A paraphrasticall explication of the twelve minor prophets. Viz. Hoseah. Joel. Amos. Obadiah. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. / By Da. Stokes. D.D.

CHAP. I.

1. THe word of the Lord which was (re∣vealed to Zephaniah (whose very (a) 1.1 name tells us, that God would more clearly reveal by him some of his secret counsail, concerning those heavy judgements, that were now ready to fall upon the Iews, and so needed this nearer and clear Interpreter, of his will and pleasure, as an other (b) 1.2 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 * 1.3 as Ioseph was called by Pharaoh.)

This Zephaniah was the son of Cushi; the son of Gedaliah; the son of Amariah: the son of

Hizkiah. And he prophesied in the daies of Iosiah, son of Amon, King of Iudah. (for even in the raign of that good King, so pious and so eminent an example produced little amend∣ment in a wicked, and perverse genera∣tion. Therefore

2. I will even (c) 1.4 sweep away all together out of this land, saith the Lord (and so make a quick, and fair riddance of so rebellious a nation.)

3. I will make an end of man, and beast. I will consume the fouls of the air, and the fishes of the sea. I will quite take away both the wicked offenders, and all their scandalous sins, and offences. And (all by one sin or other be∣ing gone out of the good way, wherein they promised to walk) I will also, by one means, or other, (d) 1.5 root out every man out of that land (of promise, (which I had bestowed upon them, saith the Lord.

4. And even against Iudah (as I have done against Israel) will I stretch out my powerful and revenging hand: and therein against (the proudest and worst of them) the Citizens of Ierusalem. And (I will do what good Iosiah in all his care, and industrie could not do in

that stubborn, and rebellious City, which should have been a pattern, and example to all the rest) from that place will I cut off (by the sword of my Justice) all the reliques of Baal, and the name of the Chemarims (their down∣right idolatrous priests) and their Cohanims too, those priests of their own, that will now, and then be tampering with the accursed mysteries of Baal.

5. Such as can find a time to worship the host of heaven, upon the tops of their houses (which were made flat for prevention of danger from thence, and not to introduce so dangerous, and flat idolatrie as that) those (e) 1.6 halters between two religions, that think they can do their ho∣mage to the true God, and to the false: and swear by Iehovah, and by their (f) 1.7 Moloch (the imaginarie Deitie of the Ammonites, (g) 1.8 which they have now made to be theirs.)

6. And those also that (otherwise, and by other vanities, and diversions (fall away from following the Lord Iehovah, and from seeking and inquiring after him alone (in such holy places, and waies of divine worship, as himself hath prescribed.)

7. Wherein (as being in the presence of him, and before his all-seeing eye) use all the

(h) 1.9 reverence and holy fear and devotion that may best whosoever thou art, that would (live secure, and without all fear, and danger of a day of justice, and vengeance.) For, such 1 day is coming, and it is near at hand, when they that offer not such pious, and chearful sacri∣fices to him, shall find that he will make a merry, and festival day of sacrificing them, and bidding such guests, to be entertained with that sacri∣fice, as they would be loath to be dressed up for, and to be devoured by such hungry com∣panions.

8. And in that day of the Lords sacrifice, and that feast; he will spare none, that have not spared to serve, and sacrifice to others be∣sides him. They must all to the pot, the highest as well as the lowest: the Princes, and their royal race, and all the gandy gallants, that look so strangely upon it, in their rich, and costly apparel.

9. Amongst all this fine irreligious rout, I will not forget to punish them, that follow the (i) 1.10 superstition of the Philistims, in not presu∣ming to tread upon the threshould for sooth, but rather using the nimblenesse of their feet for a speedy conveyance (which is no fit way of en∣tring into the house of their God) And with

these contemners of their Gods house, I will visit those that take too much care for the fur∣nishing, and enriching of their Masters house, by hook or by crook, and by all the violent and deceitful courses, that they can imagine.

