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suffer him, who was his Holy One, to see corruption. Jonah was delivered from his imprisonment, and brought safe to dry land: so Jesus was set free from the prison of the grave; God raised him up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish: so Jesus was the very same length of time in the heart of the earth. As our Lord was crucified on the day we call Friday, and rose on the first day of the week, which is the Christian sabbath, the time he lay in the grave included part of the day on which he was crucified, the whole of the following night, the whole of the second day and of the second night, and part of the third day. Thus, counting inclusively, or taking in the two extremes, we should naturally say, in English, that he was three days in the grave. As to the expression, three days and three nights, that is a Hebrew form of expression meaning no longer space of time than what has just been stated. Our word day is put sometimes for the day as distinguished from the night, and sometimes for the natural day of twentyfour hours. But, as there is no one word in the Hebrew language which conveys the idea of a space of twenty-four hours, the Jews were obliged to use the words "a day and a night." Hence, their saying that any thing happened after three days and three nights, as the literal rendering would be, was the same as if we said that it happened on the third day. This Hebraism, or Hebrew form of expression, would be used by Matthew, whether he had written in Hebrew or in Greek; for, it was a common practice to transfer an idiom from the former language into the latter. We have a proof that this was the Jewish mode of speaking, in the Book of Esther: "Fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night and day; I also and my maidens will fast likewise, and so will I go in unto the king." Accordingly, it is said, that she went in "on the third day." And to complete the parallel, the type and the antitype corresponded in this, that as Jonah, after his deliverance, went and preached to the Ninevites, saying, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed;" so Jesus Christ, after his resurrection, remained on earth forty days, “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."

This then, namely, his own resurrection, was the sign to which our Lord referred these captious people. It adds, also, to the importance to be attached to this, that he replied

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in the same way on another similar occasion, as we read at the beginning of the 16th chapter of Matthew. This sign, his miracle, actually took place, as foretold, in all its cirAnd to this miracle the inspired preachers and writers were accustomed to refer, as the great proof of the Saviour's divine mission. Thus, we find Peter, in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, dwelling on Jesus' resurrection and ascension as the grand evidence to let "all the house of Israel know assuredly that God had made that same Jesus whom they had crucified, both Lord and Christ;" and Paul teaching the Romans that Jesus was "declared to be the Son of God, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."

What now (that we may not find it necessary to return to this first topic in the passage before us) is the improvement we should make of these two verses? Let us all beware of the fastidious and insatiable spirit as to evidence, which these unbelieving Jews here displayed. Unreasonable as the spirit was in them, it would be still more so in us now. It is natural to proud and suspicious men to prescribe to God what he should do; and then, if he do not proceed exactly as they have dictated, to make that an excuse for their unbelief and ungodliness. The evidence actually given of the truth of Christianity is more varied and more strong than could previously have been conceived; yet will sceptics pretend that there should have been more. There is abundance to satisfy every honest mind: and those who resist it, let them think as highly of themselves, or be as much applauded by others, as they may, are "an evil generation." Let us, then, "all beware, lest there be in any of us an evil heart of unbelief." Let us study all the evidences of the Gospel, and especially, the crowning evidence of the resurrection of Christ. Let us not expect, or desire, any more miracles, or more inspiration now; but let us follow up the miracles which God has already wrought, and the information he has already given. Instead of asking more evidence and more information, let us turn our undivided attention to the evidence and information furnished in the perfect Word of God, and pray for grace to enable us to understand, believe, and obey it. If the means we already enjoy do not suffice to bring us to faith and repentance, no other would. "If we believe not Moses and the prophets," and, we may now add, Christ and the apostles, "neither would we be persuaded though one rose from the dead."

We shall next consider the 32d verse, which has a more immediate connexion with the type of Jonas than what is stated in the 31st verse: indeed, this is the order in which

the subjects are introduced by Matthew.* "The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here." From speaking of Jonah as a type, it was a natural transition to speak of Jonah as a preacher. The effect of his preaching is described in his 3d chapter, from the 5th verse to the end. "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 him 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 any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, 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 repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil that he had Isaid that he would do unto them; and he did it not." Thus, the Ninevites repented at the preaching of Jonas; but the Jews did not repent at the preaching of Jesus Christ, though a greater than Jonas was there. Even as a man, Jesus was greater than Jonas, being perfectly holy. As a prophet, too, Jesus was greater than Jonas; for he was the chief of the prophets, even the Messiah. And as to his divine nature, no comparison could be drawn; for he was the Son of God, the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person. His preaching, too, was more powerful than that of Jonas, and the ruin he threatened was more terrible than the overthrow of a city. Still, the Jews, as a body, received him not, therefore, said he, "The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and shall condemn it." Even then, the consideration of the repentance of the Ninevites in far less favourable circumstances, exposed the very aggravated nature of the impenitence of the Jews in the Matt. xii. 41, 42.

midst of all their advantages. And looking forward to the last day, when all nations were to stand before the judgment-seat of God, our Lord declared that, like what is said to find persons guilty by witnesses who stand up to give evidence before an earthly tribunal, the very appearance of the penitent Ninevites, whether they actually uttered any thing or not, would be equivalent to an accusing voice. Indeed, persons may be said to condemn others, who in any way furnish matter and argument for their condemnation.

But, to apply this to ourselves—will not the men of Nineveh rise up in the judgment with us, and condemn us, if we continue unbelieving and impenitent? How much greater are our privileges than theirs were! If that heathen people, who had neither Moses nor Christ, who appear to have had only one preacher, and who had only a peradventure of safety to encourage them, turned at the voice which threatened temporal calamities: how inexcusable shall we be, who, in this country and this age, have both the law and the gospel, who have many preachers of righteousness, who have positive assurance of pardon, on turning to the Lord-how inexcusable shall we be, if we disregard such means of happiness, and obstinately rush on endless ruin! Let us think of the Ninevites now, and let us remember that we shall be confronted with them in the day of judgment. Let us think, too, how the Lord is speaking to us by the effects of his preached gospel in other places. Let us think of the converts who are making in the South Seas, in India, in Africa, and in other heathen lands, and of their exemplary demeanour; and let us beware lest, by our rejection of the light, we have reason to blush here, and lest we give occasion to them to stand up as witnesses against us hereafter. Let us practically remember the words of inspiration, "I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." To the same purpose, though by reference to a different part of the Old Testament history, our Lord says, in the 31st verse, "The queen of the south shall rise up in judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them; for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is

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here." The account here referred to is in 1 Kings x. 1, &c. "And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cup-bearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty: so she turned, and went to her own country, she and her servants.”

The country here called Sheba is thought, by some, to have been the same with Ethiopia, in Africa: but there is better authority for considering it to have been a part of Arabia Felix, in Asia. This lay to the south, or south-east, of Jerusalem and it might be called "the utmost parts of the earth," as it lay at a great distance from Jerusalem, as it bordered on the ocean, and was the extremity of the land in that direction, and also, as the Jews, at that time, knew of no land beyond it. Our Lord here declares that, as the penitent Ninevites, so the inquiring queen of Sheba, would condemn the obstinate Jews, to whom he addressed himself. She came from a great distance to hear the wisdom of Solo

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