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. 5.

So the people of Ninive beleeved God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackloath, from the greatest of them even unto the least of them.

* 1.1THE fruite or effect of the former preaching of Ionas among the unbeleeuing Ninivites, being such as were accustomed unto sinne, namely their repentance. VVhereby appeareth that the ministerie of Ionas through the grace of God, was effectuall, or of force even among the Ninivites, as Christ himselfe also doth teach Mat. 12. The men of Ninive shall arise in iudgement with this generation, and condemne it: for they repented at the preaching of Io∣nas: and behold a greater then Jonas is here. Of this all they may cō∣ceive good hope of happy successe, who are called & sent of God unto any worke, or ministery to be executed either among the faithfull, or among the unfaithfull. But the repentance of the Ni∣nivites is briefly here described first by two signes or tokens: and afterwards the whole matter is more at large declared by way of explanation or laying out of the same more plainly. * 1.2 And the two signes are, namely the faith of the Ninivites (for they are said to haue beleeved God) and the outwarde constitution or behaviour touching their body, to expresse the earnest feeling of the sorrowe for their sinnes committed, to wit, fa∣sting and sackecloath. Touching the faith of the Ninivites:

they are saide to have beleeved God, that is to say, the prophet Ionas in the name of God denouncing or shewing unto them these threatnings because of their wickednesse. * 1.3 Therefore they neither drave the prophet out of their citie, clearely declaring unto them the iudgements of God to ensue upon them except they did amend: neither yet stopped their eares, as the Scribes doe, Act. 7. neither for bad him, that he should not publish or tell forth these things: but received them as the most true and certen wordes of God: they perswaded them selves that he was assu∣redly sent unto them by God: and finally they beleeved that those things which he threatned would come to passe, as appea∣reth hereafter ver. 9. Thus farre foorth therefore was this assent or agreeing of the Ninivites unto the saying of Ionas faith, as they beleeved this worde of the prophet. For here is nothing spoken of the covenant of God towardes men, of the Messias, of the meanes and cause of the forgiveneffe of sinnes, or of the other partes of the word of God, unto all the which neither did the Ninivites give assent, neither yet did knowe them, albeit i•• these properly the true and iustifying faith doth consist. They wanted then this faith, but they had onely a particular faith, th•• which beleeveth or receiveth for true, but some one point 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the word of God. In this sense many are said by the Evangeli•••• to have beleeved Christ. And such as was the faith of the Nin••∣vites, such was their penitencie or repentance: not feigned I con∣fesse, not hypocriticall, not counterfeit, that when as they w•••• not inwardly touched with the feare of the iudgements of Go•• and of his punishment the which was then declared unto the•• yet neverthelesse they did feigne themselves to be moved: a•• when as they did not sincerely or truly acknowledge themsel•••• to be such, that is to say, sinners, such as by Ionas they were ••••∣scribed for to be, yet notwithstanding after the maner of hyp••∣crites they did counterfait themselves to be sinners: But t•••• were inwardly and in their minde earnestly touched both w•• the feeling of their sinnes, * 1.4 and also with the feare of Gods iudg••∣ments: yet notwithstanding had they not that same true pe••••∣tencie or repentance, the which is the effect of a true and iu••••••∣fying faith, the which the godly only and the elect of God ha•• and whereof we have a description in those that repented at ••••∣ters sermon, and were baptized Act. 2.37. & 41. They felt ind•••••• an inward feare and trembling of mind, such as by nature th••

men are wont to haue in themselves being convicted of their sinnes, & feared with the threatnings of God: but they had not that same lively and sweete taste of the mercy of God applyed unto thē by Christ, & the testimonie or witnes of the holy ghost, by the which the godly with all their hearts are angry even with themselves, albeit there were no hell or punishment to come. Whereupon they onely and none but they which are godly doe truly repent. Such an affection of mind doth Paul describe spea∣king of the repenting sorrow of the Corinthians concerning the matter of the incestuous person. 2. Cor. 7.11. saying, For behold, this thing that ye have bin godly sory, what great care it hath wrought in you: yea, what clearing of your selves: yea, what indignation: yea, what feare: yea, how great desire: yea, what a zeale: yea, what punish∣ment? in all things you have shewed your selues pure in this matter. This affection these Ninivites had not.

[Obiection.] Neither is that which Christ saith, Mat. 12.41. alledged before in the beginning of the former sectiō, any thing against this, where he saith, that the Ninivites repented: ergo, would some conclude, the repentance of the Ninivites was true repentance, and such as is the repentance of the godly. [Answer.] I answer, that these names of Faith and Repentance carry many significations, and are often times at∣tributed unto those affections which haue but an imitation or resemblance of faith and repentance onely, as is the repentance of Achab 1. Kin. 21.29. And in the gospell of Matthew this word Faith is often so taken, as cap. 9. ver. 2. of those that brought unto Christ the man sicke of the palsie, of whom Christ saith, That he saw their faith, &c. & in the same chap. ver. 22. he saith the like of the faith of the woman that had the bloody issue, comming unto him to be cured of the same. & chap. 17. v. 20. where Christ tel∣leth his disciples, That if they had faith but as much as a graine of mustard seed, they should remove mountains, &c. So here after in this prophet cap. 4..2. the faultie prayer of Ionas, is notwithstanding called a prayer. And thus much of the faith, and inward repen∣tance of these Ninivites.

* 1.5The outward repentance of the Ninivites was in those signes, the which at that time were used of those that did truly repent, al∣beit hypocrires also did oft••n make shew of the same: as may ap∣peare out of Ioel cap. 2. v. 14. where God saith, Rent your heartes and not your garments, and turne to the Lorde your God, &c. signify∣ing that true repentance must proceed from an heart humbled

by faith, and not consist in outward ceremonies, in the which of all others hypocrites as most forward. For so 1. King. 21.27. A∣chab, when by Elias he heard of Gods iudgements towardes him, Renteth his cloathes putteth sackcloth upon him, and fasteth, & lyeth in sackcloath, and goeth sof••ly: yet was he void of true re∣pentance, such as the godly have. These outward signes are fa∣sting, sackeloth, and ashes. After which maner the godly haue in former times humbled themselves before God. For so Iob. cap. 2. v. 8. sitteth downe among the ashes. And Psalm. 69 v. 10, 11. David saith of himselfe. I wept, and my soule fasted, but that was to my reproofe (he meaneth among the wicked) I put on a sacke als•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and I became a proverb unto them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The effect or fruit of Jonas preaching.
• * 1.2

  Two signes of the repentance of the Nini∣vites.
• * 1.3

  1 Faith, and how farre forth, or in what respect the Ninivites may be saide to have saith.
• * 1.4

  The Ninivites had not true re∣pentance, which is the effect of a iustifying faith.
• * 1.5

  2. The outward signes of the repentance of the Ninivites, fasting, sack∣cloth, & ashes.