10. And I will give you a more particular discoverie, and prediction, of what shall hap∣pen in three of the chiefest parts of the City, in that day. A great noise, and crie shall then be heard from the Fish-gate (which is in that part, which you call the City of David) Then a sad, and doleful howling from the second part of the City. And as woful and (k) 1.11 crashing a noise from the highest, and most eminent part, (wherein is the Temple and the Palace, places that have been often acquainted with sweeter sounds.)

11. When the three chief places in Ierusalem have thus begun to expresse their sad conditi∣on, then you, that dwell in (l) 1.12 the hollower part of the City may second them with as doleful an eccho, to bewail the ruine of the multitudes of Merchants thereabouts, and the many fair (m) 1.13 heaps of silver (that they must leave behind them.)

12. Then will I suffer every rich corner in Ierusalem to be as narrowly searched, and ran∣sacked (by the Chaldaean souldiers) as a man would peep, and prie into the closest places, with the help of candles, that he might be sure to let nothing escape him, that he hath a mind to bear away. And so shall my justice meet with those, that have lived in ease, and plenty, and with∣out any disturbance; like wine that hath been long setled on the lees, without any removal out of one vessel into another. These are they, that soothed up themselves in their own foolish perswasion, that God took no great care of hu∣mane affairs, either to reward, or to punish us here below, according to our good or bad life, and conversation.

13. But, this is the day, wherein I will con∣fute them, by exposing their ill-gotten goods as a prey to the enemie: and bringing their houses (wherein they nestled themselves so securely) to utter ruine, and (n) 1.14 fearful desolation: or, at least, by changing the owners, so that other men shall dwell in those goodly buildings, which they have erected: and drink up the fruit of those costly vineyards, which they had planted for themselves.

14. This great day of the Lord is near, very near: and withal, it flies swiftly towards us (as a time that hath quicker wings then ordinarie, to convey it self.) It will be such a bustling day, that you may hear it as well as see it: and the stoutest man (that hears the approach of that day) will not passe it over so quickly, but that he will be heard to expresse the bitteruesse of the day, in most bitter lamen∣tations.

15. This day will be a day of wrath, and a day of trouble: and yet a day, wherein we shall be so (o) 1.15 streightned, and penned in, that there will be no way of evasion. It will be a day of desolation, of utter desolation (with∣out hope of recoverie, to most of them.) A dark, and gloomy day without the least appearance of comfort) and a cloudie, and thick-cloudie day (wherein the heavens, whither we use to cast up our eyes for relief, will seem continually to frown up∣on us.)

16. A day that will fright us with the sound of the trumpet, and the alarm of war, against the strongest Cities, and highest Towers, that we have.

17. In this day, saith the Lord, (p) 1.16 I will cause men to be in such pressure, and such streights, that they shall see no more, then blind men, which way to turn themselves, or what course to take, that may rid them out of this distresse. And, in the midst of those streights, because they have sinned against the Lord, their enemies shall make no more scruple of shedding their blood, then of treading upon the dust, that is under their feet: and their bo∣dies shall have no better esteem, then the dung of the earth.

18. In this day of Gods wrath, their silver, and gold shall not be able to purchase their ransome: but the whole land shall be so∣dainly consumed by the fierce and jealous wrath of the Lord: wherein he will make a full and speedy riddance of all, that dwell in the land.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 arcanum Dei.
• (b) 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.3

  Gen. 41. 43.
• (c) 1.4

  Congregando consumam. i. collectim auferam. ubi 2. radices 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (d) 1.5

  Sic redditur angl. Psal. 12. 4.
• (e) 1.6

  Reg 18. 21.
• (f) 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• (g) 1.8

  Amos 5. 26.
• (h) 1.9

  Hebr. exprimunt per silentium, ut Hab. 2. 20.
• (i) 1.10

  1 Sam. 5.5.
• (k) 1.11

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 con—
• (l) 1.12

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 mortarium, & cavitatem signif. Inde his locis nomen.
• (m) 1.13

  Pondera argenti: vel, potest intelligi de divitibus argento onusti••.
• (n) 1.14

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 stupenda desolatio.
• (o) 1.15

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 coarctare ut 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 v. 17.
• (p) 1.16

  Vt ••v. 15.