a miraculous preservation. He; now obeys the repeated call. But when his labour had a gracious effect, he is displeased exceedingly, and prays most sinfully. Jonah's instance should teach ministers and Christians to pray more, Lord, lead us not into temptation. As nature's light teaches afflicted people their need of the Lord's grace and mercy, the word declares it more plainly, James v. 13. Peal. 1. 15. Hos. v. 15. Robert Traill

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