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. 10.

And God savv their workes, that they turned from their evill wayes: and God repented of the evill that he had sayde he would doe unto them, and he did it not.

THE conclusion of the whole former narration or discourse.* 1.1 And it sheweth that God being mooved with the repen∣tance or change of living made by the Ninivites, spared them, and not for their outward ceremonies onely, as their sackcloath, ashes, and fasting, for this was the meaning of God, that if they did after this manner repent, they should be saved from the threatned destruction. * 1.2 This is the end of all Gods threatnings towards us, and chidings with us, to wit, that wee should ear∣nestly turne unto him. August. God doth not in such sort find fault with us, as to insult or triumph over us, but to bring us to con∣fusion and shame for our sinnes, that he may afterwardes heale us. So God teacheth us that the end of the sending of his pro∣phets to reproove his people, was, that they should amend & be blessed, as Ierem. cap. 35. vers. 15. I have (saith God) sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising vp earely, and sending them, saying. Returne now every man from his evill way, and amend your workes, and goe not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the lande, which I have giuen unto you and to your fathers. And David Psalm. 103. ver. 9. saith, That God will not alwaies chide, neither keepe his anger for ever, but that he hath mercy in store for them that feare him and turne from wickednesse. Read the whole Psalme, for it is full of most excellent comforts.

Two things are to be observed or noted in this place: The one that it is attributed unto their workes, that God did save them. I

answer,* 1.3 So farre forth as those workes, namely their repentance were signes & testimonies or witnesses of the earnest trembling and feare of the Ninivites at the threatnings of God and they themselves were not hypocrites, but such as unfainedly were so∣ry, albeit not in such maner as the godly in such cases are. For God loveth the onely resemblances of Christian vertues, as o•• faith, hope, feare, &c. that we should understand by how much the more he loveth the true vertues themselves, and therefore that we should follow after them the more earnestly. So he al∣loweth the repentance of Achab 1. King. 21.29. And the faith of Simon Magus. Actes 8.13. and of Iudas Iscariot, who also wrought miracles with the other Apostles. The other thing to be noted is, * 1.4 that God is saide not to have done, that is, not to have executed those his threatnings. Not that any thing ca•• let or hinder the will of God, besides God himselfe, but, as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 have shewed, therefore he did it not, because he would not. For he had not simply decreed to destroy the Ninivites, but under this condition, unlesse they did repent from their wicked way, at least wise in the outward regard of their living. The which thing they performed.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The conclusion of the former narration.
• * 1.2

  The end of God his reprooving of vs.
• * 1.3

  1. The sparing of the Ninivites in what sense attributed unto their workes.
• * 1.4

  2. God did not as he threatned, and why?