A fruitfull commentarie vpon the twelue small prophets briefe, plaine, and easie, going ouer the same verse by verse, and shewing every where the method, points of doctrine, and figures of rhetoricke, to the no small profit of all godly and well disposed readers, with very necessarie fore-notes for the vnderstanding of both of these, and also all other the prophets. The text of these prophets together with that of the quotations omitted by the author, faithfully supplied by the translatour, and purged of faults in the Latine coppie almost innumerable, with a table of all the chiefe matters herein handled, and marginall notes very plentifull and profitable; so that it may in manner be counted a new booke in regard of these additions. VVritten in Latin by Lambertus Danæus, and newly turned into English by Iohn Stockwood minister and preacher at Tunbridge.

Vers. 14.

VVherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let not us perish for this mans life, & laye not vpon vs innocent blood: for thou, O Lorde, hast done as it pleased thee.

* 1.1THE prayer of the marriners and passengers, wherein they purge themsclues before God, as they did before clear them selves before men of all suspicion of cruelty, or conceived ha∣tred against his servant when as they executed upon him these iudgements of God. This prayer containeth three things. * 1.2 First they pray, that God will turne away frō them that present danger the which hung over their heads for that one mans sake. Wherin they secretly in their mind consider the law of Distributive iustice, To wit, that punishment doeth follow the authours and causes of the same, & that no man is iustly punished for another mans of∣fence, as Abraham in his prayer unto God for the sparing of the good among them of Sodom & Gomorrah Gen. 18.25. seemeth to confirme, speaking unto God for them after this maner: Be it farre from thee from doing this thing, so slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be even as the wicked, be it farre from thee. Shall not the iudge of all the world do right.* 1.3 The second, they pray against the death of Ionas, that it namely be not laide to their charge, and that they be not punished therfore, when as in this behalfe they are only the executioners and instruments of Gods iudgement and will. For God himself calleth for him unto death. They adde the third thing for the which they both excuse themselves, & also doe praise God for his righteousnesse & iustice. They excuse thēselves, because it lieth thē upō to execute those things the which God will have & doth declare. * 1.4 And they praise god, in cōfessing that whē as god decreeth these things cōcerning

Ionas, that he doth this iustly, and according unto his owne pro∣per right, and most iust rule and power over all things. For thou dost this (say they) according unto thy good or iust and righteous will. For the Hebrewe Cephet signifieth not only thelesin, a willing o•• will, but eudokian, that is, that same righteous and holy will of God, albeit in comprehensible, or not able of us to be conceived, whereby the decreeth all things. For in this sense is that worde taken and used Matt. 11. v. 26. * 1.5 Jt is so, O father, because thy good pleasure vvas such. and Ephes. cap 1. vers. 5. Who hath predesti∣nate vs to be adopted through Jesus Christ unto himselfe, according unto the good pleasure of his will.

Furthermore here is nothing spoken of the covenant of God•• of Abraham, of Isaac, of the Messias. Because that albeit they conceive & make this prayer, * 1.6 yet the same proceedeth or com∣meth not from a true faith, but onely from that generall know∣ledge, the which is in every man, who is not altogither godlesse or foolish, or madde. To wit, that God is righteous and merciful towards men. And therefore that he may be prayed unto of mea•• for things that are iust and righteous, and that men are hear•• of him. Yet notwithstanding this prayer hath something th•• which we Christians may follow, * 1.7 both in this that being in trou∣ble they have recourse unto the true God alone: and also for the they doe shew themselves to have singular testimonies of the ••••∣stice and mercy of God, engraven in their mindes, and that the•• doe aske no fond or foolish thing at the handes of God. This e••∣ample also ought iudges to imitate or follow, to wit, that they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 prayer first, when as they are to condemne offenders, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pronounce and give sentence upon life and death.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The prayer of the marriners conteining three points.
• * 1.2

  1. That God will turne frō them the presens dan∣ger.
• * 1.3

  2. They pray a∣gainst the death of Ionas.
• * 1.4

  3. They excuse themselves, and praise God.
• * 1.5

  The Greeke word in both places is Eudo chia.
• * 1.6

  The prayer of the marriners void of true faith.
• * 1.7

  Wherein Chri∣stians may fol∣low this prayer, and iudges in especiall.