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The prayer of Jonah is an illustrious instance of the conflict between sense and faith. Sense prompting to despair, — faith pleading for hope and procuring victory. This prayer of faith, though in unparalleled circumstances, and spiritually noble in a marvellous degree, contains in it nothing but the ordinary principles of all believing prayer. It is the very trial of faith to have circumstances to contend with which appear to extinguish hope, which even seem to shut out hope altogether. This is the true place and action of faith. Surrounded by incidents, events, circumstances, influence, powers, all adverse to your deliverance and salvation; and with your hope, as far as this region of the things seen and temporal is concerned, utterly cut off; your faith discovers another region, a realm and kingdom unseen. Your faith draws upon them.

I. VIEW JONAH'S POSITION FROM THE SIDE OF SENSE. Was ever a case so fitted to call forth utter despair? Mark —

1. The case in which Jonah finds himself.

2. The hand to which he traces it.

3. The immediate effects produced on his mind by it.He felt to be cast out of God's sight. His soul fainted in him. Outwardly he was begirt with terrors unspeakable. These to him were tokens of an angry God. His soul was brought to the very verge of despair.

II. JONAH'S FAITH ROSE IN ITS STRENGTH AND TRIUMPH. What can stand us in any stead in such an hour but the prayer of faith?

1. We see the truth and power of Jonah's faith in that he betook himself to prayer at all.

2. He set before himself the certainty of Jehovah's reconcilableness, His promised forgiveness, His sure accessibility.

3. He did not do this in vain. He was answered in the progressive strengthening of his faith, even while his trial lasts.

4. Jonah offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving. He cometh unto God — unto God his exceeding joy.

(Hugh Martin, M. A.)

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KJV: Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

WEB: Then Jonah prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish's belly.